U.S. patent application number 14/282209 was filed with the patent office on 2015-10-29 for antenna system.
This patent application is currently assigned to GILAT SATELLITE NETWORKS LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is GILAT SATELLITE NETWORKS LTD.. Invention is credited to Victor Boyanov, Kevin Arthur Bruestle, Daniel Francis Difonzo, David Gross, Stanimir Kamenopolski, Ilan Kaplan.
Application Number | 20150311587 14/282209 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44531773 |
Filed Date | 2015-10-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150311587 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kaplan; Ilan ; et
al. |
October 29, 2015 |
Antenna System
Abstract
A multi-band low-profile, low-volume two-way mobile panel array
antenna system is described. Operation of the antenna may
automatically switch between bands based on various user-entered
parameters.
Inventors: |
Kaplan; Ilan; (North
Bethesda, MD) ; Difonzo; Daniel Francis; (Vienna,
VA) ; Bruestle; Kevin Arthur; (Falls Church, VA)
; Gross; David; (Saddle River, NJ) ; Boyanov;
Victor; (Sofia, BG) ; Kamenopolski; Stanimir;
(Sofia, BG) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
GILAT SATELLITE NETWORKS LTD. |
Petah Tikva |
|
IL |
|
|
Assignee: |
GILAT SATELLITE NETWORKS
LTD.
Petah Tikva
IL
|
Family ID: |
44531773 |
Appl. No.: |
14/282209 |
Filed: |
May 20, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13048550 |
Mar 15, 2011 |
8761663 |
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14282209 |
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13030866 |
Feb 18, 2011 |
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13048550 |
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11647576 |
Dec 29, 2006 |
7911400 |
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13030866 |
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11320805 |
Dec 30, 2005 |
7705793 |
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11647576 |
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11071440 |
Mar 4, 2005 |
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11320805 |
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10925937 |
Aug 26, 2004 |
7379707 |
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11071440 |
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10498668 |
Jun 10, 2004 |
6995712 |
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10925937 |
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11183007 |
Jul 18, 2005 |
7385562 |
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11647576 |
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10752088 |
Jan 7, 2004 |
6999036 |
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11183007 |
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11374049 |
Mar 14, 2006 |
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10752088 |
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11074754 |
Mar 9, 2005 |
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11320805 |
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60650122 |
Feb 7, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
343/766 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01Q 3/08 20130101; H01Q
21/28 20130101; H01Q 21/245 20130101; H01Q 3/04 20130101; H01Q
1/3275 20130101; H01Q 1/42 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01Q 3/04 20060101
H01Q003/04; H01Q 1/42 20060101 H01Q001/42 |
Claims
1. An antenna system, comprising: a low-volume enclosure; a
motor-driven rotatable assembly within the enclosure; and a flat
panel array antenna.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S.
application Ser. No. 13/048,550, filed Mar. 15, 2011, entitled
"Antenna System", which is a is a continuation-in-part of copending
U.S. application Ser. No. 13/030,866, filed Feb. 18, 2011, entitled
"Applications for Low Profile Two-Way Satellite Antenna System,
which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/647,576
(the '576 Application), filed Dec. 29, 2006, which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/320,805 (the
'805 Application), filed Dec. 30, 2005, and which claims priority
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e)(1) to U.S. Provisional Application No.
60/650,122, filed Feb. 7, 2005; the '805 Application also claims
priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.120 as a continuation-in-part to
U.S. application Ser. No. 11/074,754, filed Mar. 9, 2005, U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/071,440, filed Mar. 4, 2005, U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/498,668, filed Dec. 17, 2002, and U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/925,937, filed Aug. 26, 2004; the '576
Application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser.
No. 10/752,088, filed Jan. 7, 2004, U.S. application Ser. No.
11/374,049, filed Mar. 14, 2006, and U.S. application Ser. No.
11/183,007, filed Jul. 18, 2005. The contents of the above cases
are hereby incorporated by reference as nonlimiting examples of one
or more features described herein. The present application also
claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/314,066,
entitled "Antenna System" and filed on Mar. 15, 2010, the contents
of which are hereby incorporated by reference as a non-limiting
example of the system described herein.
