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:
Apr. 07, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 29, 1996
C Harry Chen, Torrance, CA (US);
John P Pacente, Norwalk, CA (US);
George H Simkins, Torrance, CA (US);
TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA (US);
Abstract
A travelling wave coupler autotracking system 10 controls the pointing of an antenna aboard an orbiting satellite by generating tracking signals covering a wideband frequency. The system 10 comprises a waveguide manifold 22 for exciting circular TE.sub.11 and TM.sub.01 modes covering a wideband frequency range, coupling arm waveguides 24, 26 for propagating signals having a phase velocity of TE.sub.10 mode that is the same as the phase velocity of TM.sub.01 mode, and couplers 30 for transforming microwave energy of the TM.sub.01 mode of the circularly polarized microwave signals into TE.sub.10 modes in the coupling waveguide. The system 10 can further comprise 180.degree.-hybrid 20 for combining the TE.sub.10 modes in the coupling waveguides in phase and for generating one or more error signals at different frequencies.