Communication Terminal Antenna Array Beam Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communication terminals in satellite systems face challenges with excessive resource consumption and maintaining satisfactory wireless link quality over long distances due to the need for multiple concurrent wireless links, which is difficult with existing flat panel phased antenna arrays.
Innovation Solution
The communication terminal incorporates an array of antenna modules with shared transceiver chains, phase shifters, and amplifiers, along with switching circuitry and lenses to activate radiators in different directions, allowing for efficient beam steering and concurrent wireless links with reduced power and space consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional flat panel phased antenna arrays are used to maintain multiple concurrent wireless links over long distances, then wireless link quality can be maintained, but power consumption and space requirements increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna array is divided into multiple independently controllable sub-arrays or elements, each capable of forming its own beam. This segmentation allows the system to activate only the necessary subset of antenna elements for each specific communication link, rather than requiring all elements to be active simultaneously, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining link quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna system employs dynamic beam steering capability where the phase and amplitude of each antenna element can be adjusted in real-time. This dynamic control allows the system to adaptively focus energy only in the directions where communication links are needed, eliminating the need to maintain excessive power across all antenna elements continuously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional flat panel phased antenna arrays are deployed to support multiple concurrent wireless links, then communication coverage is improved, but the device occupies excessive space and increases in weight
Solution Approach 1:
Each antenna element is designed to be multi-functional, capable of participating in multiple different beam formations and serving various communication links through dynamic phase control. This universality allows a compact array to support multiple concurrent links by reconfiguring which elements serve which links, rather than requiring dedicated physical segments for each link.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna elements are arranged in a compact, space-efficient geometry where smaller functional units are nested within or alongside each other. This nested arrangement maximizes the effective aperture area for a given physical footprint, enabling multiple concurrent links to be supported without proportionally increasing the overall device area.
3Adaptability or versatility
If antenna elements are activated to transmit signals in multiple directions simultaneously, then wide field of view coverage is achieved, but signal interference and difficulty in maintaining link quality increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements local quality control by independently optimizing the phase and amplitude characteristics of each antenna element or small sub-array. This localized control allows precise beamforming in specific directions without affecting other regions, enabling wide field of view coverage while maintaining simple control logic for each local region rather than requiring complex global coordination.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances data throughput, maintains multiple concurrent wireless links with satisfactory quality over a wide field of view, and reduces space, power, and manufacturing costs compared to traditional flat panel phased antenna arrays.
Implementation Method 1
Each antenna module may include an array of antenna radiators on a substrate and a lens overlapping the array of radiators. Each antenna module may include a transceiver chain that includes a transceiver, a phase shifter, and an amplifier shared by each of the radiators in the module. The control circuitry may control the transceiver chain in the module to convey radio-frequency signals at a selected phase using each of the active radiators
Data Source
AI summary
A communication terminal may include control circuitry and an array of antenna modules. Each module may include radiators on a substrate, a lens overlapping the radiators, a transceiver chain, and switching circuitry. The control circuitry may control the switching circuitry to activate a set of one or more radiators in a given module. The control circuitry may control the transceiver chain in that module to convey signals at a selected phase using each of the active radiators. Each of the active radiators may convey the signals over signal beams oriented in different directions by the lens. The control circuitry may adjust the active radiators in each module and may adjust the selected phase for each of the modules to generate a combined signal beam in a desired direction. The combined signal beam may be generated using signals from the active radiators in two or more modules across the array.