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US 7,605,770 B2Granted
Flap antenna and communications system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsYong U. Kim, Alan R. Keith, Joseph B. Aday
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flap antenna may include a radio frequency (RF) feed and a shaped reflector formed in a selected shape to reflect electromagnetic radiation to or from the RF feed. The flap antenna may also include a flap reflector to reflect the electromagnetic radiation to or from the shaped reflector. The flap reflector may be a flat plate or the like.
Claims38
A flap antenna, comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) feed;
- a shaped reflector formed in a selected shape to reflect electromagnetic radiation directly to or from the RF feed;
- a pivotable flap reflector to reflect the electromagnetic radiation to or from the shaped reflector and open space;
- and
- a ground plane, wherein the flap antenna is mounted to the ground plane with only the pivotable flap reflector being pivotably mounted to the ground plane and wherein the flap reflector is pivotable to reflect and receive the electromagnetic radiation at a selected elevation.
2 more elements
A flap antenna comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) feed;
- a shaped reflector formed in a selected shape to reflect electromagnetic radiation to or from the RF feed;
- and
- a flap reflector to reflect the electromagnetic radiation to or from the shaped reflector, wherein the flap reflector comprises a first flap reflector and wherein the flap antenna further comprises a second flap reflector disposed relative to the first flap reflector to substantially double the gain and aperture of the flap antenna, wherein the first flap reflector is polarized to reflect the electromagnetic radiation oriented in one polarization and to transmit electromagnetic radiation in another polarization to be reflected by the second flap reflector.
1 more element
A communications system, comprising:
- a transceiver;
- and
- a flap antenna coupled to the transceiver, wherein the flap antenna includes:
- a radio frequency (RF) feed;
- a shaped reflector formed in a selected shape to reflect electromagnetic radiation directly to or from the RF feed;
- and
- a pivotable flap reflector to reflect the electromagnetic radiation to or from the shaped reflector and open space;
- and
- a ground plane, wherein the flap antenna is mounted to the ground plane with only the pivotable flap reflector being pivotably mounted to the ground plane and wherein the flap reflector is pivotable to reflect and receive the electromagnetic radiation at a selected elevation.
6 more elements
A communications system comprising:
- a transceiver;
- and
- a flap antenna coupled to the transceiver, wherein the flap antenna includes:
- a radio frequency (RF) feed;
- a shaped reflector formed in a selected shape to reflect electromagnetic radiation to or from the RF feed;
- and
- a flap reflector to reflect the electromagnetic radiation to or from the shaped reflector, wherein the flap reflector comprises a first flap reflector and the communications system further comprises a second flap reflector disposed relative to the first flap reflector to substantially double the gain and aperture of the flap antenna, wherein the first flap reflector is linearly polarized to reflect the electromagnetic radiation in one of a vertical polarization or a horizontal polarization and to transmit electromagnetic radiation in another one of the vertical polarization or horizontal polarization to be reflected by the second flap reflector.
4 more elements
A method to scan an RF beam, comprising:
- transmitting or receiving the RF beam by an RF feed;
- reflecting the RF beam between a shaped reflector and a pivotable flap reflector, wherein the shaped reflector is formed in a selected shape to reflect the RF beam received directly from the RF feed to the flap reflector in response to transmitting the RF beam and to reflect the RF beam directly to the RF feed from the flap reflector in response to the flap reflector receiving the RF beam from open space;
- and
- pivoting the pivotable flap reflector for elevation scanning, wherein the shaped reflector and the pivotable flap reflector are both mounted to a ground plane with only the pivotable flap reflector being pivotably mounted to the ground plane and wherein only the flap reflector is pivotable for elevation scanning.
1 more element
A method to scan an RF beam, comprising:
- transmitting or receiving the RF beam by an RF feed;
- reflecting the RF beam between a shaped reflector and a flap reflector, wherein the shaped reflector is formed in a selected shape to reflect the RF beam from the RF feed to the flap reflector in response to transmitting the RF beam and to reflect the RF beam directly to the RF feed from the flap reflector in response to receiving the RF beam;
- pivoting the flap reflector for elevation scanning;
- constituting the flap reflector as a first flap reflector;
- and
- pivoting a second flap reflector relative to the first flap reflector to substantially increase the gain and aperture of the RF beam, wherein the second flap reflector is disposed behind the first flap reflector relative to the shaped reflector and wherein the first flap reflector is polarized to reflect electromagnetic radiation oriented in one polarization and to transmit electromagnetic radiation oriented in another polarization for reflection by the second flap reflector.
3 more elements
A method to substantially increase the gain and aperture of a flap antenna, comprising:
- disposing a first flap reflector relative to a second flap reflector to substantially double the gain and aperture of the flap antenna, wherein disposing the first flap reflector relative to the second flap reflector comprises disposing the second flap reflector behind the first flap reflector relative to a shaped reflector, the first flap reflector and the second flap reflector being pivotable about a common flap reflector pivot point;
- and
- polarizing the first flap reflector to reflect electromagnetic radiation oriented in one polarization and to transmit electromagnetic radiation oriented in another polarization to be reflected by the second flap reflector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.