The Boeing Company

Alec Adams

Lixin Cai

Manny S Urcia

Gary Alan Ray

Ming Chen

Peter Timothy Heisen

Ordie Dean Butterfield

Manny Salazar Urcia, Jr

Christopher M La Fata

Andrew S Niederschulte

Stephen T Tyahla

John G Castagno

Mark Gregory Bedson

Minas Hagop Tanielian

Jonathan Martin Saint Clair

Tai Anh Lam

Edward Val White

Timothy J Luchini

Bruce Larry Blaser

Justin Joseph Schell

Mateus S Daczko

Korey Martin Holmstrom

Lindsay Martin

Robert John Greenlaw

Jonathan M St Clair

Carlene Goodbody

Manny S Urcia Jr

Antenna elements include a metallic square ring patch and a metallic square ring slot to transmit or receive radio frequency (RF) signals. The antenna elements use several dielectric layers that are separated by a low-dielectric foam layer upon which the square ring patch is positioned. The antenna elements may be arranged into an antenna array that is tunable to collectively generate or receive RF signals to and from airborne and mobile vehicles with an agile, electronically scanning antenna array beam, with no moving parts. The antenna array includes a top section to communicate RF signals; a bottom section to generate a desired RF signal; and a foam layer between the top and bottom sections to separate the ring patch from the ring slot. High isolation between the top section and the bottom section allows the antenna elements to be used in higher gain and high-power arrays without adverse feedback issues.

High isolation ring slot patch radiator for phased array antennas

Systems, methods, and apparatus for processing a signal using a non-uniform antenna array are disclosed. In one aspect, a receiver apparatus for processing high frequency signals is provided. The receiver apparatus may comprise an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements. The plurality of antenna elements may include a first antenna element and a remainder of the plurality of antenna elements. The remainder of the plurality of antenna elements may be uniformly spaced apart from one another by a first distance and arranged in a substantially linear orientation. The remainder of the plurality of antenna elements may include a second antenna element spaced apart from the first antenna element by a second distance. The second distance may be different than the first distance.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for processing high frequency signals

A receiver includes an antenna block configured to transduce impinging electromagnetic signals into electrical signals; a signal conditioning block configured to condition electrical signals received from the antenna block; and a down-converter block configured to down-convert conditioned electrical signals received from the signal conditioning block. The down-converter block comprises a plurality of signal channels. The receiver further includes a plurality of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) respectively connected to the signal channels of the down-converter block; and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The FPGA is configured to program the down-converter block by selecting a set of mixer frequencies and a set of bandwidths designed to remove interference signals in each signal channel. The selections are calculated to mitigate reductions in dynamic range in the ADCs due to interference. The FPGA is further configured to process digital signals received from the ADCs after the down-converter block has removed the interference signals.

Programmable RF front end for wideband ADC-based receiver

Antenna elements are disclosed herein that include a metallic square ring patch and a metallic square ring slot to transmit or receive radio frequency (RF) signals. The disclosed antenna elements use several dielectric layers that are separated by two low-dielectric foam layers. The square ring patch is located above an upper foam layer, and a square ring slot is located between the upper foam layer and a bottom foam layer. Electrical feed lines are used to either supply electrical power to the antenna elements cells or output RF signals that are received by the square ring patch. The disclosed antenna elements may be arranged together in an antenna array that is tunable to collectively generate or receive RF signals.

Ultra-low-cost 1D-scanning antenna array

Antenna elements include a metallic square ring patch and a metallic square ring slot to transmit or receive radio frequency (RF) signals. The antenna elements use several dielectric layers that are separated by a low-dielectric foam layer upon which the square ring patch is positioned. The disclosed antenna elements may be arranged together in an antenna array that is tunable to collectively generate or receive RF signals. In particular, the antenna array functions as a 256-element transmit/receive half-duplex antenna, operating in transmit or receive mode for half the time. The antenna array includes a radiator block, a transmit/receiver (T/R) amplifier block, a beamformer block, and a distribution network block.

Low cost electronically scanning antenna array architecture

Various ring cells are disclosed herein that include a metallic ring patch and a ring slot to transmit or receive radio frequency (RF) signals. The disclosed ring cells use several dielectric layers that are separated by a low-dielectric foam layer upon which the ring patch is positioned. The ring slot is located below the foam layer. An electrically conductive fence formed curved electrically conductive walls or a circular pattern of electrical vias is positioned around the ring slot. Electrical feed lines are used to either supply electrical power to the ring cells or output RF signals that are received by the ring patch.

