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:
Jun. 05, 2018
Filed:
Dec. 19, 2014
Adrian A. Hill, Vinton, IA (US);
Jeremiah D. Wolf, Marion, IA (US);
Bryan S. Mccoy, Cedar Rapids, IA (US);
Michael C. Meholensky, Marion, IA (US);
Anders P. Walker, Marion, IA (US);
Adrian A. Hill, Vinton, IA (US);
Jeremiah D. Wolf, Marion, IA (US);
Bryan S. McCoy, Cedar Rapids, IA (US);
Michael C. Meholensky, Marion, IA (US);
Anders P. Walker, Marion, IA (US);
Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA (US);
Abstract
An Electronically Scanned Array (ESA) antenna is controlled via an optical domain without electrical conductors on the ESA Printed Wiring Board (PWB). Distribution of the control signal occurs over pulses of light through an optical medium separate from the ESA PWB. External to the ESA PWB are one or more optical wave guides functional as communications channels which connect the ESA optical receivers/transceivers with transmitters/transceivers interfaced to a system controller. The ESA is divided into groups of elements with serial busses and discrete signals driven by local controllers. The local controller for each group of elements may include one or more optical receivers (unidirectional) or transceivers (bidirectional). This concept offers a trade in electrical complexity associated with an ESA PWB for an additional manufactured medium redundantly supplying the control signal to the ESA as well as routing the RF data signal from the ESA to the system controller.