Reconfigurable polarizer

Abstract: A tunable polarizer (10) having a 90 degree phase shift section (12) and two adjustable, or rotatable, 45 degree phase shift sections (14) and (16). Each section is separated by spacer (26) to maintain independence and avoid interaction. When the two 45 degree phase shift sections (14) and (16) are orthogonal to each other, the polarization detected is determined by the 90 degree phase shift section (12) which provides compatibility with circularly polarized signal. When the two 45 degree phase shift sections (14) and (16) are aligned, the polarizer (10) is in a linear polarization compatibility mode.

Description: Technical Field The present invention relates to polarization of antennas, and more particularly, to a reconfigurable polarizer. Background Art Typically, satellite antennas operate in either linear or circular polarizations. Therefore, antennas are designed to have either linear or circular polarization. In some instances during orbit it is desirable to switch the polarization of a satellite's antenna from linear to circular or vice versa. For antennas operating with linear polarizations, the orientation of the polarization is fixed before the satellite is launched. The fixed linear polarization is a problem in situations where it becomes necessary to modify the orientation of the linear polarization while the satellite is in orbit. For example, when a satellite is moved from one orbit slot to another, its orientation to ground is changed. Another example, is when a user of a particular satellite is changed. In the prior art complex methods are known that allow arbitrary polarization. One method is to separate a signal into two orthogonal polarizations. The two components are used directly for linear polarization. However, the antenna feed must be properly oriented to the desired polarization. Reorientation of the linear polarization is accomplished by using two 90° polarizers back-to-back. A polarizer is located near an ortho-mode transducer that converts circular polarization to linear polarization, or linear to circular depending on whether it is used in receive mode or transmit mode. A second polarizer is located near the antenna feed and is oriented to provide the proper linear polarization orientation upon output of the signal, or to generate circular polarization upon receiving a particular linear polarization. When converting linear polarization to circular polarization, the linear signal must be decomposed into two orthogonal components that are then recombined with a 90 degree phase shift in one of the components. To select whether linear or circular polarization is to be used, a separate path is chosen to process the signal and achieve the desired polarization. An alternative approach includes two feeds for one antenna. One feed is for linear polarization and the other feed is for circular polarization. The circular polarization feed must be integrated with a polarizer. The appropriate feed is chosen depending on the desired polarization. A problem with both of the methods described above is that a switching method is required. The need for separate feeds requires switching between feeds in order to select the polarization. Likewise it is necessary to have switchable paths with the decomposition of the signal into two orthogonal components. US patent no. 5,576,668 describes a polarizer that is concerned with circular polarizations [col. 5, 11. 5-8]. It needs to be able to achieve an accurate 90° phase shift [col. 5, 11. 44-49]. A polarizer that comprises three phase shift sections is illustrated in figure 2 of US patent no. 5,576,668 and that polarizer divides the 90° phase shift required into three more or less equal parts [col. 8, 11. 12-15]. The three phase shift sections of the polarizer are so configured that they are capable of producing a total phase shift a few degrees in excess of 90° [col. 8, 11. 3-7]. The actual phase shift produced is adjusted to the desired 90° by determining the appropriate relative orientations of the phase shift sections and fixing them in that orientation [col. 8, 11. 25-28; col. 5, 1. 66 - col. 6, 1. 4]. The first phase shift section is oriented with its pins parallel to Ev1 [col. 8, 11. 14-18]. Ev1 is a component of the vertically polarized electric field Ev that has itself been extracted by an ortho-mode transducer from the incident circular polarizations with which the polarizer is designed to be used [col. 5, 11. 15-21]. The second and third phase shift sections are rotated relative to each other, but symmetrically arranged relative to the first [col. 9, 11. 