FIELD OF ART
[0002] The features described herein relate generally to wireless
communications, such as satellite communications.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Demand for telecommunication services is constantly
increasing, as more and more users seek more and more convenience
in accessing information. Cellular telephones and smartphones have
allowed users to remain in contact with wired networks from distant
locations. Mobile satellite receivers are also in use to provide
similar connectivity via satellite. Different communication
networks often require different transmission and reception
equipment, and there remains an ever-present need for users to
maximize the flexibility of the equipment that they use.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present application relates generally to offering an
antenna system that can be configured to automatically switch
between disparate types of wireless network communications.
[0005] In some embodiments, an antenna system may include a flat
panel array mounted on a rotatable assembly, with control circuitry
and motors to track satellites using one or more frequency bands.
The system may be configured to automatically switch between the
various bands based on user-defined parameters.
[0006] The various user defined parameters may include signal
strength, geographic position, satellite look angle, bandwidth,
time of day, cost of network, application or data type, etc.
[0007] Other details and features will also be described in the
sections that follow. This summary is not intended to identify
critical or essential features of the inventions claimed herein,
but instead merely summarizes certain features and variations
thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Some features herein are illustrated by way of example, and
not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying
drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar
elements.
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an example radome-covered antenna
assembly.
[0010] FIGS. 2a & b illustrate the FIG. 1 example, with the
radome removed.
[0011] FIGS. 3a & b illustrate closer views of a flat panel
array shown in FIGS. 2a & b.
[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates a closer view of a rotatable
assembly.
[0013] FIG. 5 illustrates a closer view of a block upconverter.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating components of an
antenna assembly.
[0015] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating tracking components
of an antenna assembly.
[0016] FIG. 8 illustrates an example process for providing
parameters and switching between bands of operation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates an example physical configuration of a
low-profile, low volume, switchable band antenna assembly suitable
for two-way use for portable satellite communications on-the-move
(e.g., mounted on a moving vehicle). Such an antenna can support
various data rates, such as 64 kbps transmit and 2 Mbps
receive.
[0018] The antenna assembly 100 may include a radome cover
enclosure 101 that houses various antenna components described
herein. The cover 101 may be formed using a weatherproof material
that passes electromagnetic frequencies in the desired bands of
operation, and can serve as a protective housing for the antenna
assembly 100. Example components housed within the cover 101 are
discussed further below with respect to FIGS. 2a-3b. For example,
the enclosure 101 can have a generally cylindrical shape, and be
shorter than thirteen inches in diameter (e.g., it can have a
twelve-inch or 311 mm diameter) and ten inches in height (e.g., it
can have an eight-inch or 200 mm height).
[0019] The cover 101 and the components housed within may be
mounted on a rotating platform assembly 102. The rotating assembly
102 may be motor driven to rotate about a vertical axis to adjust
the azimuth of the assembly to track one or more signal sources,
such as satellites. Example components of the assembly 102 are
discussed further below with respect to FIG. 4.
[0020] The rotating assembly 102 may be mounted onto a block
upconverter (BUC) 103. The BUC 103 may include frequency
upconversion circuitry to convert signals from one frequency to a
higher frequency for transmission. Example features of the BUC 103
are discussed further below with respect to FIG. 5.
[0021] FIGS. 2a & b illustrate an example of the assembly 100
with the cover 101 removed. As depicted, the antenna may include
one or more flat panel arrays 200. The array 200 can include a
series of antenna transmission and reception elements, such as a
printed circuit design with parasitic patches to extend the
frequency response and provide wide band capability. The panel
configuration allows it to maintain a flat profile with low volume,
which can be advantageous for mounting on the exterior of
vehicles.
[0022] The panel array 200 may be a bidirectional Ku-band array
panel configured to communicate with satellites in the Ku-band
(e.g., 14.0 to 14.5 GHz and 10.9 to 12.7 GHz), a Ka-band panel
configured to communicate with satellites in the Ka-band (e.g.,
26.5 to 40 GHz), or any other desired panel for a desired frequency
band. In some embodiments, the array 200 is configured for a high
frequency transmission such as the Ku and Ka bands discussed above.
