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US 12,731,893 B2Granted
Lens antenna system
AssigneeAll.Space Networks Limited
InventorsClinton P. Scarborough, Jeremiah P. Turpin, Daniel F. DiFonzo, John Finney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An antenna system that includes a plurality of lens sets. Each lens set includes a lens and at least one feed element. At least one feed element is aligned with the lens and configured to direct a signal through the lens at a desired direction.
Claims19
A satellite communication terminal, comprising:
- a housing;
- a plurality of lenses contained within the housing and arranged in a two-dimensional array;
- a respective, planar, two-dimensional arrangement of individually controllable feeds for at least three lenses of the plurality of the lenses, wherein each planar, two-dimensional arrangement of individually controllable feeds is in a fixed relation to its respective lens;
- and
- control circuitry contained within the housing and coupled to the respective, planar, two-dimensional arrangements of individually controllable feeds for the at least three lenses of the plurality of lenses, the control circuitry configured to simultaneously create a first combined beam from the plurality of lenses and directed at a first satellite by selecting corresponding individual feeds of the respective, planar, two-dimensional arrangements of individually controllable feeds and a second combined beam from the plurality of lenses and directed at a second satellite by selecting corresponding individual feeds of the respective, planar, two-dimensional arrangements of individually controllable feeds, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the first combined beam independently of the second combined beam,
- wherein at least some lenses of the plurality of lenses have geometric centers that differ from their phase centers.
3 more elements
A satellite communication terminal configured to produce or receive multiple beams simultaneously, comprising:
- a housing;
- a two-dimensional array of plano-convex lenses disposed within the housing;
- a feed array comprising multiple feed clusters, wherein each feed cluster contains individually addressable feeds arranged across two dimensions underneath and in fixed relation to a respective plano-convex lens of the two-dimensional array of plano-convex lenses, wherein the feed clusters occupy a smaller footprint than the respective plano-convex lens;
- and
- control circuitry disposed within the housing and coupled to the feed array and configured to individually address the individually addressable feeds of the feed clusters to coherently operate correspondingly positioned feed elements in the multiple feed clusters arranged underneath the respective plano-convex lenses,
- wherein at least some lenses of the two-dimensional array of plano-convex lenses have geometric centers that differ from their phase centers.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.