Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

Ball Corporation

First Rf Corporation

United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Bintech Lllp

Ball Aerospace & Technoloiges Corp.

Dean A Paschen

Arian C Lalezari

Mark Curtis Leifer

Kiersten Carinne Kerby

Daniel J McCarthy

Gary G Sanford

Peter J Moosbrugger

Vincent A Hirsch

P Keith Kelly

Michel W Schnetzer

Gary Emerson

Luke J Albers

Paul Hendershott

Nathan A Stutzke

Timothy O'Connor

Ian S Rumsey

Guy Fromme

Luke S Sankey

Dan A Payne

Bradley J Tame

Sean P McDevitt

Frank Pratt

Matthew D Turner

Robert T Rebich

David A Gutow

Paul I Kolesnikoff, Ii

Charles Bradford

Leon C Webb

Dan Becker

Gary Rait

William G Newhall

Paul Burlingame

Lary Eichel

T H Taylor, Jr

An array antenna with dual polarization elements is provided. Each dual polarization element comprises a first sub-element and a second sub-element, each of which comprises a radiator that is embodied in and/or on a planar member and a balanced feed for the radiator that divides the radiator into two sections that that are mirror images of one another relative to a plane that passes through the balanced feed structure and is perpendicular to the planar member. Further, the radiator of the first sub-element is positioned to lie in an isolation plane associated with the second sub-element. Two such elements are positioned with respect to one another so that the planar members associated with the first elements are coplanar.

Array antenna with dual polarization elements

The present invention is directed to a monopole/dipole symmetric radiator structure that includes a symmetric planar radiator. When the symmetric radiator is part of an operative monopole or dipole antenna, the antenna exhibits a wide or broad bandwidth, a VSWR of less than about 3:1, a relatively constant gain perpendicular or broad-side to the plane of the radiator, and is vertically polarized. In one embodiment, the symmetric planar radiator has an outer edge that is bilaterally symmetrical. In another embodiment, the outer edge of the symmetric planar radiator is bilaterally symmetric and a closed inner edge of the radiator that defines a void is also bilaterally symmetric.

Symmetric planar radiator structure for use in a monopole or dipole antenna

The present invention is directed to a monopole/dipole asymmetric radiator structure that includes an asymmetric planar radiator. When the asymmetric is part of an operative monopole or dipole antenna, the antenna exhibits a wide or broad bandwidth, a VSWR of less than about 3:1, a relatively constant gain perpendicular or broad-side to the plane of the radiator, and is vertically polarized. In one embodiment, asymmetric planar radiator has an outer edge that is bilaterally asymmetrical. In another embodiment, the outer edge of the asymmetric planar radiator is symmetric and a closed inner edge of the radiator that defines a void is bilaterally asymmetric.

Asymmetric planar radiator structure for use in a monopole or dipole antenna

The present invention is directed to an antenna system that includes a broadband free-space antenna (i.e., an antenna that does not utilize a ground plane to create a resonant structure) and a high-impedance backing that allows the antenna to be positioned adjacent to a conductive surface that but for the high impedance backing would adversely affect the broadband operation of the antenna. The high-impedance backing substantially preserves the bandwidth of the antenna while also allowing the antenna to be positioned within &#x3bb;/4 of the conductive surface and accommodate a predetermined amount of power.

Antenna system with an antenna and a high-impedance backing

A low-profile lens element for steering a beam is provided. Specifically, the low-profile lens element is mechanically rotatable such that a beam can be steered in any direction within three-dimensional space. The lens element may include a number of discrete portions for differentially delaying adjacent discrete portions of a beam in order to effect beam steering. These discrete portions may vary in width. In addition, multiple lens elements may be provided.

Low-profile lens method and apparatus for mechanical steering of aperture antennas

Air loaded stripline assemblies and methods for providing same are disclosed. The air loaded stripline assembly includes circuit board layers interconnected to one another. A layer containing a conductive trace forming a stripline is connected to spacer layers. The spacer layers include voids or relieved areas, that define cavities adjacent areas of the stripline layer on which the stripline is formed. Ground plane layers are interconnected to the spacer layers, bounding the cavities. The air loaded stripline assembly can additionally incorporate conductive vias for electrically interconnecting the stripline to other components or assemblies. The air loaded stripline assembly can be formed using conventional printed circuit board techniques.

Air loaded stripline

A passive proximity detection system and method are provided. A transmitted signal, such as a communication signal, is sampled and placed in memory. A version of the transmitted signal, reflected by a target in the vicinity of the transmitting antenna, is sampled and compared to the stored reference sample. Correlation between the reference and reflected samples indicates the presence of a target in the vicinity of the transmitting antenna. Processing of the signals can include frequency shifts to account for Doppler shifts in the reflected energy as a result of a non-zero relative radial velocity of the target. Multiple antennas for receiving reflected energy can be provided to enhance the coverage area of the system, and/or to provide information regarding the relative location of a target. In addition, signals from multiple transmitting antennas can be used as sources of energy for probing the vicinity of those antennas for targets.

Passive proximity sensor method and apparatus

Method and apparatus for minimizing antenna backside signal response and ambiguity in low frequency applications, particularly low frequency synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Various time delay elements are selectably switched into the signal path so as to cause a null to be placed in the antenna response pattern in the direction of undesired radar returns. The means for selectably switching may be dithered so as to introduce modulation onto the undesired radar return to aid in the discrimination and removal of the undesired radar return from the SAR image during post processing.

