Conformal phased array antenna

Abstract

An array of antenna elements are configured in a lattice-like layer, each element being similarly oriented such that the elements form a two-dimensional antenna aperture that may form a planar or curved surface of a desired shape. The antenna elements are connected in a one-to-one correspondence in both number and form to a lattice of identical, multiport, isotropic, wave-coupling networks physically located under the antenna element array as a backplane of the antenna element layer. Each wave-coupling network or "unit cell" couples signals to and/or from its corresponding antenna element and further functions as a phase delay module in a two-dimensional signal distribution network. This invention can be embodied in a two-dimensional signal distribution network and in a wrap-around, conformal, millimeter-wave, phased array antenna, such as on the nose of a missile. A backplane of densely-packed resonant cavities feeds an outboard-facing layer of resonant slots configured in a rectangular or hexagonal lattice for maximum density. Instead of using a corporate feed network to feed each element, the array can be fed from circumferencial points on the edge of the array farthest from the nose of the missile, with each element being electromagnetically coupled to each of its four or six adjacent elements by either dielectrically-loaded irises with concentric probes or simple irises. By differently tuning the individual cavities, the beam may be directed off-axis azimuthally in any forward direction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.