Viasat, Inc.

Other

Motorola Corporation

David R Saunders

David W Corman

Rob Zienkewicz

Kenneth V Buer

Dean Lawrence Cook

Noel A Lopez

Christopher A Rose

Robert Karl Hansen

Arthur Paul Helwig

Jeffrey D Glaess

Gregory Kiesel

An apparatus as described herein may include an antenna array that receives radio frequency signals and outputs analog signals. The apparatus may also include analog to digital signal converters that convert the analog signals into digital sample streams. Also, the apparatus may include a sample buffer that buffers subsets of the digital sample streams and a beamformer that uses the digital sample streams to generate one or more beam signals. Additionally, the apparatus may include a processor that determines a spatial characteristic or a spectral characteristic for the radio frequency signals based on the subsets of the digital sample streams.

Antenna system having simultaneous beamforming and surveying capability

In an exemplary embodiment, a phased array antenna comprises multiple subcircuits in communication with multiple radiating elements. The radio frequency signals are independently adjusted for both polarization control and beam steering. In a receive embodiment, multiple RF signals of various polarizations are received and combined into at least one receive beam output. In a transmit embodiment, at least one transmit beam input is divided and transmitted through multiple radiating elements, with the transmitted beams having various polarizations. In an exemplary embodiment, the phased array antenna provides multi-beam formation over multiple operating frequency bands. The wideband nature of the active components allows for operation over multiple frequency bands simultaneously.

Multi-beam active phased array architecture with independent polarization control

A frequency synthesis system includes a memory to store first and second digital control word pairs that each include a first and second control word. A first DAC system generates an analog sampling signal having a first sampling frequency based on a fixed clock signal and the first control word of the first pair during a first time duration having a second sampling frequency based on the first control word of the second pair during a second time duration. A second DAC system generates an analog output signal based on the second control word of the first pair and the first sampling frequency at the first time duration and based on the second control word of the second pair and the second sampling frequency at the second time duration. The analog output signal has a same predetermined output frequency at both the first and second time durations.

Frequency synthesis systems

In an exemplary embodiment, a phased array antenna comprises multiple subcircuits in communication with multiple radiating elements. The radio frequency signals are adjusted for both polarization control and beam steering. In a receive embodiment, multiple RF signals are received and combined into at least one receive beam output. In a transmit embodiment, at least one transmit beam input is divided and transmitted through multiple radiating elements. In an exemplary embodiment, the phased array antenna provides multi-beam formation over multiple operating frequency bands. The wideband nature of the active components allows for operation over multiple frequency bands simultaneously. Furthermore, the antenna polarization may be static or dynamically controlled at the subarray or radiating element level.

Multi-beam active phased array architecture

A general purpose hybrid includes a first input port in communication with a first dual vector generator, a second input port in communication with a second dual vector generator, a first active combiner receives a first signal from the first dual vector generator and a third signal from the second dual vector generator, where the first and second dual vector generators independently apply phase shifting and amplitude control to the first and third signals; a second active combiner receives a second signal from the first dual vector generator and a fourth signal from the second dual vector generator, where the first and second dual vector generators independently apply phase shifting and amplitude control to the second and fourth signals; a first output port provides a first composite signal from the first active combiner; and a second output port provides a second composite signal from the second active combiner.

Active general purpose hybrid

In various embodiments, an active vector generator may comprise a vector component switch and a first amplitude adjustment component in parallel with a second amplitude adjustment component. The first and second amplitude adjustment components may operate with different ranges of amplitude. For example, the first amplitude adjustment component may have a full range of amplitude and the second amplitude adjustment component may have a partial range of amplitude. The vector component switch may operate to receive two signals and route the signals to the various amplitude adjustment components based on the relative magnitudes of the two signals. A benefit of having two amplitude adjustment components with selectable signal pathways is that the all the phase states may be obtained but using less robust and expensive amplitude adjustment components.

Growing community of inventors

Scottsdale, AZ, United States of America

David R Saunders