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US 7,417,587 B2Granted
Ferrite phase shifter and phase array radar system
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsMagdy F. Iskander, Rory K. Sorensen, Jar J. Lee, Hee Kyung Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A phase shifter comprises a substrate, a ground plane formed on a first surface of the substrate, a support structure positioned on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface, three parallel, non-co-planar microstrip lines supported by the support structure above the second surface of the substrate, a ferrite element supported by the support structure between the second surface of the substrate and the three non-co-planar microstrip lines, and means for applying a magnetic field to the ferrite element.
Claims28
A phase shifter comprising:
- a substrate;
- a ground plane disposed on a first surface of the substrate;
- a support structure positioned on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface;
- three parallel, non-co-planar microstrip lines supported by the support structure above the second surface of the substrate;
- an elongated ferrite element supported within the support structure between the second surface of the substrate and the three non-co-planar microstrip lines;
- and
- means for applying a magnetic field to the ferrite element;
- and
- wherein the support structure comprises a bottom dielectric element, and a top dielectric element, the ferrite element being embedded within said bottom dielectric element and said top dielectric element.
6 more elements
A phase shifter comprising:
- a substrate;
- a ground plane disposed on a first surface of the substrate;
- a support structure positioned on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface:
- three parallel, non-co-planar microstrip lines supported by the support structure above the second surface of the substrate;
- an elongated ferrite element supported within the support structure between the second surface of the substrate and the three non-co-planar microstrip lines;
- and
- means for applying a magnetic field to the ferrite element, wherein the means for applying a magnetic field comprises a coil around the ferrite element, and wherein portions of the substrate and the ground plane are relieved to provide a dumbbell shape and provide a space for the coil.
4 more elements
A phase shifter comprising:
- a substrate;
- a ground plane disposed on a first surface of the substrate;
- a support structure positioned on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface;
- three parallel, non-co-planar microstrip lines supported by the support structure above the second surface of the substrate;
- an elongated ferrite element supported within the support structure between the second surface of the substrate and the three non-co-planar microstrip lines, wherein the ferrite element has a generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration, with tapered ends;
- and
- means for applying a magnetic field to the ferrite element.
4 more elements
An electronically scanned phased array radar system, comprising:
- a transmit/receive module, including a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier LNA and a circulator;
- a manifold;
- a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array and connected to the manifold through a plurality of respective phase shifters;
- the respective phase shifters arranged to individually shift the phase of signals to be transmitted by or received from the plurality of antenna elements to electronically steer a beam of the array;
- a controller connected to the phase shifters to control the amount of phase shift applied by the phase shifters to controllably steer the array beam;
- and
- wherein one or more of the phase shifters comprises:
- a substrate;
- a ground plane disposed on a first surface of the substrate;
- a dielectric support structure positioned on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface;
- three parallel, non-co-planar microstrip lines supported by the support structure above the second surface of the substrate;
- a ferrite element supported in the support structure between the second surface of the substrate and the three non-co-planar microstrip lines, wherein said dielectric support structure has a channel disposed therein to receive said ferrite element;
- and
- a magnetic circuit for applying a magnetic field to the ferrite element under control of the controller.
11 more elements
A phase shifter comprising:
- three parallel, non-co-planar microstrip lines supported on a dielectric support structure;
- a dielectric substrate having opposed first and second surfaces;
- a ground plane disposed on said second surface;
- a ferrite element supported within the dielectric support structure between the first surface of the substrate and the three non-co-planar microstrip lines, wherein the ferrite element has a generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration, with tapered ends;
- a magnetic circuit for generating a magnetic field for aligning magnetic dipole moments of the ferrite element;
- and
- a control circuit for varying the magnetic field for adjusting a phase shift of a signal transmitted through the phase shifter.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.