Large-scale folding and unfolding satellite-borne mobile phone direct-connection satellite communication phased array

Abstract

The invention relates to a large-scale folding and unfolding satellite-borne mobile phone direct connection satellite communication phased array, which belongs to the technical field of satellites and comprises a post-stage DBF system and a plurality of antenna sub-arrays. The antenna sub-array comprises a plurality of antenna units and a sub-array level DBF system; the antenna unit comprises a transmitting-receiving common-caliber antenna array plane, a radio frequency transmitting-receiving front end, a multi-channel transmitting-receiving chip and a multi-channel AD / DA chip which are connected in sequence; each of the multi-channel AD / DA chips is connected with the sub-array level DBF system; and the sub-array level DBF system is connected with the post-stage DBF system. The invention focuses on a satellite-borne large-scale foldable phased array technology suitable for mobile phone direct-connection satellite communication, and solves the problem of pain points of a satellite-borne phased array in the mobile phone direct-connection satellite communication by combining a digital multi-beam phased array with a structure folding and unfolding technology. The requirements for the aperture and gain of a satellite-borne antenna for mobile phone direct-connection satellite communication are met through scale expansion, a high-efficiency folding and unfolding mechanism is designed to reduce envelope so as to be suitable for'one-rocket multi-satellite launching ', and the requirements for massive users and flexibility and variability of mobile phone direct-connection satellite communication are met through high-efficiency digital multi-beam forming.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of satellite technology, and in particular relates to a large-scale folded phased array for direct satellite communication between a mobile phone and a satellite. Background Technology

[0002] Mobile communication technology is evolving from 5G to 6G, with one of its core visions being seamless coverage across air, space, and sea. This means that networks will expand from traditional terrestrial cellular networks to space platforms (such as low-Earth orbit satellites and high-altitude platforms). Direct satellite connectivity for mobile phones is a crucial step towards this vision, allowing on-orbit satellites to communicate directly with unmodified smartphones, completely eliminating terrestrial coverage blind spots and providing ubiquitous connectivity services to users worldwide. The international standards organization 3GPP has developed relevant standards for non-terrestrial networks (NTN) in Release 17 and subsequent versions, providing a technical framework for direct satellite connectivity. Domestic and international technology companies are actively developing such technologies, such as Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite for iPhones, Huawei's BeiDou satellite messaging function for its Mate series, and the direct satellite constellations planned by multiple operators and satellite companies.

[0003] In satellite-based direct-connection systems for mobile phones, the onboard phased array antenna is the core and bottleneck of the entire link. Compared to traditional parabolic antennas, active electronically scanned phased array antennas (AESA) have inherent advantages such as inertia-free fast beam scanning, flexible multi-beam formation, and high reliability (no single point of failure), making them ideal for applications requiring real-time tracking and connection of a large number of mobile users on the ground. However, to compensate for the huge path loss and provide high-speed service, antennas with huge physical apertures are required. This directly contradicts the stringent envelope constraints of rocket launches. Therefore, large-scale deployable phased array antennas become the inevitable choice, which collapse at launch to save space and expand into a large-aperture working state after orbit. At the same time, direct-connection services for mobile phones require antennas to support multiple beams (hundreds) and high throughput, which places extremely high demands on the antenna's radio frequency architecture.

[0004] Current direct satellite communication for mobile phones faces the following challenges: ① Limited terminal transmission and reception capabilities necessitate a larger onboard phased array for enhanced transmission and reception; ② Increased phased array size leads to increased weight, requiring a more integrated, lightweight design to achieve mass production under current launch constraints; ③ The envelope of a large-scale phased array must meet the envelope requirements of existing launch vehicles, necessitating foldable capabilities. Large-scale lightweight foldable phased arrays aim to address these issues.

