High gain, steerable multiple beam antenna system
View Patent ↗A multi-beam antenna system is described herein that can be used in microwave frequency applications between 1 GHz and 100 GHz. The multi-beam antenna system covers four 90° sectors for full 360° coverage. Each 90° sector is covered with at least 1 narrow steerable transmit (TX) and 1 narrow steerable receive (RX) beam. The beams are steered in the azimuth dimension.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a multibeam antenna including at least one pair of independent transmit and receive apertures, wherein each aperture includes:
a beam former including a primary waveguide and a plurality of phase shifters; and
at least one secondary waveguide each of which is connected to one of the phase shifters and to at least one antenna element.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each aperture further includes a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of radiating elements.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said plurality of radiating elements in each of said column are connected together via microwave transmission lines in a column secondary power splitter for said receive aperture or a column secondary power combiner in said transmit aperture.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said secondary power splitter/combiner is connected to said beam former to enable the steering of a radiation beam in one dimension.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said one dimension is the azimuth direction.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said beam former includes a primary power combiner/splitter which distributes and collects power in a serial manner to and from said phase shifters.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said beam former further includes a coaxial cable feeding the primary power combiner/splitter.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said primary waveguide is coupled to said phase shifters via broad wall slots that are spaced along the length of the primary waveguide.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said phase shifters are slotline phase shifters.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein slot gaps in said slotline phase shifters are loaded with a voltage tunable ferroelectric material.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said voltage tunable ferroelectric material comprises Ba x Sr 1-x TiO 3 (BSTO), where x can range from zero to one.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said voltage tunable ferroelectric material comprises BSTO-composite ceramics.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said slot gaps width are capable of being varied along its length to provide for a non-uniform loaded slotline.
14. A method comprising:
providing a multi-beam antenna system;
controlling said multi-beam antenna system to enable transmission of at least one transmit beam and to enable reception of at least one receive beam, wherein said multi-beam antenna system includes:
at least one pair of independent transmit and receive apertures wherein each aperture includes:
a beam former that includes a primary waveguide and a plurality of phase shifters; and
at least one secondary waveguide each of which is connected to one of the phase shifters and to at least one antenna element.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein each aperture further includes a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of radiating elements.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said plurality of radiating elements in each of said column are connected together via microwave transmission lines in a column secondary power splitter for said receive aperture and a column secondary power combiner in said transit aperture.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising steering a radiation beam in one dimension via said secondary power splitter/combiner connected to said beam former.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said one dimension is the azimuth direction.
19. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising collecting and distributing power in a serial manner to and from said phase shifters by a primary power combiner/splitter in said beam former.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising feeding the primary power combiner/splitter of said beam former with a coaxial cable.
21. The method of claim 14 , wherein said primary waveguide is coupled to said phase shifters via broad wall slots that are spaced along the length of the primary waveguide.
22. The method of claim 14 , wherein said phase shifters are slotline phase shifters.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein slot gaps in said slotline phase shifters are loaded with a voltage tunable ferroelectric material.
24. An article comprising a storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a computing platform controls a multi-beam antenna system thereby enabling transmission of at least one transmit beam and reception of at least one receive beam, wherein said multi-beam antenna system includes:
at least one pair of independent transmit and receive apertures where each aperture includes:
a beam former that includes a primary waveguide and a plurality of phase shifters; and
at least one secondary waveguide each of which is connected to one of the phase shifters and to at least one antenna element.
25. The article of claim 24 , wherein each aperture further includes a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of radiating elements.
26. The article of claim 24 , wherein said primary waveguide is coupled to said phase shifters via broad wall slots that are spaced along the length of the primary waveguide.
27. The article of claim 24 , wherein said phase shifters are slotline phase shifters.
28. The article of claim 27 , wherein slot gaps in said slotline phase shifters are loaded with a voltage tunable ferroelectric material.