The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 14, 1990
Filed:
Mar. 15, 1989
Timothy A Crail, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Sanford S Shapiro, Canoga Park, CA (US);
Highes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A modular direct radiating antenna system for producing highly contoured beam patterns is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of array modules, each having a number of radiation elements. An intramodule feed network is provided to communicate RF energy between a module port and the radiation elements in an equal-power, equal-phase relationship. A second feed network, an intermodule feed network, is provided to communicate RF energy between an antenna system port and the respective module ports. The second feed network is adapted to couple the power and adjust the electrical path lengths so that the RF power communicate between the respective module ports and the system port is of predetermined relative amplitudes and phases. The intermodule excitation power and phase distribution across the entire planar array aperture produces the desired contoured beam to encompass a required area. The antenna system is well suited to satellite antenna applications and is significantly smaller, more compact, lighter, and less costly than other satellite antenna systems that produce a contoured beam, for example, to encompass a required area seen from a satellite in synchronous orbit.