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:
Sep. 24, 2002
Filed:
May. 15, 2001
William P. Posey, Palos Verdes Estates, CA (US);
Raytheon Company, Lexington, MA (US);
Abstract
An antenna array system with dynamic signal routing to a set of receivers. A monopulse electronically scanned antenna (ESA) has a plurality of antenna elements divided into subarrays. ESA beam steering phase shifters are associated with the respective subarrays of antenna elements, such that the output signals from the respective antenna elements associated with the respective quadrants are phase shifted and summed to provide respective subarray signals. A monopulse network responsive to the subarray signals provides monopulse outputs to a set of receivers. A beam steering controller provides phase shift commands to the ESA phase shifters to set the phase shift associated with the respective phase shifters of the subarrays. The controller commands the ESA phase shifters to modulate the phase shift of selected quadrants. The phase shifts associated with the subarrays are selectively set to either 0 or 180 degrees relative to one of the subarrays by adding the desired subarray phase shift (0 or 180 degrees) to the beam steering phase command at each element. This produces the main array signals. By setting the subarrays's phase shifts, the main array signals are appropriately steered to the desired receivers. The dynamic signal routing can also be used with non-electronically scanned systems.