The Boeing Company

Donn T Harvey

George W Fitzsimmons

Dietrich E Riemer

Edward Joseph Vertatschitsch

Bernard J Lamberty

Jay H McCandless

A phased-array antenna structure is provided that includes an antenna waveguide structure with a plurality of waveguides. The antenna waveguide structure propagates the received or transmitted electromagnetic (EM) signals within the plurality of waveguides to a corresponding active array module. Each active array module amplifies and adjusts the phase of a received or transmitted EM signal. The active array modules are coupled to an interconnect structure that provides EM signal propagation paths, as well as power and digital signal paths, to and from the active array modules. A plate is coupled to the interconnect structure and the antenna waveguide structure to support the antenna waveguide structure, the electronic modules, and the interconnect structure, thereby forming a rigid unit and keeping the electronic modules in alignment with their corresponding waveguides in the antenna waveguide structure. The plate also includes waveguides for propagating the EM signals from the interconnect structure to the antenna output. The active array modules each include an integrated polarizer for selectably operating with either right-hand circularly polarized signals or left-hand polarized signals. The polarizer, amplifiers and phase shifters are mounted on a substrate in each active array module, with the substrate disposed in a position normal to the propagation of the EM signals in the corresponding waveguide of the antenna waveguide structure, resulting in a planar configuration. Further, each active array module includes a waveguide as an integral part of the active array module.

Low-cost communication phased-array antenna

A dipole antenna is inserted into a waveguide to couple EM energy into and out of a waveguide. The dipole antenna is printed on a substrate of a module that contains electronic components. The substrate includes a coupled coplanar strip transmission line connecting the dipole antenna to a slotline. EM energy is electromagnetically coupled between the slotline and a microstrip transmission line. The EM energy is provided to and from the hermetically sealed electronic components by the microstrip transmission line.

Packaging architecture for phased arrays

A phased array antenna structure has a distribution network, and a composite of feed, module, and antenna honeycomb structures. The distribution network distributes or collects electromagnetic (EM) energy. The feed honeycomb structure is positioned adjacent the distribution network and connected to receive the EM energy from the distribution network or to distribute EM energy to the distribution network. The module honeycomb structure is positioned adjacent the feed honeycomb structure so as to receive EM energy from the feed honeycomb structure or to transmit EM energy to the feed honeycomb structure. The antenna honeycomb structure is positioned adjacent the module honeycomb structure on a side opposite the feed honeycomb structure so as to receive EM energy from the module honeycomb structure or to transmit EM energy to the module honeycomb structure. Each of the feed, module and antenna honeycomb structures have a plurality of aligned waveguides for transmitting EM energy therealong. The module honeycomb structure includes an electronic module for each waveguide wherein each electronic module has an electronic element for adjusting at least the phase of the EM energy and transmitting the adjusted phase EM energy to the aligned waveguide of the antenna honeycomb structure or the feed honeycomb structure.

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Issaquah, WA, United States of America

Donn T Harvey