Multi-elevational antenna systems and methods of use
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G01S-013/90
H01Q-001/28
H01Q-001/30
출원번호
US-0915425
(2013-06-11)
등록번호
US-9240628
(2016-01-19)
발명자
/ 주소
Duncan, William D.
Hyde, Roderick A.
Kare, Jordin T.
Wood, Lowell L.
출원인 / 주소
ELWHA LLC
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
3인용 특허 :
8
초록▼
The present disclosure provides systems and methods associated with an antenna system comprising a tension member configured to be towed by an aerial platform and/or secured to an orbiting satellite. In some embodiments, a first end of the tension member may be secured to the aerial platform and the
The present disclosure provides systems and methods associated with an antenna system comprising a tension member configured to be towed by an aerial platform and/or secured to an orbiting satellite. In some embodiments, a first end of the tension member may be secured to the aerial platform and the second end may extend unsecured from the aerial platform at a different elevation than the first end. A plurality of antenna assemblies, each comprising at least one antenna, may be secured to and spaced along the length of the tension member. Each of the plurality of antennas may be adapted for use with a particular frequency or frequency bandwidth. For example, each of the plurality of antennas may be adapted or tuned for one or more frequencies useful for synthetic aperture radar (SAR). In some embodiments, a receiving system, a communication link, and/or an antenna location system may be utilized.
대표청구항▼
1. An antenna system configured for use with an orbiting satellite, comprising: a tension member configured with a first end and a second end defining a length of the tension member, the first end configured to be secured to an orbiting satellite and the second end configured to be unsecured to the
1. An antenna system configured for use with an orbiting satellite, comprising: a tension member configured with a first end and a second end defining a length of the tension member, the first end configured to be secured to an orbiting satellite and the second end configured to be unsecured to the orbiting satellite and extend from the orbiting satellite at a different elevation than the first end;a plurality of antenna assemblies secured to and spaced along the length of the tension member, each of the plurality of antenna assemblies including at least one antenna for use with electromagnetic energy; andan antenna location system configured to determine a relative location of each of the plurality of antennas. 2. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas are configured to form a multistatic configuration with at least one external component. 3. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of antenna assemblies is secured to and spaced along the length of the tension member at non-uniform intervals. 4. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna assemblies are secured to and spaced along the length of the tension member at intervals that correspond to desired elevational spacings. 5. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of antennas is configured to receive electromagnetic energy. 6. The antenna system of claim 5, further comprising a receiving system configured to receive information associated with the received electromagnetic energy from each of the plurality of antennas. 7. The antenna system of claim 6, wherein the information associated with the received electromagnetic energy received by the receiving system comprises at least one of time information and phase information associated with the received electromagnetic energy received by each of the plurality of antennas. 8. The antenna system of claim 6, further comprising a communication link configured to communicatively connect each of the plurality of antennas to the receiving system, such that information may be transmitted from each of the plurality of antennas to the receiving system. 9. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the communication link comprises an optical cable configured to allow each of the plurality of antennas to transmit information to the receiving system. 10. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the communication link comprises free-space optical transmission network configured to allow each of the plurality of antennas to transmit information to the receiving system. 11. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the length of the tension member is between 2 and 1000 wavelengths of a frequency. 12. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising a control device configured to control a location of at least one of a plurality of points along the tension member relative to the orbiting satellite. 13. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the antenna location system comprises an optical imaging device configured to capture an image of each of the plurality of antennas for use in determining the relative location of each of the plurality of antennas. 14. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the antenna location system is configured to utilize a local positioning system (LPS) to determine the relative location of each of the plurality of antennas. 15. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the antenna location system is configured to be calibrated using a known external signal to determine a phase center of each of the plurality of antennas. 16. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas comprises an active antenna. 17. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas comprises a flat antenna. 18. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas comprises a conformal antenna. 19. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas comprises an electronically steerable antenna, configured such that the physical antenna remains in a fixed form while a beam orientation of the physical antenna is electronically steerable. 20. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas includes multiple types of antennas. 21. The antenna system of claim 20, wherein the types of antennas are selected from the group of antenna types consisting of dipole antennas, Yagi-Uda antennas, horn antennas, planar waveguide antennas, bicone antennas, and parabolic reflectors. 22. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising a fixation device configured to control an orientation of each of the plurality of antenna assemblies relative to the tension member. 