The Boeing Company

George W Fitzsimmons

Bernard J Lamberty

Donn T Harvey

Jeffrey Paul Harrang

Michael De La Chapelle

Robert Paul Higgins

Edward Joseph Vertatschitsch

Dietrich E Riemer

Ronald Steven Carson

William R Richards

Geoffrey O White

Paulus J Martens

Greg A Bengeult

Arthur F Morrison

Russell Berkheimer

Daniel F Miller

Richard D Williams, Ii

Michael G Lynch

Walter E Buehler

Jay H McCandless

Ervin J Nalos

Lawrence W Robinson

Walter W Lund, Jr

Jim S Takeuchi

A system for bi-directional data content transfer between a plurality of mobile platforms, such as aircraft or cruise ships, and a ground-based control segment. The system includes the ground-based control segment, a space segment and a mobile system disposed on each mobile platform. The ground-based control segment includes an antenna which is used to transmit encoded RF signals representative of data content to the space segment. The space segment includes a plurality of satellite transponders, with one of the transponders being designated by the ground-based control segment to transpond the encoded RF signals to the mobile system. The mobile system includes steerable receive and transmit antennas. The receive antenna receives the encoded RF signals from the satellite transponder, which are thereafter decoded, demodulated, D/A converted by a communications subsystem and transmitted to a server. The server filters off that data content not requested by any occupants on the mobile system. A local area network (LAN) receives the remaining data content and provides same to individual users on the mobile platform in accordance with previously submitted programming requests or data input by the users at access stations associated independently with each user. The transmit antenna is used to transmit data content from laptop computers, PDAs or other user electronic devices coupled to the access stations back to the designated satellite transponder. The satellite transponder then transponds the data back to the antenna of the ground-based control segment.

Method and apparatus for providing bi-directional data services and live television programming to mobile platforms

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.

In a preferred embodiment, the disclosed system is part of a communication system (10) formed by a satellite (12) and aircraft (14). The system includes a controllable antenna network (16) and polarization tracking network (18). The controllable antenna network includes an array (28) of orthogonal antenna pairs (34) whose beams are steerable by phase shifters (46) to correct for changes in the aircraft's attitude. Similarly, amplifier circuits (44) compensate for changes that would otherwise occur in the signal-to-noise ratio of the antenna's output. The polarization tracking network includes a forward section (62), defined by quadrature hybrids (66) and (70) and an adjustable phase shifter (68), and a feedback section (64) that monitors each polarity for the presence of a single select channel. The phase shifter responds to the comparison made by a phase detector (86) in the feedback section to maintain the desired polarization of all channels.

System for maintaining polarization and signal-to-noise levels in

A distribution network for a modified space-fed phased array antenna consists of a planar array of radiating slots distributed along a coplanar wall in each of an ensemble of parallel waveguides. This waveguide ensemble is fed or excited by an orthogonal waveguide or waveguides, through a row of slots in a wall common to the excitation waveguides and the parallel waveguide ensemble, one slot per waveguide. A predetermined amplitude distribution is achieved in the plane parallel to the axis of the exciting waveguide by adjusting the coupling value of each exciting slot, and in the orthogonal plane by adjusting the displacement of the radiating slots from the center line of the waveguides, and by adjusting slot width, length, and geometry. Such an array of slots is used to feed the inside face of a quasi-space-fed antenna array having identical, individual electronics modules.

Distribution network for phased array antennas

An electrical power distribution system wherein electromagnetic energy irradiates a large spatial area is configured to include an array of antenna-rectifier modules wherein the receive aperture of each module is established in accordance with the electromagnetic field intensity at the location of that particular module so as to provide the rectifier circuitry with a predetermined amount of electrical power. Each antenna-rectifier module includes an array of high impedance (e.g., antiresonant) dipoles that are spaced apart along a two-wire transmission line. The total number of dipoles employed is established to provide the desired receive aperture and the impedance of each dipole is established so that the total impedance of the array substantially matches that of the rectifier circuitry employed. The rectifier circuitry is enclosed in and electromagnetically shielded by a conductive housing that is removably interconnected with the array of antenna elements and first and second filtering circuits are included to respectively eliminate high frequency signal components that can be coupled to and radiated by the antenna structure and high frequency ripple within the DC output signal.

Combined antenna-rectifier arrays for power distribution systems

Low-loss power combining-transmitting antenna arrangements are disclosed which are suitable for use in power distribution systems employing RF transmission of the energy being distributed and other applications in which it is necessary to coherently combine and transmit several RF signals. The disclosed arrangements utilize slot radiators that are excited at each end by separate feed lines. Narrow, nonradiating slots extend outwardly from the ends of each radiating slot to provide impedance matching. One modular arrangement includes amplifier circuitry for supplying the antenna excitation signals and phase error correction circuits for maintaining proper signal phase through the antenna module.

Power combining antenna structure

A microwave interrogation-transponder system for controlling the airborne rendezvous and closure of two aircraft for aerial refueling and the like. The system of the invention includes a microwave interrogator mounted on the aft underfuselage of a tanker aircraft, for example, for interrogating and receiving a reply from a small microwave transponder mounted on the receiver aircraft near the aerial refueling receptacle. The angle of the received signal relative to the tanker is obtained from the angle sensing receiver portion of the microwave interrogator; whereas range is obtained from the phase of the returned modulation tone (i.e., a range tone) relative to that which was transmitted by the interrogator. The transponder sends back to the interrogator a signal which is shifted in frequency with respect to the transmitted signal and operates in an active mode with gain at long ranges and in a passive mode with no gain at shorter ranges to achieve extremely accurate guidance characteristics.

Precision approach sensor system for aircraft

A four-port dual mode microwave mixer which operates without IF or RF switches and which provides both a passive mode of operation wherein the mixer operates as a lossy frequency translator when driven by a offset signal generator, and an active mode of operation wherein the mixer is used to convert a modulated received signal to an intermediate frequency which is mixed with the offset signal in a phase detector to detect the modulation which is used through a phase-locked loop to slave the local oscillator for retransmission of a translated signal with gain.

Dual mode microwave mixer

In an instrument landing system (ILS), an aircraft is provided with apparatus for receiving from a ground-based transmitter overlapped modulated beam signals, which, when processed by the receiver, provide information about the position of the aircraft relative to a desired navigation course. Provided in the aircraft receiver apparatus is an antenna for receiving the transmitted beam signal, and an RF amplifer for amplifying the received signals. The received signal energy is divided between two recovery lines, each recovery line being routed near a separate series of ring filters, with the ring filters adjacent one recovery line substantially eliminating the signal energy in that line associated with one of the beams, and the ring filters adjacent the other recovery line substantially eliminating the signal energy in that line associated with the other beam. The remaining signals in each recovery line are then detected and applied through follow-on amplifying and filtering circuits to visual indicators for display of ILS information.

Growing community of inventors

Kent, WA, United States of America

George W Fitzsimmons