Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Dana J Jensen

Lee M Paulsen

Robert J Frank

Thomas B Campbell

Jonathan P Doane

Adrian A Hill

Steven E Koenck

Roger A Dana

Scott J Zogg

Bryan S McCoy

Michael N Newhouse

Thomas A Courtade

James B West

Gary A McGraw

Matilda Gabriela Livadaru

Richard L Robertson

Scott J F Zogg

Bernard A Schnaufer

Karl F Hoech

Gunther B Frank

Connor C McBryde

Bruce S Kloster

Daniel M Zange

Joseph F Jiacinto

Kent D Benson

Fatma Ayhan Sakarya

David K Baugh

Joel T Gillett

A system may include a digital beam forming (DBF) antenna array including antenna radiating elements including a first and second antenna radiating elements. The DBF antenna array may be configured to: simultaneously transmit a set of calibration signals on multiple antenna radiating elements, the multiple antenna radiating elements including the first and second antenna radiating elements, each calibration signal of the set of calibration signals comprising a given timing acquisition sequence and a given second sequence, the given second sequence used to measure a phase and a gain of a given antenna radiating element; transmit a first calibration signal of the set by the first antenna radiating element; transmit a second calibration signal of the set by the second antenna radiating element; and calibrate the multiple antenna radiating elements by using an estimated relative phase and an estimated relative gain for each of the multiple antenna radiating elements.

System and method for calibrating transmit antenna array

Systems and apparatuses include an electronically scanned array system including a power supply system, a radiating element subarray, a plurality of beamformer chips, and a plurality of control buses. The radiating element subarray includes active radiating elements, and between about one percent and about twenty percent reserve radiating elements distributed throughout the active radiating elements. Each control bus includes a plurality of primary control paths providing communication from the control bus to the beamformer chips, and a reserve control paths structured to be remapped to provide communication from the control bus to the beam former chips in the event that one of the plurality of primary control paths fails.

Electronically scanned array

Embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a system for cancelling interference. The system may include a first antenna and a second antenna spatially separated from the first antenna. The system may include a first time delay unit, coupled to the first antenna, and configured to apply a first time delay and first power gain on a first signal received by the first antenna. The system may include a control circuit, coupled to the first time delay unit, and configured to determine the first time delay and first power gain to cause a modified version of the first signal and a second signal, received by the second antenna, to be aligned in time and power levels.

Interference cancellation system

Systems and apparatuses include an electronically scanned array system including a power supply system, a radiating element subarray, a plurality of beamformer chips, and a plurality of control buses. The power supply system a first power converter structured to receive and condition mains power, a second power converter arranged in parallel with the first power converter, and a controller structured to monitor the first power converter and the second power converter and to operate one of a first switch or a second switch to provide conditioned power. The radiating element subarray includes active radiating elements, and between about one percent and about twenty percent reserve radiating elements distributed throughout the active radiating elements. Each control bus includes a plurality of primary control paths providing communication from the control bus to the beamformer chips, and a reserve control paths structured to be remapped to provide communication from the control bus to the beam former chips in the event that one of the plurality of primary control paths fails.

Methods and Systems for testing phased antenna arrays include positioning a phased antenna array and a probe antenna at relative positions with respect to each other where one of them can operate as the transmitter and the other as the receiver. The transmitter can radiate a plurality of electromagnetic waves sequentially while the phased antenna array is steered or configured differently for each radiated electromagnetic. The receiver can receive, responsive to each radiated electromagnetic wave, a corresponding receive radio frequency (RF) signal. A processor can determine one or more performance parameters of the phased antenna array using the receive RF signals.

Methods and systems for ESA metrology

Systems and methods of preventing interception of radiofrequency (RF) signals can include a first transmitter device (cover signal generator) and a second transmitter device (protected signal generator). The first transmitter device may have a first set of antennae to transmit a first RF signal in plurality of directions. The first RF signal may have a first signal strength in a target direction less than in directions adjacent to the target direction. The second transmitter device may have a second set of antennae to transmit a second RF signal to a target receiver according to an interception prevention configuration. The interception prevention configuration may include having the target receiver located along the target direction and the second RF signal having a second signal strength greater than a detection threshold relative to the first signal strength along the target direction.

