Harris Corporation

James Joseph Rawnick

Stephen B Brown

Timothy Earl Durham

Steven Robert Snyder

Anthony Mark Jones

Robert C Taylor

William F Croswell

Raymond Charles Rumpf

Sean Ortiz

William Edward Clark

Warren L Stutzman

Brett A Pigon

Gilbert Reeves Perkins

Louis Robert Paradiso

Randy Eugene Boozer

Gregory M Turner

Jerry B Schappacher

Charles W Kulisan

Donald Franklin Hege

Christopher Trent

J Randall Nealy

Jeffrey A Bensen

Lora A Theiss

Brian D Anderson

A phased array antenna includes a semiconductor wafer, with radio frequency (RF) circuitry fabricated on top side of the semiconductor wafer. There is an array of antenna elements above the top side of the semiconductor wafer, and a coaxial coupling arrangement coupling the RF circuitry and the array of antenna elements. The coaxial coupling arrangement may include a plurality of coaxial connections, each having an outer conductor, an inner conductor, and a dielectric material therebetween. The dielectric material may be air.

Phased array antenna module and method of making same

A phased array antenna includes a substrate that is segmented into a plurality of array tiles. An array of dipole antenna elements is formed on the substrate with each dipole antenna element positioned on a respective one of the array tiles. Each dipole antenna element includes a medial feed portion and a pair of legs extending outwardly therefrom. Adjacent legs of adjacent dipole antenna elements include respective spaced apart end portions forming a gap between the respective end portions and defined by separate tiles. A capacitor coupler is positioned at each respective spaced apart end portion of adjacent legs and bridging a gap for capacitive coupling respective spaced apart end portions of respective adjacent dipole antenna elements together.

Phased array antenna formed as coupled dipole array segments

Method for controlling an input impedance of an antenna (). The method can include the steps of coupling RF energy from an input RF transmission line () to an antenna radiating element () through an aperture () defined in a ground plane (). For example, the aperture () can be a slot and the radiating element () can be a patch type element. The input impedance can thereafter be controlled by selectively varying a volume or a position of a conductive fluid () disposed in a predetermined region between the RF transmission line and the antenna radiating element. The volume of conductive fluid () can be automatically varied in response to at least one control signal ().

Shaped ground plane for dynamically reconfigurable aperture coupled antenna

A phased array antenna () having a frequency selective surface comprises a substrate () and an array of antenna elements () thereon. Each antenna element comprises a medial feed portion () and a pair of legs () extending outwardly therefrom. Adjacent legs of adjacent antenna elements include respective spaced apart end portions (). The antenna further comprises at least one fluidic dielectric residing within at least one cavity () within the substrate and arranged between a plane where the array of dipole antenna elements reside and a ground plane (), at least one composition processor () adapted for dynamically changing a composition of said fluidic dielectric, and a controller () for controlling the composition processor to selectively vary at least one of a permittivity and a permeability of the fluidic dielectric in at least one cavity in response to a control signal ().

Frequency selective surfaces and phased array antennas using fluidic dielectrics

A reflector antenna () includes a reflector unit () having at least one cavity () disposed in the reflector unit, at least one fluidic dielectric () having a permittivity and a permeability, and at least one composition processor () adapted for dynamically changing a composition of the fluidic dielectric to vary at least the permittivity or permeability in at least one cavity for the purpose of dynamically altering the illumination taper of the reflector antenna. The antenna further comprises a controller () for controlling the composition processor in response to a control signal ().

Taper control of reflectors and sub-reflectors using fluidic dielectrics

A variable true time delay line () includes an RF transmission line () and at least one fluidic delay unit (). The fluidic delay unit includes a fluidic dielectric contained in a cavity () and coupled to the RF transmission line () along at least a portion of a length thereof. At least one pump is provided for adding and removing the fluid dielectric to the cavity () in response to a time delay control signal. A propagation delay of the RF transmission line is selectively varied by adding and removing the fluid dielectric from the cavity.

Controlling a time delay line by adding and removing a fluidic dielectric

Method and apparatus for steering an antenna beam using a periodic resonance structure (). The method can include the step of electrically and magnetically coupling a first fluid dielectric () to a plurality of transmission line stubs () that are respectively coupled to a plurality of radiating elements () of a periodic resonance structure (). The first fluid dielectric () is controlled to selectively vary an electrical length of each of the transmission line stubs (). This permits directing an angle of a redirected RF beam produced by an incident RF signal () impinging on the periodic resonance structure ().