63-67]. Summary of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to use a single feed to receive or transmit any polarization and orientation. It is another object of the present invention to alter the orientation of a linear polarization. It is still another object of the present invention to switch the polarization from linear to circular polarization. Accordingly, the present invention is a reconfigurable polarizer having first and second ends, said first end having an ortho-mode transducer having a through port and an orthogonal port, said second end having a feed, said polarizer comprising: a 90 degree phase shift section spaced a distance from said ortho-mode transducer, said 90 degree phase shift section having a predetermined incident polarization direction; a first 45 degree phase shift section spaced a distance from said 90 degree phase shift section, said first 45 degree phase shift section having a polarization direction that is adjustable to any direction desired; a second 45 degree phase shift section spaced a distance from said first 45 degree phase shift section, said second 45 degree phase shift section having a polarization direction that is adjustable to any direction desired; and a plurality of spacers located between said phase shift sections; wherein the polarization directions of said first and second 45 degree phase shift sections can be adjusted to be aligned for any linear polarization and orthogonal for circular polarization. Brief Description of the Drawings FIGURE 1 is a block diagram of the tunable polarizer of the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of a typical polarizer used for the phase-shift sections; FIGURE 3 is a diagram of the polarizer orientations for three polarizations; FIGURE 4 is a block diagram of the tunable polarizer of the present invention having an adjustable 90 degree phase shift section and spacers combined with rotary joints; and FIGURE 5 is a table outlining three polarizations and the respective orientations of the phase shift sections. Best Mode(s) For Carrying Out The Invention The present invention is a tunable, or adjustable polarizer 10 as shown in Figure 1. The polarizer 10 is divided into three sections, a 90 degree phase shift section 12, a first adjustable 45 degree phase shift section 14 and a second adjustable 45 degree phase shift section 16. The degrees of the phase shift sections correspond to the amount of phase shift between two orthogonal linearly polarized components. The polarizer 10 has an ortho-mode transducer 18, a through port 20 and an orthogonal port 22 at one end and an antenna feed 24 at the opposite end. The antenna feed 24 should support two orthogonal polarizations. The ortho-mode transducer 18 will propagate orthogonal the transmit and receive modes. The 90 degree phase shift section is located adjacent to the ortho-mode transducer 18, followed by the first 45 degree phase shift section, the second 45 degree phase shift section, and the antenna feed 24. Sufficient space must be left in between the phase shift sections 12, 14, and 16 to avoid interaction between sections. The spacers 26 ensure that each of the three sections is separated from the others. Each spacer 26 is a simple waveguide, typically a circular waveguide. Spacers 26 are located between the 90 degree phase shift section 12 and the first 45 degree phase shift section 14 and between the first and second 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16. Spacers 26 are also located between the ortho-mode transducer and the 90 degree phase shift section 12 and between the second 45 degree phase shift section 16 and the feed 24. The phase shift sections 12, 14 and 16 are polarizers 28. Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of an exemplary polarizers. The polarizer 28 has polarizing elements 30. In the present example the polarizing elements are pins, but one skilled in the art would know that the type of polarizer is not important to the success of the present invention and that a variety of polarizing elements 30 may be substituted to accomplish similar results. The 90 degree phase shift section 12 is fixed in its orientation with respect to the direction of incident polarization 32 (see Figure 3) and introduces a phase shift of 90 degrees. The adjustable 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 introduce a phase shift of 45 degrees. The first and second 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 are rotatable to alter the polarization properties. The rotations of the first and second adjustable 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 may be made using standard rotary joints 34 as shown in block form in Figure 1. It is possible to combine the spacer 26 and the rotary joint 34 into one unit 35 (shown in Figure 4). In the case of a combined spacer and rotary joint, the rotary joint must be sufficiently long enough to isolate the phase shift sections. The polarizer 10 of the present invention can be used in both transmit and receive modes. The invention will be described herein in the transmit mode when a vertical signal is input at one port of the ortho-mode transducer 18. Transmit mode is when a signal, either circular or linear, is received at the ortho-mode transducer 18 and output at the antenna feed 24. One skilled in the art will know how to apply the description of the present invention for the receive mode. For linear polarization compatibility, shown in the first two columns of Figure 3, the polarizing elements 30 of the two adjustable 