System and method for multi-mode operation of satellite phased-array antenna
US6307507A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 7, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 23, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 7, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01Q25/002
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for operating a phased-array antenna (14) on a satellite-based communications node (10) in more than one mode by controlling the number of beam-forming elements and by applying appropriate phase-control and/or amplitude-control coefficients to the selected elements. The antenna can be operated as a diffused-beam antenna at a relatively low data rate, enabling the satellite-communications node (10) to communicate with a first terrestrial communications node (22). The antenna can also be operated to generate multiple focused-beam antenna patterns each communicating at a relatively high data rate, enabling the satellite-communications node (10) to communicate with a different terrestrial communications node (20) by changing the amplitude and/or the phase coefficients as well as the number of beam-forming elements.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.