Multi-beam active phased array architecture with independent polarization control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9843107-B2
Application number	US-201615212111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 13, 2009
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment, a phased array antenna comprises multiple subcircuits in communication with multiple radiating elements. The radio frequency signals are independently adjusted for both polarization control and beam steering. In a receive embodiment, multiple RF signals of various polarizations are received and combined into at least one receive beam output. In a transmit embodiment, at least one transmit beam input is divided and transmitted through multiple radiating elements, with the transmitted beams having various polarizations. In an exemplary embodiment, the phased array antenna provides multi-beam formation over multiple operating frequency bands. The wideband nature of the active components allows for operation over multiple frequency bands simultaneously.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of satellite communication, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of user terminal antenna systems within an overlapping region of a first spot beam and a second spot beam of a satellite, wherein at least one of a polarization and a frequency range of the first spot beam is different from a polarization and a frequency range of the second spot beam;
providing first commands to a first group of user terminal antenna systems of the plurality of user terminal antenna systems to communicate with the satellite via the first spot beam, wherein the first commands are to electronically configure transceivers of the first group of user terminal antenna systems to match the polarization and frequency range of the first spot beam;
providing second commands to a second group of user terminal antenna systems of the plurality of user terminal antenna systems to communicate with the satellite via the second spot beam, wherein the second commands are to electronically configure transceivers of the second group of user terminal antenna systems to electronically configure transceivers of the second group of user terminal antenna systems to match the polarization and frequency range of the second spot beam;
obtaining an indication that load on the first spot beam is higher than a desired level and that load on the second spot beam is low enough to accommodate additional load; and
in response to obtaining the indication, providing third commands to a sub-group of user terminal antenna systems of the first group of user terminal antenna systems to switch communication with the satellite to the second spot beam, wherein the third commands are to electronically reconfigure transceivers of the sub-group of user terminal antenna systems to match the polarization and frequency range of the second spot beam.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the frequency range of the first spot beam is different than the frequency range of the second spot beam; and
the third commands are to change an operating frequency of the transceivers of the sub-group of user terminal antenna systems from the frequency range of the first spot beam to the frequency range of the second spot beam.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the operating frequency of each transceiver of the sub-group of user terminal antenna systems is changed by adjusting phase shifters in a phased array, switching between fixed frequency oscillators, switching between fixed frequency converters, using a tunable dual conversion transmitter comprising a tunable oscillator signal, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the polarization of the first spot beam is different than the polarization of the second spot beam; and
the third commands are to change an operating polarization of the transceivers of the sub-group of user terminal antenna systems from the polarization of the first spot beam to the polarization of the second spot beam.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the operating polarization of each transceiver of the sub-group of user terminal antenna systems is changed by adjusting a relative phase of signals at orthogonal antenna ports.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the transceivers of the plurality of user terminal antenna systems comprise active antenna polarizers; and
the operating polarization of the transceivers of the sub-group of user terminal antenna systems are changed by the active antenna polarizers in response to the third commands.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the active antenna polarizers comprise vector generators to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of a radio frequency signal communicated with the satellite.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically providing fourth commands to at least some of the plurality of user terminal antenna systems to switch between the polarization and the frequency range of the first spot beam and the polarization and the frequency range of the second spot beam in response to further changes in load on the first spot beam and the second spot beam.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising shifting of at least one of the first and second spot beams of the satellite to change the overlapping region from a first region to a second region.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the shifting of at least one of the first and second spot beams of the satellite is based on higher data traffic load within the second region than that within the first region.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the load on the first spot beam is higher than the desired level is due to one or more of seasonal load variations, a higher than average population density within a particular region, a higher than average number of user terminal antenna systems within the particular region, and a higher than average usage of data transmissions.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sub-group of user terminal antenna systems are a particular terminal type.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polarization of the first spot beam comprises an uplink polarization and a downlink polarization, and the frequency range of the first spot beam comprises an uplink frequency range and a downlink frequency range.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a third spot beam of the satellite illuminating the overlapping region, and at least one of a polarization and a frequency range of the third spot beam is different from the polarization and the frequency range of the first spot beam and from the polarization and the frequency range of the second spot beam.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, in response to obtaining the indication, providing fourth commands to a second sub-group of user terminal antenna systems of the first group of user terminal antenna systems to switch communication with the satellite to the third spot beam, wherein the fourth commands are to electronically reconfigure transceivers of the second sub-group of user terminal antenna systems to match the polarization and frequency range of the third spot beam.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of user terminal antenna systems are individually addressable.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sub-group of user terminal antenna systems is at least 5% of the first group of user terminal antenna systems.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least one user terminal antenna system of the sub-group of user terminal antenna systems is attached to a mobile platform.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the mobile platform is an airplane, a train or an automobile.

20. A satellite communication system comprising:
a satellite communicating using a first spot beam and a second spot beam, wherein the first spot beam and the second spot beam each illuminate an overlapping region within a geographic area, and wherein at least one of a polarization and a frequency range of the first spot beam is different from a polarization and a frequency range of the second spot beam; and
a system controller to assign each of a plurality of user terminal antenna systems within the overlapping region to the first spot beam or the second spot beam, the system controller to:
provide first commands to a first group of user terminal antenna systems of the plurality of user terminal antenna systems to communicate with the satellite via the first spot beam, wherein the first commands are to electronically configure transceivers of the first group of user terminal antenna systems to match the polarization a

Assignees

• Viasat Inc

Inventors

• Corman David W
• Zienkewicz Rob
• Saunders David

Classifications

• H04W72/23

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04W72/21

  in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network · CPC title

• H01Q3/26 Primary

  varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture ({H01Q3/12,} H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04W72/0413

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01Q1/27

  Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies (H01Q1/08, H01Q1/12, H01Q1/18 take precedence) · CPC title