A method and system for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna

Abstract

This application relates to a method and system for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna. The method includes: establishing a first coordinate system with the antenna's geometric center as the origin, a second coordinate system with the Earth's center as the origin, a third coordinate system representing the radiation angles of the phased array antenna's radiation pattern, and a fourth coordinate system representing the antenna beam footprint on the Earth's surface; obtaining multiple antenna azimuth and elevation angles in the third coordinate system, and obtaining the gain value corresponding to each combination of antenna azimuth and elevation angles; mapping each combination of antenna azimuth and elevation angles to the fourth coordinate system based on the satellite's orbital altitude and the Earth's radius to obtain multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles; compensating for the gain value based on the path loss factor to obtain the surface gain value; and determining the antenna beam footprint in the fourth coordinate system based on the surface azimuth and elevation angles and the corresponding surface gain values, thereby enabling accurate determination of the antenna beam footprint.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of satellite communication and antenna technology, and in particular to a method and system for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna. Background Technology

[0002] In satellite communication systems, phased array antennas use beamforming technology to generate beams pointing towards specific ground areas to achieve ground coverage. To optimize satellite resource allocation and improve communication efficiency and reliability, accurately calculating and visualizing the coverage area of ​​the beam on the Earth's surface (i.e., the "beam footprint") is fundamental to satellite communication system design, beam planning, and performance evaluation.

[0003] Traditional beam footprint calculations are typically based on simplified geometric models, such as approximating the beam coverage area as a regular geometric shape and assuming that the antenna gain is uniformly distributed within the beam. These methods fail to adequately consider the characteristics of phased array antenna patterns, namely, the non-uniform gain distribution in different directions. This leads to significant deviations between the calculated beam shape and boundaries and the actual situation. Furthermore, these methods often neglect the impact of propagation path loss on signal coverage strength during modeling. Since the propagation distance between the satellite and different points on the Earth's surface varies significantly, this difference in path loss directly causes the calculated beam coverage area to deviate severely from the actual range, thus affecting the accuracy of satellite system resource scheduling and the reliability of communication services. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, this application provides a method and system for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna, which can determine the beam footprint of the phased array antenna with high accuracy.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the first aspect of this application provides a method for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna, comprising: establishing a first coordinate system with the geometric center of the phased array antenna as the origin; establishing a second coordinate system with the Earth's center as the origin; establishing a third coordinate system based on the first coordinate system to represent the radiation angles of the phased array antenna radiation pattern; and establishing a fourth coordinate system based on the second coordinate system to represent the coverage area of ​​the phased array antenna beam on the Earth's surface; and in the third coordinate system, obtaining combinations of multiple antenna azimuth and elevation angles of the phased array antenna, and obtaining the beam footprint of each antenna... The antenna gain value corresponding to the combination of azimuth and elevation angles is determined; based on the satellite orbital altitude and Earth radius, each combination of antenna azimuth and elevation angles is mapped to the fourth coordinate system to obtain multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles; the path loss factor is determined, and the antenna gain value is compensated based on the path loss factor to obtain the surface equivalent gain value; in the fourth coordinate system, the beam footprint of the phased array antenna is determined based on the multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles and the surface equivalent gain value corresponding to each combination of surface azimuth and elevation angles.

[0006] As shown above, by establishing a multi-level coordinate system from the antenna body to the Earth's surface, the radiation angle and geometric projection relationship of the antenna radiation pattern can be systematically described, and propagation loss is taken into account, thus making the determined beam footprint more accurate and reliable.

[0007] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, the mapping of the combination of azimuth and elevation angles of each antenna to the fourth coordinate system based on the satellite orbital altitude and Earth radius to obtain multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles includes: determining the surface azimuth and elevation angles according to the following formula:

[0008]

[0009]

[0010] in, Indicates the azimuth of the Earth's surface. Indicates the angle of elevation of the Earth's surface. Indicates the antenna azimuth angle. Indicates the antenna elevation angle. Represents the Earth's radius. Indicates the satellite's orbital altitude. This represents the distance from the geometric center of the phased array antenna to the intersection point on the Earth's surface.

