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:
Jan. 02, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 03, 1999
Stephen Chihhung Ma, Mesa, AZ (US);
Keith Warble, Chandler, AZ (US);
A. David Munger, Mesa, AZ (US);
Richard Scott Torkington, Mesa, AZ (US);
David Warren Corman, Gilbert, AZ (US);
Deborah Dendy, Tempe, AZ (US);
Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US);
Abstract
A mechanical scanning and digital beamforming antenna (,FIG.,) uses a receive and transmit digital beamforming network (FIG.,) to provide communications beam scanning in a first plane. In a second plane, a reflective surface (FIG.,) is used to focus and scan the communications beam. Through proper orientation of the reflective surface (,), a communications satellite (FIG.,) can be tracked by way of electronic scanning by way of the transmit or receive digital beamforming network (FIG.,). Thus, the complexity of the digital beamforming network is reduced as is the wear on the mechanical components of the antenna. The mechanical scanning and digital beamforming antenna (,FIG.,) makes use of a second digital beamforming network (FIG. 3,,) and reflective surface (FIG.,) to ensure that two communications satellites can be simultaneously tracked.