Patent Grant
9685712
The present invention relates to the field of wireless communications, and more particularly, to a satellite antenna assembly that operates over multiple frequency bands, and related methods.
When ships travel across large bodies of water, such as the ocean, they rely on satellite communications to maintain contact on shore. Satellites typically operate over multiple frequency bands, such as C-band and Ku-band, for example. The C-band provides a larger coverage area than the Ku-band. Since the Ku-band operates at a higher frequency than the C-band, shorter wavelength signals are used. Consequently, the Ku-band provides spot beam coverage.
Ships generally include a multi-band satellite antenna assembly that operates over the C-band and the Ku-band. When an oil and gas exploration ship, rig, vessel or other device floating on water (herein referred to as a ship) is operating in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, the multi-band satellite antenna assembly is typically configured to operate in the Ku-band. The Ku-band may be preferred since operating costs are generally lower as compared to operating in the C-band. When the oil and gas exploration ship is traveling across the ocean to the North Sea, for example, the availability of the Ku-band is limited. Consequently, the multi-band satellite antenna assembly is configured to operate in the C-band.
In some embodiments, the multi-band satellite antenna assembly may not simultaneously support both C-band and Ku-band and needs to be manually configured for the desired frequency band. This requires the ship to be at port, and the reconfiguration can be a time consuming and costly process. In other embodiments, the multi-band satellite antenna assembly may simultaneously support both C-band and Ku-band so that manual reconfiguration is not required.
Continued growth and demand for bandwidth has led to new commercial satellite constellations at higher frequency. The O3b satellite constellation is a next generation of satellites that operate in the Ka-band. The Ka-band satellites are deployed in a medium earth orbit as compared to a geosynchronous orbit used by C-band/Ku-band satellite constellations. An advantage of a medium earth orbit is that latency times for voice and data communications are significantly reduced.
There are several multi-band satellite antenna assemblies that support Ku-band and Ka-band but not C-band. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,497,810 to Kits van Heyningen et al. discloses an antenna assembly implemented as a multi-beam, multi-band antenna having a main reflector with multiple feed horns and a subreflector having a reflective surface defining an image focus for a Ka-band signal and a prime focus for a Ku-band frequency signal. U.S. Pat. No. 8,334,815 to Monte et al. discloses an antenna assembly implemented as a multi-beam, multi-feed antenna having a primary reflector fitted with a dual made feed tube and a switchable low noise feed block (LNB) that supports both Ka-band and Ku-band reception.
U.S. published patent application no. 2013/0295841 to Choi et al. discloses a satellite communication system between a source and a destination over multiple satellite communications paths. The satellite communication system first identifies the link performance established in multiple spectrums, then it performs a link comparison among the multiple spectrums (e.g., C-, Ku-, or Ka-Band) so as to determine a spectrum link that provides the highest throughput within an acceptable reliability criteria. The satellite communication system switches among the multiple spectrum links to provide the determined spectrum link between the source and the destination.
An antenna assembly according to the invention comprises a main reflector, a subreflector spaced from the main reflector and comprising a frequency selective surface (FSS) material that is transmissive for a first frequency band and reflective for both a second frequency band and a third frequency band. A first antenna feed may be adjacent the subreflector and directed toward the main reflector. The first antenna feed may be for the first frequency band. Second and third antenna feeds may be arranged in a coaxial relationship adjacent the main reflector and directed toward the subreflector. The second and third antenna feeds may be for the second and third frequency bands, respectively.
Incorporating three antenna feeds as part of a multi-band satellite antenna assembly advantageously allows re-use of existing volume and mounting infrastructure with respect to multi-band antenna assemblies already operating with two antenna feeds. Three antenna feeds advantageously allow for additional bandwidth to be supported by the satellite antenna assembly. This may be important for ships, as well as for land-based remote satellite terminals, for example, where installation space and accessibility may be limited.
The first antenna feed may comprise an antenna feed horn. The main reflector may have a medial opening therein, and the second and third antenna feeds may extend through the medial opening. The second antenna feed may comprise an elongated center conductor, and the third antenna feed may comprise a series of stepped circular conductors surrounding and spaced apart from said elongated center conductor.
The first frequency band may comprise the Ka-band, the second frequency band may comprise the Ku-band, and the third frequency band may comprise the C-band. Each of the first, second and third antenna feeds may be operable for both transmit and receive.
In addition, the first, second and third antenna feeds may be simultaneously operable. Since selection of anyone of the three antenna feeds may be done on the fly, this avoids the need for manually reconfiguring the antenna assembly to a desired frequency band.
The antenna assembly may further comprise a rotatable base mounting the second and third antenna feeds. A mounting plate may mount the first antenna feed, and a plurality of struts may be coupled between the mounting plate and the subreflector, with the first antenna feed positioned between the mounting plate and the subreflector.