[0005] With the explosive growth of global mobile communication demand, the limitations of terrestrial network coverage are becoming increasingly apparent, especially in oceans, deserts, the air, and remote mountainous areas. Direct satellite communication technology for mobile phones has emerged to address this need, aiming to provide ubiquitous satellite communication services for ordinary smartphones and become a key component of the 6G integrated air-space-ground-sea network. As the core of this technology, the spaceborne phased array antenna is the crucial device for establishing direct links between satellites and a massive number of ground-based mobile terminals. However, existing spaceborne phased array technologies have revealed many fundamental shortcomings that are difficult to overcome when facing this entirely new application scenario of direct satellite communication for mobile phones: Insufficient aperture and gain make it impossible to effectively compensate for the huge link loss: direct satellite communication between mobile phones faces unprecedented link budget challenges. Ordinary smartphones have limited transmit power (usually below 200mW) and low antenna gain (usually 0-3dBi), while the path loss caused by the orbital altitude of low-Earth orbit satellites (usually 500-1200km) is tens of dB higher than that of traditional ground base stations. Existing spaceborne phased array antennas are limited by the space and weight of the rocket fairing during satellite launch, resulting in insufficient physical aperture and antenna size, leading to insufficient beam gain and inability to reliably establish downlinks with ordinary mobile phones. Traditional solutions often require high-power amplifiers or increasing the number of satellites to compensate, which greatly increases system cost and complexity.

[0006] Excessive folded size and weight make it difficult to meet the requirements of "one rocket, multiple satellites" launches: Commercial low-Earth orbit constellation projects pursue low cost and high deployment efficiency, and generally adopt the "one rocket, multiple satellites" launch mode. This means that the folded envelope of each satellite must be as small as possible and the weight as light as possible. The structural design of existing spaceborne phased array antennas usually adopts a simple "single-plate unfolding" or "frame-type" structure, which has low folding efficiency (unfolded area / folded volume) and cannot accommodate a sufficiently large antenna aperture within the limited space of the rocket fairing. Although some solutions adopt a folding design, they are often structurally complex, have low unfolding reliability, and it is difficult to guarantee the surface accuracy after unfolding, affecting the antenna's electromagnetic performance.

[0007] Deployment and clamping mechanisms are complex, unreliable, and risky: the deployment reliability of deployable antennas is crucial to mission success. Existing deployment mechanisms mostly employ pyrotechnic clamping and release or motor-driven deployment schemes. Pyrotechnics suffer from drawbacks such as high impact, lack of testability, and single-use; motor-driven deployment increases system complexity, weight, and power consumption, and requires complex control circuits and sensors, reducing overall system reliability. Purely mechanical deployment schemes are difficult to design, and the reliability and lifespan of some existing mechanical triggering schemes (such as escapements) in microgravity and alternating high and low temperature space environments remain to be verified.

[0008] Currently, there are two main types of existing technical solutions, which focus on innovation in folding structure and innovation in radio frequency architecture, respectively.

[0009] Option 1: Shrinkable Spaceborne Phased Array Antenna Structure and Deployment Method (Focusing on Structure) Core idea: By dividing a large phased array antenna into three identical sub-boards (-X sub-board, middle board, +X sub-board) along the azimuth direction, and using a wraparound folding method and a purely mechanically triggered phased deployment mechanism, the antenna can achieve high-density folding and high-reliability deployment.

[0010] Technical details: Structural Composition: Each sub-board adopts a layered design with four layers in total: the first layer is the waveguide array; the second layer is the RF transceiver assembly; the third layer is the multi-functional integrated mounting board (the core structural component, providing mechanical support and interconnection); and the fourth layer contains modules such as wave controller, power supply, and delay amplifier. Mechanical connections between layers are achieved through the interface of the integrated mounting board, while electrical interconnections are achieved through high- and low-frequency blind-mating interfaces, facilitating assembly and maintenance.

[0011] Folding and unfolding mechanism: The sub-plates are connected by virtual axis hinges and real axis hinges. During folding, the +X and -X sub-plates fold in an "embracing" manner on both sides of the middle plate, ultimately forming a compact "one-line" shape, greatly reducing the envelope. Unfolding is divided into two stages: In the first stage, the top +X sub-plate unfolds; in the second stage, when the +X sub-plate rotates to a specific angle (e.g., α > 90°), the middle -X sub-plate is released through a purely mechanical escapement mechanism (including an escapement groove and a sub-plate limiting slider), causing it to begin unfolding. The driving force comes from a coiled spring, and the unfolding speed is controlled by a damper.

[0012] Compression and release: Six evenly distributed compression and release devices are used to press and fix the three sub-plates in the folded state, suppressing vibration during launch. After these compression and release devices are unlocked in orbit, the deployment process does not require additional drive and control components.

