Triangular communication antenna array
Phased arrays on satellites that approximate/emulate the shape of a rounded triangle such that elliptical apertures can be generated in any desired direction while requiring the minimum possible phased array area. The common shapes for phased arrays are circular, square, or hexagonal, with circular phased arrays often being viewed as the preferred shape. However, it is shown here that rounded triangular phased arrays can be generated to accommodate elliptical apertures as necessary to serve the field of view beneath a satellite and do so with fewer antennas than their circular counterparts. For applications where elliptical apertures are desirable, such as satellite-to-Earth communications, the rounded triangular model for phased arrays is demonstrably more efficient than the circular model.
1 . A satellite phased array comprising:
a plurality of satellite antennas configured to communicate with user equipment within fixed communication cells on earth, said plurality of antennas defining an outer perimeter boundary, the outer perimeter boundary having a triangular shape;
wherein the triangular shape has rounded corners.
2 . The satellite phased array of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of satellite antennas belongs to one or more satellite antenna groupings that are circular or elliptical.
3 . The satellite phased array of claim 2 , wherein one or more of said satellite antenna groupings is configured to generate a signal to communicate across a hexagonal cell on Earth.
4 . The satellite phased array of claim 2 , wherein each of the satellite antenna groupings have a size, shape and direction to communicate with a respective communication cell, the size, shape and direction based on a size and shape of the respective communication cell and a distance of the respective communication cell to said satellite phased array.
5 . The satellite phased array of claim 4 , wherein each satellite antenna grouping is configured to form a beam having a size, shape, and power to directly communicate with the respective communication cell.
6 . The satellite phased array of claim 4 , wherein:
a first grouping of said plurality of satellite antennas is configured to generate a first beam having a first size and first shape to directly communicate with a first communication cell, and
a second grouping of said plurality of satellite antennas is configured to generate a second beam having a second size and a second shape to directly communicate with a second cell,
wherein the first size differs from the second size, and the first shape differs from the second shape.
7 . The satellite phased array of claim 1 , wherein the satellite phased array is used in Low Earth Orbit.
8 . The satellite phased array of claim 1 , wherein the triangular shape benefits the distribution of radiated power across the plurality of satellite antennas when all beams have equal power.
9 . A satellite phased array, comprising:
a plurality of satellite antennas configured to communicate with user equipment within fixed communication cells on earth, the plurality of antennas defining an outer perimeter boundary, the outer perimeter boundary having a triangular shape;
wherein the triangular shape benefits the distribution of radiated power across the plurality of satellite antennas when power is preferentially distributed to beams pointing to hexagonal cells on the Earth that are closer to the satellite.
10 . A satellite phased array, comprising:
a plurality of satellite antennas configured to communicate with user equipment within fixed communication cells on earth, the plurality of antennas defining an outer perimeter boundary, the outer perimeter boundary having a triangular shape;
wherein the triangular shape benefits the distribution of radiated power across the plurality of satellite antennas when power is preferentially distributed to beams pointing to hexagonal cells on the Earth that are farther away from the satellite phased array.
11 . A satellite phased array, comprising:
a plurality of satellite antennas configured to communicate with user equipment within fixed communication cells on earth, the plurality of antennas defining an outer perimeter boundary, the outer perimeter boundary having a triangular shape;
wherein the triangular shape is an equilateral triangle with congruent interior angles.
12 . The satellite phased array of claim 11 , wherein the interior angles are sixty degrees.
13 . A satellite phased array comprising:
a plurality of satellite assemblies, each having an outer layer including an antenna element that is configured to communicate with user equipment on the ground;
wherein the plurality of satellite assemblies is arranged to form an outer perimeter boundary, the outer perimeter boundary having a triangular shape; and
wherein the triangular shape benefits the distribution of radiated power across the plurality of satellite assemblies when power is preferentially distributed to beams pointing to hexagonal cells on the Earth that are closer to the satellite phased array.
14 . The satellite phased array of claim 13 , wherein each of said plurality of satellite assemblies belongs to one or more satellite antenna groupings that are circular or elliptical.
15 . The satellite phased array of claim 14 , wherein one or more of said antenna groupings are configured to generate a signal to communicate across a hexagonal cell on Earth.
