US 12,438,581 B2
Multi-beam phased array antenna with disjoint sets of subarrays
Maria Vigano, Lausanne (CH); and Nicholas Hedberg, Lausanne (CH)
Assigned to Viasat, Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed by Viasat, Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 26, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/424,479.
Application 18/424,479 is a continuation of application No. 17/791,203, granted, now 11,916,631, previously published as PCT/US2021/012843, filed on Jan. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/959,146, filed on Jan. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0429978 A1, Dec. 26, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04B 7/06 (2006.01); H01Q 3/28 (2006.01); H01Q 3/36 (2006.01); H04B 7/0408 (2017.01)
CPC H04B 7/0617 (2013.01) [H01Q 3/28 (2013.01); H01Q 3/36 (2013.01); H04B 7/0408 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multi-beam phased array antenna system comprising:
a beamformer responsive to control signals to convert between a plurality of subarray signals and a plurality of beam signals;
a plurality of subarrays to communicate a plurality of beams corresponding to the plurality of beam signals, wherein each subarray of the plurality of subarrays comprises:
a plurality of radiating elements; and
subarray beamforming circuitry to adjust RF signals communicated with the plurality of radiating elements and convert between the adjusted RF signals and one respective subarray signal of the plurality of subarray signals; and
a controller configured to:
determine two or more beams of the plurality of beams;
dynamically assign one or more disjoint subsets of subarrays of the plurality of subarrays to each of the determined two or more beams based on one or more characteristics of the respective beam; and
provide the control signals to the beamformer based on the dynamically assigning.