Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Rockwell International Corporation

Other

B/e Aerospace, Inc.

James B West

Lee M Paulsen

Jiwon L Moran

Jeremiah Damien Wolf

Daniel L Woodell

Russell David Wyse

Michael L Hageman

John C Mather

Matilda Gabriela Livadaru

Jacob G Teague

Brian J Herting

Joseph T Graf

Venkata A Sishtla

Wajih A ElSallal

Jeffery A Finley

Daniel N Chen

Modhwajih A Elsallal

Kevin Michael Kronfeld

Ross Keith Wilcoxon

Nathan P Lower

Michael J Buckley

Jonathan P Doane

Roger A Dana

Christopher G Olson

Aimee M Matland

David W Cripe

William C Jennings

Scott L Patten

Connor C McBryde

Ted J Hoffmann

Mohamed Wajih A Elsallal

Christina M Conway

Bret W Spars

Bryan L Hauck

Sasha N Oster

Chenggang Xie

James H Doty

Richard D Jinkins

Richard Marcel Rademaker

Gregory J Koenigs

Brandon C Hamilton

Martin J Steffensmeier

Dana J Jensen

Mark M Mulbrook

Joel Michael Wichgers

Don L Landt

John L Meier

Anders P Walker

Theodore Jay Hoffmann

Vadim Olen

Adrian A Hill

Michael C Meholensky

Alexander B Kozyrev

Richard A Freeman

Mark A Willi

Robert D Pond

Gary E Lehtola

Peter M Sahayda

Gary W Sampson

Roger D Anderson

Eric Itcia

Wajih A El Sallal

Scott J Sellner

James C Cozzie

Joseph M Bohl

Andrew J Yarne

M Wajih ElSallal

Shahbaz M Chaudhry

Modhwajih A ElSallal

M Wajih A Elsallal

James P Meinecke

Eric D Baldwin

Larry J Gatewood

Amy E Charron

Kenneth R Stinson

Keagan Peters

Richard Elliott

Eric A Casto

Nathan O Jensen

Stephen J Wright

Anna C Kern

Kendra L Kumley

Daniel B Roggendorf

An AESA may include a point-to-point serial interface between RFIC that implements positional addressing and is extensible to an unlimited amount of RFIC. A controller of the AESA may access registers of one or more RFIC and sends control and synchronization signals using a low-latency serial interface. The AESA may include primary and secondary interfaces which form a mesh network allowing communications around defective devices or interconnects and reduced area overhead resulting in array size reduction. The AESA may include health monitoring to determine location of data network faults providing improved array mean-time between failure (MTBF) and fault recovery. The AESA may allow faster antenna array configuration and beam steering rates for improved uptime and optimized scan modes. The AESA may experience improvements in manufacturability and reliability due to redundancy and fault isolation. The AESA may include more RFIC per serial interface allows scaling into larger arrays.

High speed, extensible and self-healing data network for AESA RFIC arrays

Disclosed are embodiments of antenna assemblies for integration with aircraft lighting systems. The antenna assemblies in some embodiments include a ground plane, a patch antenna positioned on the ground plane, and a radome covering the patch antenna. The patch antenna and radome are configured as an annular ring for positioning around a light fixture received through a center opening through each of the ground plane, patch antenna, and radome such that the antenna assembly can mount and connect to the aircraft utilizing the light fixture aperture without the need for a separate antenna aperture.

Aircraft antenna array and lighting system integrations

A radar system including an AESA illuminates a target with a first pulse for a desired beam pointing angle (azimuth and elevation). The AESA then illuminates the target with a second pulse for the desired pointing angle, the second pulse defining a radiation pattern with a main beam in phase with the first pulse, but side lobes that are out of phase. The radar system receives return signals and combines the return signals to null the side lobes by the principle of superposition. The radar processing unit is time synced such that the pulse-pair is interpreted as a single ultra-low level side lobe return radiation pattern.

AESA TX pulse pair radiation pattern phase conjugation for low side lobe/maximum EIRP radiation pattern

An ESA includes radiating elements having a normal mode radiating element and a superimposed end-fire mode radiating element. The combined normal mode radiating element and and-fire mode radiating element attenuators or variable gain amplifiers for amplitude adjustment, phase shifting, and time delay circuitry and algorithms to drive the normal mode radiating element and end-fire mode radiating element simultaneously to produce radiation patterns that constructively interfere. Alternatively, the radiating elements are fed by a radio frequency (RF) feed and switching integrated circuitry timed to drive the normal mode radiating element and end-fire mode radiating element to effectively produce hemispherical radiation patterns as a function or time/scan angle.

Wide-scan planar array radiating element

An antenna includes multiple pillbox antenna structures arranged in a circle to cover the horizon. Each pillbox antenna structures includes a reflector configured to widen the resulting beam so that neighboring pillbox antenna structures produce beams that interact to more fully cover the horizon. A feed layer may include transmit/receive modules that are configured to apply amplitude and phase modulations to input signals for each pillbox antenna structure. Amplitude and phase modulations enable constructive and destructive interference between neighboring pillbox antenna structures to enhance the resulting beam or create nulls to exclude interfering signals. Sets of pillbox antenna structures may be stacked and angularly offset to correct crossover sectors. Alternatively, or in addition, sets of pillbox antenna structures may be adapted to operate in different, distinct frequency bands.