[0011] The above provides a specific mapping formula from the antenna to the ground position angle (i.e., elevation and azimuth), ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the calculation results.

[0012] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, determining the path loss factor includes: determining the path loss factor using the following formula:

[0013]

[0014] Indicates the path loss factor. This indicates the preset reference distance. This represents the distance from the geometric center of the phased array antenna to the intersection point on the Earth's surface.

[0015] As shown above, the path loss factor can be used to accurately compensate for the change in signal strength with propagation distance, making the calculated equivalent gain on the ground closer to the actual received signal strength, thereby improving the accuracy of coverage prediction.

[0016] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, the distance of the beam from the geometric center of the phased array antenna to the intersection point on the Earth's surface is determined. This includes: constructing a triangle with the intersection of the Earth's center, the geometric center of the phased array antenna, and the Earth's surface as vertices, and calculating the result using the cosine theorem. .

[0017] As shown above, by constructing a triangle and combining it with the cosine theorem to solve for the distance between the satellite and the Earth's surface, a precise geometric basis is provided for mapping and loss compensation, avoiding the accumulation of errors caused by approximate calculations.

[0018] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, the step of compensating the antenna gain value based on the path loss factor to obtain the ground equivalent gain value includes: multiplying the path loss factor and the antenna gain value to obtain the ground equivalent gain value.

[0019] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, determining the beam footprint of the phased array antenna in the fourth coordinate system based on the multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles, and the surface equivalent gain value corresponding to each combination of surface azimuth and elevation angles, includes: for each combination of surface azimuth and elevation angles in the fourth coordinate system, if the corresponding surface equivalent gain value is greater than or equal to the preset gain threshold, then the location corresponding to the combination is marked as a beam coverage state; otherwise, the location corresponding to the combination is marked as a beam non-coverage state.

[0020] As shown above, the coverage status of each surface location was determined by threshold comparison, thus giving the obtained beam coverage range a clear boundary, which is convenient for subsequent analysis and planning.

[0021] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, it further includes: binarizing the marker to obtain a binarized marker; and generating and outputting a binarized beam footprint map in the fourth coordinate system based on the binarized marker.

[0022] As shown above, the beam footprint map, which is generated by binarization, can intuitively display the coverage area, making it easier for subsequent interpretation and processing, and improving the user experience.

[0023] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, obtaining the antenna gain value corresponding to the combination of each antenna azimuth and elevation angle includes: determining the corresponding antenna gain value based on the radiation intensity of the phased array antenna corresponding to the combination of each antenna azimuth and elevation angle.

[0024] As a result, the gain value is determined directly based on the antenna radiation intensity, which improves the accuracy and reliability of the results.

[0025] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, it further includes: constructing a first coordinate system with the geometric center of the phased array antenna as the origin O1, the direction normal to the phased array antenna plane and pointing towards the Earth's center as the X1 axis, a first direction perpendicular to the X1 axis of the phased array antenna plane as the Y1 axis, and a second direction perpendicular to both the X1 and Y1 axes of the phased array antenna plane as the Z1 axis; and constructing a first coordinate system with the Earth's center as the origin O2, the direction pointing from the Earth's center towards the geometric center of the phased array antenna located on the satellite as the X2 axis, and a direction perpendicular to the X2 axis and parallel to the Y1 axis originating from the origin O2. A second coordinate system is constructed with the Y2 axis as the axis and the Z2 axis as the direction perpendicular to the X2 axis and parallel to the Z1 axis starting from the origin O2. A third coordinate system is constructed with the angle between the radiation direction and the X1 axis of the first coordinate system as the antenna elevation angle and the angle between the projection of the radiation direction in the plane formed by Y1O1Z1 and the positive direction of the Y1 axis as the antenna azimuth angle. A fourth coordinate system is constructed with the elevation angle corresponding to the antenna elevation angle mapped to the ground surface as the ground elevation angle and the azimuth angle corresponding to the antenna azimuth angle mapped to the ground surface as the ground azimuth angle.

