Luneberg lens antenna with multiple gimbaled RF feeds

Details Luneberg lens antenna with multiple gimbaled RF feeds Luneberg lens antenna with multiple gimbaled RF feeds

2000-05-10

2001-07-24

Le, Hoanganh (Department: 2821)

Communications: radio wave antennas

Antennas

Antenna components

C343S754000, C343S757000, C343S766000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06266029

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to antennas utilizing Luneberg lens in conjunction with a plurality of feeds for communicating with satellites and more particularly to a device for separately positioning each of the feeds relative to the lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of a Luneberg lens in conjunction with multiple feeds for communicating with satellites is well known in the art. Luneberg lenses which have an arcuate surface and are either spherical or cylindrical to provide wide angle scanning. With a point source located on the surface of the lens the lens transforms the spherical wave into a plane wave with the propagating vector aligned along the diameter of the lens passing through the feed point.
The use of a Luneberg lens has the advantage of providing a wide field of view. In addition, a single such lens can be utilized with a plurality of feeds, each arranged relative to the lens to simultaneously provide communication with a satellite at a different angle from the communications site. Thus, when one satellite disappears from view, the other can be utilized to continue communications.
The use of a Luneberg lens with a plurality of feeds for use in a radar system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,129 issued Jul. 23, 1985 to Bonebright, et al. In this system, a single axis of movement for a plurality of feeds is described. There is no suggestion of motion of these feeds about a second axis. This limits the tracking ability of the feeds. In addition, in Bonebright, the Luneberg lens is rotated which requires an additional drive system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The system of the present invention uses a Luneberg lens having a plurality of feeds each for simultaneously communicating with a separate satellite at a different orientation relative to the communications site. The lens is fixedly mounted on a support mount. Also mounted on the support mount are a plurality of similar arcuate tracks which run parallel to the surface of the lens. A separate feed is mounted on each of such tracks for positioning on its associated track along an “X” axis relative to the lens. A motor is provided to drive each of the feeds along its track to any position therealong in response to control signals. The tracks are mounted for pivotal motion movement along a “y” axis relative to the lens and are each separately driven by a motor in response to control signals to any position along this axis.
The feeds thus can each be separately positioned to a location along mutually orthogonal paths to track a separate satellite in response to control signals. Communication with separate satellites can be achieved simultaneously so that when one satellite goes out of sight, communication is not interrupted but continued through another satellite.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved satellite communications system.
It is a further object of this invention to enable the continuous communication through satellites by employing a Luneberg lens having a plurality of feeds which are separately positionable about “x” and “y” axes relative to the lens.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent in view of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4255751 (1981-03-01), Goodman, Jr.
patent: 4268831 (1981-05-01), Valentino et al.
patent: 4531129 (1985-07-01), Bonebright et al.
patent: 4769646 (1988-09-01), Raber et al.
patent: 5677796 (1997-10-01), Zimmerman et al.
patent: 6018316 (2000-01-01), Rudish et al.
patent: 6169525 (2001-01-01), Dziadek et al.

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