A communications satellite payload provides for efficient communications between user devices, such as hand held cellular telephones, and terrestrial gateways that may be connected to world-wide public telephone and telegraph (PTTs) networks. The satellite payload simultaneously supports a plurality of independent antenna beams, for example 12 or 16 beams, on both the uplink and downlink for user devices employing full duplex communications. The satellite payload furthermore supports an identical number of full duplex channels between a terrestrial gateway and the satellite. The communications satellite payload is carried by one satellite of a plurality of such satellites in a low earth orbit (LEO) constellation to provide worldwide communications. Downlink beam forming occurs prior to final amplification of transmitted signals, thereby reducing losses within the beam forming equipment. A multi-element phased array of receiving antennas and a multi-element phased array of transmitting antennas is also disclosed, wherein each element of each phased array is utilized for each individual one of a plurality of received or transmitted beams.

Mobile communication satellite payload

An ultra wide bandwidth, high speed, spread spectrum communications system uses short wavelets of electromagnetic energy to transmit information through objects such as walls or earth. The communication system uses baseband codes formed from time shifted and inverted wavelets to encode data on a RF signal. Typical wavelet pulse durations are on the order of 100 to 1000 picoseconds with a bandwidth of approximately 8 GHz to 1 GHz, respectively. The combination of short duration wavelets and encoding techniques are used to spread the signal energy over an ultra wide frequency band such that the energy is not concentrated in any particular narrow band (e.g. VHF: 30-300 MHz or UHF: 300-1000 MHz) and is not detected by conventional narrow band receivers so it does not interfere with those communication systems. The use of pulse codes composed of time shifted and inverted wavelets gives the system according to the present invention has a spatial resolution on the order of 1 foot which is sufficient to minimize the negative effects of multipath interference and permit time domain rake processing.

Ultra wide bandwidth spread-spectrum communications system

This invention is in the field of base station antennas for wireless communications. The present invention refers to a slim multi-band antenna array for cellular base stations, which provides a reduced width of the base station antenna and minimizes the environmental and visual impact of a network of cellular base station antennas, in particular in mobile telephony and wireless service networks. A multiband antenna array comprises a first set of radiating elements operating at a first frequency band and a second set of radiating elements operating at a second frequency band, said radiating elements being smaller than λ/2 or smaller than λ/3, being (λ) the longest operating wavelength. The ratio between the largest and the smaller of said frequency bands is smaller than 2.

Slim Multi-Band Antenna Array For Cellular Base Stations

This paper investigates the properties of highly thinned ultrawideband (UWB) arrays. The design aim is high resolution and very low side radiation levels (SL). One- and two-dimensional ultrasparse UWB arrays can be designed to achieve both. The minimum available pulse-echo SL is shown to approach N/sup -4/ where N is the number of elements in the transmit and receive arrays. Periodic thinning is shown to be superior to random thinning, and amplitude taper is shown to raise the SL. Two-dimensional curvilinear deployment of elements are shown to outperform rectilinear designs, and different transmit and receive arrays in pulse-echo systems are shown to outperform systems that use the same array for transmit and receive. Very low SL is achievable in an ultrasparse UWB system with so few elements that echo signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) rather than SL becomes the constraint on the minimum number of elements required by the system for the array to be useful for imaging. For example, in ultrasonic pulse-echo breast imaging, SL /spl ap/-70 dB is desired to distinguish small cysts from tumors. A 2-D randomly thinned array requires about 10,000 elements. A 2-D ultrasparse UWB periodic array requires less than 100 to satisfy SL, a reduction of 100:1, but provides insufficient SNR. A 500-element, 7.5 MHz array operating with 4 cm penetration depth satisfies both. Experimental results demonstrate the theory.

Ultrasparse, ultrawideband arrays

The subject of this disclosure may relate generally to systems, devices, and methods using interleaved waveguide elements. Specifically, systems, devices, and methods using a dual-polarized broadband, multi-frequency interleaved waveguide antenna aperture are presented. In one exemplary embodiment, a first plurality of waveguide elements are configured to communicate in a first frequency band. In this exemplary embodiment, a second plurality of waveguide elements are configured to communicate in a second frequency band. In one exemplary embodiment the first plurality of waveguide elements and the second plurality of waveguide elements are integrally coupled to a printed circuit board.