[0026] The second aspect of this application provides a beam footprint determination system for a satellite phased array antenna, comprising: a coordinate system construction module for establishing a first coordinate system with the geometric center of the phased array antenna as the origin, establishing a second coordinate system with the Earth's center as the origin, establishing a third coordinate system based on the first coordinate system for representing the radiation angles of the phased array antenna radiation pattern, and establishing a fourth coordinate system based on the second coordinate system for representing the coverage area of ​​the phased array antenna beam on the Earth's surface; and an acquisition module for acquiring, in the third coordinate system, multiple combinations of antenna azimuth and elevation angles of the phased array antenna, and acquiring each antenna azimuth and elevation angle... The antenna gain value corresponding to the combination of elevation angles; the mapping module, used to map the combination of each antenna azimuth and elevation angle to the fourth coordinate system based on the satellite orbital altitude and Earth radius, to obtain multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles; the compensation module, used to determine the path loss factor and compensate the antenna gain value based on the path loss factor to obtain the surface equivalent gain value; the determination module, used to determine the beam footprint of the phased array antenna in the fourth coordinate system based on the multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles and the surface equivalent gain value corresponding to each combination of surface azimuth and elevation angles.

[0027] The beneficial effects in this regard can also be found in the descriptions of the beneficial effects in each part of the first aspect above.

[0028] A third aspect of this application provides a computer program product, which, when executed on a computer, is used to perform the beam footprint determination method for a satellite phased array antenna as described in any of the first aspects above.

[0029] The beneficial effects in this regard can also be found in the descriptions of the beneficial effects in each part of the first aspect above.

[0030] A fourth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the beam footprint determination method for a satellite phased array antenna as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0031] The beneficial effects in this regard can also be found in the descriptions of the beneficial effects in each part of the first aspect above.

[0032] The fifth aspect of this application provides a computing device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory connected to the processor and storing program instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the beam footprint determination method for a satellite phased array antenna as described in any of the first aspects above.

[0033] The beneficial effects in this regard can also be found in the descriptions of the beneficial effects in each part of the first aspect above.

[0034] These and other aspects of this application will become more apparent in the description of the following embodiments(s). Attached Figure Description

[0035] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, further illustrates the various features of this application and the relationships between them. The drawings are exemplary; some features are not shown to scale, and some drawings may omit conventional features in the field of this application that are not essential to it, or additional features that are not essential to this application may be shown. The combination of features shown in the drawings is not intended to limit this application. Furthermore, throughout this specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same things. Specific descriptions of the drawings are as follows:

[0036] Figure 1a A first flowchart illustrating a method for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna provided in this application embodiment;

[0037] Figure 1b A second flowchart illustrating a method for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna provided in this application embodiment;

[0038] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a multi-level coordinate system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0039] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a beam footprint determination system for a satellite phased array antenna provided in this application embodiment;

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions provided in this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are mainly for illustrating possible implementations of the technical solutions of this application and should not be construed as the sole limitation on the technical solutions of this application. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, with the evolution of technology, the technical solutions provided in this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0042] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application provide a beam footprint determination scheme for a satellite phased array antenna. Since these technical solutions solve the problem in the same or similar principles, some repetitive details may not be repeated in the following descriptions of specific embodiments, but these specific embodiments should be considered as mutually referencing each other and can be combined with each other.

[0043] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. In case of any inconsistency, the meaning set forth in this specification or derived from the content described herein shall prevail. Furthermore, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0044] In order to accurately describe the technical content of this application and to accurately understand the present invention, the following explanations or definitions of the terms used in this specification are given before describing the specific embodiments:

[0045] 1) Beam footprint: In the field of satellite communications, beam footprint refers to the coverage area formed by the electromagnetic beam emitted by the phased array antenna of a satellite projected onto the Earth's surface.

[0046] 2) Radiation pattern (also known as antenna pattern): A data set representing the relationship between the antenna's radiation characteristics and spatial directions (such as azimuth and elevation angles). In this application, it specifically refers to the performance of a phased array antenna under a specific beam, stored as a data set in a third coordinate system. Each azimuth angle ( ) and pitch angle ( Each combination of ) corresponds to a specific antenna gain value. .