16 . A satellite phased array, comprising:
a plurality of satellite assemblies, each having an outer layer including an antenna element that is configured to communicate with user equipment on the ground;
wherein the plurality of satellite assemblies is arranged to form an outer perimeter boundary, the outer perimeter boundary having a triangular shape; and
wherein the triangular shape has rounded corners.
17 . The satellite phased array of claim 13 , wherein the satellite phased array is in Low Earth Orbit.
18 . The satellite phased array of claim 13 , wherein the triangular shape benefits the distribution of radiated power across the plurality of satellite assemblies when all beams have equal power.
19 . A satellite phased array, comprising:
a plurality of satellite assemblies, each having an outer layer including an antenna element that is configured to communicate with user equipment on the ground;
wherein the plurality of satellite assemblies is arranged to form an outer perimeter boundary, the outer perimeter boundary having a triangular shape; and
wherein the triangular shape benefits the distribution of radiated power across the plurality of satellite assemblies when power is preferentially distributed to beams pointing to hexagonal cells on the Earth that are farther away from the satellite phased array.
20 . An array of satellite antennas comprising:
a plurality of interconnected satellite antennas configured to directly communicate with user equipment within fixed communication cells on earth; and
a processing device configured to define subsets of said plurality of satellite antennas, each subset of said plurality of satellite antennas configured to directly communicate with a respective communication cell, wherein each subset of said plurality of satellite antennas has beamforming characteristics based on at least one of a size of the respective communication cell, a shape of the respective communication cell, or a distance of the respective communication cell to said arrays;
wherein each subset of said plurality of satellite antennas forms a respective aperture.
21 . The array of claim 20 , wherein the beamforming characteristics comprise a size, shape and direction for each subset of said plurality of antennas.
22 . The array of claim 20 , wherein the beamforming characteristics comprise a phase, amplitude, frequency and power for each subset of said plurality of antennas.
23 . The array of claim 20 , wherein the subsets of said plurality of satellite antennas overlap with one another.
24 . An array of satellite antennas, comprising:
a plurality of interconnected satellite antennas configured to directly communicate with user equipment within fixed communication cells on earth; and
a processing device configured to define subsets of said plurality of satellite antennas, each subset of said plurality of satellite antennas configured to directly communicate with a respective communication cell, wherein each subset of said plurality of satellite antennas has beamforming characteristics based on at least one of a size of the respective communication cell, a shape of the respective communication cell, or a distance of the respective communication cell to said array;
wherein a first subset of said plurality of satellite antennas is circular and a second subset of said plurality of satellite antennas is elliptical.
25 . A method for communication via a satellite antenna array to communicate with user equipment within fixed communication cells on earth, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of interconnected satellite antennas to form the satellite antenna array; and
defining, using a processing device, subsets of the plurality of satellite antennas, each subset of the plurality of satellite antennas configured to directly communicate with a respective communication cell, wherein each subset of the plurality of satellite antennas has beamforming characteristics based on at least one of a size of the respective communication cell, a shape of the respective communication cell, or a distance of the respective communication cell to said arrays;
wherein the beamforming characteristics comprise a phase, amplitude, frequency and power for each subset of the plurality of antennas.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the beamforming characteristics comprise a size, shape and direction for each subset of said plurality of antennas.
27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the subsets of the plurality of satellite antennas overlap with one another.
28 . A method for communication via a satellite antenna array to communicate with user equipment within fixed communication cells on earth, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of interconnected satellite antennas to form the satellite antenna array; and
defining, using a processing device, subsets of the plurality of satellite antennas, each subset of the plurality of satellite antennas configured to directly communicate with a respective communication cell, wherein each subset of the plurality of satellite antennas has beamforming characteristics based on at least one of a size of the respective communication cell, a shape of the respective communication cell, or a distance of the respective communication cell to said array;
wherein a first subset of the plurality of satellite antennas is circular and a second subset of the plurality of satellite antennas is elliptical.
29 . A method for communication via a satellite antenna array to communicate with user equipment within fixed communication cells on earth, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of interconnected satellite antennas to form the satellite antenna array; and
defining, using a processing device, subsets of the plurality of satellite antennas, each subset of the plurality of satellite antennas configured to directly communicate with a respective communication cell, wherein each subset of the plurality of satellite antennas has beamforming characteristics based on at least one of a size of the respective communication cell, a shape of the respective communication cell, or a distance of the respective communication cell to said array;
wherein each subset of the plurality of satellite antennas forms a respective aperture.