[0013] advantage: (1) It has a small compact size and high storage ratio, making it suitable for launching multiple satellites with a single rocket.

[0014] (2) The pure mechanical deployment triggering and locking mechanism is adopted, which has high reliability, does not require power consumption, and avoids the complexity of electronic control.

[0015] (3) The layered design and blind-plug interconnection have a high degree of integration, which facilitates modular production and testing.

[0016] Disadvantages / Shortcomings: (1) It mainly focuses on mechanical structure and deployment mechanism, and lacks sufficient discussion on how to support the multi-band and ultra-large-scale radio frequency channels required for direct connection of mobile phones.

[0017] (2) The sub-board segmentation method may pose challenges to the overall electromagnetic performance of the antenna (such as beam pointing accuracy and sidelobe level), especially at the sub-board joints.

[0018] (3) The heat dissipation scheme still follows the traditional method. For the high heat density generated by future ultra-large-scale arrays, its thermal control capability may become a bottleneck. The accuracy of maintaining the shape after unfolding and its impact on high-frequency communication performance need to be further considered.

[0019] Option 2: Digital multi-beam phased array for direct transmission of payloads to mobile phones (focusing on RF architecture) Core idea: By adopting a multi-level digital beamforming (DBF) architecture and a reconfigurable frequency band selection module, a radio frequency processing system that can efficiently support multi-band, multi-beam, high-capacity direct mobile phone communication is constructed.

[0020] Technical details: System architecture: It is divided into three main modules: digital array standard components (multiple), final beamforming processing unit and on-board base station.

[0021] The standard digital array components are the core of the front-end RF channel. Each component includes a unit antenna module (containing receive / transmit antennas), a transceiver module (containing ADC / DAC), and a primary beamforming processing module. Its innovation lies in the integration of a receive / band selection submodule (containing LNA, switches, and filter banks) and a transmit / band selection submodule (containing PA, switches, and filter banks) within the unit antenna module. This allows each RF channel to flexibly operate in multiple frequency bands, including 1710-1785MHz, 1626.5-1660.5MHz (receive) and 1805-1880MHz, 1525-1559MHz, and 1431-1432MHz (transmit).

[0022] Final-stage beamforming processing unit: Receives the uplink primary beams generated by each standard component, performs joint processing to form the final uplink final-stage beam; simultaneously, it forms the downlink final-stage beam from the onboard base station and distributes it to each standard component. It can dynamically adjust beam parameters according to satellite platform commands.

[0023] Onboard base station: Enables protocol interoperability with the ground core network and completes signal modulation and demodulation.

[0024] Workflow: Uplink signal from mobile phone → unit antenna → frequency band selection → LNA → ADC → primary DBF (forming primary beamforming) → final DBF (forming final beamforming) → on-board base station demodulation → ground core network. Downlink signal reverse processing.

[0025] Interconnection method: The digital array standard components and the final processing unit use standard protocols such as CPRI (General Public Radio Interface) to transmit digital baseband signals, which enhances the system's flexibility and scalability.

[0026] advantage: The beamforming is highly flexible, capable of dynamically generating and manipulating a large number of independent beams to maximize system capacity.

[0027] It has strong multi-band support capabilities and can be quickly reconfigured through switches and filter banks to adapt to different spectrum plans around the world.

[0028] Modular (standard digital array components) design, easy to expand and scale for mass production.

[0029] Disadvantages / Shortcomings: This proposal primarily focuses on the radio frequency electronic system architecture and does not delve into the details of how to combine such a complex, large-scale multi-band array with a spaceborne deployable structure to achieve on-orbit deployment of a large-aperture antenna. The power consumption, weight, size, and heat dissipation issues arising from the enormous number of digital channels are not adequately discussed in the proposal.

[0030] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new large-scale folded satellite mobile phone direct satellite communication phased array to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0031] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a large-scale folded phased array for direct satellite communication between a mobile phone and a satellite to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0032] This disclosure achieves the above objectives through the following technical solutions: A large-scale deployable satellite mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array includes a rear-stage DBF system installed inside the satellite and several antenna subarrays arranged in a rectangular array and connected in a deployable manner on the top side of the satellite. The antenna subarray includes multiple antenna elements and a subarray-level DBF system; the antenna elements are sequentially connected to a common-aperture antenna array, a radio frequency transceiver front-end, a multi-channel transceiver chip, and a multi-channel AD / DA chip; the multi-channel transceiver chip includes a multi-channel transmitter chip and a multi-channel receiver chip; each of the multi-channel AD / DA chips is connected to the subarray-level DBF system; The subarray-level DBF system is connected to the subsequent DBF system.