[0047] 3) Radiation angle: An angular coordinate used to describe the spatial direction of an electromagnetic wave as it leaves or arrives at the antenna. In this application, it specifically includes the azimuth angle (…). ) and pitch angle ( These two components.

[0048] 4) Antenna Gain: This value indicates the antenna's ability to concentrate radiated energy or received signals in a specific direction. Its unit is usually decibels (dB). A higher gain value indicates a stronger radiation or reception capability in that direction. In this application, it refers to the radiation pattern. In each specific direction The specific values ​​on it.

[0049] The following section provides a detailed description of a method for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna, based on an embodiment of this application, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] like Figure 1a and Figure 1b The above is a flowchart of a method for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna provided in an embodiment of this application. The implementation process of this method mainly includes steps S110-S150, which are described in turn below.

[0051] S110: Establish a first coordinate system with the geometric center of the phased array antenna as the origin, establish a second coordinate system with the Earth's center as the origin, establish a third coordinate system based on the first coordinate system to represent the radiation angle of the phased array antenna radiation pattern, and establish a fourth coordinate system based on the second coordinate system to represent the coverage area of ​​the phased array antenna beam on the Earth's surface.

[0052] like Figure 2 The diagram shows the constructed first to fourth coordinate systems. The following section will use this diagram to explain in detail the construction process of each coordinate system in this multi-level coordinate system.

[0053] The first coordinate system, also known as the antenna coordinate system, is used to describe the spatial position and radiation direction of the phased array antenna itself. It is constructed with the geometric center of the phased array antenna as the origin O1, the direction normal to the phased array antenna plane pointing towards the Earth's center as the X1 axis, the first direction perpendicular to the X1 axis as the Y1 axis, and the second direction perpendicular to both the X1 and Y1 axes as the Z1 axis. The antenna plane lies within the plane formed by Y1O1Z1, thus forming the first coordinate system.

[0054] The second coordinate system, also known as the geocentric inertial coordinate system, is used to describe the global spatial position with the Earth's center as the reference. It is constructed with the Earth's center as the origin O2, the direction from the Earth's center to the geometric center of the phased array antenna on the satellite (i.e., the direction from O2 to O1) as the X2 axis, the direction from the origin O2 perpendicular to the X2 axis and parallel to the Y1 axis as the Y2 axis, and the direction from the origin O2 perpendicular to the X2 axis and parallel to the Z1 axis as the Z2 axis.

[0055] The third coordinate system, also known as the radiation angle coordinate system, is essentially an abstract polar coordinate system, and therefore has no physical origin. This third coordinate system is used to describe the radiation angle of the phased array antenna's radiation pattern. It is established based on the first coordinate system, with the angle between the radiation direction and the X1 axis of the first coordinate system as the antenna elevation angle. The antenna elevation angle The horizontal axis X3 of the third coordinate system is defined by the angle between the projection of the radiation direction onto the plane formed by Y1O1Z1 and the positive direction of the Y1 axis, which is the antenna direction angle. The antenna azimuth angle Y3 is used as the vertical axis of the third coordinate system, thus constructing the third coordinate system. It should be understood that the coordinates of points in this third coordinate system (…) Store antenna pattern data.

[0056] The fourth coordinate system, also known as the Earth's surface projection coordinate system, is essentially an abstract polar coordinate system, and therefore has no physical origin. This fourth coordinate system is used to describe the projected coverage area of ​​a phased array antenna beam on the Earth's surface. It is established based on the first, second, and third coordinate systems, and the antenna elevation angle in the third coordinate system is determined according to the geometric relationships between the first and second coordinate systems. The pitch angle mapped onto the Earth's surface is taken as the Earth's surface pitch angle. The elevation angle of the ground Let X4 be the horizontal axis of the fourth coordinate system. Based on the geometric relationships between the first and second coordinate systems, the antenna direction angle in the third coordinate system is... The azimuth angle mapped onto the Earth's surface is used as the Earth's surface azimuth angle. The azimuth of the ground Y4 is used as the vertical axis of the fourth coordinate system, thus constructing the fourth coordinate system. It should be understood that this fourth coordinate system is used to plot the final beam footprint map.

