Gimbaled dragonian antenna
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJohn E. Baldauf, Eric D. Lee, Brian M. Park, Joel R. Dixon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a gimbaled reflector antenna is provided that includes: a Dragonian antenna having a sub-reflector and a main reflector; a feed; a third reflector adapted to reflect a beam from the feed to the sub reflector; an azimuth gimbal adapted to rotate the Dragonian antenna with respect to the third reflector; and an elevation gimbal adapted to rotate the flat reflector with respect to the feed.
Claims22
A gimbaled reflector antenna, comprising:
- a Dragonian antenna having a sub-reflector and a main reflector;
- a feed;
- a third reflector adapted to reflect a beam from the feed to the sub-reflector;
- an azimuth gimbal adapted to rotate the Dragonian antenna with respect to the third reflector;
- and
- an elevation gimbal adapted to rotate the third reflector with respect to the feed.
A gimbaled reflector antenna, comprising:
- side-fed offset Cassegrain antenna having a sub-reflector and a main reflector;
- a feed;
- a third reflector adapted to reflect a beam from the feed to the sub reflector;
- means for rotating the side-fed offset Cassegrain antenna with respect to the third reflector such that an exit beam from the main reflector scans in an azimuthal direction;
- and
- means for rotating the third reflector with respect to the feed such that the exit beam from the main reflector scans in the elevational direction.
A method of transmitting an RF signal using a Dragonian antenna having a sub-reflector and a main reflector, comprising:
- transmitting the RF signal from a source to a first reflector;
- reflecting the RF signal from the first reflector to the sub-reflector;
- reflecting the RF signal from the sub-reflector to the main reflector;
- and
- reflecting the RF signal from the main reflector to form a transmitted RF beam;
- and
- rotating the Dragonian antenna about an azimuth axis passing through the first reflector to scan the transmitted RF beam in an azimuth direction.
A method of transmitting an RF signal using a Dragonian antenna having a sub-reflector and a main reflector, comprising:
- transmitting the RF signal from a source to a first reflector;
- reflecting the RF signal from the first reflector to the sub-reflector;
- reflecting the RF signal from the sub-reflector to the main reflector;
- and
- reflecting the RF signal from the main reflector to form a transmitted RF beam;
- and
- rotating the first reflector and the Dragonian antenna about an elevation axis passing through the first reflector to scan the transmitted RF beam in an elevation direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.