US 12,255,412 B2
System and method for a digitally beamformed phased array feed
Michael Thomas Pace, Albuquerque, NM (US); David Gregory Baur, Sandia Park, NM (US); Theodore Lyman Schuler-Sandy, Albuquerque, NM (US); William Kennedy, Quincy, MA (US); Jeffrey Gerard Micono, Albuquerque, NM (US); William Louis Walker, Albuquerque, NM (US); and Garrett James Newell, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to BlueHalo, LLC, Hunstville, AL (US)
Filed by BlueHalo, LLC, Huntsville, AL (US)
Filed on Mar. 28, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/620,553.
Application 18/620,553 is a continuation of application No. 18/196,568, filed on May 12, 2023, granted, now 12,062,861.
Application 18/196,568 is a continuation of application No. 17/690,747, filed on Mar. 9, 2022, abandoned.
Application 17/690,747 is a continuation of application No. 17/679,817, filed on Feb. 24, 2022, granted, now 11,670,855, issued on Jun. 6, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/200,260, filed on Feb. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/188,959, filed on May 14, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/262,124, filed on Oct. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0266737 A1, Aug. 8, 2024
Int. Cl. H01Q 21/00 (2006.01); G01S 3/04 (2006.01); G01S 3/38 (2006.01); G01S 3/40 (2006.01); G01S 3/42 (2006.01); H01Q 1/02 (2006.01); H01Q 3/08 (2006.01); H01Q 3/20 (2006.01); H01Q 3/22 (2006.01); H01Q 3/26 (2006.01); H01Q 3/34 (2006.01); H01Q 3/38 (2006.01); H01Q 5/28 (2015.01); H01Q 5/48 (2015.01); H01Q 15/16 (2006.01); H01Q 19/10 (2006.01); H01Q 19/13 (2006.01); H01Q 21/06 (2006.01); H04B 7/0408 (2017.01); H04B 7/06 (2006.01); H04B 7/08 (2006.01); H04B 17/23 (2015.01)
CPC H01Q 5/48 (2015.01) [G01S 3/043 (2013.01); G01S 3/046 (2013.01); G01S 3/38 (2013.01); G01S 3/40 (2013.01); G01S 3/42 (2013.01); H01Q 1/02 (2013.01); H01Q 3/08 (2013.01); H01Q 3/20 (2013.01); H01Q 3/22 (2013.01); H01Q 3/2682 (2013.01); H01Q 3/34 (2013.01); H01Q 3/38 (2013.01); H01Q 5/28 (2015.01); H01Q 15/16 (2013.01); H01Q 19/108 (2013.01); H01Q 19/13 (2013.01); H01Q 21/0068 (2013.01); H01Q 21/062 (2013.01); H04B 7/0408 (2013.01); H04B 7/0639 (2013.01); H04B 7/0695 (2013.01); H04B 7/086 (2013.01); H04B 7/0865 (2013.01); H04B 17/23 (2015.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A digitally beamformed phased array system configured for mounting on a moving vehicle comprising:
(a) a multi-band software defined antenna array tile mounted on the moving vehicle and comprising:
(i) a plurality of digital beamformers operably connected to a digital software system interface via a data transport bus, each digital beamformer having a transmit mode of operation associated with converting first transmit digital data associated with a first partial beam of a first beam of a plurality of beams data from a digital signal to an analog signal having a plurality of respective intermediate frequencies, and wherein each digital beamformer is configured to:
(A) apply a first weighting factor to the first partial beam to form first transmit digital data associated with the first partial beam; and,
(B) transmit the first transmit digital data to a first digital to analog converter; and
(C) convert, using the first digital to analog converter, the first transmit digital data from a digital signal to an analog signal having a first intermediate frequency;
(ii) a plurality of pairs of frequency converters operatively connected to the plurality of digital beamformers, each pair of frequency converters associated with a respective coupled dipole array antenna element of a plurality of coupled dipole array antenna elements and comprising a respective principal polarization frequency converter corresponding to a respective principal polarization component and a respective orthogonal polarization frequency converter corresponding to a respective orthogonal polarization component, wherein a first digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers is operatively connected to the respective principal polarization frequency converter and a second digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers is operatively connected to the respective orthogonal polarization frequency converter, and each principal polarization converter and each respective orthogonal polarization converter is configured to:
(A) receive the first partial beam of the first beam along with a first set of a plurality of other partial beams of the first beam from the digital software system interface via the data transport bus; and
(iii) the plurality of coupled dipole array antenna elements, wherein each coupled dipole array antenna element includes a principal polarization component oriented in a first direction and an orthogonal polarization component oriented in a second direction.