Circular Beamforming Antenna for Wide Coverage and High Gain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aviation antennas face challenges in providing efficient and cost-effective wireless communication connectivity for aircraft due to size, weight, and cost constraints, leading to limited coverage and high latency, which restricts air-to-ground network performance.
Innovation Solution
An omni-directional antenna assembly with a circular pattern of equidistant antenna elements and a phase control module that applies selected phase fronts to generate constructive and destructive interference patterns, enabling directive beam steering and increased gain without significant size or weight increases, allowing for improved network performance and reduced interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If above-surface antennas are designed to provide broad coverage area, then coverage is improved, but gain is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna system is divided into multiple antenna elements arranged in a circular pattern, with each element contributing to the overall radiation pattern. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both broad coverage and high gain through coordinated operation of the individual elements.
Solution Approach 2:
Different antenna elements are assigned different phase shifts to create directional beamforming. This local quality variation allows the antenna to concentrate energy in specific directions (improving gain) while maintaining broad overall coverage through electronic beam steering.
2Power
If antenna gain is increased to improve communication performance, then network performance is improved, but size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna system uses electronic phase control to dynamically steer beams without mechanical movement. This dynamic phase adjustment allows high gain to be achieved through constructive interference of signals from multiple elements, rather than through larger physical antenna structures that would increase weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the phase parameter of signals fed to each antenna element to control beam direction and focus. By adjusting these phase parameters electronically, the antenna achieves high gain and directional performance without increasing its physical size or weight.
3Area of stationary object
If omni-directional antenna configuration is used to provide 360-degree coverage, then coverage is improved, but interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna system applies different phase characteristics to different groups of antenna elements, creating directional beams that can be steered to specific locations. This allows the system to provide omni-directional coverage capability while reducing interference by concentrating energy in desired directions and creating nulls in interference-prone directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic beam steering capability allows the antenna to dynamically adjust its radiation pattern based on the position and requirements of ground stations. This dynamic adaptation enables the system to maintain broad coverage while minimizing interference by directing beams only where needed.
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
The solution enhances air-to-ground network performance by enabling aircraft to communicate with distant ground stations, reducing the need for multiple base stations, and minimizing interference, while maintaining connectivity during aircraft movement and altitude changes.
Implementation Method 1
apply selected phase fronts to each of the antenna elements to generate constructive and destructive interference patterns to define a directive beam in a desired direction
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna assembly includes a plurality of antenna elements disposed in a circular pattern and equidistant from each other in angular separation relative to a common reference point at a center of the circular pattern. The antenna assembly may include or be operably coupled to a phase control module configured to apply selected phase fronts to each of the antenna elements to generate constructive and destructive interference patterns to define a directive beam in a desired direction. The selected phase fronts may include no phase adjustment, a positive phase adjustment value and a negative phase adjustment value, the positive and negative phase adjustment values each having a same magnitude.