Unequal-Spaced Antenna Lattice for Grating-Lobe-Free Full-Duplex Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current full-duplex satellite communication systems face challenges in achieving simultaneous bi-directional data transmission and reception with high sensitivity and effective isotropic radiated power while maintaining polarization purity and avoiding grating lobes, especially in scanning applications.
Innovation Solution
A single-panel full-duplex antenna system with a lattice configuration that includes sequentially rotated sub-modules, utilizing distinct spacing for transmit and receive antenna elements to achieve grating lobe-free scanning and polarization control through RFICs connected to multiple antenna ports, ensuring optimal performance metrics like axial ratio and isolation between Tx and Rx signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If equal spacing is used for all antenna elements in a single-panel full-duplex system, then the lattice structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but grating lobes appear during beam scanning and polarization purity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by using different spacing distances for transmit antenna elements (d_tx) and receive antenna elements (d_rx). This asymmetric lattice configuration eliminates grating lobes during beam scanning while maintaining manufacturing feasibility. The different spacing breaks the symmetry that causes grating lobes in equal-spacing configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing spacing locally for different frequency ranges. Transmit elements use spacing d_tx optimized for Tx frequency, while receive elements use spacing d_rx optimized for Rx frequency. This local optimization ensures each subset performs its function without generating grating lobes.
2Productivity
If a single-panel configuration is used for full-duplex communication, then spectrum utilization improves and throughput increases, but isolation between transmit and receive signals deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric spacing between transmit and receive elements creates spatial separation that reduces coupling. The different lattice constants d_tx and d_rx ensure that transmit beams do not inadvertently illuminate receive elements, minimizing self-interference while maintaining single-panel compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the spatial dimension by arranging Tx and Rx elements in different spatial configurations with different spacing. This dimensional separation in the antenna lattice provides isolation between Tx and Rx paths, reducing harmful coupling while maintaining the single-panel footprint.
3Reliability
If unequal spacing is used for Tx and Rx antenna elements, then grating lobe-free scanning and polarization purity are achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the antenna lattice into distinct transmit subsets and receive subsets, each with their own spacing parameters. This segmentation allows independent optimization of d_tx for Tx polarization and d_rx for Rx polarization, achieving polarization purity while keeping each subset's configuration relatively simple.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A full-duplex User Terminal Panel (UTP) including one or more User Terminal Modules (UTM) having a plurality of Tx antenna elements. Each of the Tx antenna elements spaced apart from one another by a distance dTx. The full-duplex UTP further includes a plurality of Rx antenna elements. Each of the Rx antenna elements are spaced apart from one another by a distance dRx. Furthermore, the Tx antenna elements may be spaced according to a Tx lattice dTx, such that the Tx lattice dTx spacing arrangement provides grating lobe-free scanning in an elevation plane at a Tx frequency range. The Rx antenna elements are spaced according to an Rx lattice dRx, such that the Rx lattice dRx spacing arrangement provides grating lobe-free scanning in an elevation plane at a Rx frequency range.