Elliptical Antenna Beam Alignment via E-H Plane Coordinate Transformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional antenna tracking systems, such as the step track algorithm, fail to accurately align elliptical beams with the line-of-sight to remote receivers, especially for antennas with elliptical main beams where the major and minor axes are not aligned with the antenna's azimuth and elevation planes, leading to pointing errors.
Innovation Solution
The system offsets the antenna in the E-plane and H-plane coordinate system, measuring signal strength at these points to calculate the true location of the elliptical beam's peak, thereby aligning the antenna with the line-of-sight by converting E-plane and H-plane offsets into azimuth and elevation coordinates, and using a tracking algorithm to adjust the antenna's pointing direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the conventional step track algorithm is applied in the azimuth and elevation planes, then the antenna pointing direction can be adjusted, but pointing errors occur for elliptical beams with rotated principal axes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the coordinate system parameters from the conventional azimuth-elevation system to an E-H plane system that aligns with the elliptical beam's principal axes. This parameter transformation allows the step track algorithm to operate in a coordinate system where the beam pattern is symmetric, eliminating the pointing errors that occur when the beam's major and minor axes are rotated relative to the azimuth and elevation planes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the antenna beam is elliptical with rotated principal axes, then the antenna can support dominant TE11 waveguide mode, but the conventional step track algorithm fails to achieve accurate alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary coordinate transformation step that converts between the E-H plane coordinate system (aligned with the elliptical beam axes) and the azimuth-elevation coordinate system. This intermediary transformation allows the antenna to maintain its elliptical beam characteristics while enabling the step track algorithm to achieve accurate alignment by operating in the appropriate coordinate system.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and methods for aligning an elliptical beam of an antenna to a line-of-sight from the antenna to a remote receiver are disclosed. The methods offset the antenna from an initial pointing direction in an antenna pointing coordinate system. Coordinates of the pointing offsets are determined in the E-plane and H-plane of an antenna beam coordinate system. The method then converts the coordinates of the pointing offsets from the antenna beam coordinate system into coordinates of offset points each located in the antenna pointing coordinate system according to the polarization angle of the E-plane and the H-plane, and performs a tracking algorithm using relative signal strength measurement data at the initial pointing directions and at the coordinates of the offset points. The true location of the center/peak of the elliptical beam is calculated in azimuth/elevation planes of the antenna pointing coordinate system.