# US 10,483,654 B2 · Axisymmetric thinned digital beamforming array for reduced power consumption > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,483,654 B2 - Document ID: US10483654B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/888,196 - Filed: 2018-02-05 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-05 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Paul C. Werntz; Dennis L. Gould; Patrick K. Bailleul; Brian M. Park; Andre C. Houle; Raenaurd D. Turpin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483654B2 ## CPC - H01Q 21/0025: {Modular arrays} - H01Q 3/26: varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture ({H01Q3/12,} H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence) - H01Q 3/38: the phase-shifters being digital - H01Q 21/061: {Two dimensional planar arrays} - H01Q 21/22: Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) ## Abstract An antenna platter comprises a plurality of antenna elements arranged as a thin array according to a polygonal grid. The polygonal grid comprises a plurality of paired polygons arranged symmetrically about a central polygon of the grid. In each polygon of the grid, the plurality of antenna elements is arranged in symmetrical pairs about a center point such that the first and second antenna elements of each symmetrical pair are complex conjugates of one another. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A phased array antenna system comprising: an antenna platter; a plurality of antenna elements distributed on the antenna platter according to a polygonal grid comprising a plurality of polygonal pairs; wherein each polygonal pair comprises first and second polygons arranged symmetrically about a center of the antenna platter; wherein the plurality of antenna elements in each polygon of each polygonal pair is arranged in symmetrical pairs about a center point of the polygon such that the antenna elements of each symmetrical pair are complex conjugates of one another; and wherein the plurality of antenna elements comprise a thinned antenna array, and wherein a density of the plurality of antenna elements on the antenna platter varies as a function of distance from the center of the antenna platter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The phased array antenna system of claim 1 wherein the density of the plurality of antenna elements on the antenna platter decreases as the distance from the center of the antenna platter increases. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The phased array antenna system of claim 1 wherein a size and a shape of the first and second polygons of each polygonal pair is the same. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The phased array antenna system of claim 3 wherein the first and second polygons of a first polygonal pair are different than the first and second polygons of a second polygonal pair. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The phased array antenna system of claim 4 wherein the first polygon of the first polygonal pair and the first polygon of the second polygonal pair have different sizes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The phased array antenna system of claim 4 wherein the first polygon of the first polygonal pair and the first polygon of the second polygonal pair have different shapes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The phased array antenna system of claim 1 wherein the first and second polygons of a first polygonal pair and the first and second polygons of a second polygonal pair, respectively, have the same size and shape. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The phased array antenna system of claim 7 wherein a distribution pattern of the antenna elements in the first polygon of the first polygonal pair is the same as a distribution pattern of the antenna elements in the first polygon of the second polygonal pair. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The phased array antenna system of claim 1 wherein a distribution of the antenna elements in the first and second polygons of each polygonal pair is a function of a size and a shape of the first and second polygons of each polygonal pair. ### Claim 10 A method of determining a distribution of antenna elements for a phased array antenna system, the method comprising: distributing a plurality of antenna elements on an antenna platter according to a polygonal grid that comprises a plurality of polygons arranged in polygonal pairs symmetrically about a center of the antenna platter, wherein distributing the plurality of antenna elements comprises, for each polygon in each polygon pair, arranging the plurality of antenna elements in symmetrical pairs about a center point of the polygon such that the antenna elements of each symmetrical pair are complex conjugates of one another; and thinning the plurality of antenna elements such that a density of the plurality of antenna elements on the antenna platter varies as a function of distance from the center of the antenna platter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein each symmetrical pair of antenna elements comprises first and second antenna elements, and wherein arranging the plurality of antenna elements in each polygon in symmetrical pairs comprises arranging the first and second antenna elements of each symmetrical pair substantially equidistantly from the center point. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the density of the plurality of antenna elements on the antenna platter decreases as the distance from the center of the antenna platter increases. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein each polygon pair comprises a first polygon and a second polygon, and wherein the first and second polygons of each polygonal pair are congruent. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the first and second polygons of a first polygonal pair and the first and second polygons of a second polygonal pair are non-congruent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein a distribution pattern of the antenna elements in the first polygon of the first polygonal pair is different than a distribution pattern of the antenna elements in the first polygon of the second polygonal pair. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising determining one or more sets of polygonal pairs in the polygonal grid, wherein a size and shape of the first and second polygons of each polygonal pair in each set are congruent, respectively. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein distributing a plurality of antenna elements comprises distributing the antenna elements in the first polygon of each polygonal pair, and in the second polygon of each polygonal pair, in a same pattern, respectively. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program product for controlling a programmable computing device, the computer program product comprising software instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry of the programmable computing device, cause the processing circuitry to: determine a distribution of a plurality of antenna elements on an antenna platter according to a polygonal grid comprising a plurality of polygons arranged in polygonal pairs symmetrically about a center of the antenna platter; and distribute the plurality of antenna elements on the antenna platter, wherein to distribute the plurality of antenna elements, the software instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to, for each polygon in each polygon pair, arrange the plurality of antenna elements in symmetrical pairs about a center point of the polygon such that the antenna elements of each symmetrical pair are complex conjugates of one another; and thin the plurality of antenna elements such that a density of the plurality of antenna elements on the antenna platter varies as a function of distance from the center of the antenna platter. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein each symmetrical pair of antenna elements comprises first and second antenna elements, and wherein to arrange the plurality of antenna elements in symmetrical pairs about a center point of the polygon such that the antenna elements of each symmetrical pair are complex conjugates of one another, the software instructions, when executed by processing circuitry of the programmable computing device, cause the processing circuitry to arrange the first and second antenna elements of each symmetrical pair substantially equidistantly from the center point. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the density of the plurality of antenna elements on the antenna platter decreases as the distance from the center of the antenna platter increases.