# US 12,113,302 B2 · System and method for a digitally beamformed phased array feed

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- Number: US 12,113,302 B2
- Document ID: US12113302B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/378,022
- Filed: 2023-10-09
- Published: 2024-02-08
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-02-24
- Assignees: BlueHalo, LLC
- Applicants: BlueHalo, LLC
- Inventors: Michael Thomas Pace; David Gregory Baur; Theodore Lyman Schuler-Sandy; William Kennedy; Jeffrey Gerard Micono; William Louis Walker; Garrett James Newell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113302B2

## CPC

- H01Q 5/48: Combinations of two or more dipole type antennas
- H04B 17/12: of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase
- G01S 3/043: {Receivers}
- G01S 3/046: {Displays or indicators}
- G01S 3/38: using adjustment of real or effective orientation of directivity characteristic of an antenna or an antenna system to give a desired condition of signal derived from that antenna or antenna system, e.g. to give a maximum or minimum signal (G01S3/16, G01S3/28 take precedence)
- G01S 3/40: adjusting orientation of a single directivity characteristic to produce maximum or minimum signal, e.g. rotatable loop antenna or equivalent goniometer system
- G01S 3/42: the desired condition being maintained automatically
- H01Q 1/02: Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out {; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion}
- H01Q 3/08: for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
- H01Q 3/20: wherein the primary active element is fixed and the reflecting device is movable
- H01Q 3/22: varying the orientation in accordance with variation of frequency of radiated wave
- H01Q 3/2605: {Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays}
- H01Q 3/2658: {Phased-array fed focussing structure}
- H01Q 3/2682: {Time delay steered arrays}
- H01Q 3/34: by electrical means (active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46)
- H01Q 3/38: the phase-shifters being digital
- H01Q 5/28: Arrangements for establishing polarisation or beam width over two or more different wavebands
- H01Q 15/16: curved in two dimensions [2D], e.g. paraboloidal
- H01Q 19/026: {for reducing the primary feed spill-over}
- H01Q 19/108: {Combination of a dipole with a plane reflecting surface (H01Q19/106 takes precedence; strip line H01Q9/065)}
- H01Q 19/13: the primary radiating source being a single radiating element, e.g. a dipole, a slot, a waveguide termination (H01Q19/15 takes precedence)
- H01Q 21/0068: {Dielectric waveguide fed arrays}
- H01Q 21/062: {using dipole aerials; (H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence)}
- H04B 7/0408: using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
- H04B 7/0617: {for beam forming}
- H04B 7/0639: {Using selective indices, e.g. of a codebook, e.g. pre-distortion matrix index [PMI] or for beam selection}
- H04B 7/0848: {Joint weighting}
- H04B 7/086: {using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming}
- H04B 7/0865: {Independent weighting, i.e. weights based on own antenna reception parameters}
- H04B 7/10: Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
- H04B 17/23: Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
- H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a digital beamformed phased array feed. The system may include a radome configured to allow electromagnetic waves to propagate; a multi-band software defined antenna array tile; a power and clock management subsystem configured to manage power and time of operation; a thermal management subsystem configured to dissipate heat generated by the multi-band software defined antenna array tile; and an enclosure assembly. The multi-band software defined antenna array tile may include a plurality of coupled dipole array antenna elements; a plurality of frequency converters; and a plurality of digital beamformers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer system comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory operably connected to the one or more processors, wherein the memory includes processor executable instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or one or more processors to perform the steps of:
(a) updating a graphical display associated with the computer system during a first time period by the steps of:
i. receiving, via a pedestal controller operatively connected to a first parabolic reflector, first angular direction information comprising a first azimuth axis component and a first elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector;
ii. receiving, via a data transport bus, a first set of respective first digital data streams associated with a first plurality of partial beams,
wherein each respective partial beam of the first plurality of partial beams is associated with a respective first digital data stream and data in the respective first digital data stream is associated with a first plurality of respective modulated radio frequency signals received by a plurality of antenna array elements;
iii. processing the first set of respective first digital data streams associated with the first plurality of partial beams to generate a second set of respective second digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams, wherein each beam of the first plurality of beams is based on at least two respective first digital data streams, and
wherein a first beam is assigned to a first object and a second beam is assigned to a second object;
iv. processing the second set of respective second digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams to generate:
a. first location information associated with the first object;
b. second location information associated with the second object;
c. first object movement information associated with the first object; and
d. second object movement information associated with the second object,
wherein the first object movement information comprises a first object angular velocity and a first object angular direction, and wherein the first object angular direction comprises a first object elevation angle component and a first object azimuth angle component,
wherein the second object movement information comprises a second object angular velocity and a second object angular direction, and wherein the second object angular direction comprises a second object elevation angle component and a second object azimuth angle component, and
wherein the first object is associated with first priority information and the second object is associated with second priority information; and
v. updating the graphical display based on:
a. the first plurality of beams;
b. the first object based at least on the first object movement information;
c. the second object based at least on the second object movement information;
d. a first azimuth axis based on the first azimuth axis component; and
e. a first elevation axis based on the first elevation axis component; and
(b) providing respective updated direction information associated with the first beam, the second beam and the first parabolic reflector by the steps of:
i. generating second angular direction information comprising a second azimuth axis component and a second elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector by the steps of:
a. determining a first angular direction trajectory associated with a respective angular direction of the first parabolic reflector based on:
i. the first location information associated with the first object;
ii. the second location information associated with the second object;
iii. the first priority information;
iv. the second priority information;
v. the first object movement information;
vi. the second object movement information;
vii. the first angular direction information;
viii. the first azimuth axis;
ix. the first elevation axis;
b. determining that the first elevation axis has exceeded a threshold elevation angle;
c. calculating a first tangent trajectory associated with the respective angular direction of the first parabolic reflector based on the first angular direction trajectory, wherein the first tangent trajectory comprises a first azimuth trajectory component and a first elevation trajectory component;
d. generating the second angular direction information based on:
i. the first beam;
ii. the second beam; and
iii. the first tangent trajectory;
ii. generating a respective first weighting factor associated with the first beam as part of a first array of weighting factors associated with the first plurality of beams based on:
a. the first angular direction trajectory;
b. the second angular direction information;
c. the first object movement information;
d. the first azimuth axis; and
e. the first elevation axis;
iii. generating a respective second weighting factor associated with the second beam as part of the first array of weighting factors associated with the first plurality of beams based on:
a. the first angular direction trajectory;
b. the second angular direction information;
c. the second object movement information;
d. the first azimuth axis; and
e. the first elevation axis;
iv. transmitting, via the pedestal controller to the first parabolic reflector, the second angular direction information,
wherein the pedestal controller adjusts the respective first angular direction associated with the first parabolic reflector based on the second angular direction information;
v. transmitting, via a system controller to a first respective digital beamformer of a plurality of digital beamformers operatively connected to the plurality of antenna array elements and the system controller, the respective first weighting factor; and
vi. transmitting, via the system controller to a second respective digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers operatively connected to the plurality of antenna array elements and the system controller, the respective second weighting factor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1, wherein each partial beam is formed by a respective digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of beams comprises two partial beams.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first priority information is a primary object weight.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first priority information is a secondary object weight.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first priority information is a ternary object weight.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable instructions cause the one or one or more processors to further perform the step of providing at least a portion of the graphical display to a display.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The computer system of claim 7, wherein the display is a stationary device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The computer system of claim 7, wherein the display is a mobile device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The computer system of claim 7, wherein the display is a graphical user interface.