Dual-polarized, multi-band, full duplex, interleaved waveguide antenna aperture

A multiple layer dipole array that provides for a multi-frequency band phased array antenna. Several layers of dipole pair arrays, each tuned to a different frequency band, are stacked relative to each other along the transmission/reception direction. The highest frequency array is in front of the next lowest frequency array and so forth. Due to the frequency selective property of the arrays, incident high frequency signals are completely absorbed by the highest frequency array. In regard to incident low frequency signals, the insertion loss due to higher frequency arrays is small resulting in good performance of the lower frequency arrays. The multi-frequency band phased array antenna may use active or driven dipole pairs, or parasitic elements that form the multiple layer dipoles. The multiple layer dipole array of the present invention may employ corporate feed circuit boards and a corporate feed power divider, using strip transmission line circuits, for example. The multiple layer dipole phased array of the present invention may also employ a feed-through lens arrangement to simplify the feed network.

Multi-frequency band phased-array antenna using multiple layered dipole arrays

An ultra wideband (UWB) phased array antenna using a frequency-multiplexing, space-fed lens with a UWB feed horn achieves multi-octave bandwidth. The lens includes two UWB radiating apertures with relatively narrow band phase shifters connecting corresponding radiating elements of the arrays. Each aperture multiplexes the incoming UWB signal into separate frequency bands so that the phase shifters need only be tuned to these narrower frequency bands, and are set to form a beam in the desired direction. For wide instantaneous bandwidth operation, the beams from the various frequency bands are collimated in the same direction. For multi-mode operation, the beams corresponding to the various frequency bands are formed in different directions. The phase shifters need have a maximum phase shift of 360 degrees.

Ultra wideband phased array antenna.

In a printed circuit embodiment, dielectric boards in a multilayer arrangement have their ends protruding from a ground plane. Sets of printed dipole elements are disposed along the edge of each board. Each set of dipole elements has three feed ports. Bandpass filters are provided for each feed port. Phase shifters are coupled to each of the feed ports through its respective bandpass filter. At the low band, the outer feed ports are shorted by the filters so that the two sections of dipole elements to the left of the center feed port form one lone band dipole arm, and the two sections of dipole elements to the right of the center feed port form the other low band dipole arm. The low band dipole is driven at the center feed port. At the high band, the center feed port becomes an open circuit so that the two sections to the left thereof form one high band dipole, and the two sections to the right thereof form a second high band dipole. The two outer feed ports drive the dipole array at the high band. In an MMIC embodiment, printed circuit stubs are bridged across the outer feed ports. The length of each stub is one wavelength at the low frequency band, and one-and-one-half wavelengths at the high frequency band. At the low frequency, the stubs appear to be short-circuited. At the high frequency band, the terminals of the stubs provide a 180 degree phase difference for a balun.

Multi-frequency band phased array antenna using coplanar dipole array with multiple feed ports

A dual band array antenna is disclosed having interleaved waveguide and dipole arrays, each operating in a different frequency band. The orientation of the waveguides and dipoles is such that polarization of the signals of the two frequency bands is perpendicular to each other, thus reducing mutual coupling. The waveguides are used for the higher frequency band and their cutoff frequency is selected to be above the lower frequency band at which the dipoles operate, in order to reduce mutual coupling into the waveguides. In one embodiment the dipoles are printed on a substrate having a dielectric constant selected so that dipole spacing is the same as the waveguide spacing. This eliminates grating lobe formation in the radiation pattern of the waveguide array. A low pass filter is included in the dipole feed circuit to reject the frequencies at which the waveguides operate. As a result of the invention, two beams of two different frequency bands are independently and simultaneously steerable in a single antenna aperture.

Interleaved waveguide and dipole dual band array antenna

A dual band, phased array antenna especially adaptable for tactical radar capable of performing search, track and identification in a hostile jamming environment The dual band array antenna is essentially two antennas sharing a common antenna aperture The two antennas possess separate feed system and beam steering control Thus, the beams for each frequency band can be steered independently and simultaneously This design utilizes an ultra-wide band radiating element which can operate over approximately an octave bandwidth encompassing two adjacent microwave bands In particular, the dual band signals can be received efficiently by the radiating element A dual band coaxial-to-waveguide transition can be used to carry the signals to a diplexer The dual band signals are separated at the diplexer and can be processed in separate feed networks The advantages of this dual band phased array technique include not only good impedance characteristics but also the absence of grating lobe formation and cross coupling problems

Kuan M. Lee

Papers

Multi-frequency band phased-array antenna using multiple layered dipole arrays

Ultra wideband phased array antenna.

Multi-frequency band phased array antenna using coplanar dipole array with multiple feed ports

Interleaved waveguide and dipole dual band array antenna

Dual band phased antenna array using wideband element with diplexer