Frequency selective polarization insensitive branching network

Claim 2

A network for coupling electromagnetic wave energy including different signals in each of two frequency bands between separate wave paths respectively for each of said signals and a combined wave path supporting both of said signals, said signals being of arbitrary polarization in each of said paths, said network including polarization selective means associated with each of said paths for coupling between waves of arbitrary polarization therein and a pair of orthogonal components together being equivalent to said arbitrary polarization, and frequency selective means discriminating between said signals for separately processing each one of said orthogonal components to provide unique coupling paths for each of said signals in that one component between said polarization selective means associated with said combined signal path and the respective polarization selective means of said separate paths.

Claim 3

The network according to claim 1 wherein said frequency selective means includes a pair of filter means one for each orthogonal component for reflecting one of said signals and passing the other, each of said filters having in combination therewith a branching circuit for coupling said reflected signal between said combined wave path and one of said separate wave paths.

Claim 4

Network apparatus for coupling arbitrarily polarized waves of different, widely spaced frequencies from a common wave energy path to different output wave energy paths and vice versa, comprising: first and second wave energy paths; means for coupling the component of each of said waves polarized in a first direction from said common path to said first path and for coupling the component of each of said waves polarized in a second direction, orthogonal to said first direction, from said common path to said second path; and means for coupling the wave components of the same frequency traversing said first and second paths to the same output path.

Claim 5

Network apparatus for coupling arbitrarily polarized waves of different, widely spaced frequencies from a common wave energy path to different output wave energy paths and vice versa, comprising: first and second wave energy paths; means for coupling the component of each of said waves polarized in a first direction from said common path to said first path and for coupling the component of each of said waves polarized in a second direction, orthogonal to said first direction, from said common path to said second path; and means for coupling the wave components of the same frequency traversing said first and second paths to the same output path.

Claim 6

Network apparatus for coupling arbitrarily polarized waves of different, widely spaced frequencies from a common wave energy path to different output wave energy paths and vice versa, comprising first and second wave energy paths; an ultrawideband polarization coupler for coupling the component of each of said waves polarized in a first direction from said common path to said first path and for coupling the component of each of said waves polarized in a second direction, orthogonal to said first direction, from said common path to said second path; third and fourth pluralities of wave energy paths; a first plurality of frequency selective branching networks, each of said first networks serving to branch a different one of the wave components traversing said first path to a different one of said third paths; a second plurality of frequency selective branching networks, each of said second networks serving to branch a different one of the wave components traversing said second path to a different one of said fourth paths; and a plurality of polarization coupling devices, each of said coupling devices receiving the wave component traversing a different one of said third paths and the wave component traversing a different one of said fourth paths and coupling the two received wave components to a different one of said output paths, said third and fourth paths associated wIth a particular one of said coupling devices being those along which component waves of the same frequency are propagating.

Claim 7

Network apparatus for coupling arbitrarily polarized waves of different, widely spaced frequencies from a common wave energy path to different output wave energy paths and vice versa, comprising first and second wave energy paths; an ultrawideband polarization coupler for coupling the component of each of said waves polarized in a first direction from said common path to said first path and for coupling the component of each of said waves polarized in a second direction, orthogonal to said first direction, from said common path to said second path; third and fourth pluralities of wave energy paths; a first plurality of frequency selective branching networks, each of said first networks serving to branch a different one of the wave components traversing said first path to a different one of said third paths; a second plurality of frequency selective branching networks, each of said second networks serving to branch a different one of the wave components traversing said second path to a different one of said fourth paths; and a plurality of polarization coupling devices, each of said coupling devices receiving the wave component traversing a different one of said third paths and the wave component traversing a different one of said fourth paths and coupling the two received wave components to a different one of said output paths, said third and fourth paths associated wIth a particular one of said coupling devices being those along which component waves of the same frequency are propagating.

Claim 8

Network apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the distance traveled therethrough by wave components of the same frequency is the same.

Claim 9

Network apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which each of said waves traversing said common wave path is orthogonally polarized.

Claim 10

Network apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said ultrawideband polarization coupler, said first and second pluralities of frequency selective branching networks and said coupling devices are reciprocal devices.

Claim 11

Network apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which wave energy is introduced into said network apparatus via at least one of said output paths.

Claim 12

Network apparatus in accordance with claim 8 in which arbitrarily polarized wave energy having a frequency associated with a given output path is introduced into said network apparatus via said given output path and is coupled by said network apparatus to said common path.

Claim 13

Network apparatus in accordance with claim 4 which includes, in addition, a plurality of polarization rotators, each of which serving to rotate the polarizations of the waves coupled to a different one of said output paths.