[0033] As a further optimization of this disclosure, the number of antenna subarrays is adaptively set according to specific electrical performance requirements.

[0034] As a further optimization of this disclosure, the radio frequency transceiver front end includes a low-noise amplifier unit and a power amplifier unit; the low-noise amplifier unit is connected to the multi-channel receiver chip; and the power amplifier unit is connected to the multi-channel transmitter chip.

[0035] As a further optimization of this disclosure, a power controller is also included; the antenna subarray includes a power module, and each power module is connected to the power controller, which is used for the distribution and control of the bus power to the power modules of each antenna subarray.

[0036] As a further optimization of this disclosure, the downstream DBF system is connected to the satellite integrated electronic system and the satellite onboard base station; the downstream DBF system transmits the processed baseband signal to the satellite onboard base station through a high-speed data link, and simultaneously receives orbital parameters and attitude information from the satellite integrated electronic system for precise beam pointing compensation.

[0037] As a further optimization of this disclosure, the antenna subarray is folded and unfolded by a folding and unfolding mechanism; the folding and unfolding mechanism includes an adjacent plate unfolding hinge (1), a partition plate unfolding hinge (2), a docking latch, an unlocking screw unfolding assembly (3), a constraint release assembly (5), and a timing assembly (4).

[0038] As a further optimization of this disclosure, every four subarrays are combined into a subarray combination module, and the unfolding is carried out using a passive unfolding hinge, which unfolds into place and locks in one go.

[0039] As a further optimization of this disclosure, the adjacent plate unfolding hinge (1) is used for unfolding between two adjacent sub-array combination modules in the folded state. It is driven by a torsion spring and has a self-locking function after it is in place.

[0040] As a further optimization of this disclosure, the partition unfolding hinge (2) is used for unfolding between two non-adjacent subarray combination modules in the folded state. It is driven by a torsion spring and has a self-locking function after it is in place.

[0041] As a further optimization of this disclosure, the docking latch is used for docking and locking between non-hinge mounting plates when the three-fold sub-array combination module is unfolded.

[0042] As a further optimization of this disclosure, the unlocking screw deployment assembly (3) includes a pyrotechnic separation nut (31), a connecting screw (32), a pull-out spring (33), a storage bucket and a connecting rod (34), and a deployment hinge (35). The four sets of the unlocking screw deployment assemblies (3) press the folded sub-array combination module onto the satellite body. After entering orbit, the pyrotechnic separation nut (31) is unlocked, releasing the constraint on the connecting screw (32). The pull-out spring (33) pulls the connecting screw (32) out of the pyrotechnic separation nut (31) body. The connecting screw (32) is deployed and locked under the action of the deployment hinge (35).

[0043] As a further optimization of this disclosure, the timing component (4) is used to ensure that the inner subarray combination module is in an undeployable state before the outer subarray combination module is deployed to a safe position, so as to avoid the deployment interference phenomenon.

[0044] As a further optimization of this disclosure, the constraint release component (5) is used to constrain the three-fold array. It connects the inner sub-array combination module and the outer sub-array combination module through a high-strength fiber rope, so that the sub-array combination module remains in a retracted state before the constraint release component (5) is unlocked. The constraint release component (5) includes a mounting base, a fiber rope, and a hot knife.