High frequency bands may be those above 2 GHz.
[0023] In addition to the high-frequency panel, the antenna
assembly 100 may include one or more low frequency antennas 201.
The low-frequency antenna 201 may be, for example, an L-band panel
configured to communicate with satellites in the L-band (e.g.,
IMMARSAT 1525 to 1646.5 MHz). The assembly 100 or antenna panel 200
may also include antennas for communicating with terrestrial
networks, such as wireless cellular telephone networks, WiMax
wireless computer networks, and the like.
[0024] The operation of the antenna 100 may be controlled by a
controller circuit 202, which can include one or more
microprocessors and one or more memories (e.g., flash memories,
ROMs, removable media, etc.) storing computer-executable
instructions that, when executed by the one or more
microprocessors, cause the antenna assembly 100 and its components
to perform in the various manners described herein. The controller
circuit 202 may include one or more external interfaces, such as
audio/visual interfaces (displays, speakers, touch screens, etc.),
computer monitor interfaces, user input device interfaces (e.g.,
keyboards, mice, touch screens, etc.). The interfaces may also
include interfaces for external control, such as an Ethernet
interface, Universal Serial Bus (USB), a serial interface, or any
other desired device interface. The circuit 202 may also include a
series of coaxial cable interfaces 203, which can be connected to a
modem device to transmit and receive signals for a customer device.
For example, the antenna may be connected to one or more satellite
modems, which can convert the antenna's signals into a desired
digital interface, such as an Internet Protocol interface. User
devices can connect to the IP interface, and can use the modem to
send and receive data with other devices on the Internet.
[0025] The controller circuit 202 can also cause the assembly to
rotate to adjust azimuth, and elevate the panel 200 to adjust
elevation by tilting the panel about an elevation mount 209, to
allow the panel 200 to track one or more satellites. To do so, the
assembly may include one or more motors 204 (e.g., motors 204 can
include azimuth and elevation motors), belts 205, pulleys 206,
etc.
[0026] The antenna assembly 100 can also include a polarization
circuit 207, which can be configured to adjust the polarization of
signals for transmission and/or reception. The assembly 100 can
also include a global positioning system (GPS) 208, which can be
configured to receive satellite timing signals and triangulate the
position of the assembly 100. This circuit can further include
internal 3-axis gyroscopes and corresponding orientation circuitry
to detect acceleration of the assembly 100 as it moves and turns,
as well as 2-axis inclinometers.
[0027] FIGS. 3a & b illustrate isolation views of the front and
rear of an example panel 200. In the rear view, a gyroscope circuit
301, RF combiner 302, and diplexer circuitry 303 can be seen.
[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates a closer view of the rotating assembly
102. The rotating assembly 102 may include a rotating platform 401
configured to rotate about a central axis 402 under the control of
an azimuth motor 204 and its corresponding belt and pulley. The
antenna array panel 200 may be mounted to the rotating assembly. A
dual channel rotary joint 403 may be used to allow wiring and/or
signals from above the rotating platform to pass through the bottom
cover and reach components located under the rotating assembly 102,
such as the BUC 103.
[0029] FIG. 5 illustrates a closer view of the BUC 103. The BUC 103
can be configured to upconvert signals to higher frequency bands
and amplifying them for transmission, such as converting L band to
Ku band. It can be shaped to fit under the radome 101, and can have
a thin profile (e.g., 2 cm). The BUC 103 may include input and
output connectors 501, to carry signals from and to the panel 200,
DC power input 502, cooling fins 503 and various mounting holes 504
to allow it to be mounted to the underside of the rotating assembly
102.
[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram representation of the
example assembly shown in FIGS. 1-5. Element numerals are repeated
for common elements. Additional elements are shown as well. For
example, the L-band patch 601 may be a printed circuit antenna
element of the L-band antenna 201, and can be used for transmission
and reception on the L-band (or any other desired low frequency
band). A series of duplexers 602a & b (which can be diplexers
configured for signaling) can be used to isolate the up and down
frequencies for the two-way transmission (which can be
simultaneously carried out), while a low noise amplifier 603 can be
used to amplify the received signal for further processing. This
L-band portion (the top left portion of FIG. 6) can be connected to
a source selection switch 604. The source selection switch 604 can
be a manually or electronically controlled switch, and can
selectively connect the L-band portion to the rest of the antenna
and, ultimately, to user devices to allow those devices to receive
L-band signals. If manual, the switch 604 can be positioned
anywhere on the antenna, such as on an outer surface of the control
circuit 202.
