Back to results
US 7,133,001 B2Granted
Inflatable-collapsible transreflector antenna
AssigneeToyon Research Corporation
InventorsA. Vincent Mrstik, Michael A. Gilbert, Michael P. Grace
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A large aperture lightweight antenna uses an inflatable spherical surface deployed within a lighter than air platform. Beam steering is accomplished by moving the RF feedpoint(s) with respect to the reflector. The antenna can use an inflatable collapsible transreflector.
Claims64
An RF antenna structure comprising:
- an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement in elevation and azimuth directions with respect to said surface.
An RF antenna structure comprising:
- an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface;
- wherein said inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface substantially conforms to at least a portion of a sphere in shape when inflated;
- and
- wherein said RF feed is disposed for 360° azimuthal RF beam scanning by rotation around a polar axis of said sphere.
3 more elements
An RF antenna structure comprising:
- an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface;
- wherein said transreflector surface includes approximately parallel conductive strips arrayed in a curved linear grating pattern on a non-conductive substantially spherical thin film surface when inflated and at an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the sphere equator and along the sphere equator.
1 more element
An RF antenna structure comprising:
- an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface;
- wherein:
- said inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface is mounted within a lighter-than-air conveyance using a lighter-than-air gas to displace air when ascending;
- and
- said inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface being connected to inflate using said lighter-than-air gas.
4 more elements
An RF antenna structure comprising:
- an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface;
- wherein said at least one RF feed comprises an array of RF ports which are mounted together for common rotational movement about a polar axis of a substantially spherical RF transreflector surface.
1 more element
An RF antenna system comprising:
- an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface, and
- plural RF ports circumferentially spaced apart and commonly mounted for simultaneous rotational movement about a polar axis of a substantially spherical RF transreflector surface.
1 more element
An RF antenna system comprising:
- an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface;
- wherein said surface comprises plural flat gore sections connected together at overlapping joints whereat metallized strips of a linear grating pattern affixed to each of said sections are capacitively coupled together.
1 more element
An RF antenna system comprising:
- a substantially spherical thin film single-wall inflatable-collapsible structure carrying thin conductive metallized strips forming a transreflector grating pattern;
- and
- at least one RF port disposed inside said structure for beam scanning movement with respect to said transreflector grating pattern.
An RF antenna system comprising:
- a substantially spherical surface supporting a linear transreflector grating array of conductive strips having a width that is approximately half the center-to-center spacing between strips;
- and
- at least one RF port disposed inside said surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said grating array.
A method of operating an RF antenna structure, said method comprising:
- inflating an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- moving at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement in elevational and azimuth directions with respect to said surface.
A method of operating an RF antenna structure, said method comprising:
- inflating an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- moving at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface;
- wherein said inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface substantially conforms to at least a portion of a sphere in shape when inflated;
- and
- wherein said RF feed is rotated for 360° azimuthal RF beam scanning around a poiar axis of said sphere.
3 more elements
A method of operating an RF antenna structure, said method comprising:
- inflating an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- moving at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface,
- wherein said transreflector surface includes approximately parallel conductive strips arrayed in a linear grating pattern on a non-conductive substantially spherical thin film surface when inflated and at an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the sphere equator and along the sphere equator.
1 more element
A method of operating an RF antenna structure, said method comprising:
- inflating an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- moving at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface, wherein:
- said inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface is mounted within a lighter-than-air conveyance using a lighter-than-air gas to displace air when ascending;
- and
- said inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface is inflated using said lighter-than-air gas.
3 more elements
A method of operating an RF antenna structure, said method comprising:
- inflating an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- moving at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface,
- wherein said at least one RF feed comprises an array of RF ports which are mounted together for common rotational movement about a polar axis of a substantially spherical RF transreflector surface.
1 more element
A method of operating an RF antenna structure, said method comprising:
- inflating an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- moving at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface, and
- plural RF ports circumferentially spaced apart and commonly mounted for simultaneous rotational movement about a polar axis of a substantially spherical RF transreflector surface.
1 more element
A method of operating an RF antenna structure, said method comprising:
- inflating an inflatable-collapsible RF transreflector surface;
- and
- moving at least one RF feed disposed inside said inflatable-collapsible surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said surface,
- wherein said surface comprises plural flat gore sections connected together at overlapping joints whereat metallized strips of a linear grating pattern affixed to each of said sections are capacitively coupled together.
1 more element
A method of operating an RF antenna system, said method comprising:
- inflating a substantially spherical thin film single-wall inflatable-collapsible structure carrying thin conductive metallized strips forming a transreflector grating pattern;
- and
- moving at least one RF port disposed inside said structure for beam scanning movement with respect to said transreflector grating pattern.
A method of operating an RF antenna system, said method comprising:
- generating a substantially spherical surface supporting a linear transreflector grating array of conductive strips having a width that is approximately half the center-to-center spacing between strips;
- and
- moving at least one RF port disposed inside said surface for RF beam scanning movement with respect to said grating array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.