Multisegment reflector antenna directing beams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12015202-B2
Application number	US-202318195901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2023
Priority date	Aug 10, 2020
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

A multisegment array-fed reflector antenna includes a feed array consisting of a number of subarrays and a multisegment reflector to reflect multiple beams of the feed array into a number of elevation angles. A support structure couples the multisegment reflector to the feed array. The multisegment reflector includes two or more ring-focus parabolic segments, and each ring-focus parabolic segment is a parabolic surface extending along a circle around the support structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual-reflector multisegment antenna, comprising:
a first reflector comprising a concave surface;
an electronically scanned array (ESA) feed array coupled to a base of the first reflector; and
a second reflector facing the ESA feed array, wherein:
the concave surface is configured to reflect a plurality of beams to the second reflector, and
the second reflector is configured to direct the plurality of beams radiated to the ESA-feed array.

2. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first reflector comprises a multisegment ring-focus reflector configured to reflect the plurality of beams to the second reflector.

3. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 1 , wherein:
the ESA feed array comprises subarrays, and
the second reflector is configured to direct at least some of the plurality of beams to the subarrays.

4. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 3 , wherein:
the subarrays comprises antennas, and
the second reflector is configured to direct at least some of the plurality of beams from the antennas to the first reflector.

5. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 4 , wherein the first reflector is configured to direct at least some of the plurality of beams from the second reflector, via the antennas, to one or more satellites.

6. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 1 , wherein the second reflector comprises a parabolic reflector.

7. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first reflector comprises a conical reflector.

8. A dual-reflector multisegment antenna, comprising:
a conical reflector comprising a base, the conical reflector further comprising a first concave surface;
a feed array coupled to the conical reflector at the base; and
a parabolic reflector comprising a second concave surface that faces the feed array,
wherein in response to a beam incident on the conical reflector:
the conical reflector is configured to direct, based on the first concave surface, the beam to the second concave surface, and
the second concave surface is configured to direct the beam to the feed array.

9. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 8 , wherein:
the feed array comprises a first subarray and a second subarray, and
in response to the beam incident on the parabolic reflector, the parabolic reflector is configured to direct, based on the second concave surface, the beam to the first subarray or the second subarray.

10. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 9 , wherein:
each of the first subarray and the second subarray comprises antennas, and
the parabolic reflector is configured to direct the beam to at least one of the antennas.

11. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 8 , wherein the base comprises a circular base.

12. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 8 , wherein the feed array comprises an electronically scanned array (ESA) feed array.

13. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 8 , wherein the conical reflector further comprises a cone-shaped reflector.

14. The dual-reflector multisegment antenna of claim 13 , wherein the cone-shaped reflector defines the first concave surface.

15. A method for directing one or more beams, the method comprising:
providing a conical reflector comprising a first concave surface;
providing a parabolic reflector comprising a second concave surface, wherein the parabolic reflector is configured to receive the one or more beams from the conical reflector based on the first concave surface; and
providing a feed array coupled to the conical reflector, wherein the feed array is configured to receive the one or more beams from the parabolic reflector based on the second concave surface.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the feed array comprises a subarray, and
the subarray is configured to receive the one or more beams from the parabolic reflector.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein providing the conical reflector providing a cone-shaped reflector.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein providing the conical reflector comprising providing a cone-shaped reflector that defines the first concave surface.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the parabolic reflector is configured to receive the one or more beams from the first concave surface.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein providing the feed array comprises providing a plurality of antennas.

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Bhattacharyya Arun Kumar
• Tianang Elie Germain
• Cherrette Alan
• Bennett Jonathan James

Classifications

• H01Q3/2658

  Phased-array fed focussing structure · CPC title

• H01Q15/18

  comprising plurality of mutually inclined plane surfaces, e.g. corner reflector {(H01Q15/16 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H01Q5/35

  using two or more simultaneously fed points · CPC title

• H01Q3/14

  for varying the relative position of primary active element and a refracting or diffracting device · CPC title

• H01Q15/162 Primary

  composed of a plurality of rigid panels · CPC title