Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Mark Andrew Sprey

Trevor Stanley Bird

Stuart Gifford Hay

Stephen John Barker

Anthony Ross Forsyth

Christophe Jean-Marc Granet

Warren J Hancock

Ian J McInnes

Peter John Goss

Kenneth Charles Skinner

Stephen R Wilson

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for electromagnetically designing a shaped-reflector multibeam antenna () are disclosed. An initial configuration of the multibeam antenna () for given beam directions is provided of reflectors () shaped with an initial reflector shaping process () and feeds of an initial specification (). The initial reflector shaping process () is an iterative optimization process for increasing the focusing of optical rays incident on the multibeam antenna from the given beam directions (). A second iterative optimizing process consisting of optimizing () radiation patterns of feeds (A-D) and optimizing () surface shapes and sizes of reflectors () is used to reduce beam spillover, improve beam shapes and obtain beams with gain radiation patterns within required upper and lower bounds.

Shaped-reflector multibeam antennas

Multibeam antenna

A feed transport device for moving a feed within a non-planar focal surface defined by a satellite communications antenna, comprises first and second non-linear rails, and a feed transport unit comprising a feed support member for supporting the feed, and first and second slidable members slidably mounted on said first and second rails respectively to permit each slidable member to slide along the length of its respective rail, wherein one end of the feed support member is pivotally attached, not necessarily about a single pivot axis, to the first slidable member, the other end of the feed support member is both slidably and pivotally, again not necessarily about a single axis, attached to the second slidable member, and the first and second rails are shaped and positioned to maintain the feed in, or near to, said focal plane during movement of the feed support member along the first and second rails. The feed support is provided with transverse sliding rail and a gimbal allows rotation about two perpendicular axes. The shape and position of the first and second rails and the orientation of the feed support member are chosen so as to ensure that the minimum of adjustment of the feed by the servos is required as the feed is moved along the length of the focal surface.

Feed movement mechanism and control system for a multibeam antenna

Growing community of inventors

Lindfield, Australia

Mark Andrew Sprey