Low sidelobe antenna with beams steerable in one direction
AssigneeHughes Electronics Corporation
InventorsHarold A. Rosen, Steven O. Lane
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An antenna for scanning beams in only one common angular direction or angular path includes feed elements each providing a component beam and fixed beam combiners for combining the component beams into fixed beams. The fixed beam combiners combine the component beams in a first angular direction to form the fixed beams. Variable beam combiners combine the fixed beams into scanning beams. The variable beam combiners combine the fixed beams into the scanning beams to scan the scanning beams in a second common angular direction.
Claims21
An antenna for scanning beams in only one common angular direction, the antenna comprising:
- a plurality of feed elements each providing a component beam;
- a plurality of fixed beam combiners for combining the component beams into fixed beams, wherein the plurality of fixed beam combiners combine the component beams in a first angular direction θx to form the fixed beams;
- and
- a plurality of variable beam combiners for combining the fixed beams into scanning beams, wherein the plurality of variable beam combiners combine the fixed beams into the scanning beams to scan the scanning beams in a second angular direction θy corresponding to an apparent motion of a cell or user.
A method for scanning beams of an antenna in only one common angular direction, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of component beams;
- combining the component beams into fixed beams using a plurality of combiners including only fixed combiners, wherein the component beams are combined in a first angular direction θx to form the fixed beams;
- and
- variably combining the fixed beams into scanning beams to scan the scanning beams in a second angular direction θy.
A satellite communication system comprising:
- an antenna for scanning beams in only one common angular direction, the antenna including a plurality of feed elements each providing a component beam, a plurality of fixed beam combiners for combining the component beams into fixed beams, wherein the plurality of fixed beam combiners combine the component beams in a first angular direction θx to form the fixed beams, and a plurality of variable beam combiners for combining the fixed beams into scanning beams, wherein the plurality of variable beam combiners combine the fixed beams into the scanning beams to scan the scanning beams in a second angular direction θy corresponding to an apparent motion of a cell or user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.