System and apparatus for driving antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10135127-B2
Application number	US-201715582398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2014
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A multiple-antenna positioning system with a single drive element, providing reduced weight and complexity over systems that have a drive element for each antenna. In certain examples, each antenna can be coupled with a rotating spindle, with each antenna spindle being coupled with a pair of link arms. By driving a single drive spindle, each of the antenna spindles in the system can be rotated by the associated pair of link arms. The link arms can have an adjustable length, such as through a turnbuckle mechanism, to reduce backlash in the system, and in some examples can apply a preload to the system. By reducing backlash, the multiple antenna positioning system can have improved responsiveness to a rotation of the single drive element, as well as improved stability of the positioning of each antenna when the drive element is held in a fixed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna assembly, comprising:
a first antenna rotatably coupled with a support structure about a first axis, the first antenna having a first boresight;
a second antenna rotatably coupled with the support structure about a second axis, the second antenna having a second boresight that is not parallel with the first boresight; and
a drive element coupled with the first antenna and the second antenna and operable to simultaneously rotate the first antenna about the first axis and rotate the second antenna about the second axis.

2. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drive element is coupled with the first antenna by a first linkage and the drive element is coupled with the second antenna by a second linkage.

3. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coupling between the drive element and the first antenna is operable to change a degree of backlash between the drive element and the first antenna, or the coupling between the drive element and the second antenna is operable to change a degree of backlash between the drive element and the second antenna, or both.

4. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coupling between the drive element and the first antenna is operable to change a degree of preload between the drive element and the first antenna, or the coupling between the drive element and the second antenna is operable to change a degree of preload between the drive element and the second antenna, or both.

5. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are parallel.

6. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are not parallel.

7. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are both associated with a positioning degree of freedom, and simultaneously rotating the first antenna to cause a positive change with respect to the positioning degree of freedom causes a negative change with respect to the positioning degree of freedom for the second antenna.

8. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are both associated with a positioning degree of freedom, and simultaneously rotating the first antenna and the second antenna causes a positive change with respect to the positioning degree of freedom for both the first antenna and the second antenna, or causes a negative change with respect to the positioning degree of freedom for both the first antenna and the second antenna.

9. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna is configured to operate over a first frequency band, and the second antenna is configured to operate over a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band.

10. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a base element rotatably coupled with the support structure about a third axis that is not parallel to the first axis and not parallel to the second axis; and
a second drive element to rotate the support structure about the base element.

11. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
an antenna control unit operable to cause the antenna assembly to:
track a first satellite with the drive element for communications via the first antenna; and
track a second satellite with the drive element for communications via the second antenna.

12. The antenna assembly of claim 11 , wherein the antenna control unit is operable to determine to switch between communications via the first antenna and communications via the second antenna.

13. The antenna assembly of claim 12 , wherein the antenna control unit is operable to determine to switch between communications via the first antenna and communications via the second antenna based at least in part on a change of position of the antenna assembly.

14. The antenna assembly of claim 12 , wherein the antenna control unit is operable to determine to switch between communications via the first antenna and communications via the second antenna based at least in part on a network availability, a communication capacity, or a communication cost, or a combination thereof.

15. The antenna assembly of claim 12 , wherein the antenna control unit is operable to determine to switch between communications via the first antenna and communications via the second antenna based at least in part on an error condition or a fault condition.

16. The antenna assembly of claim 12 , wherein the antenna control unit is operable to determine to switch between communications via the first antenna and communications via the second antenna based at least in part on a degradation of communications via the first antenna.

17. The antenna assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first satellite and the second satellite are different satellites.

18. The antenna assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first satellite and the second satellite are the same satellite.

19. A method of communication, comprising:
providing an antenna assembly having a first antenna rotatably coupled with a support structure about a first axis, a second antenna rotatably coupled with the support structure about a second axis, and a drive element coupled with the first antenna and the second antenna and operable to simultaneously rotate the first antenna about the first axis and rotate the second antenna about the second axis, wherein a boresight of the first antenna is non-parallel with a boresight of the second antenna;
tracking a first satellite with the drive element for communications via the first antenna;
determining to switch from communications via the first antenna to communications via the second antenna; and
tracking a second satellite with the drive element for communications via the second antenna.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein determining to switch from communications via the first antenna to communications via the second antenna is based at least in part on a change of position of the antenna assembly.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein determining to switch from communications via the first antenna to communications via the second antenna is based at least in part on a network availability, a communication capacity, a communication cost, or a combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein determining wherein determining to switch from communications via the first antenna to communications via the second antenna is based at least in part on an error condition or a fault condition.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein determining to switch from communications via the first antenna to communications via the second antenna is based at least in part on a degradation of communications via the first antenna.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first satellite and the second satellite are the same satellite.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first satellite and the second satellite are different satellites.

Assignees

• Viasat Inc

Inventors

• Newkirk Jack C
• Holt B Wayne
• Smith Bradley H
• Skinner Kevin M
• Blalock E Mitchell

Classifications

• H01Q3/08

  for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation · CPC title

• H01Q1/288 Primary

  Satellite antennas · CPC title

• H04B7/18519

  Operations control, administration or maintenance · CPC title

• H01Q21/28

  Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems {(multiple beam H01Q25/00)} · CPC title

• H04B7/18515

  Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays · CPC title