[0031] The other side of the source selection switch 604 can be
connected to reception circuitry for the panel 200, which in some
examples can be a Ku or Ka band panel. The panel 200 may include a
diplexer 605 for separating transmission and reception frequencies.
The reception side of the diplexer 605 may be connected to a
receive side 207a of polarization control circuit 207 and then to
low noise block (LNB) 606, which can process received signals to
supply them to the receive selection switch 604.
[0032] The diplexer 605 may also include a transmission side
connected to a transmission side 207b of the polarization control
207.
[0033] A dual channel rotary joint 403 may have an L-band side and
a Ku-band side connected to the switch 604 and transmit
polarization control 207, respectively (left and right in FIG. 6).
The dual channel rotary joint 403 allows the wiring for these
signals to pass through the rotating platform to other components
in the system, such as interfaces to modems. On the left, the
L-band side may connect to another switch 607. Similar to the
switch 604, switch 607 also selectively switches between the L-band
interface 610 and Ku-band (in this example) reception interface
611. On the right hand side, a Ku-band transmission interface 612
may receive signals to be transmitted in the Ku-band, and the BUC
103 may upconvert those signals for transmission by the panel
200.
[0034] FIG. 7 illustrates an example block configuration for using
the antenna components described above. Beginning at the bottom,
various pieces of user equipment (e.g., computers) may connect to a
modem 701, which in turn can be connected to the BUC 103 for higher
band (e.g., Ku-band) transmissions, and to the antenna assembly 100
directly for other communications. The controller 202 may control
the operation of the antenna through the execution by a processor
202a of instructions stored in a memory 202b, and antenna panel 200
may receive controls for azimuth, elevation and polarization
adjustments to track a satellite. Inputs from an inclinometer,
gyroscope and GPS may also be used for this tracking.
[0035] FIG. 8 illustrates an example process for using the antenna
system described above. The process can be carried out by the
antenna's control circuit 202 and its processor(s). In step 801,
the antenna system may initially receive switching parameters. It
may do this by, for example, receiving user input from a computer
connected to the antenna's controller board 202 using any of the
interfaces discussed above (e.g., via an Ethernet interface). The
controller circuit 202 may support an IP-based interface, allowing
user computers to view and modify user settings and parameters.
[0036] The user may, for example, view a user interface identifying
various parameters that can be adjusted and/or weighted for
switching between the bands supported by the antenna for the
desired one- or two-way communication. For example, if the antenna
supported L-band, Ka-band and terrestrial cellular, the parameters
may identify signal conditions and priorities in which each is to
be used. For example, the parameter can indicate that L-band is
given first priority, cellular terrestrial is next, and Ka-band is
last, due to relative costs of using each band for communication.
The parameter can also specify minimum signal strength values or
signal-to-noise ratios in which each band is acceptable.
[0037] The parameters can indicate that the priorities can be
different in different geographic locations. For example, if
terrestrial cellular is extremely expensive in some regions of the
world, the priority for cellular may be moved to be last, with
Ka-band moving up.
[0038] The parameters can indicate that the priorities can be
different at different times of day. The parameters may indicate a
security level of different bands and/or geographic locations. For
example, the user may know that certain bands (or services on
bands) have stronger encryption than other services or bands, and
those security levels can alter the priority of the available
bands. The parameters may also be adjusted based on known jamming
capability of enemy forces. For example, if it is known that enemy
forces in a given geographic area are actively jamming in the
L-band, then the priority for that area can lower the priority of
the L-band. The look angle to a particular satellite may also be a
parameter. For example, a satellite that is lower in the horizon is
more likely to suffer eventual interference, even if the current
signal is strong, so the user may choose to indicate that
satellites having a more vertical look angle should be given higher
priority. The look angle can be based on the GPS position and the
particular locations of the satellites that offer the different
bands.
