Raytheon Company

Hughes Missile Systems Company

Hughes Aircraft Company

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Hrl Laboratories, LLC

Ford Aerospace & Communications Corporation

Pyong K Park

Joseph M Anderson

Sang H Kim

Eric L Holzman

Steven Edward Bradshaw

David Y Kim

James H Schaffner

Daniel Frederic Sievenpiper

Jonathan James Lynch

Robert Y Loo

Robert L Eisenhart

Ralston S Robertson

Steven W Bartley

Jack H Anderson

Richard M Oestreich

Kevin P Grabe

An orthogonal electrical coupling relies on electromagnetic coupling for the inner connection, as opposed to direct contact between conductors. A conductor on one of the lines is connected to a ground plane which is adjacent to a resonant slot. Microwave energy is coupled to the slot, thereby exciting the slot. A second conductor is on the opposite side of the ground plane from the first conductor. Microwave energy from the excited resonant slot passes to the second conductor, thereby allowing contactless interconnection between the first conductor and the second conductor. The coupling may emphasize certain modes of propagation relative to other possible modes of propagation. Specifically, the ground plane and slot may be enclosed in a cavity of a size such that the cavity does not support any natural mode propagation inside the cavity. Instead, the coupling may have a cavity in which a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode is propagated.

Electromagnetic coupling

A dual-polarization common aperture antenna having fully populated common aperture dual polarized arrays. The inventive antenna includes a first and second arrays of radiating slots disposed in a faceplate. The second array is generally orthogonal and therefor cross-polarized relative to the first array. The first array is waveguide fed and the second array is stripline fed. In the illustrative implementation, the first array and the second array share a common aperture. The common aperture is fully populated and each array uses the aperture in its entirety. The first and second arrays of slots are arranged for four-way symmetry. Each slot in the first array is a vertically oriented, iris-excited shunt slot fed by a rectangular waveguide and centered on a broad wall thereof. The second array is a standing wave array in which each slot is an air cavity backed slot fed by an inverted micro-stripline offset from a center thereof.

Dual-polarization common aperture antenna with rectangular wave-guide fed centered longitudinal slot array and micro-stripline fed air cavity back transverse series slot array

An antenna and antenna excitation method. The inventive antenna includes a cylindrical array ( ) of radiating elements. Each of the elements is mounted at a predetermined substantially transverse angle relative to a longitudinal axis. A circuit ( ) is included for providing an electrical potential between at least two of the elements effective to scan a transmit or a receive beam of electromagnetic energy along an elevational axis at least substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis. In the illustrative embodiment, the array includes a stack of the planar, parallel, conductive, ring-shaped radiating elements, each of which is filled with ferroelectric bulk material. A second circuit ( ) is included for exciting at least some of the elements to cause the elements to generate a transmit or a receive beam of electromagnetic energy off-axis relative to the longitudinal axis. In the preferred embodiment, the second circuit is a Butler matrix and is effective to cause the beam to scan in azimuth about the longitudinal axis, the azimuthal axis being at least substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis and the elevational axis.

Conformal two dimensional electronic scan antenna with butler matrix and lens ESA

A dielectric covered continuous slot (DCCS) antenna operable at RF frequencies. The antenna includes a conical or cylindrical dielectric radome structure having a nominal thickness equal to one quarter wavelength at a frequency of operation of the antenna. A conductive layer is defined on a contour surface of the radome structure, with a plurality of continuous slots defined in the conductive layer. The slots extend circumferentially about the longitudinal axis of the antenna and are spaced apart in a longitudinal sense. A serpentine end-fed signal transmission structure is disposed within the radome structure for carrying RF feed signals from an excitation end of the structure to a second end of the transmission structure. The slots are disposed along the serpentine transmission structure such that energy leaks from the transmission structure through the slots and the radome structure, forming a beam which is scannable in a direction along the longitudinal antenna axis by scanning the transmit signal frequency. Due to the frequency dispersive effective electrical length of the transmission structure, the slot spacing effectively changes as the frequency is scanned, thereby scanning the beam. The antenna provides room for an IR (infrared) seeker in the nose of the cone, without blocking the view of the conical/cylindrical antenna.

Electronically scanned dielectric covered continuous slot antenna conformal to the cone for dual mode seeker

A multiple band reconfigurable reflecting antenna array and method for multiple band operation and beam steering. An array of dipole antennas is disposed on a multiple band high impedance surface. The antenna array is reconfigured by changing the length of the dipole elements, to thereby change the dipoles resonant frequency. At a given frequency band, small changes in dipole length allow to steer the reflected beam in the selected direction; whether large changes in dipole length permit to switch the operating frequency band. A method of broadening the bandwidth of a high impedance surface is also exposed.

