Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With aircraft
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-24
2003-09-16
Ho, Tan (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With aircraft
C343S7000MS, C343S846000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06621456
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an antenna for use on a missile or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a microstrip antenna, designed for use with missiles, which includes a GPS antenna for receiving GPS data, an FTS (Flight Termination System) antenna, a telemetry antenna for transmitting telemetry data, a beacon tracking antenna.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past military aircraft and weapons systems such as airplanes, target drones, pods and missiles have included flight termination and beacon tracking antenna to monitor performance during test flights. For example, a missile under test will always have an antenna which is generally surface mounted to transmit telemetry data to a ground station. The ground station then performs an analysis of the telemetry data from the missile to determine its performance during flight while tracking a target.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,492 is an example of a prior art microstrip antenna which is adapted for use on a missile as a wrap around band to a missile body without interfering with the aerodynamic design of the missile. U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,492 teaches a plurality of separate radiating elements which operate at widely separated frequencies from a single common input point. The common input point is fed at all the desired frequencies from a single transmission feed line.
With the emerging use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for tracking purposes, there is a need to include GPS within the instrumentation package for a missile and target drone to accurately measure flight performance. GPS data is extremely accurate and thus allows for a thorough analysis of the missile's performance as well as the target drone's performance in flight while the missile tracks the target drone on a course to intercept the target drone.
The use of satellite provided GPS data to monitor the position of a missile and a drone target in flight will require that an antenna for receiving the GPS data be included in the instrumentation package. The receiving antenna should preferably be mounted on the same dielectric substrate as the transmitting antenna so that the antenna assembly can be applied readily as a wrap around band to the missile body without interfering with the aerodynamic design of the missile. Similarly, the antenna assembly which would include a GPS data receiving antenna and telemetry data transmitting antenna configured as a wrap around band to the projectile's body without interfering with the aerodynamic design of the projectile.
There is also a need for a flight termination system antenna to be included in the missile antenna package in the event that a failure occurs during a missile test flight. A monitoring station can initiate a flight termination action which destroys the missile.
Further, there is a need for a beacon tracking antenna to be included in the missile antenna package which allows a monitoring station to track the flight path of the missile during a test flight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes some of the disadvantages of the past including those mentioned above in that it comprises a relatively simple in design yet highly effective and efficient microstrip antenna assembly which can receive satellite provided GPS position and also transmit telemetry data. The microstrip antenna of the present invention also includes a flight termination system (FTS) antenna and a beacon tracking antenna.
The microstrip antenna comprising the present invention is configured to wrap around the projectile's body without interfering with the aerodynamic design of the projectile.
The antenna assembly of the present invention includes a telemetry antenna mounted on a dielectric substrate. The telemetry antenna transmits telemetry data to ground station or other receiving station. There is a GPS antenna mounted on the dielectric substrate which is physically separated from the telemetry antenna on the dielectric substrate. The GPS antenna is adapted to receive satellite provided GPS position data.
An FTS (Flight Termination System) antenna is also mounted on the dielectric substrate and is physically separated from the GPS and telemetry antennas. The FTS antenna receives a set of decoder tones from an external source and supplies the tones to a flight termination system on board the missile which processes the tones and detonates destruct charges on board the missile destroying the missile. Further, the multipurpose microstrip antenna has a beacon tracking antenna mounted on the dielectric substrate which transmits RF signals allowing a radar at a remote location to track the missile during its flight.
The antenna assembly is a wrap around antenna assembly which fits on the outer surface of a missile, target drone or any other small diameter projectile.
The feed structure for the GPS antenna is mounted on the bottom side of the dielectric substrate and a first plurality of plated through connecting pins electrically connect the antenna receiving elements of the GPS antenna, which are mounted the top side of the dielectric substrate, to the feed structure for the GPS antenna. Similarly, the feed structure for the FTS antenna is mounted on the bottom side of the dielectric substrate and second plurality of plated through connecting pins electrically connect the antenna transmitting elements of the FTS antenna, which are mounted the top side of the dielectric substrate, to the feed structure for the FTS antenna.
The Telemetry antenna includes a plurality of parasitic elements mounted on the top side of the dielectric substrate and a plurality of driven antenna elements and their associated feed structure mounted on the bottom side of the dielectric substrate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6466172 (2002-10-01), Ryken et al.
patent: 6549168 (2003-04-01), Ryken et al.
Davis Albert F.
Ryken Marvin L.
Ho Tan
Kalmbaugh David S.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
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