Aircraft mountable antenna system with large field of view
An antenna system includes an antenna housing that can be mounted on an exterior fuselage of an aircraft. A radio antenna carried by the antenna housing can communicate with radio devices within a field of view of the radio antenna when mounted on the exterior fuselage. A radio sensor carried by the antenna housing can communicate with radio devices outside the field of view of the radio antenna through an electrically conductive portion of the exterior fuselage.
1 . A device comprising an antenna system including:
(a) an antenna housing that can be mounted on an exterior fuselage of an aircraft;
(b) a radio antenna carried by the antenna housing that can communicate with radio devices within a field of view of the radio antenna when mounted on the exterior fuselage; and
(c) a radio sensor carried by the antenna housing that can communicate with radio devices outside the field of view of the radio antenna through an electrically conductive portion of the exterior fuselage.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the radio antenna is a cavity-backed patch antenna.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the radio sensor includes an antenna array with radio sensor antennae arranged circumferentially about the radio antenna.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the radio antenna and radio sensor are in a common resonant cavity in the antenna housing.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the antenna housing includes a first resonant cavity and a second resonant cavity;
the radio antenna is located in the first resonant cavity and the second resonant cavity; and
the radio sensor is located in the first resonant cavity.
6 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising an aircraft having the antenna housing mounted on the exterior fuselage thereof in such a way that the field of view of the radio antenna is above the aircraft and the field of view of the radio sensor is to left and right sides and/or below the aircraft.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the radio sensor includes an antenna array with radio sensor antennae arranged circumferentially about the radio antenna and the device further comprises a signal conditioner that can perform beam forming and null steering of the antenna array.
8 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a radio antenna on an exterior fuselage of an aircraft, a first radio signal transmitted from above the aircraft; and
receiving, by a radio sensor adjacent the radio antenna on the exterior fuselage, a second radio signal transmitted from a horizon and/or below the aircraft, the second radio signal being propagated to the radio sensor through an electrically conductive portion of the exterior fuselage.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the radio antenna is a cavity-backed patch antenna.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the radio sensor includes an antenna array with radio sensor antennae arranged circumferentially about the radio antenna.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the radio antenna and radio sensor are carried by a housing mounted to the exterior fuselage and are in a resonant cavity in the housing.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the radio antenna and radio sensor are carried by a housing mounted to the exterior fuselage, the housing including a first resonant cavity and a second resonant cavity;
the radio antenna is located in the first resonant cavity and the second resonant cavity; and
the radio sensor is located in the first resonant cavity.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the radio sensor includes an antenna array with radio sensor antennae arranged circumferentially about the radio antenna and the method further comprises a performing beam forming and null steering of the antenna array.
14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising a housing mounted on the exterior fuselage and carrying the radio antenna and radio sensor in such a way that a field of view of the radio antenna is above the aircraft and a field of view of the radio sensor is to left and right sides and/or below the aircraft.
15 . A device comprising:
an antenna system including:
(a) an antenna housing that can be mounted on an exterior fuselage of an aircraft;
(b) a cavity-backed patch antenna carried by the antenna housing that can communicate with radio devices within a field of view of the cavity-backed patch antenna when mounted on the exterior fuselage; and
(c) a radio sensor carried by the antenna housing that can communicate with radio devices outside the field of view of the cavity-backed patch antenna through an electrically conductive portion of the exterior fuselage, the radio sensor including an antenna array circumscribing the cavity-backed patch antenna.
16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the cavity-backed patch antenna and radio sensor are in a common resonant cavity in the antenna housing.
17 . The device of claim 15 , wherein:
the antenna housing includes a first resonant cavity and a second resonant cavity;
the cavity-backed patch antenna is located in the first resonant cavity and the second resonant cavity; and
the radio sensor is located in the first resonant cavity.
18 . The device of claim 15 , further comprising an aircraft having the antenna housing mounted on the exterior fuselage thereof in such a way that the field of view of the cavity-backed patch antenna is above the aircraft and the field of view of the radio sensor is to left and right sides and/or below the aircraft.
19 . The device of claim 15 , further comprising a signal conditioner that can perform beam forming of the antenna array.