The antenna assembly may further comprise a radome covering the main reflector and subreflector. The antenna assembly may further comprise a stabilization platform coupled to the main reflector. The main reflector may have a diameter in a range of 2 to 3 meters, for example.
Another aspect is directed to a method for making an antenna assembly as described above. The method may comprise positioning a subreflector spaced from a main reflector, with the subreflector comprising a frequency selective surface (FSS) material that is transmissive for a first frequency band and reflective for both a second frequency band and a third frequency band. A first antenna feed may be positioned so as to be directed toward the main reflector, and the first antenna feed may be adjacent the subreflector. The first antenna feed may be for the first frequency band. Second and third antenna feeds arranged in a coaxial relationship may be positioned adjacent the main reflector so as to be directed toward the subreflector. The second and third antenna feeds may be for the second and third frequency bands, respectively.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Referring initially to
A first antenna feed 40 is adjacent the main reflector 30 and is directed toward the subreflector 32. The first antenna feed 40 is for the first frequency band. Second and third antenna feeds 42, 44 are arranged in a coaxial relationship and are directed toward the main reflector 30 with the subreflector 32 therebetween. The second and third antenna feeds 42, 44 are for the second and third frequencies, respectively.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first frequency band is the Ka-band, the second frequency band is the Ku-band, and the third frequency band is the C-band. The first, second and third antenna feeds 40, 42, 44 may be simultaneously operable. Since selection of anyone of the three antenna feeds 40, 42, 44 may be done on the fly, this avoids the need for manually reconfiguring the antenna assembly to a desired frequency band. The satellite antenna assembly 20 is not limited to these frequency bands. As readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, anyone of the antenna feeds 40, 42, 44 may be configured to operate at a different frequency band. In fact, a fourth frequency band could be added to the satellite antenna assembly 20.
The satellite antenna assembly 20 includes a stabilization platform 50 coupled to the main reflector 30. The stabilization platform 50 moves the main reflector 30 based on a desired azimuth and elevation. The stabilization platform 50 also maintains the main reflector 30 in the desired azimuth and elevation, such as in a shipboard application, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The main reflector 30 is sized based on the operating frequencies of the antenna feeds, and typically has a diameter in a range of 2 to 3 meters, for example. A radome 60 covers the main reflector 30 and the subreflector 32. The radome 60 is configured to be compatible with the first, second and third frequency bands. The illustrated radome 60 is shown partially cut-away to more clearly illustrate positioning of the main reflector 30 and the subreflector 32, as well as the first, second and third antenna feeds 40, 42, 44.
Incorporating three antenna feeds 40, 42, 44 within the satellite antenna assembly 20 advantageously allows re-use of existing volume and mounting infrastructure already allocated for antenna assemblies operating with two antenna feeds. The three antenna feeds 40, 42, 44 also advantageously allow for additional bandwidth to be supported by the satellite antenna assembly 20. This may be important for ships, as well as for land-based remote satellite terminals, for example, where installation space and accessibility may be limited. Each of the first, second and third antenna feeds may be operable for both transmit and receive.
The first, second and third antenna feeds 40, 42, 44 may be simultaneously operable. Since selection of anyone of the three antenna feeds may be done on the fly, this may avoid the need for manually reconfiguring the antenna assembly to a desired frequency band.
The main reflector 30 has a medial opening therein, and the first antenna feed 40 is configured as an antenna feed horn extending through the medial opening. The first antenna feed 40 is arranged in a Cassegrain configuration since it is aimed at the subreflector 32 that is reflective to the first frequency band.
As noted above, the subreflector 32 includes a FSS material that is reflective for the first frequency band (i.e., first antenna feed 40) and is transmissive for both the second frequency band (i.e., second antenna feed 42) and the third frequency band (i.e., third antenna feed 44). For the first frequency band corresponding to the Ka-band, the FSS material is reflective to 17-29 GHz, where the receive frequency is 17-19.5 GHz and the transmit frequency is 27-29 GHz. For the second frequency band corresponding to the Ku-band, the FSS material is transmissive to 10-14.5 GHz, where the receive frequency is 10-12 GHz and the transmit frequency is 13.7-14.5 GHz. For the third frequency band corresponding to the C-band, the FSS material is transmissive to 3.9-6.5 GHz, where the receive frequency is 3.9-4.2 GHz and the transmit frequency is 5.9-6.5 GHz.
An enlarged view of the subreflector 32 is provided in
The first antenna feed 40 is mounted to a front antenna feed mounting plate 70, as illustrated in
The waveguide assembly 79 thus interfaces with a low-noise block downconverter (LNB) for receiving RF signals in the first frequency band. The LNB is a combination of a low-noise amplifier, a frequency mixer, a local oscillator and an IF amplifier. The LNB receives the RF signals from the satellite as collected by the main reflector 30 and reflected by the sub-reflector 32, amplifies the RF signals, and downconverts a frequency of the RF signals to an intermediate frequency (IF). The waveguide assembly 79 also interfaces with a block upconverter (BUC) for transmitting RF signals to the satellite. The BUC converts from an IF frequency to the desired operating frequency.
