Dual polarization microwave energy phase shifter for phased array antenna systems

Claim 2

A dual polarization microwave energy phase shifter comprising: waveguide means for receiving and propagating linearly polarized electromagnetic wave energy having electric field components oriented orthogonally in predetermined polarization planes; solid-state phase shifting means disposed along the longitudinal axis of said waveguide means for introducing a predetermined value of phase shift in one orthogonal component of wave transmission and another phase shift value upon incidence of the wave energy component in the other orthogonal plane of wave transmission; circular wave polarization means disposed inline following said phase shifting means; conductive means enclosing et the end of said waveguide means adjacent to said circular polarizer means to present a short circuit and reflect substantially all said energy incident thereon whereupon one orthogonal component emerges from the circular wave polarization means having a phase delay of 180* relative to its related component after traversals in a forward and reverse direction; and said reflected energy being propagated having a plane of polarization oriented orthogonally to the original incident wave energy.

Claim 3

A phase shifter according to claim 1 wherein said phase shifter means include semiconductor diode elements.

Claim 4

A phase shifter according to claim 1 wherein said phase shifting means include digital latching ferromagnetic elements having binary remanent magnetization states.

Claim 5

A reflector type dual polarization microwave energy phase shifter comprising: square waveguide means both for receiving and launching at one open end linearly polarized electromagnetic wave energy having electric field vectors oriented in a predetermined input plane and having orthogonal wave components: conductive means short-circuiting tHe opposing end of said waveguide means to reverse the direction of travel of wave energy incident thereon; solid-state phase shifting means disposed along the longitudinal axis of said waveguide means adjacent to the receiving and launching end for introducing a predetermined value of phase shift in one orthogonal component of wave energy traveling in one direction and another phase shift value in the orthogonal component of wave energy traveling in the reverse direction; circular polarization means disposed between said short circuit means and said phase shifting means to reflect and reverse the direction of travel of all wave energy incident thereon; and said reflected energy to be launched having an output plane of polarization orthogonal to the received linearly polarized wave energy.

Claim 6

A reflector type dual polarization microwave energy phase shifter comprising: square waveguide means both for receiving and launching at one open end linearly polarized electromagnetic wave energy having electric field vectors oriented in a predetermined input plane and having orthogonal wave components: conductive means short-circuiting tHe opposing end of said waveguide means to reverse the direction of travel of wave energy incident thereon; solid-state phase shifting means disposed along the longitudinal axis of said waveguide means adjacent to the receiving and launching end for introducing a predetermined value of phase shift in one orthogonal component of wave energy traveling in one direction and another phase shift value in the orthogonal component of wave energy traveling in the reverse direction; circular polarization means disposed between said short circuit means and said phase shifting means to reflect and reverse the direction of travel of all wave energy incident thereon; and said reflected energy to be launched having an output plane of polarization orthogonal to the received linearly polarized wave energy.

Claim 7

A phase shifter according to claim 4 wherein said phase shifting means include semiconductor diode elements.

Claim 8

A phase shifter according to claim 4 wherein said phase shifting means include digital latching ferromagnetic elements having binary remanent magnetization states.

Claim 9

A reflector type dual polarization electrical phase shifting device comprising: square waveguide transmission means adapted to receive and propagate through a single port linearly polarized electromagnetic wave energy having orthogonal wave components; solid-state phase shifting means disposed along the longitudinal axis of said waveguide means for introducing a predetermined value of phase shift in one wave component and another phase shift value upon incidence of wave energy in the orthogonal wave component; a one-quarter wavelength angularly disposed conductive vane member positioned within the waveguide means following the phase shifting means; conductive shorting means terminating the end of said waveguide means to reflect substantially all energy incident thereon; and said reflected energy having a predetermined value of phase shift determined by two traversals through the phase shifting means and a linearly polarized wave in a plane orthogonal to the plane of polarization of the received energy.

Claim 10

A reflector type dual polarization electrical phase shifting device comprising: square waveguide transmission means adapted to receive and propagate through a single port linearly polarized electromagnetic wave energy having orthogonal wave components; solid-state phase shifting means disposed along the longitudinal axis of said waveguide means for introducing a predetermined value of phase shift in one wave component and another phase shift value upon incidence of wave energy in the orthogonal wave component; a one-quarter wavelength angularly disposed conductive vane member positioned within the waveguide means following the phase shifting means; conductive shorting means terminating the end of said waveguide means to reflect substantially all energy incident thereon; and said reflected energy having a predetermined value of phase shift determined by two traversals through the phase shifting means and a linearly polarized wave in a plane orthogonal to the plane of polarization of the received energy.