Reconfigurable antenna for multiple band, beam-switching operation

A radiator (,) comprising one or more centered longitudinal shunt slots (,) disposed in a rectangular waveguide (,) that are fed by corresponding offset ridge resonant irises (,). The offset ridge resonant irises that are centered on each respective slot. When multiple slots and offset ridge resonant irises are employed, adjacent irises are oriented opposite to one another.

Centered longitudinal shunt slot fed by a resonant offset ridge iris

A compact high-performance antenna. The antenna includes a waveguide (,) for providing or receiving electromagnetic energy. A feed circuit (,) provides or receives the electromagnetic energy to or from the waveguide (,). A radiating circuit (,) provides or receives the electromagnetic energy to or from the feed circuit (,). One or more notches (,) in the feed circuit (,) compensate for insertion phase errors in the electromagnetic energy. One or more tabs (,) in the radiating circuit (,) compensate for radiation phase errors in the electromagnetic energy. In a specific embodiment, the antenna is a dipole antenna and includes an array of dipole cards. The radiating circuit (,) includes first (,) and second (,) radiating circuits included in each of the dipole cards (,). The first (,) and second (,) radiating circuits include a plurality of quarter-wave stripline transformers (,). The transformers (,) include one more rectangular tabs (,) for tuning out radiation phase errors, capacitance effects, and/or junction effects. The feed circuit (,) includes v-shaped notches (,) near the bases of the transformers that compensate for insertion phase errors. In the illustrative embodiment, the transformers (,) are arranged so that an equivalent circuit of the radiating circuit (,) appears shunt to an equivalent circuit of the feed circuit (,). Each transformer (,) is connected to a slotline radiating element (,). The magnitude of the transmitted or received electromagnetic energy is a function of the sizes of the transformers (,). The feed waveguide (,) includes indentations for inductive tuning.

Standing wave antenna array of notch dipole shunt elements

Disclosed is a common aperture dual polarization antenna array (30). This common aperture dual polarization antenna array (30) includes an antenna aperture (36) and a plurality of centered slot arrays (32) positioned within the antenna aperture (36). A plurality of notch dipole arrays (34) are positioned within the antenna aperture (36) and positioned substantially orthogonal to the plurality of centered slot arrays (32). A first feed guide (46) is coupled to the plurality of centered slot arrays (32) and a second feed guide (56) is coupled to the plurality of notch dipole arrays (34).

Dual polarization antenna array with radiating slots and notch dipole

Apparatus and methods for transitioning between opposite sides of adjacent stripline circuit boards. An orthogonal coaxial connection between opposite sides of the stripline circuit boards is provided wherein a center pin of a coax connector is disposed through the first stripline circuit board and the center trace of one of the stripline circuit boards and through the second board. The center pin is soldered or otherwise electrically attached to a small conductor island pad isolated from the ground plane of the second board and to the plated through hole. The ground of the coaxial connector is connected to the ground plane of the second board adjacent to the isolated conductor island pad.

Orthogonal transition from coax to stripline for opposite sides of a

A low profile, compact microstrip-to-waveguide or stripline-to-waveguide transition. The end of the waveguide is terminated in a cavity backed slot defined in a groundplane formed on a dielectric substrate. The slot is excited by a microstrip or stripline conductor defined on the opposite side of the substrate. The conductor is terminated in a T-shaped junction including two opposed arms extending along the slot, each having a length equal to one-quarter wavelength at the center frequency of operation. A cavity covers the substrate on the conductor side, and is sized so that no cavity modes resonate in the frequency band of operation. The transition is matched by appropriate selection of the length of the slot and the length and position of the microstrip.

End launched microstrip or stripline to waveguide transition with cavity

A low profile, compact microstrip-to-waveguide transition which utilizes electromagnetic coupling instead of direct coupling. The end of the waveguide is terminated in a cavity backed slot defined in a groundplane formed on a dielectric substrate. The slot is excited by a microstrip line defined on the opposite side of the substrate, offset from the slot centerline. A cavity covers the substrate on the microstrip side, and is sized so that no cavity modes resonate in the frequency band of operation. The transition is matched by appropriate selection of the length of the slot and the length and position of the microstrip.

