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US 2006/0077097 A1Published application
Antenna beam steering and tracking techniques
AssigneeThe Aerospace Corporation
InventorsRobert Dybdal, Denny Pidhayny, Don Hinshilwood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method includes determining if a dynamics requirement for an antenna positioner is exceeded, and employing a combination of mechanical and electronic beam steering techniques to steer a single antenna beam if the dynamics requirement is exceeded.
Claims19
A method, comprising:
- determining if a dynamics requirement for an antenna positioner is exceeded;
- and
- employing a combination of mechanical and electronic beam steering techniques to steer a single antenna beam if the dynamics requirement is exceeded.
An antenna system, comprising:
- a reflector antenna with a central feed element and a configuration of additional feed elements on opposite sides of the central feed element;
- and
- beam combining circuitry configured to vary amplitudes in combining adjacent feed elements and to produce tracking signals from adjacent feed elements.
A method for antenna tracking, comprising:
- a priori computing angular positions and velocities of a satellite using a satellite ephemeris;
- determining if an elevation angle is above a maximum elevation angle;
- and
- if the elevation angle is above the maximum elevation angle, employing a combination of mechanical and electronic beam steering techniques to steer an antenna beam.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.