Partitioned aperture array antenna

• US 20100060517A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Roper, Joel C., Mason, James S., Nichols, Richard W., Shows, Gilbert M., Eppich, Raymond D., Burnum, Gustavo A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,089,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.290
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays

Abstract

A partitioned aperture array antenna. The novel antenna includes a first subarray having a first number of antenna elements equipped with transmit functionality and a second subarray having a second number of antenna elements equipped with receive functionality, wherein the first and second numbers are not equal and the first and second subarrays have at least one common antenna element. In an illustrative embodiment, the first subarray includes a transmit circuit coupled to each antenna element in the first subarray for controlling a relative transmit phase of the antenna element to steer an overall antenna transmit beam, and the second subarray includes a receive circuit coupled to each antenna element in the second subarray for controlling a relative receive phase of the antenna element to steer an overall antenna receive beam.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a first subarray having a first number of antenna elements equipped with transmit functionality and

a second subarray having a second number of antenna elements equipped with receive functionality, wherein said second number is not equal to said first number and said first and second subarrays have at least one common antenna element.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first subarray includes first means for controlling a relative transmit phase of each antenna element in said first subarray to steer an overall antenna transmit beam.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said second subarray includes second means for controlling a relative receive phase of each antenna element in said second subarray to steer an overall antenna receive beam.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said first means includes a receive circuit coupled to each antenna element of said first subarray.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said second means includes a transmit circuit coupled to each antenna element of said second subarray.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said antenna includes a transmit/receive circuit coupled to each common antenna element, wherein each transmit/receive circuit includes independently controlled receive and transmit circuits coupled to said common antenna element.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein each transmit/receive circuit includes a diplexer for simultaneously coupling said receive and transmit circuits to said common antenna element.

8. The invention of claim 6 wherein each receive circuit includes a phase shifter adapted to receive a control signal and in accordance therewith vary a phase of a signal received from said antenna element.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein each transmit circuit includes a phase shifter adapted to receive a control signal and in accordance therewith vary a phase of a signal transmitted by said antenna element.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein said antenna further includes means for combining signals received from each of said receive circuits to form a single output signal.

11. The invention of claim 10 wherein said antenna further includes means for distributing an input signal to each of said transmit circuits.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said antenna further includes a serial to parallel interface adapted to receive a serial signal and output a plurality of control signals to each of said transmit and receive circuits in parallel.

13. The invention of claim 11 wherein each receive circuit also includes a low noise amplifier adapted to amplify said signal received by said antenna element.

14. The invention of claim 13 wherein each transmit circuit also includes a high power amplifier adapted to amplify an input signal for transmission by said antenna element.

15. The invention of claim 6 wherein said antenna elements are patch antennas comprising patch radiators disposed on a patch substrate over a ground plane.

16. The invention of claim 15 wherein said transmit and receive circuits are integrated onto a circuit board disposed next to and parallel with said ground plane.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein each transmit circuit is aperture coupled to a patch radiator.

18. The invention of claim 16 wherein each receive circuit is aperture coupled to a patch radiator.

19. The invention of claim 16 wherein said antenna further includes a GPS antenna element adapted to receive Global Positioning System (GPS) signals.

20. The invention of claim 19 wherein said GPS element includes a patch antenna radiator disposed on said patch substrate.

21. The invention of claim 20 wherein said antenna further includes a GPS receiver coupled to said GPS antenna element.

22. The invention of claim 21 wherein said GPS receiver is integrated onto said circuit board.

23. The invention of claim 22 wherein said GPS receiver is aperture coupled to said GPS patch radiator.

24. The invention of claim 22 wherein said antenna further includes a sensor for measuring an orientation of said antenna.

25. The invention of claim 24 wherein said sensor is integrated onto said circuit board.

26. The invention of claim 24 wherein said sensor includes an electronic tilt sensor.

27. The invention of claim 24 wherein said sensor also includes a north finding module.

28. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first subarray is smaller than said second subarray.