[0039] Another parameter may be based on available bandwidth in
each band. For example, different bands may be more congested than
other bands, and can consequently offer different amounts of
available bandwidth. The parameters may indicate that a certain
minimum amount of bandwidth must be available for a particular band
to be used, and if the available bandwidth in that band falls below
the minimum amount, then the band may be switched for a different
band. The same is true for different services within the same band
(e.g., two competitors that offer communication service in the
L-band).
[0040] Another parameter may be the application being used, or data
type being sent. For example, if the customer device only needs to
send a small amount of data, such as a text message, then a
lower-bandwidth link such as some found in the L-band may be more
appropriate. Similarly, if the customer device needs to send a
large amount of data, such as a multimedia streaming video, then a
higher-bandwidth band like Ku, Ka or X may be more appropriate.
Based on the desired data to be sent, the priorities for the
different bands can be altered.
[0041] From the above, it should be clear that the various user
parameters can be modified and combined in any desired manner, to
result in any desired user profile of prioritizing bands. When the
user is finished editing the parameters, the various parameters may
be stored in the controller's memory, and the process can proceed
to step 802.
[0042] In step 802, the antenna system (or the controller) can
proceed with conducting transmission and reception for the various
connected devices (e.g., consumer devices or modems 701 that
request to receive or transmit information). In some embodiments,
the operation of the system can be completely autonomous, once the
parameters are established.
[0043] In step 803, which can occur continuously and/or
simultaneously with step 802, the antenna system can measure values
that affect the parameters set in step 801. For example, the system
can measure signal strengths and signal-to-noise ratios for the
various bands. It can also determine the antenna's current location
using the GPS component.
[0044] In step 804, the system can determine whether the measured
values should result in a change of the band. For example, if the
signal-to-noise ratio for the L-band falls below its floor
threshold, the antenna controller may consult the user's parameters
and determine that it should now switch from the L-band to the next
priority band (e.g., Ka-band). If no switch is needed, the process
can return to step 801 (which can be skipped if no new parameters
are needed, e.g. if the user has not requested to change a
parameter). If a switch is needed, the process may proceed to step
805.
[0045] In step 805, the antenna may switch to the new band. This
may be done, for example, by automatically changing the switch 604
and switch 607, and requesting that the modem 701 use a different
interface (610/611/612) for the communications to and from the
consumer or user devices.
[0046] From there, the process can return to step 801, and can
repeat indefinitely.
[0047] The antenna can have active control of the azimuth,
elevation and polarization angles to maintain precise pointing
towards the target satellite. The antenna can scan mechanically in
both azimuth and elevation.
[0048] During operation with a geostationary satellite, the antenna
can use a built-in GPS receiver to determine its position on the
earth. It can then use the geographical position and the stored
(e.g., in local memory) orbital location of the target satellite to
determine the appropriate elevation angle. Once the elevation angle
is set, the antenna can rotate in azimuth. During the scanning
process the antenna can receive Eb/No information (e.g., signal to
noise) from the modem to verify that the target satellite has been
acquired. Once the satellite is acquired, the antenna can dither in
both azimuth and elevation by .+-.2.0.degree. to maintain peaking
on the satellite and the transmission is enabled. The antenna may
also include internal 3-axis gyroscopes and 2-axis inclinometers to
help with the tracking while the antenna is in motion. The antenna
can use the information from the gyros to determine when the
pointing offset has reached 2.0.degree. and can initiate transmit
muting when this occurs within 100 milliseconds. In alternative
embodiments, electronic beam steering can be used by the controller
after the satellite is acquired to maintain peaking on the
satellite while the system is in motion.
[0049] Although example embodiments are described above, the
various features and steps may be combined, divided, omitted,
and/or augmented in any desired manner, depending on the specific
secure process desired. For example, the antenna system can include
circuitry to support multiple different bands beyond the examples
described. It can also support different services in the same band.
For example, if two different competitors offer L-band
communication services, the antenna system can switch between the
two based on the parameters, and can switch to track a different
satellite but in the same band.
* * * * *