Patent ID: 6292134
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: H01Q

Abstract:
A geodesic sphere phased array antenna system for multi-satellite communications and tracking, said antenna system comprising:a geodesic structure derived from an icosahedron having a plurality of planar equilateral triangular faces, each of which is subdivided into multiple smaller planar triangular surface regions and each of the vertices of said multiple triangular planar regions projected outward on to the circumscribing spherical surface defining said geodesic structure with a plurality of substantially equilateral triangular geodesic planar surfaces; a subarray of planar antenna element units mounted on each of said plurality of substantially equilateral triangular geodesic planar surfaces;transmit and receive signal processing means connected to each said planar antenna element unit of each said triangular subarray for simultaneous transmission and reception of signals; electromagnetic signal feed means connected to each said planar antenna element unit of each said subarray for forming at least one electromagnetic beam in space;electronic switching means for selectively connecting each said subarray to adjacent subarrays for generating multiple electromagnetic beams in selective diverse directions in space;electronic phase shifting means connected to each said planar antenna element unit of each said subarray for providing electronic scanning capability to said subarrays of antenna element units connected by said electronic switching means with the phased array communication space being segmented into a plurality of smaller cellular space,each said cellular communication space for electronic scanning being defined by a plurality of discrete chosen directions, corresponding to the said geodesic sphere phased array structure and each said cellular communication space adapted to be electronically scanned by a plurality of active said contiguous phased subarrays corresponding to the said cellular communication space.