Reducing reflector antenna spillover lobes and back lobes in satellite communication systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12300889-B2
Application number	US-202117521690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2021
Priority date	Nov 9, 2020
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A system for reducing antenna spillover in a satellite communications system is disclosed. The system may include an apparatus comprising an antenna terminal, which in turn may include a sub-reflector and a main reflector. The main reflector may include at least one of an extension, a shroud, and a serrated edge. The extension may be a full rim extension or a partial extension. The shroud may be a full shroud or a partial shroud. The serrated edge may include a straight serration or a curved serration, the serrated edge also having various dimensions and profiles. In some examples, the sub-reflector and the main reflector of the antenna terminal may be provided and configured to reduce antenna spillover in accordance with antenna performance and interference restrictions set forth by one or more governing bodies.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
an antenna terminal for a satellite communication system, the antenna terminal comprising:
a sub-reflector; and
a main reflector, the main reflector comprising an antenna extension and a serrated edge, the antenna extension being configured to reduce antenna spillover, wherein the serrated edge includes an edge defining tips of serration and foot of serration, and wherein the serrated edge has a profile comprising a straight edge serration;

wherein the sub-reflector and the main reflector of the antenna terminal are configured to reduce antenna spillover in accordance with antenna performance and interference restrictions; wherein the antenna extension comprises one of a full rim antenna extension and a partial rim antenna extension, wherein the full rim antenna extension provides an ‘n’-meter rim around the main reflector, and the full rim antenna extension is configured to reduce antenna back-lobes by 14.6 dB, and the partial rim antenna extension comprises at least two x*y meter extensions at a plurality of predetermined locations around the main reflector, wherein the partial rim antenna extension is configured to reduce the antenna back-lobes by 29.6 dB, wherein the antenna terminal operates in a frequency range between 24.75-25.25 GHZ, 27.5-28.35 GHZ, 37.5-40 GHZ, 47.2-48.2, GHz and 50.4-51.4 GHz.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the serrated edge of the main reflector has a size comprising at least one of 25 cm, 50 cm, or 100 cm.

3. A method, comprising:
providing an antenna terminal for a satellite communication system with a sub-reflector and a main reflector; and
providing the main reflector with an antenna extension for reducing antenna spillover and a serrated edge, wherein the serrated edge includes an edge defining tips of serration and foot of serration, wherein the serrated edge has a profile comprising a straight edge serration;
wherein the sub-reflector and the main reflector of the antenna terminal are configured to reduce the antenna spillover in accordance with antenna performance and interference restrictions;
wherein the antenna extension comprises one of a full rim antenna extension for reducing antenna back-lobes by 14.6 dB and a partial rim antenna extension for reducing the antenna back-lobes by 29.6 dB, and wherein the full rim antenna extension provides an ‘n’-meter rim around the main reflector, and the partial rim antenna extension comprises at least two x*y meter extensions at a plurality of predetermined locations around the main reflector, wherein the antenna terminal operates in a frequency range between 24.75-25.25 GHZ, 27.5-28.35 GHZ, 37.5-40 GHZ, 47.2-48.2, GHz and 50.4-51.4 GHz.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the serrated edge of the main reflector has a size comprising at least one of 25 cm, 50 cm, or 100 cm.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an executable stored thereon, which when executed instructs a processor to perform the following:
providing an antenna terminal for a satellite communication system with a sub-reflector and a main reflector; and
providing the main reflector with an antenna extension for reducing antenna spillover and a serrated edge, wherein the serrated edge includes an edge defining tips of serration and foot of serration, wherein the serrated edge has a profile comprising a straight edge serration;
wherein the sub-reflector and the main reflector of the antenna terminal are configured to reduce the antenna spillover in accordance with antenna performance and interference restrictions; and
wherein the antenna extension comprises one of a full rim antenna extension for reducing antenna back-lobes by 14.6 dB and a partial rim antenna extension for reducing the antenna back-lobes by 29.6 dB, the full rim antenna extension provides an ‘n’-meter rim around the main reflector and the partial rim antenna extension comprises at least two x*y meter extensions at a plurality of predetermined locations around the main reflector, wherein the antenna terminal operates in a frequency range between 24.75-25.25 GHz, 27.5-28.35 GHZ, 37.5-40 GHz, 47.2-48.2, GHz and 50.4-51.4 GHz.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the serrated edge has a size of 25 cm, 50 cm, or 100 cm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the main reflector comprises a shroud and wherein the shroud comprises one of a full shroud and a partial shroud.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the full shroud provides a n-meter shroud around the main reflector and wherein the partial shroud comprises at least two x*y meter partial shrouds at a plurality of predetermined locations around the main reflector.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the main reflector comprises a shroud and wherein the shroud comprises one of a full shroud and a partial shroud.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the full shroud provides a n-meter shroud around the main reflector and wherein the partial shroud comprises at least two x*y meter partial shrouds at a plurality of predetermined locations around the main reflector.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the main reflector comprises a shroud and wherein the shroud comprises one of a full shroud and a partial shroud.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the full shroud provides a ‘n’-meter shroud around the main reflector and wherein the partial shroud comprises at least two x*y meter partial shrouds at a plurality of predetermined locations around the main reflector.

Assignees

• Hughes Network Systems Llc

Inventors

• Hou Peter
• Kay Stan

Classifications

• H01Q19/022 Primary

  for reducing the edge scattering of reflectors · CPC title

• H04B7/18513

  Transmission in a satellite or space-based system · CPC title

• H01Q19/19

  comprising one main concave reflecting surface associated with an auxiliary reflecting surface · CPC title

• H01Q1/288

  Satellite antennas · CPC title

• H01Q19/026 Primary

  for reducing the primary feed spill-over · CPC title