General Electric Company

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Sensis Corporation

Saab Sensis Corporation

Brian J Edward

Peter J Ruzicka

Bryan L Cleaveland

Stephen B Adams

Robert E Munson

Stephen McMahon

John A Rougas

David P Charette

Edward M Valovage

Stephen Wanuga

Mark T Sabatino

Earl L Turner

Richard J Lang

George A Johnson

Bruce R Lanning

David D Liu

Daniel F Rees

Mike Farneth

Daniel E Rees

Neil C Smith

John M Marziale

Carl E DeWire

A light-weight, air-cooled transmit/receive unit is provided, including a first external cover member, an opposed second external cover member, and a central housing unit, including thermal management means, interposed between the first and second external cover members. A transmit/receive circuit board, including components and an integrated and common radiating element for at least one channel, is interposed between a first surface of the central housing unit and the first external cover member, and a controller circuit board and a power converter circuit board are interposed between an opposed second surface of the central housing unit and the second external cover member.

Lightweight air-cooled transmit/receive unit and active phased array including same

A conductive line radar comprising at least one signal surface wave launcher, which comprises a signal surface wave transceiver, which is physically attached to a power line. The signal surface wave transceiver transmits a wave signal along the power line with another signal radiating from the wave signal in a plurality of directions along the power line. The at least one signal surface wave transceiver receives reflected signals from a target within a distance of the power line. The at least one signal surface wave launcher includes at least one RF communications transceiver and can be inductively powered from the power line.

Conductive line communication apparatus and conductive line radar system and method

There is provided a heat dissipation device comprising at least one inlet plenum, at least one outlet plenum and chambers, in which the chambers communicate directly with the inlet plenum and with the outlet plenum. Also provided is a heat dissipation device comprising at least two inlet plenums, at least two outlet plenums and at least two chambers, the first chamber communicating directly with a first inlet plenum and a first outlet plenum, the second chamber communicating directly with a second inlet plenum and a second outlet plenum. Also provided are methods of dissipating heat, comprising passing fluid across and/or through such devices. Also provided are radar antennas comprising radar electronic components mounted on such devices.

Method and apparatus for dissipating heat, and radar antenna containing heat dissipating apparatus

A lightweight active phased array antenna including modular active electronics assemblies and passive radiating element aperture panels that are integrated into a lightweight support structure of a minimum depth which provides a cooling system for the electronics assemblies. The electronics assemblies and aperture panels are fully accessible from one or both faces of the antenna and can be readily removed/replaced as required.

Lightweight active phased array antenna

A line-replaceable unit for a phased array antenna including a thermally conductive housing having a front face and an opposed rear face, at least one open-ended waveguide extending through the housing from the front face to the rear face, at least one first radiating element including the waveguide and adapted to emit energy in a first frequency band; and at least one second radiating element positioned on the front face of the housing and adapted to emit energy in a second frequency band distinct from the first frequency band. The waveguide is dimensioned to pass energy in the first frequency band and is exposed to the environment outside the housing at the front and rear faces to define a cooling duct passing through the housing.

Line-replaceable transmit/receive unit for multi-band active arrays

A photonically controlled antenna element made of a material such as silicon is disclosed wherein one or more of such antenna elements are mounted in an array on a light waveguide made of glass or sapphire. Light is injected into the light waveguide and reflects therein until it is absorbed by the antenna elements due to the higher refractive index of silicon which makes the reflection break down, and thus allows the laser beam to leak out of the waveguide into the silicon antenna elements. When the photonically controlled antenna elements are illuminated they are switched to a conductive state and can transmit and receive electromagnetic signals. When no light is injected into the light waveguide the photonically controlled antenna elements are not illuminated and are in a non-conductive state wherein they cannot receive or transmit electromagnetic signals. A number of these light waveguides with their antenna arrays thereon may be stacked together to form a single antenna system. When the antenna elements on each light waveguide are designed to operate at different frequencies an extremely broadband antenna system is the result. By providing appropriate time or phase delay to the signals going to each antenna array on a light waveguide a phased array antenna is the result with the ability to electronically steer the radiated electromagnetic signal. Different portions of the broadband antenna system may be operating at the same time, with some parts transmitting and other parts receiving electromagnetic energy.

Photonically controlled, phased array antenna

A photonically controlled antenna array is made of a plurality of stacked light waveguides made of a material such as silicon whereon each of which one or more photonically controlled antenna elements are mounted. Light is injected into ones of the light waveguides and reflects therein until it is absorbed by the antenna elements mounted thereon due to the higher refractive index of silicon. When the photonically controlled antenna elements are illuminated they are switched to a conductive state and can transmit and receive electromagnetic signals. When no light is injected into the light waveguide the photonically controlled antenna elements are not illuminated and are in a non-conductive state wherein they cannot receive or transmit electromagnetic signals. One edge of each of the light waveguides is adjacent to a ground plane, and the antenna elements on each light waveguide are spaced from said ground plane a distance equal to a quarter wavelength at the frequency at which each of said photonically controlled antenna elements is designed to operate. The antenna elements radiate and receive signals in a direction parallel to said waveguides that is opposite to said ground plane.

Photonically controlled antenna array

The invention relates to the distribution of radio frequency signals using optical fibers between a centrally located radar transmitter/receiver and remotely located transmit/receive modules associated with the elements of an active phased array. The invention avoids the need for remotely located lasers, by using the optical carrier generated at the central location for both transmission, when it is modulated by the transmitter and supplied to each T/R module over an optical path; and for reception, when it is supplied to each T/R module unmodulated. An optical switch and an optical modulator in the T/R module permit the antenna return to be converted to an optical format for supply over a second optical path to the central receiver. The arrangement may be further simplified by selecting a simple optical device to perform both the optical switching and optical modulation function in each T/R module.

Optical distribution of transmitter signals and antenna returns in a

A microstrip fed printed dipole with an integral balun is disclosed, fabricated upon a planar dielectric substrate by patterning metallizations disposed on the two surfaces of the substrate. In the arrangement, the ground plane of the unbalanced microstrip transmission line is bifurcated by a central slot to form a balanced transmission line coextensive with the slot which becomes a part of the arms of the dipole and which at the same time serves as the ground plane of a continuation of the microstrip feed. A continuation of the strip conductor of the unbalanced microstrip feed having a 'J' shaped configuration continues over the bifurcated ground planes and crosses the slot in proximity to the dipole for effecting an efficient unbalanced feed to the balanced dipole. The arrangement has a double tuned characteristic with two available and independent adjustments facilitating reproducable, optimized broadband performance.

Microstrip fed printed dipole with an integral balun

An improved element for use in an electrically steered antenna array is disclosed comprising a dipole, an integral balun and a 180.degree. phase shift bit. The arrangement utilizes printed circuit techniques throughout using an unbalanced microstrip for connection to electrical circuitry, a balun for transitioning from unbalanced microstrip to a balanced dipole antenna and includes a low loss 180.degree. phase shift bit formed by the use of a branched feed network including two diodes whose conductive states determine the sense of antenna excitation, and produce the equivalent of a 180.degree. phase shift bit.

Growing community of inventors

Jamesville, NY, United States of America

Brian J Edward