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 Title: |
US5642122:
Spacecraft antennas and beam steering methods for satellite communciation system
[ Derwent Title ]
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| Country: |
US United States of America
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| Inventor: |
Lockie, Douglas Gene; Monte Sereno, CA
Thomson, Mark; Ventura, CA
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| Assignee: |
Teledesic Corporation, Kirkland, WA
other patents from TELEDESIC CORPORATION (710519) (approx. 10)
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| Published / Filed: |
1997-06-24
/ 1994-05-11
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| Application Number: |
US1994000241103
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| IPC Code: |
Advanced:
B64G 1/22;
H01Q 1/28;
H01Q 25/00;
H04B 7/204;
Core:
H01Q 1/27;
more...
IPC-7:
H01Q 1/08;
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| ECLA Code: |
B64G1/22; H01Q1/28F; H01Q25/00; H04B7/204B;
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| U.S. Class: |
Current:
343/881;
343/DIG.002;
Original:
343/881;
343/DIG.2;
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| Field of Search: |
343/853,915,881,DIG. 2,878
H01Q 108, 112
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| Priority Number: |
| 1994-05-11 |
US1994000241103 |
| 1992-10-28 |
US1992000967988 |
| 1991-11-08 |
US1991000790271 |
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| Abstract: |
An advanced active element phased array satellite antenna is disclosed. Incorporating these novel antenna systems on a constellation of low Earth orbit spacecraft, allows phone customers worldwide to communicate through a system whose switching intelligence resides on orbit, bypassing traditional land-based networks, and offering a revolutionary expansion of communications potential. The present invention utilizes electronic beam steering is utilized to provide extremely high gain signals. In one preferred embodiment, a satellite (S) includes an Earth-facing array (10) of hexagonal antenna facets (12), mated together along their sides to form a slightly flattened, hemispherical shell. The antenna array (10) is connected to two rectilinear, unfurled, solar panels (P). The antennas (10) transmit and receive signals from terrestrial units located within the footprints (14) of the beams (11). Another embodiment (34) uses deployable, folding panels (41) which maximize panel surface area for a given weight and launch vehicle container volume. The panels (41) are stacked upon a central plate (39) along the depth axis of the container in accordion fold layers and are separately deployed radially from the center (C) of the central plate (39). The contour of the deployed panels permit the antenna beam footprints (14) to cover the desired area.
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| Attorney, Agent or Firm: |
Anglin & Giaccherini ;
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| Primary / Asst. Examiners: |
Wimer, Michael C.;
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| INPADOC Legal Status: |
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| Related Applications: |
| Application Number |
Filed |
Patent |
Pub. Date |
Title |
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| US1992000967988 | 1992-10-28 |
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| US1991000790271 | 1991-11-08 |
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| Parent Case: |
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
The present application is a Continuation in Part application. The Applicants hereby claim the benefit of priority under Section 120 of Title 35 of the United States Code of Laws for any and all subject matter which is commonly disclosed in the present application and in pending patent application entitled Spacecraft Antennas & Beam Steering Methods for Satellite Communication System by Douglas Gene Lockie, filed 28 Oct. 1992 and assigned U.S. Ser. No. 07/967,988, now abandoned, which itself is a Continuation-in-Part of patent application Spacecraft Antennas & Beam Steering Methods for Satellite Communication System by Douglas Gone Lockie, filed on 08 Nov. 1991 and assigned U.S. Ser. No. 07/790,271, now abandoned. The Applicants also hereby claim the benefit of priority under Section 120 of Title 35 of the United States Code of Laws for any and all subject matter which is commonly disclosed in the present application and in pending patent application entitled Intersatellite Link for Satellite Communication System by Douglas G. Lockie et al., filed on 16 Jul. 1992 and assigned U.S. Ser. No. 07/915,172, now abandoned.
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| Designated Country: |
AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LI NL SE BB BG BR CA CS FI HU JP KP KR LK LU MG MN MW NO OA PL RO RU SD UA
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| Family: |
Show 8 known family members
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First Claim:
Show all 10 claims |
What is claimed is:
1. A deployable, folding satellite antenna panel apparatus capable of being carried aboard a launch vehicle stowage container, said stowage container having a diameter (D) and a depth (H), said deployable, folding satellite antenna panel apparatus comprising:
- a central plate (39) having a polygon shape having n sides (SD), n being an integer divisible by 2, and a center (C); said central plate (39) having a first adjacent side (S1) and a second adjacent side (S2) with reference to each one of said n sides (SD); said central plate (39) having an obverse side (O) and a reverse side (R) and having a planform, peripheral outline determined by inscribing said polygon shape within said stowage container diameter (D); and
- a plurality of articulated arms (40) having a plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) for actively transmitting and receiving radio signals; said non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) being stowed in layers in an accordion fold, upon said central plate (39), each one of said plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) having a hinge (43) along an edge by which each of said plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) is joined to another and to said central plate (39), each of said plurality of non-reflecting, structural support panels (41) having a thickness (t) and having a plurality of devices disposed thereon, including a plurality of discrete antennas (32);
- said articulated arms (40) being the same in number as the number of said n sides (SD); each one of said articulated arms (40) being separately deployable in a radial direction from said center (C);
- said plurality of articulated arms (40) when positioned by rotation about said hinge (43) into said accordion fold, being stowed on both said obverse side (O) and said reverse side (R) of said central plate (39) in an absolute minimum axial distance (d) determined only by the aggregate of said thickness (t), which maximizes surface area of said plurality of panels (41) for a given satellite weight and said launch vehicle stowage container diameter (D) and depth (H).
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| Background / Summary: |
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| Drawing Descriptions: |
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| Description: |
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| Forward References: |
Show 26 U.S. patent(s) that reference this one
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| Foreign References: |
None
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| Other Abstract Info: |
DERABS G97-341097
DERG97-341097
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| Other References: |
"Multibeam Array Antenna For Data Relay Satellite," T. Teshirogi et al., Electronics & Communications in Japan, May 1988, pp. 71-85.
"Inmarsat Second Generation Satellites For Maritime Communications," E. Gambaruto, Oceans '89, Sep. 1989, pp. 920-925.
"A 20/30 GHz Personal Access Satellite System Design," P. Estabrook et al., IEEE International Conference on Communications, Jun. '89, pp. 216-222.
"Phased Array Antennas With Phasers and True Time Delay Phase Shifters," N.V. Jespersen et al., 1990 Int'l Symposium Digest, May 1990, pp. 778-781.
"A Metropolitan Area Radio System Using Scanning Pencil Beams," A. Acampora et al., IEEE Transactions on Communications, Jan. 1991, pp. 141-151.
(11 pages)
Cited by 3 patents
[ISI abstract]
"Beamforming Devices and Feed Structures for a DBS Flat-Plate Antenna," S. Wakeling, BBC Research Dept. Report No. 12, 1989, pp. 1-12.
European Patent Application No. 90310760.5, 2 Oct. 1990, B.R. Bertiger et al.
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