Beam steering with a periodic resonance structure

An antenna can comprise a conductive reflecting surface () and a plurality of cells () disposed over the conductive reflecting surface. The plurality of cells can be formed from a solid dielectric material such as a low temperature cofired ceramic. Each cell can define a cavity for containing at least a fluid dielectric (). One or more fluid processors () independently vary a volume of the first fluid dielectric in the plurality of cells for producing a redirected RF beam at a selected angle relative to an incident RF signal impinging on the conductive reflecting surface.

Fluid dielectric reflectarray

A phase delay line (). The phase delay line can include an RF transmission line () and a fluid channel () having a serpentine configuration. The transmission line can be coupled to a solid dielectric substrate material (), for example a substrate formed from a low temperature co-fired ceramic material. The fluid channel can be coupled to the RF transmission line along at least a portion of a length of the transmission line. A phase delay of the RF transmission line can be selectively varied by adjusting a distribution of the fluidic dielectric () present within the fluid channel. Similarly, the phase delay of the RF transmission line also can be maintained constant as an operational frequency of the RF transmission line is varied.

RF phase delay lines with variable displacement fluidic dielectric

A variable phase delay line (). The variable phase delay line () can include an RF transmission line () and a fluid channel () having a serpentine configuration. The fluid channel () can be coupled to the RF transmission line () along at least a portion of a length of the transmission line (). The variable phase delay line () also can include at least one fluid control system () for adding and removing the fluidic dielectric () to the fluid channel () in response to a phase delay control signal () to selectively vary a phase delay of the RF transmission line (). The fluidic dielectric () can have a permeability and a permittivity selected for maintaining a constant characteristic impedance along an entire length of the RF transmission line ().

Controlling a phase delay line by adding and removing a fluidic dielectric

A reflector antenna system may include an arc-shaped antenna reflector defining a first antenna beam, and a phased array antenna positioned in the first antenna beam including first and second arrays of antenna elements coupled together in back-to-back relation. The first array may face the antenna reflector, and the second array may face away from it. A controller switchable between a reflecting mode and a direct mode may be connected to the arrays. The controller, when in the reflecting mode, may cause back-to-back pairs of first antenna elements from the arrays to define a feed-through zone for the first antenna beam, and cause second antenna elements in the first array to define a first active zone for the first antenna beam. Furthermore, when in the direct mode, the controller may cause antenna elements in the second array to define a second active zone for a second antenna beam.

Reflector antenna system including a phased array antenna operable in multiple modes and related methods

A circuit for processing radio frequency signals that includes an adjustable transmission line stub (). The adjustable transmission line stub () has an input () at one end, an electrical length and a termination (). The circuit also includes a signal return conductor () and at least one fluid conduit () extending from the transmission line stub () to the signal return conductor (). A fluid control system () is provided for selectively moving a conductive fluid () from a first position to a second position. The fluid control system is responsive to a control signal () for selectively moving the conductive fluid () between the first and second position. The fluid control system () can include a pump () for moving the conductive fluid () between the first position and the second position.

Adjustable transmission line stub including a conductive fluid

An antenna can include at least one antenna element () to which a fluid dielectric () is magnetically and electrically coupled. The antenna element () is preferably a conductive wire or patch disposed on a dielectric substrate (), but it can also be a slot. A fluid control system () can be provided responsive to a control signal () for selectively varying a volume of the fluid dielectric () coupled to the antenna element (). Consequently, efficient operation of the antenna element can be provided on a plurality of operating bands.

Antenna with dynamically variable operating band

A continuously variable waveguide attenuator (). The continuously variable waveguide attenuator includes at least one waveguide attenuator cavity () having at least one barrier. A fluid dielectric () having a loss tangent, a permittivity and a permeability is at least partially disposed within the waveguide attenuator cavity (). At least one composition processor () is included and adapted for dynamically changing a composition of the fluid dielectric () to vary an electrical characteristic of the fluid dielectric. A controller () is provided for controlling the composition processor () to selectively vary the electrical characteristic in response to a waveguide attenuator control signal ().

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Palm Bay, FL, United States of America

James Joseph Rawnick