Antenna system for controlling and redirecting communications beams

Abstract

An antenna system 10 for a communications satellite which transmits and receives communications from ground based devices. The system includes an antenna array 16 containing a plurality of feed elements 18 which cooperate to receive or transmit coverage beams arranged in a circular layout at a coverage area in a far-field region proximate the surface of the earth. The feed elements 18 are arranged in a non-circular layout within the antenna array 16. This system further includes a beam forming network 14 for mapping coverage beam signals onto feed signals which drive the antenna array 16. The beam forming network 14 includes a beam forming matrix 28 and a beam connecting network 30. The beam connecting network 30 separates each coverage beam signal into a plurality of component signals weighted to have differing amplitudes from one another. The component signals are delivered to the beam forming matrix 28 which in turn produces corresponding feed signals to drive the antenna array 16 in such a manner as to form feed beams which cooperate to define the coverage beams at the far-field region. The beam connecting network 30 weights the component signals unevenly in order to shift corresponding resultant coverage beams inward or outward until aligned within the coverage area in a circular layout along concentric circles.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.