The Boeing Company

Echodyne Corp.

Robert Tilman Worl

Tom Driscoll

John Desmond Hunt

Nathan Ingle Landy

Charles A Renneberg

Ioannis Tzanidis

Christopher L Lambrecht

Adam Bily

Muhammad Rameez Chatni

Milton Perque, Jr

Gary Alan Ray

Benjamin Sikes

Felix D Yuen

Dan R Miller

Nicholas K Brune

Jonathan R Hull

Tarron Teeslink

Julio A Navarro

Ming Chen

Aanand Esterberg

Peter Timothy Heisen

Kenneth G Voyce

Kerem Karadayi

Douglas Allan Pietila

Scott A Raby

Harold J Redd

Isaac Ron Bekker

David Lee Mohoric

Skyler Martens

Dominic Chun Kit Wu

Milton Perque

Richard Neal Bostwick

Jimmy Susumu Takeuchi

David N Rasmussen

Mark A Curry

Bruce Larry Blaser

Yianni Tzanidis

William F Graves, Jr

Randy L Ternes

Richard N Bostwick

An embodiment of a radar subsystem includes at least one antenna and a control circuit. The at least one antenna is configured to radiate at least one first transmit beam and to form at least one first receive beam. And the control circuit is configured to steer the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over a first field of regard during a first time period, and to steer the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over a second field of regard during a second time period.

Intelligent sensor and intelligent feedback-based dynamic control of a parameter of a field of regard to which the sensor is directed

In an embodiment, an antenna subsystem includes a sparse receive antenna and an electronically steerable transmit antenna. The sparse receive antenna includes an array of electronically steerable receive elements each configured to receive a respective signal having a wavelength and each spaced apart from each adjacent one of the receive elements by a respective first distance that is more than one half of the wavelength, has an aperture, and is configured to generate a receive beam pattern. And the electronically steerable transmit antenna includes an array of transmit elements each configured to radiate a respective signal having the wavelength and each spaced apart from each adjacent one of the transmit elements by a respective second distance that is less than one half of the wavelength, has an aperture that is significantly smaller than the aperture of the sparse receive antenna, and is configured to filter, spatially, the receive beam pattern.

Antenna subsystem with analog beam-steering transmit array and sparse hybrid analog and digital beam-steering receive array

In an embodiment, an antenna subsystem includes a sparse receive antenna and an electronically steerable transmit antenna. The sparse receive antenna includes an array of electronically steerable receive elements each configured to receive a respective signal having a wavelength and each spaced apart from each adjacent one of the receive elements by a respective first distance that is more than one half of the wavelength. And the electronically steerable transmit antenna includes an array of transmit elements each configured to radiate a respective signal having the wavelength and each spaced apart from each adjacent one of the transmit elements by a respective second distance that is less than one half of the wavelength. To reduce aliasing, such an antenna subsystem can be operated to filter, spatially, a receive beam pattern generated by the receive antenna with a transmit beam pattern generated by the transmit antenna.

According to an embodiment, an antenna includes a conductive antenna element, a voltage-bias conductor, and a polarization-compensation conductor. The conductive antenna element is configured to radiate a first signal having a first polarization, and the voltage-bias conductor is coupled to a side of the antenna element and is configured to radiate a second signal having a second polarization that is different from the first polarization. And the polarization-compensating conductor is coupled to an opposite side of the antenna element and is configured to radiate third a signal having a third polarization that is approximately the same as the second polarization and that destructively interferes with the second signal. Such an antenna can be configured to reduce cross-polarization of the signals that its antenna elements radiate.

Beam-steering antenna

An embodiment of an antenna includes first and second transmission lines, first antenna elements, and second antenna elements. The first transmission line is configured to guide a first signal such that the first signal has a characteristic of a first value, and the second transmission line is configured to guide a second signal such that the second signal has the same characteristic but of a second value that is different than the first value. The first antenna elements are each disposed adjacent to the first transmission line and are each configured to radiate the first signal in response to a respective first control signal, and the second antenna elements are each disposed adjacent to the second transmission line and are each configured to radiate the second signal in response to a respective second control signal. Such an antenna can have better main-beam and side-lobe characteristics, and a better SIR, than prior antennas.

