Thales

Ronan Moulinet

Hervé Legay

Afshin Ziaei

Etienne Girard

Thierry Dean

Raphaël Gillard

Wilfried Greverie

Jean-Pierre Marcy

Michel Charrier

Béatrice Pinte

An array antenna includes a plurality of mechanically separate radiating panels arranged side-by-side, means for applying a shaping to the signals transmitted by the radiating elements of the panels and a device for managing the shaping of the signals, wherein the shaping coefficients correspond to a sum of at least: a shaping coefficient (W) making it possible to orient the maximum gain of the antenna in a given direction, and at least the opposite of a shaping coefficient (W) making it possible to orient the maximum gain of the antenna in the direction of a side lobe resulting from differences between the radiating panels of the array antenna. The method relates also to the associated transmission/reception method.

Multi-panel array antenna

The invention relates to phase-shifting cells constituting the passive reflectarrays of antennas with a reconfigurable transmission direction, transmitting in the microwave range. More particularly, the invention describes, within the context of phase-shifting cells of the type having dipole strands angularly distributed in a star configuration, a novel type of switch consisting of a microelectromechanical device essentially comprising a suspended micromembrane which, under the action of an electrostatic force caused by a control voltage, deforms sufficiently to ensure electrical connection between the strands, making it possible to form a dipole in the desired orientation. In one particular embodiment, the micromembrane can be likened to one of the plates of a capacitor and its deformation corresponds to a substantial increase in the capacitance of this capacitor, thus providing the electrical connection. This switch technology has the advantages of greater fabrication simplicity and of enhanced performance compared with the known technologies. The invention provides the main geometrical and technological characteristics for obtaining optimized performance.

Phase-shifting cell for an antenna reflectarray

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Plainis, France

Ronan Moulinet