# US 10,320,091 B2 · Array antenna for satellite communications and antenna

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- Number: US 10,320,091 B2
- Document ID: US10320091B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/726,818
- Filed: 2015-06-01
- Published: 2015-12-03
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2014-06-03
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Inventors: Kazuyoshi Yamashita; Tomohiro Takahashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320091B2

## CPC

- H01Q 21/065: {Patch antenna array}
- H01Q 21/0025: {Modular arrays}
- H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72)

## Abstract

An array antenna for satellite communications includes a first sub-array and a second sub-array, each including a plurality of antenna elements arrayed in a matrix with a regular pitch, the first sub-array and the second sub-array being shifted relative to each other in a satellite orbital direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An antenna comprising:
a substrate;
a first sub-array comprising a plurality of antenna elements arrayed on the substrate in a matrix that includes at least two rows and at least two columns;
a second sub-array comprising a plurality of antenna elements arrayed on the substrate in a matrix that includes at least two rows and at least two columns;
a third sub-array comprising a plurality of antenna elements arrayed in a matrix on the substrate;
a fourth sub-array comprising a plurality of antenna elements arrayed in a matrix on the substrate; and
a plurality of power-supply lines configured to supply power to the plurality of antenna elements of the first sub-array and to the plurality of antenna elements of the second sub-array, every power-supply line connected to an antenna element in the first sub-array having a same length and every power-supply line connected to an antenna element in the second sub-array having a same length, wherein
the first sub-array and the second sub-array are arranged to be adjacent to each other in a short-side direction and to be shifted relative to each other in a long-side direction so that the at least two columns of the matrix of the second sub-array are shifted with respect to the at least two columns of the matrix of the first sub-array,
a pitch in the short-side direction between all antenna elements in the first sub-array that are adjacent to the second sub-array and all antenna elements in the second sub-array that are adjacent to the first sub-array is the same as a pitch in the short-side direction between adjacent elements in the first sub-array and a pitch in the short-side direction between adjacent elements in the second sub-array,
the third sub-array and the fourth sub-array are arranged to be adjacent to each other in a short-side direction and to be shifted relative to each other in a long-side direction,
the third sub-array is arranged to be adjacent to the first sub-array in the long-side direction and to be shifted relative to the first sub-array in the short-side direction, and
the fourth sub-array is arranged to be adjacent to the second sub-array in the long-side direction and to be shifted relative to the second sub-array in the short-side direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The antenna according to claim 1, wherein a positional difference between the first sub-array and the second sub-array is substantially one half of a pitch of the antenna elements in the long-side direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The antenna according to claim 1, wherein a positional difference between the first sub-array and the third sub-array and a positional difference between the second sub-array and the fourth sub-array are each substantially one half of a pitch of the antenna elements in the short-side direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the matrix of the first sub-array includes two rows and twelve columns, and the matrix of the second sub-array includes two rows and twelve columns.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The antenna according to claim 1, wherein a pitch in the short-side direction between an antenna element in the third sub-array and an antenna element in the fourth sub-array that is adjacent to the antenna element in the third sub-array is the same as a pitch in the short-side direction between adjacent elements in the third sub-array and a pitch in the short-side direction between adjacent elements in the fourth sub-array.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the antenna elements of the first sub-array and the antenna elements of the second sub-array are square antenna elements.