[0057] S120: In the third coordinate system, obtain multiple combinations of antenna azimuth and elevation angles of the phased array antenna, and obtain the antenna gain value corresponding to each combination of antenna azimuth and elevation angles.

[0058] In some embodiments, the antenna gain value The radiation pattern is obtained based on the phased array antenna. This radiation pattern can be obtained through theoretical calculation based on the synthesis of the ideal array factor and the element pattern, or through simulation using electromagnetic simulation software. This application does not impose specific restrictions on the method of obtaining the radiation pattern.

[0059] In this embodiment, the radiation pattern obtained by theoretical calculation based on the synthesis of ideal array factors and element patterns is used as an example. In this example, it is assumed that the phased array antenna is a 16×16 uniform planar array with an element spacing of half the signal wavelength. Each element of this array has the same element pattern to ensure good beam scanning characteristics. Specifically: by applying a specific set of amplitude and phase weights (which can be represented as a weight matrix W) to the feed port of the phased array antenna, a radiation pattern pointing towards the target direction is formed. The beam can be generated using various beamforming algorithms, such as conventional beamforming based on the steering vector, minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) algorithm, or by directly selecting from a preset beam codebook. This embodiment is not limited to a specific algorithm; any weights capable of generating the desired beam pointing can be applied.

[0060] After determining the weight matrix W, the gain of the phased array antenna array under this weight matrix is ​​calculated based on array theory within a specified angular range (i.e., a specified combination of antenna azimuth and elevation angles). In this embodiment, for example, the gain value of the phased array antenna within the azimuth angle is calculated. and pitch angle Within a certain range, in 1° increments, iterates through all possible direction combinations to calculate the gain value in each direction, and stores the results. In the middle. Among them, The direction corresponding to the maximum value (i.e., maximum gain) is the direction in which the main beam points.

[0061] S130: Based on the satellite orbital altitude and Earth's radius, the combination of azimuth and elevation angles of each antenna is mapped to the fourth coordinate system to obtain multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles.

[0062] In this embodiment, the radiation pattern is traversed. For radiation pattern Each non-zero gain point in Convert it to a linear value Used for subsequent calculations.

[0063] For the current combination of antenna azimuth and antenna elevation angles... A triangle is constructed with the Earth's center O2, the geometric center of the phased array antenna O1, and the intersection point P of the ray (emitted from the phased array antenna, also called a beam) and the Earth's surface as its vertices. The distance from the ray to the intersection point on the Earth's surface is then calculated using the law of cosines. Specifically: Obtain the direction of the ray originating from the satellite and calculate its unit direction vector in the first coordinate system: Given that the satellite's position (the phased array antenna in this application is located on the satellite, therefore the first coordinate system is also equivalent to the satellite coordinate system) is (0, 0, 0) in the first coordinate system, the satellite's position vector relative to the Earth's center can be expressed as: Where R is the Earth's radius and h is the satellite's orbital altitude, the following equation can be obtained by solving it. You can get , This allows us to obtain the distance from the geometric center of the phased array antenna (i.e., the aforementioned ray) to the intersection point on the Earth's surface. .

[0064] For the current combination of antenna azimuth and antenna elevation angles... , will the current Substitute the following mapping formulas to map the antenna azimuth and elevation angles to the ground surface azimuth and elevation angles:

[0065]

[0066]

[0067] in, Indicates the azimuth of the Earth's surface. Indicates the angle of elevation of the Earth's surface. Indicates the antenna azimuth angle. Indicates the antenna elevation angle. Represents the Earth's radius. Indicates the satellite's orbital altitude. This represents the distance from the geometric center of the phased array antenna to the point where the beam intersects the Earth's surface.

[0068] S140: Determine the path loss factor and compensate the antenna gain value based on the path loss factor to obtain the ground equivalent gain value.

[0069] In this embodiment, the path loss factor can be determined by the following formula:

[0070]

[0071] in, Indicates the path loss factor. This represents the preset reference distance, which can be set to, This represents the distance from the geometric center of the phased array antenna to the point where the beam intersects the Earth's surface. In the formula for calculating the path loss factor, It can be set to the actual distance from the main beam direction to the intersection point on the ground.