Antenna having increased side-lobe suppression and improved side-lobe level

An embodiment of an antenna array includes a transmit antenna and a receive antenna. The transmit antenna has, in one dimension, a first size, and has, in another dimension that is approximately orthogonal to the one dimension, a second size that is greater than the first size. And the receive antenna has, in approximately the one dimension, a third size that is greater than the first size, and has, in approximately the other dimension, a fourth size that is less than the second size. For example, such an antenna array, and a radar system that incorporates the antenna array, can provide a high Rayleigh resolution (i.e., a narrow Half Power Beam Width (HPBW)) with significantly reduced aliasing as compared to prior antenna arrays and radar systems for a given number of antenna-array channels.

Antenna array that includes analog beam-steering transmit antenna and analog beam-steering receive antenna arranged orthogonally to the transmit antenna, and related subsystem, system, and method

In an embodiment, an antenna unit for an antenna array allows shifting the phase of a radiated or received signal without the need for a phase shifter, and includes an antenna element, switching devices, and signal couplers. The antenna element includes at least one section and signal ports each electrically isolated from each other and from each of the at least one section. The switching devices are each configured to couple a respective one of the signal ports to one of the at least one section in response to a respective control signal, and the signal couplers are each configured to couple a respective one of the signal ports to a respective location of a respective transmission medium.

Phase-selectable antenna unit and related antenna, subsystem, system, and method

In an embodiment, an antenna includes a one-dimensional array of antenna cells, a signal feed, and signal couplers. The antenna cells are each spaced from an adjacent antenna cell by less than one half a wavelength at which the antenna cells are configured to transmit and to receive, are configured to generate an array beam that is narrower in a dimension than in an orthogonal dimension, and are configured to steer the array beam in the dimension. And the signal couplers are each configured to couple a respective one of the antenna cells to the signal feed in response a respective control signal having an active level. For example, the antenna cells can be arranged such that a straight line intersects their geometric centers.

Antenna array having a different beam-steering resolution in one dimension than in another dimension

In an embodiment, an antenna subsystem includes a sparse receive antenna and an electronically steerable transmit antenna. The sparse receive antenna includes an array of receive elements each configured to receive a respective signal having a wavelength and each spaced apart from each adjacent one of the receive elements by a respective first distance that is more than one half of the wavelength. And the electronically steerable transmit antenna includes an array of transmit elements each configured to radiate a respective signal having the wavelength and each spaced apart from each adjacent one of the transmit elements by a respective second distance that is less than one half of the wavelength. To reduce aliasing, such an antenna subsystem can be operated to filter, spatially, a receive beam pattern generated by the receive antenna with a transmit beam pattern generated by the transmit antenna.

Antenna subsystem with analog beam-steering transmit array and digital beam-forming receive array

An embodiment of an antenna comprises an array of antenna elements arranged in groups of antenna elements adjustably coupled to respective reference waves. A multiplicity of patterns of antenna coupling settings are defined, each of which gives rise to a main lobe which points the antenna in a particular direction, each pattern also giving rise to respective side lobes. First and second such patterns may point the antenna in the same direction but with non-identical side lobes. In this way the clutter level from the side lobes relative to the main lobe is much smaller than would be the case if one of the patterns were employed both for transmitting and receiving. Alternatively, the first and second patterns may be used in quick succession both for transmitting, or used in quick succession both for receiving. The antenna may also switch rapidly between patterns where the main lobe points in a different direction in each pattern, allowing dithering of the beam or rapid switching between scanning and tracking.

Fast beam patterns

An obfuscated radio frequency circuit may be manufactured to include a metallization layer, and a dielectric layer under the metallization layer. The dielectric layer may be made up of a plurality of dielectric substrates having different dielectric constants to obfuscate functions of the circuit.

Circuit obfuscation using differing dielectric constants

Embodiments described herein provide for integrating a transmit phased-array (Tx) antenna and a receive phased-array (Rx) antenna onto an electrically-conductive plate that forms a ground plane. The plate includes groves that operate as an RF choke. The RF choke mitigates the energy coupling between the Tx antenna and the Rx antenna. Spatial features of the grooves are selected based on a scan angle of at least one of the Tx antenna and the Rx antenna. Due to the electronic scanning performed by the Tx antenna and the Rx antenna, the energy coupling between the Tx antenna and the Rx antenna dynamically varies and may depend upon the relative scan angles between main beams of the antennas. The energy coupling may also depend upon the side lobe energy pattern of the Tx antenna, which varies based on the scan angle of the Tx antenna.

Radio frequency chokes for integrated phased-array antennas

Growing community of inventors

Maple Valley, WA, United States of America

Robert Tilman Worl