29. The invention of claim 28 wherein said first subarray is a subset of said second subarray.

30. The invention of claim 29 wherein said first subarray is an N element by N element planar array, where N is an integer.

31. The invention of claim 30 wherein said second subarray includes said first subarray and one or more additional subarrays adjacent to said first subarray.

32. The invention of claim 31 wherein each additional subarray is an N element by one element planar array.

33. The invention of claim 32 wherein said second subarray includes two of said additional subarrays, wherein said additional subarrays are adjacent to two contiguous sides of said first subarray.

34. An antenna comprising:

a first subarray including a plurality of antenna elements and a transmit/receive circuit coupled to each antenna element, wherein each transmit/receive circuit includes independently controlled receive and transmit circuits simultaneously coupled to one of said antenna elements;

one or more additional subarrays adjacent to said first subarray;

wherein each additional subarray includes one or more antenna elements and a receive-only circuit coupled to each antenna element of said additional subarray;

a distribution circuit adapted to receive an input signal and distribute said input signal to each of said transmit circuits of said first subarray; and

a combiner circuit adapted to combine signals received from each receive circuit and each receive-only circuit to form a single output signal.

35. An antenna comprising:

a patch substrate;

a plurality of radiating patches disposed on a first side of said substrate;

a ground plane disposed on a second side of said substrate;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver coupled to one or more of said radiating patches; and

a phased array control circuit coupled to one or more of said radiating patches.

36. The invention of claim 35 wherein said phased array circuit is integrated onto a circuit board disposed next to and parallel with said ground plane.

37. The invention of claim 36 wherein said GPS receiver is integrated onto said circuit board.

38. The invention of claim 37 wherein said antenna further includes a sensor for measuring an orientation of said antenna.

39. The invention of claim 38 wherein said sensor is integrated onto said circuit board.

40. The invention of claim 39 wherein said sensor includes an electronic tilt sensor.

41. The invention of claim 40 wherein said sensor also includes a north finding module.

42. The invention of claim 35 wherein said phased array control circuit includes a receive circuit coupled to each of a plurality of radiating patches for controlling a relative receive phase of the radiating patch to steer an overall antenna receive beam.

43. The invention of claim 43 wherein said phased array control circuit includes a transmit circuit coupled to each of a subset of said radiating patches coupled to a receive circuit for controlling a relative transmit phase of the radiating patch to steer an overall antenna transmit beam.

44. A communication system comprising:

a first subarray including a first number of antenna elements and a transmit circuit coupled to each antenna element in said first subarray, each transmit circuit adapted to receive a transmit control signal and in accordance therewith vary a relative phase of a signal transmitted by the antenna element;

a second subarray including a second number of antenna elements and a receive circuit coupled to each antenna element in said second subarray, each receive circuit adapted to receive a receive control signal and in accordance therewith vary a relative phase of a signal received by the antenna element, wherein said second number is not equal to said first number and said first and second subarrays have at least one common antenna element;

a processor adapted to provide said transmit and receive control signals to steer an overall antenna transmit beam and an overall antenna receive beam, respectively;

a distribution circuit adapted to receive a transmit signal and distribute said transmit signal to each of said transmit circuits of said first subarray;

a combiner circuit adapted to combine signals received from each receive circuit to form a single output signal; and

a modem adapted to receive input data and encode said data to form said transmit signal, and to decode said output signal to extract and output decoded data.

45. A method for communicating with a satellite including the steps of:

providing a first subarray having a first number of antenna elements equipped with transmit functionality and a second subarray having a second number of antenna elements equipped with receive functionality, wherein said second number is not equal to said first number and said first and second subarrays have at least one common antenna element;

controlling a relative transmit phase of each antenna element in said first subarray to steer an overall antenna transmit beam toward said satellite; and

controlling a relative receive phase of each antenna element in said second subarray to steer an overall antenna receive beam toward said satellite.