Transceiver device and associated antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10454175-B2
Application number	US-201815876667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2018
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A transceiver device and associated antenna are disclosed. In one aspect, the transceiver device combines first and second transceiver modules with a transceiver capability including a substantially planar radiating element and including a central point. Each transceiver module is a transceiver module coupled with the transceiver capability so as to excite a pair of excitation points of the radiating element, the excitation points of one pair being arranged symmetrically relative to the central point of the radiating element. The first and second transceiver modules respectively excite a first pair of excitation points arranged in a first direction of the radiating element and a second pair of excitation points arranged in a second direction of the radiating element, the first and second directions being mutually orthogonal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transceiver device, comprising:
a first transceiver module;
a second transceiver module; and
a transceiver capability, the transceiver capability comprising a radiating element that is substantially planar and has a central point,
wherein the first transceiver module and the second transceiver module are associated with the transceiver capability,
wherein each of the first and second transceiver modules is coupled to the transceiver capability so as to excite a pair of excitation points of the radiating element,
wherein the excitation points of one pair of excitation points are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central point of the radiating element,
wherein the first and second transceiver modules are configured to respectively excite a first pair of excitation points arranged in a first direction of the radiating element and a second pair of excitation points arranged in a second direction of the radiating element, the first and second directions being orthogonal one with the other, and
wherein the first and second transceiver modules are configured to use monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology and are formed on the same substrate so as to form a single circuit, the single circuit having a footprint that facilitates an integration of the single circuit at the rear of the transceiver capability.

2. The transceiver device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second transceiver modules are coupled to the transceiver capability so that the transceiver capability has, for each of the first and second transceiver modules, a load of the same impedance.

3. The transceiver device of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver capability comprises a patch antenna, wherein the radiating element is comprises a layer of conductive material, and wherein each of the first and second transceiver modules is coupled to the transceiver capability by a pair of power supply lines, a free end of each power supply line being coupled to one excitation point of the radiating element.

4. The transceiver device of claim 2 , wherein a distance between the excitation points of one pair of excitation points of the radiating element is adapted according to the impedance sought for the load constituted by the transceiver capability for the first and second transceiver modules.

5. The transceiver device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second transceiver modules respectively comprise a controlled switch, which allows an alternation of a mode of operation of the first and second transceiver module in transmission and reception, and wherein a common control signal is applied to the controlled switches of the first and second transceiver modules.

6. The transceiver device of claim 1 , further comprising a capability configured to adjust a relative phase between a first energizing signal and a second energizing signal respectively applied by the first and second modules to the transceiver capability.

7. The transceiver device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second modules comprises a phase shift capability and wherein the phase shift capability of the first and second transceiver modules is configured to receive a phase shift signal.

8. An antenna comprising a plurality of transceiver devices, wherein each transceiver device comprises:
a first transceiver module;
a second transceiver module; and
a transceiver capability, the transceiver capability comprising a radiating element that is substantially planar and has a central point,
wherein the first transceiver module and the second transceiver module are associated with the transceiver capability,
wherein each of the first and second transceiver modules is coupled to the transceiver capability so as to excite a pair of excitation points of the radiating element,
wherein the excitation points of one pair of excitation points are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central point of the radiating element,
wherein the first and second transceiver modules are configured to respectively excite a first pair of excitation points arranged in a first direction of the radiating element and a second pair of excitation points arranged in a second direction of the radiating element, the first and second directions being orthogonal one with the other, and
wherein the first and second transceiver modules are configured to use monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology and are formed on the same substrate so as to form a single circuit, the single circuit having a footprint that facilitates an integration of the single circuit at the rear of the transceiver capability.

9. The transceiver device of claim 3 , wherein a coupling between the free end of each power supply line and one excitation point of the radiating element comprises a slot in a layer forming a ground plane of the transceiver capability, the end of the power supply line being arranged to overlap the slot from below, the radiating element being located above the layer forming the ground plane, and the excitation point of the radiating element being located to substantially face the center of the slot.

10. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein the first and second transceiver modules of a first one of the transceiver devices are configured to use monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology, on the same substrate so as to form a single circuit, and the circuit being integrated at the rear of the transceiver capability of the transceiver device.

11. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein, for a first one of the transceiver devices, a transmission channel of each of the first and second transceiver modules comprises a capability for amplifying an energizing signal, wherein the amplifying capability comprises a preamplifier and a high-power amplifier, and wherein a reception channel of each of the first and second transceiver modules of the first transceiver device comprises a protection capability, wherein the protection capability comprises a limiter and amplifier capability, and wherein the amplifier capability comprises a low noise amplifier (LNA).

12. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein the first and second transceiver modules of a first one of the transceiver devices are located between a microwave signal generation electronics and the transceiver capability, and wherein the first and second transceiver modules of the first one of the transceiver devices are located between a remote acquisition electronics and the transceiver capability.

Assignees

• Thales Sa

Inventors

• Petit Vincent
• Louis Bruno
• Renard Christian
• Fedorowicz Laurent

Classifications

• H01Q9/0478

  with means for suppressing spurious modes, e.g. cross polarisation · CPC title

• H01Q23/00

  Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them · CPC title

• H01Q9/0457

  electromagnetically coupled to the feed line · CPC title

• H01Q9/0435 Primary

  using two feed points · CPC title