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:
Oct. 21, 1997
Filed:
May. 31, 1995
Dale M Didomenico, Interlaken, NJ (US);
Thomas E Koscica, Clark, NJ (US);
William C Drach, Tinton Falls, NJ (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
Telecommunication systems and methods for driving a phased-array antenna ing a plurality of spaced antenna elements that radiate and receive a beam of radio frequency signals. Each of a plurality of ferroelectric phase shifters connect to a different one of the antenna elements. A signal processor system, having a receiver and a frequency synthesizer communicates with the phase shifters under the control of a data processor system. A joystick connects to the data processor system for permitting manual input of beam steering information thereto. The data processor system responds to the joystick inputs by controlling the relative phase shifts of the signals propagating in the ferroelectric phase shifters. The system further includes a temperature sensor circuit for sensing the temperature of each of the ferroelectric phase shifters. This temperature sensor circuit connects to the data processor system for inputting temperature information that the data processor system uses to calculate calibration error factors. The data processor system uses the joystick inputs and the calibration error factors to apply concurrent calibrated analog control voltages to the ferroelectric phase shifters for controlling their relative phase shifts. The joystick permits an operator to manually control the position of the beam in real time, or to effect automatic beam scanning and control the scanning rate.