[0072] After obtaining the path loss factor Then, the path loss factor Multiplying the linear value of the antenna gain yields the equivalent ground gain, specifically: = * ,in, Represents the linear value of the equivalent gain of the Earth's surface. This represents the linear value of the antenna gain, which is the equivalent linear value of the ground surface gain. Convert to Db value ,Will This serves as the final equivalent gain value for the Earth's surface.

[0073] S150: In the fourth coordinate system, the beam footprint of the phased array antenna is determined based on the combination of multiple surface azimuth and elevation angles, and the equivalent surface gain value corresponding to each combination of surface azimuth and elevation angles.

[0074] After plotting all combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles and their corresponding equivalent surface gain values ​​as discrete points in the fourth coordinate system, a gain threshold is set according to requirements, such as a gain threshold value. dB.

[0075] Traverse all mapping points, for the combination of the current surface azimuth and surface elevation angle in the fourth coordinate system ( If the corresponding surface equivalent gain value is greater than or equal to a preset gain threshold, then in this embodiment... When, then the combination ( The location corresponding to the beam coverage status is marked. If the corresponding ground equivalent gain value is less than the preset gain threshold, that is, in this embodiment... When, then the combination ( The corresponding location is marked as a state where the beam is not covered.

[0076] In some embodiments, the above markers can be binarized, for example, using 1 to indicate coverage and 0 to indicate uncovered status; or using white to indicate coverage and 0 to indicate uncovered status. The marker result is then rendered into an image in a fourth coordinate system to obtain an intuitive beam footprint map representing the actual coverage area of ​​the Earth's surface in the current state.

[0077] Based on the solutions provided in the above embodiments, by establishing a multi-level coordinate system to describe the radiation angle and geometric projection relationship of the antenna radiation pattern, the influence of the Earth's curvature and the antenna pattern on the coverage area can be accurately reflected. Furthermore, propagation path compensation is performed by precisely calculating the path loss factor, thereby making the obtained beam footprint location more accurate and reliable. For example, in the beam edge region, when... When significantly increased, by introducing This causes the gain to drop rapidly, making the calculated footprint more consistent with the actual propagation pattern. Furthermore, by outputting a binarized footprint map, the beam coverage area can be clearly defined, facilitating subsequent processing and planning.

[0078] Another embodiment of this application provides a beam footprint determination system for a satellite phased array antenna. This system can be implemented by a software system, a hardware device, or a combination of both. The following will be combined with... Figure 3 Let me introduce the system.

[0079] like Figure 3As shown, the beam footprint determination system for a satellite phased array antenna can be logically divided into multiple modules, each with different functions. The function of each module is implemented by a processor in a computing device reading and executing instructions from its memory. For example, the beam footprint determination system 30 for a satellite phased array antenna includes a coordinate system construction module 310, an acquisition module 320, a mapping module 330, a compensation module 340, and a determination module 350. The coordinate system construction module 310 is used to establish a first coordinate system with the geometric center of the phased array antenna as the origin, a second coordinate system with the Earth's center as the origin, a third coordinate system based on the first coordinate system to represent the radiation angles of the phased array antenna's radiation pattern, and a fourth coordinate system based on the second coordinate system to represent the coverage area of ​​the phased array antenna beam on the Earth's surface. The acquisition module 320 is used to acquire multiple combinations of azimuth and elevation angles of the phased array antenna in the third coordinate system, and to acquire the antenna gain value corresponding to each combination of azimuth and elevation angles. The mapping module 330 maps the combination of azimuth and elevation angles of each antenna to the fourth coordinate system based on the satellite orbital altitude and Earth radius, obtaining multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles. The compensation module 340 determines the path loss factor and compensates the antenna gain value based on the path loss factor to obtain the surface equivalent gain value. The determination module 350 determines the beam footprint of the phased array antenna in the fourth coordinate system based on the multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles and the surface equivalent gain value corresponding to each combination of surface azimuth and elevation angles.

