Spatial power combiner using subharmonic beam position control

An array antenna comprising:

• a.) an antenna structure having a plurality of individual antenna elements therein, each antenna element coupled individually to an individual local circuit including:
• a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) generating a carrier output signal for driving said antenna element;
• a coupler having an input connected to said VCO and a first output connected to said antenna element, for coupling said VCO to said antenna element;
• a mixer connected to a second output of said coupler;
• and
• b.) remote circuit means, physically located away from said antenna structure, said remote circuit means including a selector for selecting a computed relative phase of the signal to be transmitted by each individual said antenna element and a local oscillator, said remote circuit means further including a driver circuit for each individual antenna element, said driver circuits each including:
• a variable frequency generator, individually coupled to said selector, for generating a variable frequency signal corresponding to said computed relative phase;
• and
• a phase detector having an output coupled to said VCO for controlling the frequency of said carrier output signal generated thereby and having first and second inputs, said first input being coupled to said output of said variable frequency generator and said second input being coupled to an output of said mixer;
• said mixer having inputs for receiving an output from said local oscillator and said second output of said coupler, for generating an intermediate frequency signal which is fed back to said second input of the phase detector, said phase detector generating an error signal as a function of the frequency difference between the intermediate frequency signal from said mixer and said variable frequency signal from said variable frequency generator, to thereby cause said VCO to generate said carrier output signal having a frequency corresponding to said computed relative phase.

An array antenna comprising:

• a.) an antenna structure having a plurality of individual antenna elements therein, each antenna element individually coupled to an individual local circuit including:
• a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) generating a carrier output signal for driving said antenna element;
• a coupler having an input connected to said VCO and a first output connected to said antenna element, for coupling said VCO to said antenna element;
• a mixer connected to a second output of said coupler;
• and
• b.) remote circuit means, physically located away from said antenna structure, said remote circuit means including a selector for selecting a computed relative phase of the signal to be transmitted by each individual antenna element, a reference frequency generator for generating a low frequency signal, and a local oscillator, said remote circuit means further including a driver circuit for each individual antenna element, said driver circuits each including:
• a phase shifter, having an input for receiving output from said local oscillator and individually coupled to said selector, for generating a variable frequency signal by shifting the phase of said output signal from said local oscillator to correspond to said computed relative phase selected by said selector;
• and
• a phase detector having an output coupled to said VCO for controlling the frequency of said carrier output signal generated thereby and having first and second inputs, said first input being coupled to said low frequency signal from said reference frequency generator and said second input being coupled to an output of the mixer;
• said mixer having inputs for receiving said variable frequency signal from said phase shifter and said second output of said coupler for generating an intermediate frequency signal which is fed back to an input of said phase detector, said phase detector generating an error signal as a function of the frequency difference between the intermediate frequency signal from said mixer and said low frequency signal from said reference frequency generator, to thereby cause said VCO to generate said carrier output signal having a frequency corresponding to said computed relative phase.