Interleaved electronically scanned arrays

• US 9,843,098 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2014
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Pruett, James A., Leise, Thomas T., Grimm, Jerry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Levi, Dameon E
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALKASSIM JR, AB SALAM
• Application Number:
  US14/267,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20150318622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 343876, 343893
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/42 using two or more imbricated arrays H01Q5/49 takes precedence

Abstract

An array antenna including two interleaved array antennas, capable of being operated independently at a first frequency, or together, at a second frequency. Each of the two array antennas is composed of alternating elements of an antenna array, and the two arrays are interleaved. Each of the interleaved arrays may be operated independently, e.g., in the X band, or the arrays may be driven together, as a single array with more densely spaced elements, e.g., in the Ku band.

Claims

1. An array antenna, comprising:

a first plurality of antenna elements arranged in a first square pattern having a first grid spacing;

a second plurality of antenna elements arranged in a second square pattern having a second grid spacing, the second grid spacing being the same as the first grid spacing, the antenna elements of the second plurality of antenna elements being interleaved with the antenna elements of the first plurality of antenna elements;

a third plurality of antenna elements comprising the first plurality of antenna elements and the second plurality of antenna elements, the third plurality of antenna elements arranged in a third square pattern having a third grid spacing, the third square pattern being oriented at 45 degrees relative to the first square pattern and to the second square pattern, the third grid spacing being less than the first grid spacing by a factor of the square root of 2;

a first feed network configured for transmitting and receiving signals through the first plurality of antenna elements;

a second feed network configured for transmitting and receiving signals through the second plurality of antenna elements; and

a third feed network configured for transmitting and receiving signals through the third plurality of antenna elements

wherein;

none of the antenna elements of the first plurality of antenna elements is an antenna element of the second plurality of antenna elements,

the first feed network is configured to operate at a frequency in the X band,

the second feed network is configured to operate at a frequency in the X band,

the third feed network is configured to operate at a frequency in the Ku band, and

each of the antenna elements, of the first plurality of antenna elements, the second plurality of antenna elements, and the third plurality of antenna elements, is configured to operate at a frequency in the X band and at a frequency in the Ku band.

2. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein each of the third plurality of antenna elements comprises a notch radiator.

3. The array antenna of claim 2, wherein each of the third plurality of antenna elements comprises a flared notch radiator.

4. The array antenna of claim 2, wherein each of the third plurality of antenna elements comprises a stepped notch radiator.

5. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein each of the third plurality of antenna elements comprises a stacked patch radiator.

6. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein each of the third plurality of antenna elements comprises a dielectric material with a dielectric constant greater than 3.

7. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein the first grid spacing is substantially equal to 0.484 inches.

8. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein the third feed network comprises the first feed network and the second feed network, and wherein the first feed network, the second feed network, and the third feed network are configured to operate over a range of frequencies extending from a frequency in the X band to a frequency in the Ku band.

9. The array antenna of claim 8, wherein the range of frequencies includes a first frequency and a second frequency, the second frequency being greater than the first frequency by a factor of the square root of 2.

10. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of antenna elements is configured to radiate or receive a first polarization state, and the second plurality of antenna elements is configured to radiate or receive a second polarization state, the second polarization state being substantially different from the first polarization state.

11. The array antenna of claim 10, wherein the first plurality of antenna elements is configured to radiate or receive a first polarization state, and the second plurality of antenna elements is configured to radiate or receive a second polarization state, the second polarization state being substantially orthogonal to the first polarization state.

12. The array antenna of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of antenna elements is configured to radiate or receive a first polarization state, and the second plurality of antenna elements is configured to radiate or receive a second polarization state, the first polarization state being circular polarization with a first chirality, the second polarization state being circular polarization with a second chirality, and the first chirality being different from the second chirality.

13. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein each of the antenna elements of the first plurality of antenna elements, and of the second plurality of antenna elements comprises a transmit-receive module.

14. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein each of the antenna elements of the first plurality of antenna elements and of the second plurality of antenna elements comprises:

a first transmit-receive module;

a second transmit-receive module; and

a plurality of switches, configured to connect the antenna element either to the first transmit-receive module or to the second transmit-receive module.

15. The array antenna of claim 14, wherein the plurality of switches comprises a p-type/intrinsic/n-type diode (PIN diode) switch.

16. The array antenna of claim 1, comprising:

a first plurality of switches configured to selectively connect the first plurality of antenna elements either to the first feed network or to the third feed network; and

a second plurality of switches configured to selectively connect the second plurality of antenna elements either to the second feed network or to the third feed network.

17. The array antenna of claim 16, wherein:

the first plurality of switches comprises a p-type/intrinsic/n-type diode (PIN diode) switch; and

the second plurality of switches comprises a p-type/intrinsic/n-type diode (PIN diode) switch.