Surface antenna compensation
AssigneeHRL Laboratories, LLC
InventorsRyan Quarfoth, Christopher Roper, Jacob Hundley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and related method are disclosed for compensation of an antenna and/or an antenna array located at a surface that experiences environmental conditions. The apparatus can include: an embedded compensation and/or calibration structure configured to be interrogated by an electromagnetic wave, to dynamically compensate for surface erosion, thermal expansion, and/or dielectric constant changes of a surface scattering antenna; and a processor configured to: receive measurements of the compensation and/or calibration structure to determine beam pointing for dynamically varying surface conditions and perform sensing and/or seeking observation.
Claims21
A system comprising:
- a surface antenna having an aperture;
- a compensation and/or calibration system;
- and
- an electronic subsystem having a computer processor and a radio frequency (RF) module in operative communication and a compensation and/or calibration system, wherein the compensation and/or calibration system includes:
- plural compensation and/or calibration structures, each structure including:
- a dielectric layer covering at least a portion of the surface antenna aperture;
- a mode converter embedded within the dielectric layer;
- a carbon insulation layer;
- a refractory metal layer;
- a carbon-to-carbon (C-to-C) layer positioned between the dielectric layer and the carbon insulation layer;
- an electronic subsystem surface interface;
- an oxide insulation layer positioned between the carbon-to-carbon insulation layer and the electronic subsystem surface interface;
- and
- a waveguide dielectric interconnecting the surface antenna aperture and the electronic subsystem surface interface.
Apparatus for compensation of an antenna and/or an antenna array located at a surface that experiences environmental conditions, the apparatus comprising:
- an embedded compensation and/or calibration structure configured to be interrogated by an electromagnetic wave, to dynamically compensate for surface erosion, thermal expansion, and/or dielectric constant changes of a surface scattering antenna;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- receive measurements of the compensation and/or calibration structure to determine beam pointing for dynamically varying surface conditions.
Method for compensation of an antenna and/or an antenna array located at a surface that experiences environmental conditions, the method comprising:
- embedding a compensation and/or calibration structure near the antenna and/or antenna array;
- interrogating the compensation and/or calibration structure by an electromagnetic wave, the interrogated compensation and/or calibration structure dynamically compensating for surface erosion, thermal expansion, and/or dielectric constant changes of the antenna and/or antenna array surface scattering;
- receiving measurements of the compensation and/or calibration structure to determine beam pointing for dynamically varying surface conditions;
- and
- performing sensing and/or seeking observation using compensated and/or calibrated outputs of the antenna or antenna array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.