The second antenna feed 42 is configured as an elongated center conductor, and the third antenna feed 44 is configured as a series of stepped circular conductors surrounding and spaced apart from the elongated center conductor, as best illustrated in
The second and third antenna feeds 42, 44 advantageously share the same physical space. The second and third antenna feeds 42, 44 are configured similar to a coaxial cable. The RF signals for the second antenna feed 42 travel down the inner conductor, whereas the RF signals for the third antenna feed 44 travel down the outer conductor.
The waveguide assembly 80 includes a rotatable base 82 mounting the second and third antenna feeds 42, 44 and the subreflector 32. A plurality of struts 84 are coupled between the rotatable base 80 and the subreflector 32. Gears 86 are used to rotate the second and third antenna feeds 42, 44 so that linear polarization is lined up properly with the satellite. The subreflector 32 also rotates with rotation of the second and third antenna feeds 42, 44. Alternatively, the subreflector 32 may be configured so that is does not rotate with rotation of the second and third antenna feeds 42, 44.
The second antenna feed 42 (i.e., Ku-band) only operates in linear polarization (vertical or horizontal). The third antenna feed 44 (i.e., C-band) operates in linear polarization (vertical or horizontal) or circular polarization (left hand or right hand circular polarization). When both the second and third antenna feeds 42, 44 are operating in linear polarization, then both feeds are rotated simultaneously until the proper linear polarization is lined up with the satellite.
If the third antenna feed 44 is operating in circular polarization, then rotation of the rotatable base 82 has no effect on the circular polarization. In other words, circular polarization is not effected by linear polarization. To adjust for left hand or right hand circular polarization, a polarizer 88 is rotated.
The satellite antenna assembly 120 includes a stabilization platform 150 coupled to the main reflector 130. The stabilization platform 150 moves the main reflector 130 based on a desired azimuth and elevation. The stabilization platform 150 also maintains the main reflector 130 in the desired azimuth and elevation, such as in a shipboard application, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. A radome 160 covers the main reflector 130 and the subreflector 132. The radome 160 is configured to be compatible with the first, second and third frequency bands. The illustrated radome 160 is shown partially cut-away to more clearly illustrate positioning of the main reflector 130 and the subreflector 132, as well as the first, second and third antenna feeds 140, 142, 144.
Referring now to the flowchart 100 illustrated in
Referring now to
The antenna assembly 120 includes a main reflector 130 and a subreflector 132 spaced from the main reflector. The subreflector 132 includes a frequency selective surface (FSS) material that is transmissive for a first frequency band and reflective for both a second frequency band and a third frequency band.
A first antenna feed 140 is adjacent the subreflector 132 and is directed towards the main reflector 130. The first antenna feed 140 is for the first frequency band. Second and third antenna feeds 142, 144 are arranged in a coaxial relationship adjacent the main reflector 130 and are directed toward the subreflector 132. The second and third antenna feeds 142, 144 are for the second and third frequency bands, respectively.
A mounting plate 174 mounts the first antenna feed 140, and struts 172 are coupled between the mounting plate and the subreflector 132. The first antenna feed 140 is positioned between the mounting plate 174 and the subreflector 132. In other words, the first antenna feed 140 is behind the subreflector 132.
Front and rear perspective views of the first antenna feed 140 without the subreflector 132 are provided in
The first antenna feed 140 is configured as an antenna feed horn. Transmit and receive switches 176, 178 are carried by the rear of the mounting plate 174. A waveguide assembly 179 is coupled between the transmit and receive switches 176, 178 and the first antenna feed 140. Although not shown in the figures, an additional waveguide assembly is coupled to the transmit and receive switches 176, 178.
The second antenna feed 142 is configured as an elongated center conductor, and the third antenna feed 144 is configured as a series of stepped circular conductors surrounding and spaced apart from the elongated center conductor, as best illustrated in
The waveguide assembly 180 includes a rotatable base 182 mounting the second and third antenna feeds 142, 144. Struts 181 are coupled between the rotatable base 182 and the second and third antenna feeds 142, 144. Gears 186 are used to rotate the second and third antenna feeds 142, 144 so that linear polarization is lined up properly with the satellite.
If the third antenna feed 144 is operating in circular polarization, then rotation of the rotatable base 182 has no effect on the circular polarization. In other words, circular polarization is not effected by linear polarization. To adjust for left hand or right hand circular polarization, a polarizer 188 is rotated.
Referring now to the flowchart 200 illustrated in
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/608,790, filed on Jan. 29, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Child | 14625085 | US |
