Wide band, wide scan antenna for space borne applications

Abstract

A plurality of paraboloidal reflector cells are mounted side by side in a concave spherical array in the interior of a toroidal support structure. Groups of adjoining reflector cells are selected for activation to point the antenna in a given direction. The activated elements of the group operate to roughly steer a beam in the desired direction, by switching feeds. Inter-element time delay steering is then used to precisely steer the beam to the desired direction. The groups of reflector cells are selected to provide a required number of pointing angles within a small cone, determined by the center of the group. Each reflector cell, moreover, includes a planar array of feed elements located at or forward of the focal point of its respective reflector element. A predetermined number of feed elements in each feed array of a beam group are selected for operation at any one time and comprises feed elements pointing closest to the desired beam position. A composite beam is then formed from all of the feed elements in the beam group.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.