[0080] It should be noted that the specific implementation of each functional module in this embodiment can be found in the description of the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0081] Another embodiment of this application provides a computer program product that, when run on a computing device, causes the computing device to execute the beam footprint determination method for satellite phased array antennas described in the above embodiments. For specific implementation details in this embodiment, please refer to the descriptions in the above embodiments.

[0082] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a computing device 400 provided in an embodiment of this application. This computing device can execute various optional embodiments of the above-described method for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna. The computing device can be a terminal, or a chip or chip system within the terminal. Figure 4 As shown, the computing device 400 includes: a processor 410, a memory 420, and a communication interface 430.

[0083] It should be understood that Figure 4The communication interface 430 in the computing device 400 shown can be used to communicate with other devices, and may specifically include one or more transceiver circuits or interface circuits.

[0084] The processor 410 can be connected to the memory 420. The memory 420 can be used to store the program code and data. Therefore, the memory 420 can be a storage unit inside the processor 410, an external storage unit independent of the processor 410, or a component that includes both the storage unit inside the processor 410 and the external storage unit independent of the processor 410.

[0085] Optionally, the computing device 400 may also include a bus. The memory 420 and communication interface 430 can be connected to the processor 410 via the bus. The bus can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 4 The symbol is represented by a line without an arrow, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0086] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the processor 410 may be a central processing unit (CPU). The processor may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. Alternatively, the processor 410 may employ one or more integrated circuits to execute relevant programs to implement the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0087] The memory 420 may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provides instructions and data to the processor 410. A portion of the processor 410 may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the processor 410 may also store device type information.

[0088] When the computing device 400 is running, the processor 410 executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory 420 to perform any of the operational steps of the above method and any of the optional embodiments thereof.

[0089] It should be understood that the computing device 400 according to the embodiments of this application can correspond to the corresponding subject in executing the methods according to the various embodiments of this application, and the above and other operations and / or functions of each module in the computing device 400 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes of the methods of this embodiment. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0090] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0091] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0092] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0093] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0094] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0095] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0096] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, is used to perform the above-described method, which includes at least one of the schemes described in the above embodiments.

[0097] The computer storage medium in this application embodiment can be any combination of one or more computer-readable media. A computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. For example, a computer-readable storage medium can be, but is not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. In this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0098] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. Computer-readable signal media may also be any computer-readable medium other than computer-readable storage media, capable of sending, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0099] The program code contained on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including, but not limited to, wireless, wire, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0100] Computer program code for performing the operations of this application can be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving remote computers, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0101] Note that the above are merely preferred embodiments and the technical principles employed in this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, although this application has been described in detail through the above embodiments, this application is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include many other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of this application, all of which fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for determining the beam footprint of a satellite phased array antenna, characterized in that, include: A first coordinate system is established with the geometric center of the phased array antenna as the origin; a second coordinate system is established with the Earth's center as the origin; a third coordinate system is established based on the first coordinate system to represent the radiation angle of the phased array antenna radiation pattern; and a fourth coordinate system is established based on the second coordinate system to represent the coverage area of ​​the phased array antenna beam on the Earth's surface. In the third coordinate system, multiple combinations of azimuth and elevation angles of the phased array antenna are obtained, and the antenna gain value corresponding to each combination of azimuth and elevation angles is obtained. Based on the satellite orbital altitude and Earth's radius, the combination of each antenna's azimuth and elevation angles is mapped onto the fourth coordinate system to obtain multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles. Determine the path loss factor, and compensate the antenna gain value based on the path loss factor to obtain the ground equivalent gain value; In the fourth coordinate system, the beam footprint of the phased array antenna is determined based on the combination of the multiple surface azimuth and elevation angles, and the equivalent surface gain value corresponding to each combination of surface azimuth and elevation angles.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the satellite orbital altitude and Earth's radius, the combination of azimuth and elevation angles of each antenna is mapped onto the fourth coordinate system, resulting in multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles, including: The surface azimuth and surface elevation angles are determined by the following formula: ； ； in, Indicates the azimuth of the Earth's surface. Indicates the angle of elevation of the Earth's surface. Indicates the antenna azimuth angle. Indicates the antenna elevation angle. Represents the Earth's radius. Indicates the satellite's orbital altitude. This represents the distance from the geometric center of the phased array antenna to the intersection point on the Earth's surface.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the path loss factor includes: The path loss factor is determined by the following formula: ； in, Indicates the path loss factor. This indicates the preset reference distance. This represents the distance from the geometric center of the phased array antenna to the intersection point on the Earth's surface.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, Determine the distance of the beam from the geometric center of the phased array antenna to the intersection point on the Earth's surface. ,include: A triangle is constructed with the intersection of the Earth's center, the geometric center of the phased array antenna, and the Earth's surface as vertices, and the result is calculated using the law of cosines. .