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 are aligned with each other. The orientation of the linear signal at the output of the second 45 degree polarizer 16 is the desired polarization direction 36. This polarization direction 36 is at an arbitrary angle, α, from the direction of incident polarization 32, (which is vertical in the present example), at the ortho-mode transducer 18. This is illustrated in the second column of Figure 3. Vertical polarization is illustrated in the first column of Figure 3. For vertical polarization α = 0 degrees. For any linear polarization direction, the polarizing elements 30 of the first and second 45 degree phase shift sections are at a 45 degree angle with respect to the desired polarization direction 36. For circular polarization compatibility, shown in the third column of Figure 3, the polarizing elements 30 of the two adjustable 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 are rotated orthogonal to each other such that their net effect is a zero degree phase shift. The polarization is then determined by the 90 degree phase shift section 12 which provides compatibility with circularly polarized signals. The alignment of the first and second 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 relative to the 90 degree phase shift section 12 is entirely arbitrary. As long as the first and second 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 are orthogonal to each other, they can be oriented in any direction with respect to the 90 degree phase shift section 12. Depending on the desired circular polarization, right hand circular or left hand circular, the polarizing elements 30 of the 90 degree phase shift section are oriented to either be plus or minus 45 degrees from the direction of incident polarization 32 which is vertical in the present example. In operation, a linear signal received at the antenna feed 24 and passing through the first and second 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 will be converted to circular polarization. The 90 degree phase shift section 12 then converts this polarization to a linear polarization that is oriented to a predetermined port on the ortho-mode transducer 18. The predetermined port can be either the through port 20, the orthogonal port 22. Referring again to Figure 3, the orientations of the phase shift sections are described in detail for three possible polarizations. The 90 degree phase shift section 12 has polarizing elements 30 that are always in a ±45 degree orientation with respect to the incident polarization direction 32. For vertical polarization transmitting out the through port, the orientation of the 90 degree phase shift section 12 has the polarizing elements 30 oriented 45 degrees to the direction of the incident polarization 32. The first and second 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 are aligned with each other and the polarizing elements 30 are positioned 45 degrees with respect to the desired polarization direction 36. In the present example, vertical polarization is transmitted out the through port 20 and horizontal polarization is transmitted out the orthogonal port 22 of the ortho-mode transducer 18. For arbitrary linear polarization, the 90 degree phase shift section 12 remains fixed. The first and second 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 remain aligned with each other and the polarizing elements 30 remain oriented 45 degrees from the desired polarization direction 36. However, the desired polarization direction 36 is oriented at an angle, α, from the incident polarization 32 of the 90 degree phase shift section 12. In the present example, arbitrary linear polarization is transmitted out the through port 20 and orthogonal arbitrary linear polarization is transmitted through the orthogonal port 22. For right hand circular polarization, the 90 degree phase shift section 12 remains fixed. The first 45 degree phase shift section 14 is set to any arbitrary angle, α relative to the direction of incident polarization 32. The second 45 degree phase shift section 16 is oriented such that the polarizing elements 30 are orthogonal to the polarizing elements 30 of the first 45 degree phase shift section 14. In the present example, the linear signal corresponding to right hand circular polarization is transmitted through the through port 20 and the linear signal corresponding to left hand circular polarization is transmitted through the orthogonal port 22. It is possible to implement an adjustable 90 degree phase shift section 12 as well. Referring to Figure 4 the polarizer 10 of the present invention is shown with a combination spacer/rotary joint 35 at the 90 degree phase shift section 12. This reverses the polarization associated with the through and orthogonal ports. For example, in the vertical polarization example described above, the 90 degree phase shift section may be rotated 90 degrees and the vertical polarization will be associated with the orthogonal port 22 while the horizontal polarization will be associated with the through