Apparatus comprising an inner waveguide and a coaxial waveguide configured to be fed with first and second frequency signals through a tunable coaxial turnstile junction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12132245-B2
Application number	US-201917050651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2019
Priority date	Apr 27, 2018
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A multiband antenna feed, an antenna incorporating the multiband antenna feed and a method are disclosed. An apparatus, comprises: a first port which may be configured to convey a first signal at a first frequency. A second port may configured to convey a second signal at a second frequency. The second frequency may be higher than the first frequency. A third port may be configured to convey the first signal and the second signal with a feed for a multiband antenna. The third port may have an inner waveguide and a coaxial waveguide. A first network may couple the first port with the coaxial waveguide and may be configured to propagate the first signal between the first port and the coaxial waveguide. A second network may couple the second port with the inner waveguide and may be configured to propagate the second signal between the second port and the inner waveguide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a first port configured to convey a first signal at a first frequency;
a second port configured to convey a second signal at a second frequency, said second frequency being higher than said first frequency;
a third port configured to convey said first signal and said second signal with a feed for a multiband antenna, said third port having an inner waveguide and a coaxial waveguide;
wherein said first port is coupled with said coaxial waveguide by a first network configured to propagate said first signal between said first port and said coaxial waveguide; and
wherein said second port is coupled with said inner waveguide by a second network configured to propagate said second signal between said second port and said inner waveguide, wherein said first network comprises a coaxial turnstile junction, having junction waveguides extending radially therefrom, configured to convert said first signal between a first mode in said first network and a coaxial mode in said coaxial waveguide and wherein the coaxial turnstile junction comprises tuning surface variations on the junction waveguides, said first network comprises a first signal splitter configured to convert between said first signal and an in-phase first signal and an opposing phase first signal, and said first signal splitter comprises a T-junction splitter having a splitter port configured to convey said first signal, an in-phase port configured to convey said in-phase first signal and an opposing phase port configured to convey said opposing phase first signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said coaxial waveguide at least partially surrounds said inner waveguide.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of said coaxial waveguide defines an outer surface of said inner waveguide.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of said inner waveguide is selected to propagate a designated mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein an outer diameter of said inner waveguide together with said inner diameter of said coaxial waveguide is selected to propagate a different designated mode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said inner waveguide is dimensioned to propagate a TE 11 circular mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said coaxial waveguide is dimensioned to propagate a TE 11 coaxial mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said inner waveguide comprise a circular waveguide.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second network comprises one of a rectangular-to-circular waveguide transition and a circular-to-circular waveguide transition.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , defined by a series of stacked plates.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first network comprises a first pair of coupling waveguides, one of said first pair of coupling waveguides coupling said in-phase port with said turnstile junction and another of said first pair of coupling waveguides coupling said opposing phase port with said turnstile junction.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said one of said first pair of coupling waveguides couples with one side of said turnstile junction and said another of said first pair of coupling waveguides couples with an opposing side of said turnstile junction.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a fourth port configured to convey a third signal at a third frequency and with a polarization different than a polarization of said first signal, said third frequency being higher than said first frequency and wherein said first network couples said fourth port with said coaxial waveguide and is configured to propagate said third signal between said fourth port and said coaxial waveguide.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said third frequency matches said first frequency.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said first network comprises a second signal splitter configured to convert between said third signal and an in-phase third signal and an opposing phase third signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said second signal splitter comprises a T-junction splitter having a splitter port configured to convey said third signal, an in-phase port configured to convey said in-phase third signal and an opposing phase port configured to convey said opposing phase third signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said first network comprises a second pair of coupling waveguides, one of said second pair of coupling waveguides coupling said in-phase port with said turnstile junction and another of said second pair of coupling waveguides coupling said opposing phase port with said turnstile junction.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said one of said second pair of coupling waveguides couples with one side of said turnstile junction and said another of said second pair of coupling waveguides couples with an opposing side of said turnstile junction.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said second pair of coupling waveguides couple with said turnstile junction at positions intermediate said first pair of coupling waveguides.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said first signal and third signal have a matching frequency and differing polarizations.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said apparatus comprises a backfire dual band feed.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said antenna comprises a parabolic antenna.

23. An antenna arrangement comprising said apparatus as claimed in claim 1 .

24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first network further comprises respective polarization rotators coupled between the T-junction splitter and the coaxial turnstile junction.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said junction waveguides comprise rectangular waveguides.

26. A method, comprising:
conveying a first signal at a first frequency at a first port;
conveying a second signal at a second frequency at a second port, said second frequency being higher than said first frequency;
coupling said first port with a coaxial waveguide using a first network configured to propagate said first signal between said first port and said coaxial waveguide;
coupling said second port with an inner waveguide using a second network configured to propagate said second signal between said second port and said inner waveguide; and
conveying said first signal and said second signal with a third port having said inner waveguide and said coaxial waveguide, an inner surface of the coaxial waveguide defining an outer surface of the inner waveguide, and a feed for a multiband antenna, wherein said first network comprises a coaxial turnstile junction, having junction waveguides extending radially therefrom, configured to convert said first signal between a first mode in said first network and a coaxial mode in said coaxial waveguide and wherein the coaxial turnstile junction comprises tuning surface variations on the junction waveguides, said first network comprises a first signal splitter configured to convert between said first signal and an in-phase first signal and an opposing phase first signal, and said first signal splitter comprises a T-junction splitter having a splitter port configured to convey said first signal, an in-phase port configured to convey said in-phase first signal and an opposing phase port configured to convey said opposing phase first signal.

Assignees

• Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd

Inventors

• Letestu Yoann
• Tuau Denis

Classifications

• H01P1/2138

  using hollow waveguide filters (H01P1/2131 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01P1/16

  for mode selection, e.g. mode suppression or mode promotion; for mode conversion · CPC title

• H01P5/20

  Magic-T junctions · CPC title

• H01Q5/50 Primary

  Feeding or matching arrangements for broad-band or multi-band operation · CPC title

• H01Q5/47

  with a coaxial arrangement of the feeds · CPC title