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of compensating the antenna gain value based on the path loss factor to obtain the ground equivalent gain value includes: The equivalent gain value of the ground surface is obtained by multiplying the path loss factor and the antenna gain value.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the beam footprint of the phased array antenna in the fourth coordinate system, based on the combinations of the plurality of surface azimuth and elevation angles, and the surface equivalent gain value corresponding to each combination of surface azimuth and elevation angles, includes: For each combination of azimuth and elevation angles in the fourth coordinate system, if the corresponding equivalent gain value of the ground is greater than or equal to the preset gain threshold, the location corresponding to the combination is marked as beam coverage; otherwise, the location corresponding to the combination is marked as beam non-coverage.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: The marker is binarized to obtain the binarized marker; Based on the binarized markers, a binarized beam footprint map is generated and output in the fourth coordinate system.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the antenna gain value corresponding to each combination of azimuth and elevation angles includes: The corresponding antenna gain value is determined based on the radiation intensity of the phased array antenna corresponding to the combination of azimuth and elevation angles of each antenna.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A first coordinate system is constructed with the geometric center of the phased array antenna as the origin O1, the direction of the phased array antenna plane that is normal to the Earth's center as the X1 axis, the first direction of the phased array antenna plane that is perpendicular to the X1 axis as the Y1 axis, and the second direction of the phased array antenna plane that is perpendicular to both the X1 and Y1 axes as the Z1 axis. A second coordinate system is constructed with the Earth's center as the origin O2, the direction pointing from the Earth's center to the geometric center of the phased array antenna located on the satellite as the X2 axis, the direction starting from the origin O2 that is perpendicular to the X2 axis and parallel to the Y1 axis as the Y2 axis, and the direction starting from the origin O2 that is perpendicular to the X2 axis and parallel to the Z1 axis as the Z2 axis. A third coordinate system is constructed by taking the angle between the radiation direction and the X1 axis of the first coordinate system as the antenna elevation angle and the angle between the projection of the radiation direction in the plane formed by Y1O1Z1 and the positive direction of the Y1 axis as the antenna direction angle. A fourth coordinate system is constructed by mapping the antenna elevation angle to the corresponding elevation angle on the ground surface as the ground elevation angle and mapping the antenna azimuth angle to the corresponding azimuth angle on the ground surface as the ground azimuth angle.

10. A beam footprint determination system for a satellite phased array antenna, characterized in that, include: The coordinate system construction module is used to establish a first coordinate system with the geometric center of the phased array antenna as the origin, a second coordinate system with the Earth's center as the origin, a third coordinate system based on the first coordinate system to represent the radiation angle of the phased array antenna radiation pattern, and a fourth coordinate system based on the second coordinate system to represent the coverage area of ​​the phased array antenna beam on the Earth's surface. The acquisition module is used to acquire multiple combinations of antenna azimuth and elevation angles of the phased array antenna in the third coordinate system, and to acquire the antenna gain value corresponding to each combination of antenna azimuth and elevation angles. The mapping module is used to map the combination of azimuth and elevation angles of each antenna to the fourth coordinate system based on the satellite orbital altitude and Earth radius, so as to obtain multiple combinations of surface azimuth and elevation angles; The compensation module is used to determine the path loss factor and compensate the antenna gain value based on the path loss factor to obtain the ground equivalent gain value. The determination module is used to determine the beam footprint of the phased array antenna in the fourth coordinate system based on the combination of the multiple surface azimuth and elevation angles, and the surface equivalent gain value corresponding to each combination of surface azimuth and elevation angles.

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