[0045] The beneficial effects of this disclosure are as follows: (1) Combining digital multi-beam phased array with efficient folding mechanism to meet the requirements of mobile phone direct satellite communication for large aperture and flexible multi-beam configuration of satellite phased array; (2) The array adopts a two-stage DBF beamforming architecture, which decomposes the multi-beamforming pressure into two parts: the sub-array level and the array level. This can effectively reduce the computational pressure of multi-beamforming and improve beamforming efficiency. (3) The antenna unfolding mechanism is composed of passive components. Through unfolding hinges and timing components, it can be unfolded into place and locked in one go on the track. Compared with other unfolding mechanisms with active components, the passive unfolding implementation scheme is more reliable. (4) The entire array consists of antenna subarrays that are expandable in number and have the same technical form. The subarrays are in the same technical state, which is conducive to the mass assembly and production of phased arrays. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 This is an overall architecture diagram of a large-scale folded-out satellite mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a large-scale folded-out spaceborne mobile phone direct-connect phased array antenna subarray in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the array collapsing state in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the unlocking screw deployment assembly unlocking and screw deployment in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the three-fold module unfolded 90° in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the flattened three-fold module in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the constraint release component in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 8This is a schematic diagram showing the -X side antenna deployed and the +X side antenna retracted under the action of timing components in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of timing components in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna deployment state on the +X side after the timing component constraint ends, in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna array fully deployed in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the unlocking screw deployment assembly structure in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 13 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the unlocking component composition and the screw after it is deployed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0047] In the diagram: 1. Adjacent plate unfolding hinge; 2. Partition plate unfolding hinge; 3. Unlocking screw unfolding assembly; 4. Timing assembly; 5. Constraint release assembly; 31. Fire separation nut; 32. Connecting screw; 33. Pull-out spring; 34. Storage bucket and connecting rod; 35. Unfolding hinge. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following specific embodiments are only used to further illustrate the present application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make some non-essential improvements and adjustments to the present application based on the above application content.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, a large-scale folded phased array for direct satellite communication between a mobile phone and a satellite comprises several antenna subarrays. In this embodiment, the phased array consists of 36 antenna subarrays, each composed of 8×8 antenna elements. The number of antenna subarrays in the entire phased array can be adaptively increased or decreased according to specific electrical performance requirements. The antenna subarrays are connected and compressed together via a folded structure.

[0050] The large-scale folded array satellite-borne mobile phone direct-connect phased array consists of identical antenna subarrays arranged in a rectangular configuration. It includes multiple antenna elements and a subarray-level DBF system. Each antenna element comprises a common-aperture antenna array, an RF transceiver front-end, a multi-channel transmitter chip, a multi-channel receiver chip, a multi-channel AD / DA converter, and a subarray-level DBF system. The overall array architecture is as follows: Figure 2As shown, the beam signals from multiple antenna subarrays are synthesized via optical fiber to the subsequent DBF (Digital Beamforming) system. The DBF system then transmits the processed baseband signal to the satellite base station baseband unit via a high-speed data link, while simultaneously receiving orbital parameters and attitude information from the integrated electronic system for precise beam pointing compensation. Each antenna subarray maintains strict phase consistency after deployment, and the deployment mechanism features high-precision position locking to ensure array deformation is controlled within the wavelength range. The system supports concurrent access for multiple users and frequency bands, dynamically optimizing coverage areas using digital beamforming algorithms to improve link gain and anti-interference capabilities. The entire phased array has on-orbit reconfiguration capabilities, allowing for flexible adjustment of operating modes and beam distribution according to mission requirements. The power controller distributes and controls power from the entire satellite bus to each subarray.

[0051] The large-scale folding satellite-borne mobile phone direct-connect phased array is divided into two parts with the satellite cabin as the interface. The part outside the satellite cabin mainly consists of phased array array surfaces. The phased array subarray elements adopt a metal antenna design to facilitate heat dissipation. The transmit and receive antenna arrays with the same aperture are connected to the RF transceiver front-end (including RF signal processing and the subarray-level DBF system) for signal transmission via miniature RF connectors. The subarray-level DBF system signal is transmitted through optical fiber to the subsequent DBF system inside the satellite cabin to complete the final beamforming. Each antenna subarray contains a power module, and the satellite power controller is responsible for distributing and controlling the bus power to the power modules of each antenna subarray.

[0052] The folding mechanism for the large-scale folding and unfolding spaceborne mobile phone direct-connection phased array consists of adjacent plate unfolding hinge 1, partition plate unfolding hinge 2, docking lock, unlocking component, unlocking screw unfolding component 3, constraint release component 5, and timing component 4. To reduce the number of joints, four subarrays are combined into one subarray combination module. The 36 subarrays are folded and unfolded in 9 subarray combination modules. All unfolding uses passive unfolding hinges, unfolding into place and locking in one go.

