Digital conformal antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11923618-B2
Application number	US-202017118994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2020
Priority date	Dec 11, 2020
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

A phased-array antenna system includes: an array of discrete antenna modules disposed conformally with an exterior surface of a platform; a digital distribution system comprising a digital communications medium to convey digital signals to and/or from respective input/output ports of the antenna modules; and a controller system to supply and/or receive the digital signals to/from the antenna modules via the digital distribution system. The controller system controls relative phases of the digital signals to enable the antenna elements to form a directive antenna beam pattern. Each antenna module includes: an antenna element to emit and/or absorb RF signals; an input/output port to send and/or receive digital signals; an electronics unit including an A/D and/or D/A converter to provide an interface between the antenna element and the input/output port; and a housing in which the antenna element and electronics unit are packaged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A phased-array antenna system comprising:
a plurality of discrete antenna modules arranged in an array and configured to be disposed conformally with a surface of a platform, each antenna module comprising:
an antenna element to emit and/or absorb radio frequency (RF) signals;
a digital input/output port to send and/or receive digital signals;
an electronics unit including at least one of an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter to provide an interface between the antenna element and the digital input/output port; and
a housing in which the antenna element and electronics unit are integrally packaged, wherein the housing is a low-profile housing having a maximum height dimension less than λ/10, where λ is the wavelength at a lowest operating frequency of the antenna element;

a digital distribution system comprising a digital communications medium to convey digital signals to and/or from respective digital input/output ports of the antenna modules; and
a controller system to supply the digital signals to the antenna modules and/or to receive digital signals from the antenna modules via the digital distribution system, wherein the controller system controls relative phases of the digital signals to enable the antenna elements to form a directive antenna beam pattern.

2. The phased-array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein each antenna module further comprises:
a ground plane disposed between the antenna element and the electronics unit; and
a substrate disposed between the antenna element and the ground plane, the substrate comprising a lossy ferrite material.

3. The phased-array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein each antenna module further comprises:
a ground plane disposed between the antenna element and the electronics unit; and
a substrate disposed between the antenna element and the ground plane, the substrate comprising a tuning resonant disk.

4. The phased-array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein each antenna module further comprises:
a ground plane disposed between the antenna element and the electronics unit; and
a substrate disposed between the antenna element and the ground plane, wherein the antenna element, the substrate, the ground plane, and the electronics unit are arranged in a stack within the housing of the antenna element.

5. The phased-array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the electronics unit comprises a digital communications converter comprising:
the A/D converter and D/A converter;
an analog interface to supply analog RF signals from the antenna element to the A/D converter and to receive analog RF signals from the D/A converter;
a digital interface to receive digital signals from the A/D converter and to supply digital signals to the D/A converter, the digital interface being coupled to the digital input/output port.

6. The phased-array antenna system of claim 5 , wherein the digital communications converter up-converts baseband or intermediate frequency (IF) digital signals received from the digital distribution medium to RF signals.

7. The phased-array antenna system of claim 5 , wherein the digital communications converter down-converters RF signals received from the antenna element to digital baseband or intermediate frequency (IF) signals.

8. The phased-array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein each of the antenna modules operates in at least two frequency bands.

9. The phased-array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the controller system supplies and receives cellular communications signals.

10. The phased-array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the controller system comprises a digital beamformer system.

11. The phased-array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the digital communications medium comprises optical fiber.

12. An antenna module comprising:
an antenna element to emit and/or absorb radio frequency (RF) signals;
a digital input/output port to send digital signals to and/or to receive digital signals from a digital communications medium;
an electronics unit including at least one of an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter to provide an interface between the antenna element and the digital input/output port; and
a housing shaped to be disposed conformally with an exterior surface of a platform, wherein the antenna element and electronics unit are disposed within the housing, and the digital input/output port provides ingress/egress of the digital signals to/from the housing,
wherein the each antenna module further comprises:
a ground plane disposed between the antenna element and the electronics unit; and
a substrate disposed between the antenna element and the ground plane, the substrate comprising a tuning resonant disk.

13. The antenna module of claim 12 , wherein the antenna module further comprises:
a ground plane disposed between the antenna element and the electronics unit; and
a substrate disposed between the antenna element and the ground plane, the substrate comprising a lossy ferrite material.

14. The antenna module of claim 12 , wherein each antenna module further comprises:
a ground plane disposed between the antenna element and the electronics unit; and
a substrate disposed between the antenna element and the ground plane, wherein the antenna element, the substrate, the ground plane, and the electronics unit are arranged in a stack within the housing of the antenna element.

15. The antenna module of claim 12 , wherein each of the antenna modules operates in at least two cellular frequency bands.

16. A phased-array antenna system comprising:
a plurality of discrete antenna modules arranged in an array and configured to be disposed conformally with a surface of a platform, each antenna module comprising:
an antenna element to emit and/or absorb radio frequency (RF) signals;
a digital input/output port to send and/or receive digital signals;
an electronics unit including at least one of an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter to provide an interface between the antenna element and the digital input/output port; and
a housing in which the antenna element and electronics unit are integrally packaged;

a digital distribution system comprising a digital communications medium to convey digital signals to and/or from respective digital input/output ports of the antenna modules; and
a controller system to supply the digital signals to the antenna modules and/or to receive digital signals from the antenna modules via the digital distribution system, wherein the controller system controls relative phases of the digital signals to enable the antenna elements to form a directive antenna beam pattern,
wherein the electronics unit comprises a digital communications converter comprising:
the A/D converter and D/A converter;
an analog interface to supply analog RF signals from the antenna element to the A/D converter and to receive analog RF signals from the D/A converter;
a digital interface to receive digital signals from the A/D converter and to supply digital signals to the D/A converter, the digital interface being coupled to the digital input/output port.

17. The antenna module of claim 16 , wherein the digital communications converter up-converts baseband or intermediate frequency (IF) digital signals received from the digital distribution medium to RF signals.

18. The antenna module of claim 16 , wherein the digital communications converter down-converters RF signals received from the antenna element to digital baseban

Assignees

• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Houser Peter B
• Tzanidis Yianni
• Burnside Scott R

Classifications

• H01Q3/38 Primary

  the phase-shifters being digital · CPC title

• H01Q1/42

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title

• H01Q5/307

  Individual or coupled radiating elements, each element being fed in an unspecified way · CPC title

• H01Q1/286

  substantially flush mounted with the skin of the craft · CPC title