System and method for a digitally beamformed phased array feed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12113302-B2
Application number	US-202318378022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2023
Priority date	Feb 24, 2021
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a digital beamformed phased array feed. The system may include a radome configured to allow electromagnetic waves to propagate; a multi-band software defined antenna array tile; a power and clock management subsystem configured to manage power and time of operation; a thermal management subsystem configured to dissipate heat generated by the multi-band software defined antenna array tile; and an enclosure assembly. The multi-band software defined antenna array tile may include a plurality of coupled dipole array antenna elements; a plurality of frequency converters; and a plurality of digital beamformers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory operably connected to the one or more processors, wherein the memory includes processor executable instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or one or more processors to perform the steps of:
(a) updating a graphical display associated with the computer system during a first time period by the steps of:
i. receiving, via a pedestal controller operatively connected to a first parabolic reflector, first angular direction information comprising a first azimuth axis component and a first elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector;
ii. receiving, via a data transport bus, a first set of respective first digital data streams associated with a first plurality of partial beams,
wherein each respective partial beam of the first plurality of partial beams is associated with a respective first digital data stream and data in the respective first digital data stream is associated with a first plurality of respective modulated radio frequency signals received by a plurality of antenna array elements;

iii. processing the first set of respective first digital data streams associated with the first plurality of partial beams to generate a second set of respective second digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams, wherein each beam of the first plurality of beams is based on at least two respective first digital data streams, and
wherein a first beam is assigned to a first object and a second beam is assigned to a second object;

iv. processing the second set of respective second digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams to generate:
a. first location information associated with the first object;
b. second location information associated with the second object;
c. first object movement information associated with the first object; and
d. second object movement information associated with the second object,
 wherein the first object movement information comprises a first object angular velocity and a first object angular direction, and wherein the first object angular direction comprises a first object elevation angle component and a first object azimuth angle component,
 wherein the second object movement information comprises a second object angular velocity and a second object angular direction, and wherein the second object angular direction comprises a second object elevation angle component and a second object azimuth angle component, and
 wherein the first object is associated with first priority information and the second object is associated with second priority information; and

v. updating the graphical display based on:
a. the first plurality of beams;
b. the first object based at least on the first object movement information;
c. the second object based at least on the second object movement information;
d. a first azimuth axis based on the first azimuth axis component; and
e. a first elevation axis based on the first elevation axis component; and

(b) providing respective updated direction information associated with the first beam, the second beam and the first parabolic reflector by the steps of:
i. generating second angular direction information comprising a second azimuth axis component and a second elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector by the steps of:
a. determining a first angular direction trajectory associated with a respective angular direction of the first parabolic reflector based on:
 i. the first location information associated with the first object;
 ii. the second location information associated with the second object;
 iii. the first priority information;
 iv. the second priority information;
 v. the first object movement information;
 vi. the second object movement information;
 vii. the first angular direction information;
 viii. the first azimuth axis;
 ix. the first elevation axis;
b. determining that the first elevation axis has exceeded a threshold elevation angle;
c. calculating a first tangent trajectory associated with the respective angular direction of the first parabolic reflector based on the first angular direction trajectory, wherein the first tangent trajectory comprises a first azimuth trajectory component and a first elevation trajectory component;
d. generating the second angular direction information based on:
 i. the first beam;
 ii. the second beam; and
 iii. the first tangent trajectory;

ii. generating a respective first weighting factor associated with the first beam as part of a first array of weighting factors associated with the first plurality of beams based on:
a. the first angular direction trajectory;
b. the second angular direction information;
c. the first object movement information;
d. the first azimuth axis; and
e. the first elevation axis;

iii. generating a respective second weighting factor associated with the second beam as part of the first array of weighting factors associated with the first plurality of beams based on:
a. the first angular direction trajectory;
b. the second angular direction information;
c. the second object movement information;
d. the first azimuth axis; and
e. the first elevation axis;

iv. transmitting, via the pedestal controller to the first parabolic reflector, the second angular direction information,
wherein the pedestal controller adjusts the respective first angular direction associated with the first parabolic reflector based on the second angular direction information;

v. transmitting, via a system controller to a first respective digital beamformer of a plurality of digital beamformers operatively connected to the plurality of antenna array elements and the system controller, the respective first weighting factor; and
vi. transmitting, via the system controller to a second respective digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers operatively connected to the plurality of antenna array elements and the system controller, the respective second weighting factor.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein each partial beam is formed by a respective digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers.

3. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of beams comprises two partial beams.

4. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first priority information is a primary object weight.

5. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first priority information is a secondary object weight.

6. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first priority information is a ternary object weight.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the processor executable instructions cause the one or one or more processors to further perform the step of providing at least a portion of the graphical display to a display.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the display is a stationary device.

9. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the display is a mobile device.

10. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the display is a graphical user interface.

Assignees

• Bluehalo Llc

Inventors

• Pace Michael Thomas
• Baur David Gregory
• Schuler-Sandy Theodore Lyman
• Kennedy William
• Micono Jeffrey Gerard
• Walker William Louis
• Newell Garrett James

Classifications

• H01Q21/0068

  Dielectric waveguide fed arrays · CPC title

• H04B7/0617

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H01Q3/2658

  Phased-array fed focussing structure · CPC title

• H01Q3/2605

  Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays · CPC title

• H04B7/0848

  Joint weighting · CPC title