Claim 11

In a reflector type optically fed phased array antenna system comprising in combination: means for generating and transmitting in free space linearly polarized electromagnetic wave energy; means for collimating and directing said energy in a desired direction including an array of antenna beam steering elements; each of said elements comprising a section of square waveguide for receiving and launching said energy having an electric field orientation in a predetermined plane and having orthogonal wave components; a radiating element enclosing one end of said waveguide and a conductive reflecting plate member terminating the opposing end; solid-state phase shifting means disposed along the longitudinal axis of said waveguide behind the radiating element to produce a phase shift value in one orthogonal wave component and a different phase shift value upon traversal of wave energy in the other orthogonal wave component; a circular polarizer for inverting the orientation of the electric field vectors positioned between the wave-guide termination and phase shifting means; and said incident linearly polarized received energy and said launched phase shifted energy being oriented in orthogonal planes to one another.

Claim 12

In a reflector type optically fed phased array antenna system comprising in combination: means for generating and transmitting in free space linearly polarized electromagnetic wave energy; means for collimating and directing said energy in a desired direction including an array of antenna beam steering elements; each of said elements comprising a section of square waveguide for receiving and launching said energy having an electric field orientation in a predetermined plane and having orthogonal wave components; a radiating element enclosing one end of said waveguide and a conductive reflecting plate member terminating the opposing end; solid-state phase shifting means disposed along the longitudinal axis of said waveguide behind the radiating element to produce a phase shift value in one orthogonal wave component and a different phase shift value upon traversal of wave energy in the other orthogonal wave component; a circular polarizer for inverting the orientation of the electric field vectors positioned between the wave-guide termination and phase shifting means; and said incident linearly polarized received energy and said launched phase shifted energy being oriented in orthogonal planes to one another.

Claim 13

The combination according to claim 8 wherein said phase shifting means include semiconductor diode elements.

Claim 14

The combination according to claim 8 wherein said phase shifting means include digital latching ferromagnetic elements having binary remanent magnetization states.

Claim 15

A dual polarization microwave energy phase shifter comprising: square waveguide means for supporting and propagating electromagnetic wave energy having electric field vectors oriented in a predetermined polarization plane and having orthogonal wave components; a plurality of orthogonally disposed semiconductor diode phase shiFting means disposed along the longitudinal axis of said waveguide means for introducing approximately one-half of a predetermined value of phase shift in one orthogonal component of wave transmission traversing in one direction and the remaining one-half of the predetermined value of phase shift upon incidence of the orthogonal component traversing in the reverse direction; conductive shorting means disposed at an end of said waveguide for reversing the direction of travel of substantially all energy incident thereon; and a circular polarizer disposed between the shorting means and diode phase shifting means whereby one orthogonal component emerges from said polarizer having a phase delay of 180* relative to the other component traversals in a forward and reverse direction.

Claim 16

A dual polarization microwave energy phase shifter comprising: square waveguide means for supporting and propagating electromagnetic wave energy having electric field vectors oriented in a predetermined polarization plane and having orthogonal wave components; a plurality of orthogonally disposed semiconductor diode phase shiFting means disposed along the longitudinal axis of said waveguide means for introducing approximately one-half of a predetermined value of phase shift in one orthogonal component of wave transmission traversing in one direction and the remaining one-half of the predetermined value of phase shift upon incidence of the orthogonal component traversing in the reverse direction; conductive shorting means disposed at an end of said waveguide for reversing the direction of travel of substantially all energy incident thereon; and a circular polarizer disposed between the shorting means and diode phase shifting means whereby one orthogonal component emerges from said polarizer having a phase delay of 180* relative to the other component traversals in a forward and reverse direction.

Claim 17

A dual polarization microwave energy phase shifter comprising: a single port waveguide means for receiving and launching circularly polarized electromagnetic wave energy; solid-state phase shifting means sandwiched between circular wave polarization means for converting said circularly polarized waves to linearly polarized waves disposed within said waveguide; said conductive reflective termination means enclosing the opposing end of said waveguide; said phase shifting means introducing a predetermined value of phase shift in only one linearly oriented wave component and substantially no electrical phase shift in an orthogonally oriented wave component; and said received and launched wave energy having planes of polarization oriented orthogonal to one another.

Claim 18

A dual polarization microwave energy phase shifter comprising: a single port waveguide means for receiving and launching circularly polarized electromagnetic wave energy; solid-state phase shifting means sandwiched between circular wave polarization means for converting said circularly polarized waves to linearly polarized waves disposed within said waveguide; said conductive reflective termination means enclosing the opposing end of said waveguide; said phase shifting means introducing a predetermined value of phase shift in only one linearly oriented wave component and substantially no electrical phase shift in an orthogonally oriented wave component; and said received and launched wave energy having planes of polarization oriented orthogonal to one another.