Low probability of intercept radio-frequency system using beamforming techniques

A satellite system includes directional antenna with a gain pattern response having nulls where interfering adjacent satellite signals would be received. Using an electronically scanned array (ESA), sub-arrays of the ESA sample interfering adjacent satellite signals and then filter the sampled signals from the primary single received by the ESA. Digital signal processing increases the accuracy of the filtering process by analyzing the interfering adjacent satellite signal to determine the angle-of-arrival of the signal.

Adjacent signal interference mitigation

The present disclosure is directed to a stacked parasitic array. The stacked parasitic array may include a stack of multiple parasitic antenna arrays (ex.&#x2014;layers). Each of the parasitic antenna arrays (ex.&#x2014;layers) may be independently tuned for multiband operation or, alternatively, the parasitic antenna arrays (ex.&#x2014;layers) may be designed for common band and fed coherently as a collinear array for promoting increased gain and elevation beam steering.

Stacked parasitic array

A situational awareness system includes a network radio module configured to be coupled with an ad-hoc network. A portable situational awareness unit includes a sensor associated with a user for sensing data indicative of a location of a current field of view of the user in an external scene and to output a signal indicative of the location of the current field of view of the user. A receiver is configured to receive a signal indicative of a location of an object in the external scene and/or identifying information for the object. A display is configured to display a visual indicator in the current field of view of the user. A processing module is configured to generate a visual indicator indicative of identifying information for the object and a location for the object, and to provide the visual indicator to the display for display to the user.

Situational awareness system and method

The present disclosure is directed to a multi-ring switched parasitic array for improved antenna gain. The array includes multiple rings of parasitic elements configured around a central monopole element. Each parasitic element may be connected to a corresponding load circuit. Variable impedances may be applied to the parasitic elements via the variable impedance loads for causing the antenna array to produce a desired radiation pattern and/or for increasing gain of directional beams radiated by the parasitic antenna array.

Multi-ring switched parasitic array for improved antenna gain

An analog beamforming receiver may include a first receive element coupled with circuitry for sequentially adjusting at least one of a phase or a gain of a signal. The analog beamforming receiver may also include a second receive element coupled with circuitry for sequentially adjusting at least one of a phase or a gain of the signal. The analog beamforming receiver may further include a combiner coupled with the first receive element and the second receive element for combining the phase or gain adjusted signals to form a combined analog signal. The analog beamforming receiver may also include an analog to digital converter coupled with the combiner for converting the combined analog signal into digital samples. The analog beamforming receiver may further include a demultiplexer coupled with the analog to digital converter for demultiplexing the digital samples from the analog to digital converter into a plurality of demultiplexed signals.

Simultaneous independent multi-beam analog beamformer

A system for providing RF spatial awareness of an environment includes an RF detection system and a control system. The RF detection system includes an antenna array for receiving RF signals from a plurality of RF sources; and, a receiver system operatively connected to the antenna array using digital beamforming (DBF) techniques for processing the received RF signals and providing measurements of the RF signals as output. The control system receives the measurements of the RF signals and displays a plurality of indicia indicating the RF sources, thereby providing a visual survey of the environment.

System for providing spatial awareness of transmissions of energy in an environment

An antenna array is formed by a network of transceivers that includes unit radios and a command radio. The command radio configures the antenna array and communicates with the unit radios to send and receive signals. The unit radios may form an antenna array with greater than half-wavelength spacing and the command radio receives signals from another radio through a unit radio receiving a best signal or from combined signals from several unit radios received from the other radio. The unit radios may form an antenna array having half wavelength or less spacing that forms a digital beam forming antenna with an antenna grid to which the unit radios are connected.

Antenna array formed by a network of transceivers

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for providing directional spectral awareness via an antenna system which includes a single parasitic antenna and a processor, the processor being communicatively coupled with the parasitic antenna. The antenna system allows for quick scanning of all sectors included in a plurality of sectors of an RF environment being monitored by the antenna system. The antenna system also allows for monitoring sectors of interest. The directionality of the parasitic antenna of the antenna system may reduce interference and multipath along with providing improved SNR due to antenna gain, thereby allowing for collection of signals of interest in a more favorable environment, thereby enabling analysis such as frequency and spatial use, signal detection, signal identification, and source geolocation to succeed when it may have failed if an omni-directional antenna were used.

Growing community of inventors

Marion, IA, United States of America

Dana J Jensen