23. The antenna system of claim 22, wherein the fixation device comprises passive fixation device configured to control the orientation of each of the plurality of antenna assemblies relative to the tension member. 24. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising a fixation device configured to control an orientation of each of the plurality of antenna assemblies relative to the pull of gravity. 25. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein an orientation of at least one of the plurality of antenna assemblies relative to the pull of gravity is configured to be dynamically adjusted while secured to the orbiting satellite. 26. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein one of an orientation relative to the tension member and a position along the length of the tension members of one of the plurality of antenna assemblies is configured to be dynamically adjusted to improve reception of the electromagnetic energy while secured to the orbiting satellite. 27. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising: a second tension member configured with a first end and a second end defining a length of the tension member, the first end configured to be secured to the orbiting satellite and the second end configured to extend from the orbiting satellite unsecured to the orbiting satellite; anda second plurality of antenna assemblies secured to and spaced along the length of the second tension member, each of the second plurality of antenna assemblies comprising at least one antenna configured to receive the electromagnetic energy from the surface, andwherein the antenna location system is configured to determine a relative location of each of the second plurality of antennas. 28. A method for gathering synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from multiple elevations using a single pass of an orbiting satellite, comprising: transmitting electromagnetic energy toward a target surface;securing a tension member to an orbiting satellite, the tension member configured with a first end and a second end defining a length of the tension member, the first end secured to the orbiting satellite and the second end unsecured to the orbiting satellite and extending from the orbiting satellite at a lower elevation than the first end;receiving electromagnetic energy reflected by the target surface via each of a plurality of antennas associated with antenna assemblies secured to and spaced along the length of the tension member, each of the plurality of antennas configured to receive the electromagnetic energy;determining a relative location of each of the plurality of antennas using an antenna location system;connecting each of the plurality of antennas to a receiving system via a communication link, such that each of the plurality of antennas may transmit information to the receiving system; andreceiving, via the receiving system, information associated with the received electromagnetic energy from each of the plurality of antennas. 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising retracting the tension member while the orbiting satellite is in flight. 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising sequentially removing each of the plurality of antenna assemblies from the tension member as the tension member is retracted. 31. The method of claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of antenna assemblies is configured to transition to a storage position as the tension member is retracted. 32. The method of claim 28, further comprising controlling a location of the second end of the tension member relative to the orbiting satellite using a control device. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the control device is configured to be passively controlled. 34. The method of claim 32, wherein the control device is configured to be actively controlled. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the control device comprises a propulsion system. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the propulsion system is configured to be powered via an electrical conducting cable. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the electrical conducting cable comprises a plurality of resonant traps configured to divide the electrical conducting cable into a series of electrical lengths tending not to interact electromagnetically with the antennas. 38. The method of claim 37, wherein at least one of the plurality of resonant traps comprises a ferrite component configured to block common-mode induced currents but pass balanced currents. 39. The method of claim 28, wherein the antenna location system comprises a curvature sensing optical fiber system configured to provide information indicating the curvature of the tension member at at least one location along the length of the tension member. 40. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas comprises an active antenna. 41. The method of claim 28, further comprising a fixation device configured to control an orientation of each of the plurality of antenna assemblies relative to the tension member. 42. A method for gathering synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from multiple elevations using a single pass of an orbiting satellite, comprising: transmitting electromagnetic energy toward a target surface;securing a tension member to an orbiting satellite, the tension member configured with a first end and a second end defining a length of the tension member, the first end secured to the orbiting satellite and the second end unsecured to the orbiting satellite and extending from the orbiting satellite at a lower elevation than the first end;receiving electromagnetic energy reflected by the target surface via each of a plurality of antennas associated with antenna assemblies secured to and spaced along the length of the tension member, each of the plurality of antennas configured to receive the electromagnetic energy;determining a relative location of each of the plurality of antennas using an antenna location system;connecting each of the plurality of antennas to a receiving system via a communication link, such that each of the plurality of antennas may transmit information to the receiving system; andreceiving, via the receiving system, information associated with the received electromagnetic energy from each of the plurality of antennas,wherein the antenna location system is configured to utilize a known length of the tension member to determine the relative location of each of the plurality of antennas.
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