Raytheon Company

R Thomas Dover

John Charles Ehmke

James M Irion, Ii

James L Haws

John H Harrison, Jr

Christian O Hemmi

Richard E Hodges

David B Webb

Allan R Logan

An antenna element ( ) has two dielectric layers ( ), which separate three ground planes ( ). The three ground planes have respective slots ( ), which collectively define a slotline communicating at an inner end with a balun hole ( ) that extends through all of the ground planes and dielectric layers. Two capacitive switches ( ) are supported within the balun hole, and each have terminals respectively coupled to the same ground plane on opposite sides of the balun hole. The capacitive switches are independently and selectively operated to dynamically vary the impedance characteristic of the overall balun structure that includes the balun hole and two switch assemblies, and which gives the antenna element good electrical performance over a wide bandwidth. The antenna element includes a stripline ( ), and a stripline to a slotline transition exists at the end of the slotline adjacent the balun hole.

Method and apparatus for increasing bandwidth of a stripline to slotline transition

A system for steering an antenna includes a first component that includes a first lens and is operable to perform a first focusing of a plurality of signals to form a plurality of focused signals. The system also includes a second component that includes a second lens and is operable to form a first focused beam by performing a second focusing of the plurality of focused signals. The second component further includes a first splitter and is further operable to split the first focused beam into a first set of intermediate beams. The system further includes a third component that includes a second splitter and is operable to split a particular one of the first set of intermediate beams into a second set of intermediate beams. The third component further includes a first combiner and is further operable to combine a particular one of the second set of intermediate beams with at least one other intermediate beam split from a second focused beam to generate a composite beam. The system includes an additional fourth component that includes a second combiner and is operable to combine the composite beam with at least one other composite beam to generate a steered final composite beam for a particular ground-based cell.

Multi-level system and method for steering an antenna

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Prosper, TX, United States of America

R Thomas Dover