A centered longitudinal series/series coupling slot disposed between a boxed stripline and a crossed rectangular waveguide comprising a plurality of longitudinal radiating slots. The centered longitudinal series/series coupling slot is disposed orthogonal to the longitudinal radiating slots of the crossed rectangular waveguide. The centered longitudinal series/series coupling slot is longitudinally disposed along the centerline of the boxed stripline in such a way the centered longitudinal slot interacts with the stripline mode and not with the rectangular waveguide mode (TE.sub.10 mode) in the boxed stripline. As a result of this, a highly efficient standing wave (or travelling wave) feed is provided using the centered longitudinal series/series coupling slot in the boxed stripline. The centered longitudinal series/series coupling slot comprises a transverse slot in the crossed rectangular waveguide which reduces the undesirable direct higher order mode coupling between the coupling slot and adjacent radiating longitudinal shunt slots. There is a predetermined tilt angle between the centered longitudinal series/series coupling slot and the meandering boxed stripline. The amount of coupling between the boxed meandering stripline and the rectangular waveguide is controlled by the relative tilt angle between the boxed meandering stripline and the centered longitudinal series/series coupling slot. The present invention also comprises an antenna array incorporating such centered longitudinal series/series coupling slots.

Centered longitudinal series/series coupling slot for coupling energy

A common aperture dual polarization array that comprises a vertical polarization antenna array that provides for vertical polarization, and horizontal polarization antenna array that provides for horizontal polarization. The vertical polarization antenna array is comprised of a flat plate shunt slot standing wave array that includes a plurality of sets of radiating slots configured in a staggered pattern that are laterally separated by an air gap. The horizontal polarization antenna array is comprised of a collinear array of radiating slots, a strip reflector, and a plurality of baffles that form a short backfire antenna array. The collinear slots are disposed orthogonal to the radiating slots of the vertical polarization antenna array. A feed network is coupled to the vertical polarization and horizontal polarization antenna arrays that comprises a centered collinear standing wave array of longitudinally aligned feed slots coupled to the vertical polarization antenna array, and the collinear array of feed slots coupled to the horizontal polarization antenna array. The plurality of baffles may be disposed adjacent to the horizontal polarization antenna array for increasing the effective aperture thereof. The feed network may comprise an offset resonant iris disposed in a rectangular waveguide, or a boxed stripline that comprises a meandered stripline. The vertical polarization antenna array may further comprise a plurality of waveguide shorts disposed in the gap between the sets of radiating slots of the vertical polarization antenna array.

Dual polarization common aperture array formed by waveguide-fed, planar

A dual polarization array that comprises horizontal polarization and vertical polarization arrays, combined with an efficient waveguide-fed standing wave feed array. The vertical polarization array comprises an offset, resonant, iris-fed, centered longitudinal-shunt-slot, standing wave array. The horizontal polarization array comprises a flared dipole fed by a longitudinal, shunt-slot, standing wave array. The waveguide-fed standing wave feed array is comprised of a plurality of waveguides that separately feed the horizontal polarization and vertical polarization arrays. The horizontal polarization array comprises a first plurality of radiating waveguides laterally disposed adjacent to each other that are separated by a first plurality of gaps. Each waveguide comprises a plurality of radiating flared dipoles disposed adjacent to a respective plurality of longitudinal radiating shunt slots. The vertical polarization array comprises a second plurality of radiating waveguides laterally disposed adjacent to each other that are separated by a second plurality of gaps. The second plurality of radiating waveguides are laterally offset from the first plurality of radiating waveguides. Each of the second plurality of radiating waveguides comprises a plurality of longitudinal shunt slots disposed in respective gaps between adjacent radiating waveguides of the horizontal polarization array, and an offset resonant iris centered on each respective longitudinal shunt slot that is oriented orthogonal thereto. A first feed waveguide includes a plurality of tilted series/series coupling slots for coupling horizontal polarization to the waveguides of the horizontal polarization standing wave array. A second feed waveguide comprises a plurality of shunt slots comprising iris loaded transverse series/shunt coupling slots for coupling vertical polarization to the waveguides of the vertical polarization standing wave array.

Common aperture dual polarization array fed by rectangular waveguides

An interconnection between layers of stripline or microstripline in a multilayer microwave circuit assembly, through electromagnetic coupling. The adjacent layers (52 and 54) utilize a common ground plane layer (56), and a U-shaped coupling slot (64) is formed in the common ground plane. To eliminate undesirable coupling to other transmission line modes, the coupling slot is enclosed by a cavity (70) for each layer. The cavity size is selected so that no cavity mode exists, and to prevent formation of unwanted transmission modes. The 'U' shape of the slot reduces the size of the cavity. The interconnection can be used with adjacent layers of stripline, microstrip line, or stripline and microstrip line.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Pyong K Park