Claims
- 1. An antenna system for a moving vehicle comprising:
a sub-base mounted to the vehicle for rotation about a rotation axis; an azimuth drive for rotating the sub-base; an array of antenna elements each pivotally mounted to the sub-base; a feed source associated with each antenna element to collect energy from the element; an altitude drive for pivoting the antenna elements relative to the sub-base to allow the antenna elements to be oriented at various elevation angles; and a pointing controller for monitoring the signal received by the array of antenna elements and controlling the azimuth drive and the altitude drive to maximize the strength of the signal so received or to maintain the strength of the signal above a threshold level.
- 2. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the antenna elements each comprises a lens and a reflector.
- 3. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the antenna elements are pivoted together to aim them at a satellite.
- 4. An antenna system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the antenna elements are all substantially the same size and lie substantially in one plane.
- 5. An antenna system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the antenna elements each comprises a dielectric half-cylinder with a reflector extending axially therealong.
- 6. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising phase shifters to phase align signals received at the antenna elements.
- 7. An antenna system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the phase shifters comprise mechanical trombone phase shifters.
- 8. An antenna system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the phase shifters comprise electronic phase shifters.
- 9. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sizes of the antenna elements are graduated.
- 10. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the antenna elements are inclined at an acute angle relative to the rotation axis.
- 11. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the antenna elements are spaced from one another to allow energy to be received by each without vignetting one another over a wide range of incident angles.
- 12. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a base mounted to the vehicle between the sub-base and the vehicle, and wherein the base has a major dimension of about 30 inches or less.
- 13. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the antenna array system has a low profile in which the antenna system is much wider than it is tall to minimize wind resistance and wind noise.
- 14. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the array of antenna elements is comprised of between 2 and 12 antenna elements.
- 15. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the array of antenna elements is comprised of between 4 and 8 antenna elements.
- 16. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the feed sources comprise slotted waveguides.
- 17. An antenna system as claimed in claim 16 wherein each slotted waveguide is positioned below its associated antenna element.
- 18. An antenna system as claimed in claim 16 wherein each slotted waveguide is positioned to the side of its associated antenna element.
- 19. An antenna system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a combiner for combining the energy from the feed sources and a single channel rotary joint for coupling the combiner with an external device.
- 21. An antenna system to be mounted to a vehicle for receiving signals, such as from a Direct Broadcast Satellite or other sources, the antenna system comprising:
an array of antenna elements; an azimuth drive for rotating the array about an azimuth axis; an altitude drive for pivoting the antenna elements individually about their axes to change the elevation at which the antenna elements are pointing; and wherein over a range of vehicle orientations the array of antenna elements can be pointed at a satellite by operation of the azimuth drive and/or the altitude drive.
- 22. An antenna system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the azimuth drive comprises a platen to be mounted to the vehicle for rotation, the array is mounted to the platen, and the azimuth drive further comprises a drive motor for rotating the platen.
- 23. An antenna system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the altitude drive comprises a single drive motor for pivoting all of the antenna elements together.
- 24. An antenna system as claimed in claim 21 further comprising a pointing controller for monitoring the signal received by the array of antenna elements and controlling the azimuth drive and the altitude drive to maximize or maintain the strength of the signal so received.
- 25. An antenna system as claimed in claim 21 further comprising mechanical phase shifters associated with the individual antenna elements.
- 26. An antenna system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the mechanical phase shifters are operated by the same drive motor that also drives the altitude drive.
- 27. An antenna system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the antenna elements comprise elongate half-cylinder lenses and reflectors extending therealong.
- 28. A scanning array antenna for mounting to a vehicle, comprising:
a base to be mounted to the vehicle; a turntable rotatably mounted to the base for rotation about an azimuth axis; an azimuth drive for rotating the turntable about the azimuth axis; an array of antenna elements, each pivotally mounted to the turntable for pivotal movement about an elevation axis; an elevation drive for pivoting each antenna element, relative to the turntable, about its elevation axis; feed sources associated with the antenna elements; and a combiner for combining signals collected from the feed sources.
- 29. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 28 wherein the turntable is flat and round.
- 30. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 29 wherein the turntable is perpendicular to the azimuth axis.
- 31. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 29 wherein the turntable is oriented at an acute angle relative to the azimuth axis.
- 32. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 29 wherein the turntable has a generally wedge-shaped cross-section.
- 33. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 29 wherein the turntable is pivotal between an orientation which is perpendicular to the azimuth axis and orientation which is an acute angle relative to the azimuth axis.
- 34. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 28 further comprising mechanical phase shifters.
- 35. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 34 further comprising a controller for monitoring signals received by the antenna array and for controlling the elevation drive and the azimuth drive to maximize the signal so received, the controller also being operative for controlling the operation of the mechanical phase shifters.
- 36. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 35 wherein the elevation drive comprises a single motor which is also used to manipulate the phase shifters, wherein the controller is operative for controlling the elevation drive motor.
- 37. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 28 wherein the array of antenna elements comprises several individual antenna elements.
- 38. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 37 wherein several individual antenna elements form a circular array.
- 39. A scanning array antenna as claimed in claim 38 wherein the several individual antenna elements are generally cylindrical and are parallel to and spaced apart from one another.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/345,065, filed on Nov. 9, 2001 and incorporates the same herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60345065 |
Nov 2001 |
US |