Distributed feeding device for antenna beamforming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9748648-B2
Application number	US-201414261965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2014
Priority date	Apr 26, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A distributed feeding device for antenna beamforming comprises a first distributed feeding circuit comprising P inputs and N outputs, for producing a signal on each of its outputs with a phase shift which is substantially constant between two adjacent outputs, at least one frequency multiplexer connected to at least one input of the said first circuit, a number N of frequency demultiplexers each connected, by their input, to an output of the first circuit and a second distributed feeding means comprising a plurality of inputs, each connected to an output of one of the frequency demultiplexers, and a plurality of outputs, the second distributed feeding means comprising at least one second distributed feeding circuit comprising Q inputs and M outputs, for producing a signal on each output with a phase shift which is substantially constant between two adjacent outputs, the integers P, N, Q and M being equal or distinct.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A distributed feeding apparatus for antenna beamforming, comprising:
a first distributed feeding circuit comprising a plurality P of inputs and a plurality N of outputs,
the first distributed feeding circuit being configured for producing, when a signal is injected on one of the P inputs, a signal on each of the N outputs with a phase shift which is approximately constant between two adjacent outputs among the N outputs,
at least one frequency multiplexer connected to at least one input of the said first circuit, a number, equal to the number N of outputs of the said first distributed feeding circuit, of frequency demultiplexers each connected in input, to an output of the said first distributed feeding circuit, and
a second distributed feeding device comprising a plurality of inputs, each connected to an output of one of the said frequency demultiplexers, and a plurality of outputs, the said second distributed feeding device comprising:
at least one second distributed feeding circuit comprising a plurality Q of inputs and a plurality M of outputs,
the second distributed feeding circuit being configured for producing, when a signal is injected on one the Q inputs, a signal on each of the M outputs with a phase shift which is approximately constant between two adjacent outputs among the M outputs.

2. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , in which a frequency multiplexer is configured to multiplex a plurality of signals on distinct optical carriers.

3. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 2 , in which a frequency demultiplexer is configured to demultiplex a plurality of optical carriers into at least one group of carriers comprising one of the optical carriers produced on each input of the said first distributed feeding circuit.

4. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 2 , in which the said second distributed feeding device comprises a single distributed feeding circuit having Q inputs and M outputs which is configured for producing, when a signal is injected on one of the Q inputs, a signal on each of the M outputs with a phase shift which is approximately constant between two adjacent outputs, a frequency translating device for translating the optical signals delivered by each frequency demultiplexer so that they occupy different frequency bands, at least one second frequency multiplexer for multiplexing together the signals, delivered by each of the said frequency demultiplexers, emitted on the same optical carriers, and at least one second frequency demultiplexer (D′ 1 , . . . D′ 8 ), connected to an output of the said single feeding circuit, for demultiplexing the frequency-translated signals.

5. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 4 , in which the said frequency bands are adjacent.

6. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 4 , in which the said second distributed feeding device furthermore comprises:
a first polarization handling device for modifying the polarization of the signals delivered by a first frequency demultiplexer so that the signals delivered by two distinct first demultiplexers are polarized differently, and
a second polarization handling device for modifying the polarization of the signals delivered at the output of the said distributed feeding circuit so that they all have the same polarization.

7. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the second distributed feeding device comprises a number of inputs equal to Q multiplied by N and a number of outputs equal to M multiplied by N, each of the inputs of the second distributed feeding device being connected to a different output of a frequency demultiplexer.

8. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the said second distributed feeding device comprises a number equal to N of second distributed feeding circuits having Q inputs and M outputs, configured for producing, when a signal is injected on one of the Q inputs, a signal on each of the M outputs with a phase shift which is approximately constant between two adjacent outputs, each of the said second feeding circuits being connected, by Q inputs, to Q outputs of one and the same frequency demultiplexer.

9. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 1 ,
in which the said second distributed feeding device comprises a number equal to N/2 of second distributed feeding circuits with having Q inputs and M outputs, configured for producing, when a signal is injected on one of the Q inputs, a signal on each of the M outputs with a phase shift which is approximately constant between two adjacent outputs, the said second feeding device furthermore comprising at least one polarization-combining element connected, in output, to an input of one of the said second distributed feeding circuits and being configured to combine a first signal delivered by an output of a first frequency demultiplexer having a first polarization and a second signal delivered by an output of a second frequency demultiplexer having a second polarization, different from the first polarization, the said second feeding device furthermore comprising at least one polarization-separating element connected, in input, to an output of one of the said second distributed feeding circuits and being able to separate a first signal having a first polarization from a second signal having a second polarization, different from the first polarization.

10. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 9 , in which the second polarization is orthogonal to the first polarization.

11. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 10 , in which the first polarization is horizontal and the second polarization is vertical.

12. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the theoretical transfer function of the said first distributed feeding circuit and the said second distributed feeding circuit is an orthogonal or unit matrix.

13. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , furthermore comprising a second distributed feeding circuit paired with the first distributed feeding circuit and configured with different polarization from that of the said first distributed feeding circuit.

14. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the said first distributed feeding circuit and the said second distributed feeding circuit are of the Blass matrices or Rotman lenses or “Pillbox” devices type.

15. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the number of inputs P and the number of outputs N of the first distributed feeding circuit are equal to one another and equal to the number of inputs Q and to the number of outputs M of a second distributed feeding circuit of the second distributed feeding device.

16. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 15 , in which the said first distributed feeding circuit and the said second distributed feeding circuits are of the Butler matrix type.

17. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the said first distributed feeding circuit and the said second distributed feeding circuit are optical integrated circuits.

18. The distributed feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the said first distributed feeding circuit is disposed in a plane substantially orthogonal to the plane of the said second distributed feeding circuit.

19. An antenna beamforming array comprising a distributed feeding apparatus for antenna beamforming, comprising:
a first distributed feedi

Assignees

• Thales Sa

Inventors

• Caille Gerard
• Sotom Michel

Classifications

• H01Q3/2676

  Optically controlled phased array · CPC title

• H01Q3/40 Primary

  with phasing matrix · CPC title