Dual mode omni / directional sectored array

A folded slot structurally integrated antenna is defined within the structure of the vertical stabilizer. The folded slot structurally integrated antenna comprises a first terminal with a flared portion, a substantially constant slot width potion, and a second terminal with a flared portion. The substantially constant slot width potion may include one or more curvatures to extend the length of the folded slot structurally integrated antenna within the vertical stabilizer. The antenna system may utilize reactive loading or dynamic slot length switching. A platform may include folded slot structurally integrated antennas in both a vertical stabilizer and horizontal wings or winglets. Horizontal and vertical folded slot structurally integrated antennas may be utilized to produce various polarization profiles.

VHF folded structurally integrated antenna for vertical lift aircraft

An electronically scanned array is comprised of a plurality of radiating horns embedded in a nose cone. The radiating horns are configured as an electronically scanned array. The nose cone comprises a dielectric material with a known thickness in front of the radiating horn opening. Each radiating horn is driven by a phase shifter. The phase shifters are configured to produce a radiation pattern with attenuated side lobes.

Missile seeker limited scan array radar antenna

A system for calibrating ESAs calculates a taper based on ESA element coordinates, and stores the taper as a vector matrix of gain values. The gain values are normalized by accounting for known losses by measuring a central element at minimum attenuation. The normalized gain is then a reference for every other element in the array. The other elements are then measured at various attenuations to identify an attenuation to produce the desired gain. The measurements are performed according to a bisection algorithm. Attenuation may be embodied in a set of digital register values.

Low SLL AESA taper calibration

A radar system and method for sharing threat data is configured to communicate with other radar systems in surrounding aircraft and share threat specific data. Each radar system may be configured to a specific task according to the priorities of the aircraft and the capabilities of the surrounding aircraft; the gathered data is then shared with the surrounding aircraft such that each aircraft may commit longer dwell time to individual tasks while still receiving data for all of the potential tasks. The radar system may identify a fault and send a request for radar threat data to nearby aircraft. The radar system may receive such data within the operating band of the radar and allow continued operation.

Airborne sensor to sensor information sharing technique

A system and method for a multi-panel multi-function active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar operation receives radar commands from individual aircraft systems and segments a plurality of AESA panels fixed (at variable azimuth/elevation about the aircraft) into a plurality of subarrays to carry out each individual function commanded by the individual aircraft system. Dependent on aircraft status and phase of flight, the and individual AESA are designated for use and the subarrays are sized based on desired radar function at the specific phase of flight and specific threat associated with the phase. The system dynamically shifts the designated AESA, subarray size, beam characteristics, power settings, and function to enable multiple simultaneous function of the suite of AESA panels.

Multi-panel multi-function AESA system

A system and method for a multi-beam multi-function active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar operation receives radar commands from individual aircraft systems and segments a single AESA fixed panel into a plurality of subarrays to carry out each individual function commanded by the individual aircraft system. Dependent on aircraft status and phase of flight, the subarrays are sized based on desired radar function at the specific phase of flight and specific threat associated with the phase. The system dynamically shifts the subarray size, beam characteristics, power settings, and function to enable multiple function of a cost effective single AESA panel.

Multi-beam multi-function AESA system

Systems and methods provide an antenna array with separately fed subarrays. The systems and methods provide optimized or improved physical embodiments of each sub-banded subarray in terms of radiating element type and physical implementation, radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) technology choice, RFIC packaging and interconnect implementation, and/or intra-subarray feed typology choice and implementation. The antenna array can include first elements within a first distance range from a point in a surface associated with the antenna array and configured for first signals in a first frequency range, and second elements within a second distance range from the point and configured for second signals in a second frequency range. The antenna system also can include an interconnect system comprising a first multichip module and a second multichip module region.

Active electronically scanned array system and method with optimized subarrays

A system and method for applying an adaptive adjustment or taper to an electronically scanned array (ESA) weather radar based on feedback from the weather radar. To minimize ground clutter and enable the ESA to display hazardous weather phenomena, the system adaptively adjusts amplitude and phase of ESA elements to adjust the far field pattern shape and sidelobes to maintain a desirable signal to clutter ratio. The system identifies ground clutter as a strong ground return over several azimuths depending on the radar beamwidth. Once the system IDs the ground clutter, it adaptively adjusts on receive for for the upcoming azimuths. The system selectively suppresses sidelobe echoes while maintaining the signal to noise (SNR) for weather targets. The system adaptively adjusts in real time as well as adjusting using precomputed historically accurate tapers stored in memory.

Agile antenna taper based on weather radar feedback

A system and method for real-time in-situ calibration of an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) utilizes an S-parameter matrix-based EM transfer function between an end fire, unobtrusive, near field probe radiating element to minimize AESA look angle blockage. A sniffer probe is integrated in the AESA aperture of mechanical mounting frame or embedded with the AESA aperture structure. Hadamard orthogonal coding is utilized to simultaneously energize AESA elements.

Efficient in-situ radiative loop-back AESA calibration and prognostic health monitoring

A log periodic antenna system with conformal radiating elements includes a feed layer with phase shifters and filters associated with each radiating element. The filters may be low-pass or band-pass filters. The log periodic conformal radiating elements produce superior gain and bandwidth, and reduce directionality of the antenna at least along a radial axis of the antenna. Sets of conformal radiating elements are disposed on opposing sides of the antenna, or periodically around the surface of the antenna, to further reduce directionality.

Low-band UWB conformal antenna

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

James B West