Ring slot patch radiator unit cell for phased array antennas

An antenna element and an antenna array including the antenna element for generating or receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal are provided. The antenna element includes a dielectric layer including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a first dipole antenna comprising a first antenna segment and a second antenna segment, the first dipole antenna formed in the second surface; a second dipole antenna comprising a first antenna segment and a second antenna segment, the second dipole antenna formed in the second surface; a coupling segment capacitively coupled to each of the second antenna segment of the first dipole antenna and the second antenna segment of the second dipole antenna; and a shorting pin capacitively coupled to the coupling segment and extending from the first surface to the second surface.

Unit cell antenna for phased arrays

Systems, methods, and apparatus for an electromagnetic (EM) panel are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, a disclosed electromagnetic (EM) panel comprises an outer skin, an inner skin, a core disposed between the outer skin and the inner skin, and at least one receiver to receive at least one first signal. In at least one embodiment, at least one receiver is disposed within an opening on the outer skin of the EM panel. At least one receiver is an optical sensor(s) and/or a radio frequency (RF) antenna(s). In one or more embodiments, the EM panel further comprises at least one transmitter to transmit at least one second signal. In at least one embodiment, at least one transmitter is disposed within an opening on the outer skin of the EM panel. At least one transmitter is a laser(s) and/or a RF antenna(s).

Conformal load bearing distributed sensing arrays

Systems and methods for providing a visualization capability to map magnetic fields. The system utilizes a high-sensitivity magnetic field sensor (e.g., a magnetometer inside a tube made of magnetic shielding material) disposed on one side of a magnetic field modulation screen to acquire measurement data representing an image of a magnetic field. The magnetic field modulation screen includes a multiplicity of magnetic field-generating pixel elements (e.g., current-carrying loops made of electrically conductive material). Optionally, the system also uses compressive sensing techniques to reduce the amount of measurement data required to reconstruct an image of the original magnetic field. Compressive sensing is enabled by not supplying current to a different selected individual magnetic field-generating pixel element of the magnetic field modulation screen at successive sampling times.

Magnetic field visualization using modulation screen and compressive sensing

A phased array antenna includes a resonant cavity, a plurality of feed waveguides, an array of slot antenna elements, and a plurality of phase shifters. The resonant cavity includes a boresight surface having a normal vector oriented with boresight for the phased array antenna. The plurality of feed waveguides is distributed along a perimeter of the resonant cavity and is configured to supply electromagnetic waves to the resonant cavity. The array of slot antenna elements is distributed about the boresight surface and configured to radiate a beam based on standing waves within the resonant cavity. Each of the plurality of phase shifters is respectively coupled with the plurality of feed waveguides and independently controllable to modify the respective phases of the standing waves to steer the beam.

Perimeter-fed array

An antenna assembly includes a base including one or more feed transitions, a support panel separated from the base, a patch secured to the support panel, and one or more T-shaped probes that couple the feed transition(s) to the patch. The T-shaped probe(s) are separated from the patch.

Electronically scanning antenna assembly

A dual ultra-wideband electronically scanning antenna linear array and a method for producing same is disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna is comprised of circuit board-based multi-layered sections with integrated feeds. A first dielectric layer or substrate has a thin metal coating on the bottom surface to form a signal ground and metal coating on the top surface where capacitively loaded radiating dipoles are etched. Each of the dipole elements are connected to an associated conductive antenna feed disposed on a bottom surface of another dielectric layer disposed below the first dielectric layer.

Dual ultra wide band conformal electronically scanning antenna linear array

A system, method, and apparatus for an antenna system. The antenna system comprises an aperture structure, a primary radiating slot, a tuning slot, and a stripline feed. The primary radiating slot and the tuning slot are both located in the aperture structure. The stripline feed is located between the primary radiating slot and the tuning slot in the aperture structure.

Wideband antenna system

Unit cells for phased array antennas are described. The unit cells include a plurality of dipole antennas that are used to form a phased array antenna. In particular, the unit cells that form the phased array antenna each include a plurality of dipole antennas formed on a surface of a substrate that are arranged to collectively form a triangle. A plurality of the unit cells may be linked together to form a triangular lattice array having almost any desired size and aperture, thereby allowing the RF engineer the freedom to achieve a wide variety of performance goals when designing a phased array antenna.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Alec Adams