US 6,441,800 B1 · Single gimbal multiple aperture antenna

Abstract

An antenna system for a satellite including a gimbal device, such as a bi-axial gimbal, that employs a first uni-axial gimbal providing movement in one direction and a second uni-axial gimbal providing movement in a perpendicular direction. The first gimbal is mounted to a platform bracket, which is part of a moveable platform. The first gimbal is also mounted to the second gimbal, and the second gimbal is mounted to a satellite bracket secured to the satellite. Both a receive antenna array and a transmit antenna array are mounted to the moveable platform. Therefore, movement of the first gimbal causes the combination of the receive and transmit antenna arrays to move in one direction, and movement of the second gimbal causes the combination of the receive and transmit antenna arrays to move in the perpendicular direction.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An antenna system for a satellite comprising:

a bracket mounted to the satellite;
an antenna platform;
a plurality of separate antennas mounted to the platform;
and
an antenna platform positioning device mounted to the bracket and the antenna platform, said positioning device causing the platform to move in at least one degree of freedom relative to the satellite so as to move the plurality of separate antennas in conjunction with each other.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Single gimbal multiple aperture antenna

Life of this patent

Single gimbal multiple aperture antenna

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18