US 11,881,627 B2
Reconfigurable, flexible multi-user electronically steered antenna (ESA) terminal
Jonathan James Bennett, Littleton, CO (US); Alan Cherrette, Littleton, CO (US); Andrew H. Kwon, Upland, CA (US); Elie Germain Tianang, Aurora, CO (US); Mark Adam Patrick, Littleton, CO (US); Paul A. Porter, Castle Pines, CO (US); Gregory Eric Edlund, Littleton, CO (US); and Robert Mark Clark, Littleton, CO (US)
Assigned to Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD (US)
Filed by LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION, Bethesda, MD (US)
Filed on Oct. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/086,045.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/987,824, filed on Mar. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0288415 A1, Sep. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. H01Q 21/20 (2006.01); H04W 16/28 (2009.01)
CPC H01Q 21/20 (2013.01) [H04W 16/28 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electronically steered antenna (ESA) terminal, the ESA terminal comprising:
a top block panel comprising a plurality of top panels, wherein each top panel comprises a plurality of series-connected top-columns, wherein each top-column comprises a first plurality of series-connected subarrays, wherein the top block panel is configured to communicate with one or more satellites at a first elevation angle; and
a plurality of side panels configured to communicate with the one or more satellites at a second elevation angle, wherein each side panel comprises a plurality of series-connected side-columns, and wherein each side-column comprises a second plurality of series-connected subarrays, wherein:
the top block panel and the plurality of side panels are configured to perform beam steering that covers a full or partial hemispheric field-of-view (FoV) using beams formed across the plurality of top panels and the plurality of side panels by transitioning to different beams between different panels across the plurality of side panels and the top block panel, and
the plurality of top panels and the plurality of side panels are scalable and flexibly modular.