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. 30, 2018
Filed:
Sep. 24, 2014
Applicant:
Iridium Satellite Llc, McLean, VA (US);
Inventors:
Jeffrey Francis Bull, Chalfont, PA (US);
Alden Joe Fuchs, Leesburg, VA (US);
Charles Howard Woloszynski, Vienna, VA (US);
Assignee:
IRIDIUM SATELLITE LLC, McLean, VA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01Q 3/34 (2006.01); H04W 16/28 (2009.01); H04B 7/06 (2006.01); H01Q 3/26 (2006.01); H01Q 3/22 (2006.01); H01Q 3/36 (2006.01); H04B 17/18 (2015.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01Q 3/34 (2013.01); H04B 7/0617 (2013.01); H04W 16/28 (2013.01); H01Q 3/22 (2013.01); H01Q 3/26 (2013.01); H01Q 3/36 (2013.01); H04B 17/18 (2015.01);
Abstract
In one implementation, an antenna array has a plurality of antenna element, each of which is configured to apply a phase shift to a signal. A beam steering controller is configured to steer a main beam of the antenna by controlling the phase shifts applied by the antenna elements. In addition, the beam steering controller also is configured to detect a failure of an antenna element and, in response to detecting the failure, disable the failed antenna element and modify the phase shifts applied by remaining ones of the antenna elements.