[0053] Antenna folding structure main component design: (1) Unlock screw deployment assembly 3: When the antenna array is in the retracted state, it is secured using four sets of unlocking screw deployment assemblies 3. A single set of unlocking screw deployment assemblies 3 is as follows: Figure 12 As shown, it mainly consists of a pyrotechnic separation nut 31, a connecting screw 32, a pull-out spring 33, a storage bucket and connecting rod 34, and an unfolding hinge 35. Its working principle is as follows: four sets of unlocking screw unfolding assemblies 3 press the antenna array surface tightly against the satellite. After entering orbit, the pyrotechnic separation nut 31 unlocks, releasing the constraint on the connecting screw 32. The pull-out spring 33 pulls the connecting screw 32 out of the pyrotechnic separation nut 31 body. The connecting screw 32 unfolds and locks under the action of the unfolding hinge 35.

[0054] (2) Adjacent plate unfolding hinge 1: like Figure 3 As shown, the adjacent plate unfolding hinge 1 is mainly used for unfolding between two adjacent plates in the folded state. It is driven by a torsion spring and has a self-locking function after it is in place. Its main components include a male hinge, a female hinge, a shaft system, and a locking component.

[0055] (3) Partition unfolding hinge 2: like Figure 3 As shown, the partition unfolding hinge 2 is mainly used for unfolding between two non-adjacent partitions in the folded state. It is driven by a torsion spring and has a self-locking function after it is in place. Its main components include a male hinge, a female hinge, a shaft system, and a locking component.

[0056] (4) Connecting lock: The docking latch is used to lock the non-hinge mounting plates when the three-fold module is unfolded, so as to improve the antenna docking accuracy and the connection rigidity in the final state. It mainly consists of a locking rod and a locking core assembly.

[0057] (5) Constraint release component: like Figure 7 As shown, the constraint release assembly 5 is used to constrain the three-fold array. It connects the inner and outer plates via high-strength fiber ropes, keeping them in a folded state until the constraint release assembly is unlocked. The constraint release assembly mainly consists of a mounting base, fiber ropes, and a thermal blade.

[0058] (6) Timing components: like Figure 9 As shown, the timing component 4 is mainly used to ensure that the inner panel is in an unexpandable state before the outer panel is unfolded to a safe position, so as to avoid unfolding interference.

[0059] The antenna decomposition scheme is shown below: Collapsed state as Figure 3 As shown; the four sets of unlocking screws unfolding assembly 3 are unlocked, and the connecting screws are pulled out and unfolded as shown. Figure 4 , 13 As shown; the three-fold module unfolds as follows Figure 5 , 6 As shown; constraint point unlocking is as follows Figure 7 As shown; the -X side antenna is deployed, while the +X side remains retracted due to the timing components. Figure 8 As shown; after the -X side antenna has deployed approximately 80°, the timing component constraint ends, and the +X side antenna deployment state is as follows. Figure 10 As shown; the antenna array is fully deployed as follows Figure 10 As shown.

[0060] The workflow for large-scale deployment of satellite-borne mobile phones directly connecting to a phased array for satellite communication is as follows: Uplink signal processing flow: The signal transmitted by the mobile phone is received by the metal antenna array, and then undergoes radio frequency signal processing through the radio frequency transceiver front end, primary beamforming through the sub-array level digital beamforming system (multi-channel transmit chip, multi-channel receive chip, multi-channel AD / DA and sub-array level DBF system), and final beamforming through the subsequent digital beamforming system before being transmitted to the satellite base station baseband unit. Downlink signal processing flow: The signal from the satellite base station baseband unit is formed into a downlink final-stage beam by the subsequent digital beamforming system and distributed to each of the antenna subarrays. After being processed by the subarray-level digital beamforming system and the radio frequency transceiver front end, it is transmitted to the mobile phone by the metal antenna array.

[0061] This disclosure focuses on a large-scale deployable phased array technology for satellite-borne mobile phone direct satellite communication. By combining digital multi-beam phased array with structural deployment technology, it solves the pain points of satellite-borne phased array in mobile phone direct satellite communication. It meets the requirements of satellite-borne antenna aperture and gain for mobile phone direct satellite communication through scale expansion, designs a high-efficiency deployment mechanism to reduce the envelope suitable for "one rocket, multiple satellites launch", and meets the needs of massive users and flexible changes in mobile phone direct satellite communication through efficient digital multi-beam forming.