port 20. Typically, spacecraft communication channels have specific bands associated with vertical and horizontal polarizations. The adjustable 90 degree phase shift section is useful in spacecraft applications that require channel switching between the through port 20 and the orthogonal port 22. Figure 5 is a table 38 outlining the configuration of the polarizer for three polarization scenarios. For any polarization scenario the polarizing elements 30 of the 90 degree phase shift section 12 remain fixed. The polarizing elements 30 of the first and second 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 are adjusted according to the desired polarization. For horizontal and vertical polarization the polarizing elements 30 of the 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 are at 45 degrees to the incident polarization direction. For rotated linear polarization, the polarizing elements 30 of the first and second 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16 are at 45 degrees to the desired direction. For circular polarization, the polarizing elements 30 of the first 45 degree section 14 is set at any angle, α, while the polarizing elements 30 of the second 45 degree section 16 are set to α + 90 degrees. The polarizer 10 of the present invention is capable of receiving a signal and transmitting circular, linear polarization, or a linear polarization of arbitrary orientation. This allows a single feed to receive or transmit any polarization and orientation. The polarization of a satellite's antenna may be switched from linear to circular while in orbit by repositioning the first and second adjustable 45 degree phase shift sections 14 and 16. For linear polarization, the orientation of the linear signal may be modified while a satellite is in orbit. The present invention does not require separate feeds or switchable paths to accomplish a reconfigurable polarization.

Claims: A reconfigurable polarizer (10) having first and second ends, said first end having an ortho-mode transducer (18) having a through port (20) and an orthogonal port (22), said second end having a feed (24), said polarizer comprising three phase-shift sections rotatable relative to each other and characterised by : a 90 degree phase-shift section (12) spaced a distance from said ortho-mode transducer (18), said 90 degree phase shift section (12) having a predetermined incident polarization direction (32); a first 45 degree phase-shift section (14) spaced a distance from said 90 degree phase-shift section (12), said first 45 degree phase-shift section (14) having a polarization direction (36) that is adjustable to any direction desired; a second 45 degree phase-shift section (16) spaced a distance from said first 45 degree phase-shift section (14), said second 45 degree phase-shift section (16) having a polarization direction (36) that is adjustable to any direction desired; and a plurality of spacers (26) located between said phase-shift sections (12, 14, 16); wherein the polarization directions of said first and second 45 degree phase-shift sections (14, 16) can be adjusted to be aligned for any linear polarization and orthogonal for circular polarization. The polarizer (10) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spacers (26) are circular waveguides. The polarizer (10) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second adjustable 45 degree phase shift sections (14, 16) are adjustable by rotary joints (34). The polarizer (10) as claimed in claim 3 wherein said rotary joints (34) and said spacers (26) are combined into one unit. The polarizer (10) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said 90 degree phase shift section (12) is adjustable. The polarizer (10) as claimed in claim 5 wherein said 90 degree phase shift section (12) is adjustable by a rotary joint (34) . The polarizer (10) as claimed in claim 6 wherein said rotary joints (34) and said spacers (26) are combined into one unit. The polarizer (10) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said phase shift sections (12, 14, 16) are polarizers (28) . The polarizer (10) as claimed in claim 8 wherein said polarizers (28) have polarizing elements (30) that are pins. The polarizer (10) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said adjustable desired polarization directions (36) of said first and second adjustable phase shift sections (14, 16) are aligned with said incident polarization direction (32) of said 90 degree phase shift section (12) for vertical polarization at said ortho-mode transducer. The polarizer (10) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second adjustable 45 degree phase shift sections (14, 16) are aligned with each other and rotated a predetermined angle from said incident polarization direction for arbitrary linear polarization.

Inventors: KEITH ALAN R, RAMANUJAM PARTHASARATHY, KEITH, ALAN R., RAMANUJAM, PARTHASARATHY
Applicants: HUGHES ELECTRONICS CORP, HUGHES ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Application year: 2000
Main classification: H01P1
IPC codes: H01Q13, H01P1