Method and apparatus to minimize antenna backside signal response and ambiguity

Mitigation of the effects of multipath signals is provided. Such mitigation can include electronically steering the main beam of a receive pattern associated with a phased array antenna away from a transmitting antenna. In addition, a phase taper is applied to groups of antenna elements to create a null in the main beam, bifurcating that beam. The multipath signal may be placed in or towards the null, while the direct path signal may be placed on one of the halves of the main beam adjacent the null, such that the signal strength of the multipath signal is attenuated as compared to the signal strength of the direct path signal.

Multipath mitigation

A low-profile lens element for steering a beam is provided. Specifically, the low-profile lens element is mechanically rotatable such that a beam can be steered in any direction within three-dimensional space. The lens element may include a number of discrete portions for differentially delaying adjacent discrete portions of a beam in order to effect beam steering.

Bulk material measurement packages are described including the preferred embodiment of an automated instrument package (AIP) suited to mount on the inside ceiling of a large silo. The gimbaled AIP vertical mounting bracket rotates in an approximate 360&#xb0; azimuth. An instrument housing is mounted to the vertical mounting bracket, and it rotates approximately 190&#xb0; in a vertical plane. The instrument housing has at least one range finding sensor such as a scanning laser to measure the top surface contours of the bulk material. The instrument housing can also contains other sensors such as air and quality instruments including temperature, humidity, spectral recognition sensor to detect grain/material type and/or flow rate, gas detectors for sniffing off-odors/spoilage/or safety problems, and live video. Optionally grain penetrating radar (GPR), time domain reflectometry (TDR), ultrasonics, and portable sensors are taught as well as alternate packaging.

Bulk materials management apparatus and method

Method and apparatus for providing a configurable circuit are disclosed. In addition, method and apparatus for providing a phased array antenna having an integrated configurable circuit are provided. According to the present invention, at least a first component of a configurable circuit is formed on a first substrate. At least a second component of a configurable circuit is formed on at least a portion of a moveable cantilever formed from a second substrate. The first and second substrates are registered with one another to form a completed configurable circuit. According to the present invention, a configurable circuit may comprise a variable capacitor or a switch. In addition, a configurable circuit may be used in connection with phase shifting a radio frequency signal provided to an element of a phased array antenna. Antennas having integrated configurable circuits may be formed by registering and interconnecting a completed configurable circuit with a plurality of radiator elements, and with a feed network. The present invention also allows antennas with integrated configurable circuits having relatively large surface areas to be economically produced.

Electromechanical switching for circuits constructed with flexible materials

A phased array type antenna apparatus compensates for phase and time differences between signals received at different elements of the antenna. Each element within the antenna apparatus has an associated phase/time adjuster circuit. The signals from each element are divided, with the first output routed to a combining circuit. The second output of one element is used as a reference signal, with the second output from the remaining elements routed to a switch. One signal is selected at the switch, and is used as a non-reference signal. Phase difference between the reference signal and the non-reference signal is determined at a comparator circuit, and the phase/time adjuster circuit associated with the non-reference signal is adjusted to bring the two signals into phase alignment. Time difference between the reference and non-reference signal is determined using dual correlators and a comparator circuit. The comparator circuit compares the magnitude of an in-phase channel and a quadrature channel from each comparator to determine time difference between the signals. The phase/time adjuster circuit is adjusted to bring the signals into time alignment. When each element is phase and time aligned, the output of the combining circuit is enhanced. Time difference can also be determined for several distinct phased array apertures within an antenna apparatus.

Distributed adaptive combining system for multiple aperture antennas including phased arrays

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for carrying signals having different frequencies in a space-deployed antenna system. When the antenna system is in a first mode, DC power, command information and RF signals (,) are multiplexed via a multiplexer, (,) propagate along a RF transmission line and (,) are appropriately demultiplexed by a demultiplexer associated with each T/R module. Similarly, when the antenna system is in a second mode, telemetry data and RF signals (,) are multiplexed via a multiplexer, (,) propagate along the RF transmission line and (,) are appropriately demultiplexed by a demultiplexer at a driver stage. By using the RF transmission lines associated with each T/R module to deliver (,) DC power, (,) command data and (,) RF signals in the first mode and to deliver (,) telemetry data and (,) RF signals in the second mode, the DC power and command/telemetry wire harnesses (and their respective conductors) may be eliminated. Thus, the overall weight of the antenna system may be reduced. Furthermore, deployment risks may be reduced. Finally, the overall cost of the antenna system may be reduced.

Method and apparatus for carrying signals having different frequencies in a space-deployed antenna system

The present invention relates to a wireless transponder system. The transponder system includes a transponder device which is capable of operating over a relatively long range without the need for frequent battery replacements. The transponder device includes both an antenna means and a signal modification means. The signal modification means is operative for modulating an interrogation signal received from a reader device. The modulation means may utilize low power switching components that allow it to operate continuously while drawing very little current from an internal battery. In this way, the battery within the transponder will not become prematurely drained and can last up to substantially the shelf-life of the battery. In one embodiment, the transponder of the present invention utilizes a retrodirective array antenna for achieving increased antenna gain in the direction of a reader device, and therefore increased range, without an associated reduction in effective antenna coverage.

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Lafayette, CO, United States of America

Dean A Paschen