Antenna beam steering and tracking techniques

• US 20060077097A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerospace Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aerospace Corporation
• Inventors: Dybdal, Robert B., Pidhayny, Denny D., Hinshilwood, Don J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/359
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/325 Automatic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/42 the desired condition being maintained automatically
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/17 the primary radiating source comprising two or more radiating elements H01Q19/15, H01Q25/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/19 comprising one main concave reflecting surface associated with an auxiliary reflecting surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/04 for varying one co-ordinate of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/28 varying the amplitude

Abstract

A method includes determining if a dynamics requirement for an antenna positioner is exceeded, and employing a combination of mechanical and electronic beam steering techniques to steer a single antenna beam if the dynamics requirement is exceeded.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining if a dynamics requirement for an antenna positioner is exceeded; and

employing a combination of mechanical and electronic beam steering techniques to steer a single antenna beam if the dynamics requirement is exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the single antenna beam is steered during an acquisition process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the single antenna beam is steered during a tracking process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic beam steering technique includes steering the single antenna beam between antenna feed elements disposed in an azimuth direction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic beam steering technique includes steering the single antenna beam between antenna feed elements disposed in an elevation direction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic beam steering technique includes steering the single antenna beam between antenna feed elements disposed in a two-dimensional configuration.

7. An antenna system, comprising:

a reflector antenna with a central feed element and a configuration of additional feed elements on opposite sides of the central feed element; and

beam combining circuitry configured to vary amplitudes in combining adjacent feed elements and to produce tracking signals from adjacent feed elements.

8. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the configuration includes feed elements disposed in an azimuth direction.

9. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the configuration includes feed elements disposed in an elevation direction.

10. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the configuration is two-dimensional.

11. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the beam combining circuitry is configured to steer the beam over a field of view such that mechanical dynamics needed by the antenna system to track a low altitude satellite are reduced.

12. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the beam combining circuitry is configured to perform an acquisition and tracking process.

13. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the beam combining circuitry includes passive microwave components.

14. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the beam combining circuitry includes hybrid circuits.

15. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the beam combining circuitry includes a power divider.

16. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the beam combining circuitry includes electronics for selecting a pair of outputs of adjacent feed elements to be combined.

17. A method for antenna tracking, comprising:

a priori computing angular positions and velocities of a satellite using a satellite ephemeris;

determining if an elevation angle is above a maximum elevation angle; and

if the elevation angle is above the maximum elevation angle, employing a combination of mechanical and electronic beam steering techniques to steer an antenna beam.

18. The method of antenna tracking of claim 17, wherein the electronic beam steering technique includes varying an amplitude combination of antenna feed elements in an azimuth coordinate.

20. The method of antenna tracking of claim 17, further including:

subtracting outputs of adjacent feed elements to verify that the antenna beam is aligned with a received signal.