[0062] The embodiments described above are merely examples of several implementations of this disclosure, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent disclosure. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this disclosure, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A large-scale folded-out phased array for direct satellite communication between a mobile phone and a satellite, characterized in that, It includes a rear-stage DBF system located inside the satellite and several antenna subarrays located on the top side of the satellite, which are arranged in a rectangular array and can be combined and connected in a foldable manner; The antenna subarray includes multiple antenna elements and a subarray-level DBF system; the antenna element includes a transceiver antenna array, a radio frequency transceiver front end, a multi-channel transceiver chip, and a multi-channel AD / DA chip connected in sequence; the multi-channel transceiver chip includes a multi-channel transmitter chip and a multi-channel receiver chip; each of the multi-channel AD / DA chips is connected to the subarray-level DBF system; The subarray-level DBF system is connected to the subsequent DBF system.

2. The large-scale folded-format satellite mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of antenna subarrays is adaptively set according to specific electrical performance requirements.

3. The large-scale folded-format satellite-borne mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radio frequency transceiver front end includes a low-noise amplifier unit and a power amplifier unit; the low-noise amplifier unit is connected to the multi-channel receiver chip; and the power amplifier unit is connected to the multi-channel transmitter chip.

4. The large-scale folded-format satellite-borne mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a power controller; the antenna subarray includes a power module, and each power module is connected to the power controller, which is used for the distribution and control of the bus power to the power modules of each antenna subarray.

5. A large-scale folded-format satellite-borne mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The downstream DBF system is connected to the satellite integrated electronic system and the satellite onboard base station. The downstream DBF system transmits the processed baseband signal to the satellite onboard base station through a high-speed data link, and at the same time receives orbital parameters and attitude information from the satellite integrated electronic system for precise beam pointing compensation.

6. A large-scale folded-format satellite-borne mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna subarray is folded and unfolded by a folding and unfolding mechanism; the folding and unfolding mechanism includes a neighboring plate unfolding hinge (1), a partition plate unfolding hinge (2), a docking latch, an unlocking screw unfolding assembly (3), a constraint release assembly (5), and a timing assembly (4).

7. A large-scale folded-format satellite-borne mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that, Every four subarrays are combined into a subarray combination module. The unfolding is done using a passive unfolding hinge, which unfolds and locks the module in one go.

8. A large-scale folded-format satellite-borne mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 6, characterized in that, The adjacent plate unfolding hinge (1) is used for unfolding between two adjacent sub-array combination modules in the folded state. It is driven by a torsion spring and has a self-locking function after it is in place.

9. A large-scale folded-format satellite-borne mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 6, characterized in that, The partition unfolding hinge (2) is used for unfolding between two non-adjacent sub-array combination modules in the folded state. It is driven by a torsion spring and has a self-locking function after it is in place.

10. A large-scale folded-format satellite-borne mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 6, characterized in that, The docking latch is used for docking and locking between non-hinge mounting plates when the three-fold sub-array combination module is unfolded.

11. A large-scale folded-format satellite-borne mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 6, characterized in that, The unlocking screw deployment assembly (3) includes a pyrotechnic separation nut (31), a connecting screw (32), a pull-out spring (33), a storage bucket and a connecting rod (34), and a deployment hinge (35). The four sets of the unlocking screw deployment assemblies (3) press the folded sub-array combination module onto the satellite body. After entering orbit, the pyrotechnic separation nut (31) is unlocked, releasing the constraint on the connecting screw (32). The pull-out spring (33) pulls the connecting screw (32) out of the pyrotechnic separation nut (31) body. The connecting screw (32) is deployed and locked under the action of the deployment hinge (35).

12. A large-scale folded-out satellite mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 6, characterized in that, The timing component (4) is used to ensure that the inner subarray combination module is in an undeployable state before the outer subarray combination module is deployed to a safe position, so as to avoid the deployment interference phenomenon.

13. A large-scale folded-out satellite mobile phone direct-to-satellite communication phased array according to claim 6, characterized in that, The constraint release component (5) is used to constrain the three-fold array. It connects the inner sub-array combination module and the outer sub-array combination module through a high-strength fiber rope, so that the sub-array combination module remains in a retracted state before the constraint release component (5) is unlocked. The constraint release component (5) includes a mounting base, a fiber rope and a hot knife.

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