Transceiver element for an active, electronically controlled antenna system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9602155-B2
Application number	US-201314420933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2013
Priority date	Aug 16, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A transceiver element for an active, electronically controlled antenna system includes a transmit path, a receive path and single-pole change-over switches having a common central connection and two connections for switching between the transmit path and the receive path. An amplitude controller and a phase adjuster are arranged between the common center connections of a first and second single-pole change-over switch. Single-pole multiple toggle switches having a common central connection and a number N of connections are present. The common central connection of the first and second single-pole change-over switch is connected to the common central connection of a first and a second single-pole multiple toggle switch respectively, and an amplitude controller and a phase adjuster are connected between each connection of the number N of connections of the first multiple toggle switch and the second multiple toggle switch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transceiver element for an active, electronically controlled antenna system, the transceiver element comprising:
a transmit path;
a receive path;
at least first and second single-pole changeover switches with a common central connection and two connections for changing over between the transmit path and the receive path;
a plurality of amplitude adjusters and a plurality of phase adjusters arranged between the common central connections of a first and a second single-pole changeover switch; and
single-pole multiple-throw switches with a common central connection and a number N of connections,
wherein the common central connection of the first or second single-pole changeover switch is connected to the common central connection of a first or a second single-pole multiple-throw switch and an amplitude adjuster and a phase adjuster are switched in each case between each connection of the number N of connections of the first and second multiple-throw switches.

2. The transceiver element of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second single-pole multiple-throw switches are interconnected such that the changeover of the first and the second single-pole multiple-throw switch to the amplitude adjuster and the phase adjuster occurs synchronously.

3. The transceiver element of claim 1 , wherein the amplitude adjusters and phase adjusters between the connections are each adjusted to different frequency bands.

4. The transceiver element of claim 3 , wherein the different frequency bands include L band, S band, C band, X band, Ku band, K band or Ka band, or partial bands therefrom.

5. The transceiver element of claim 1 , wherein the number N of connections of the first and second single-pole multiple-throw switches is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.

6. An antenna system, comprising:
a plurality of transceiver elements, each comprising
a transmit path;
a receive path;
at least first and second single-pole changeover switches with a common central connection and two connections for changing over between the transmit path and the receive path;
a plurality of amplitude adjusters and a plurality of phase adjusters arranged between the common central connections of a first and a second single-pole changeover switch; and
single-pole multiple-throw switches with a common central connection and a number N of connections,
wherein the common central connection of the first or second single-pole changeover switch is connected to the common central connection of a first or a second single-pole multiple-throw switch and an amplitude adjuster and a phase adjuster are switched in each case between each connection of the number N of connections of the first and second multiple-throw switches,
wherein the amplitude adjusters and phase adjusters between the connections are each adjusted to different frequency bands,

wherein spacing of the transceiver elements is less than λ/2, wherein λ is the wavelength of that band with the highest frequency used in any of the transceiver elements.

7. The antenna system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a controller configured to control the first and second single-pole multiple-throw switches, the three single-pole double-throw switches and the amplitude adjusters and phase adjusters.

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh

Inventors

• Chartier Sebastien

Classifications

• H01Q3/34

  by electrical means (active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46) · CPC title

• H01Q3/38

  the phase-shifters being digital · CPC title

• H01Q21/0025

  Modular arrays · CPC title

• H01Q3/28 Primary

  varying the amplitude · CPC title

• H04B7/12

  Frequency diversity · CPC title