Claim 14

A frequency selective polarization insensitive branching network comprising: an ultrawideband polarization coupler including a first main waveguide section having first and second ports and a first auxiliary waveguide section, joined to said first main guide section, having a third port, said ultrawideband coupler having a reciprocal coupling characteristic whereby waves of first and second widely spaced frequencies polarized in a first direction are coupled between said first and second ports and waves of said first and second frequencies polarized in a second direction, orthogonal to said first direction, are coupled between said first and third ports; a first frequency selective branching network comprising a second main waveguide section having fourth and fifth ports and a second auxiliary waveguide section, joined to said second main guide, having a sixth port, said first network having a reciprocal branching characteristic whereby waves of said first frequency polarized in said first direction are branched from said fourth port to said sixth port, while experiencing a 90* rotation in polarization, and waves of all other frequencies are coupled from said fourth port to said fifth port; waveguide means for coupling said second and fourth ports; a second frequency selective branching network including a third main waveguide section having seventh and eighth ports and a third auxiliary waveguide section, joined to said third waveguide, having a ninth port, said second network having a reciprocal branching characteristic whereby waves of said first frequency polarized in said second direction are branched from said seventh port to said ninth port, while experiencing a 90* rotation in polarization, and waves of all other frequencies are coupled from said seventh port to said eighth port; waveguide means for coupling said third and seventh ports; a first polarization coupler comprising a courth main waveguide section having tenth and eleventh ports and a fourth auxiliary waveguide section joined to said fourth main guide, having a twelfth port, said first coupler having a reciprocal coupling characteristic whereby waves of said first frequency polarized in a third direction are coupled between said tenth and eleventh ports and waves of said first frequency polarized in a fourth direction, orthogonal to said third direction, are coupled between said eleventh and twelfth ports; waveguide band means for coupling said sixth and twelfth ports; waveguide bend means for coupling said ninth and tenth ports; a second polarization coupler including a fiFth main waveguide section having thirteenth and fourteenth ports and a fifth auxiliary wAveguide section, joined to said fifth main guide, having a fifteenth port, said second coupler having a reciprocal coupling characteristic whereby waves of said second frequency polarized in a fifth direction are coupled between said thirteenth and fourteenth ports and waves of said second frequency polarized in a sixth direction, orthogonal to said fifth direction, are coupled between said thirteenth and fifteenth ports; waveguide bend means for coupling said fifth and fourteenth ports; and waveguide bend means for coupling said eighth and fifteenth ports.

Claim 15

A frequency selective polarization insensitive branching network comprising: an ultrawideband polarization coupler including a first main waveguide section having first and second ports and a first auxiliary waveguide section, joined to said first main guide section, having a third port, said ultrawideband coupler having a reciprocal coupling characteristic whereby waves of first and second widely spaced frequencies polarized in a first direction are coupled between said first and second ports and waves of said first and second frequencies polarized in a second direction, orthogonal to said first direction, are coupled between said first and third ports; a first frequency selective branching network comprising a second main waveguide section having fourth and fifth ports and a second auxiliary waveguide section, joined to said second main guide, having a sixth port, said first network having a reciprocal branching characteristic whereby waves of said first frequency polarized in said first direction are branched from said fourth port to said sixth port, while experiencing a 90* rotation in polarization, and waves of all other frequencies are coupled from said fourth port to said fifth port; waveguide means for coupling said second and fourth ports; a second frequency selective branching network including a third main waveguide section having seventh and eighth ports and a third auxiliary waveguide section, joined to said third waveguide, having a ninth port, said second network having a reciprocal branching characteristic whereby waves of said first frequency polarized in said second direction are branched from said seventh port to said ninth port, while experiencing a 90* rotation in polarization, and waves of all other frequencies are coupled from said seventh port to said eighth port; waveguide means for coupling said third and seventh ports; a first polarization coupler comprising a courth main waveguide section having tenth and eleventh ports and a fourth auxiliary waveguide section joined to said fourth main guide, having a twelfth port, said first coupler having a reciprocal coupling characteristic whereby waves of said first frequency polarized in a third direction are coupled between said tenth and eleventh ports and waves of said first frequency polarized in a fourth direction, orthogonal to said third direction, are coupled between said eleventh and twelfth ports; waveguide band means for coupling said sixth and twelfth ports; waveguide bend means for coupling said ninth and tenth ports; a second polarization coupler including a fiFth main waveguide section having thirteenth and fourteenth ports and a fifth auxiliary wAveguide section, joined to said fifth main guide, having a fifteenth port, said second coupler having a reciprocal coupling characteristic whereby waves of said second frequency polarized in a fifth direction are coupled between said thirteenth and fourteenth ports and waves of said second frequency polarized in a sixth direction, orthogonal to said fifth direction, are coupled between said thirteenth and fifteenth ports; waveguide bend means for coupling said fifth and fourteenth ports; and waveguide bend means for coupling said eighth and fifteenth ports.

Claim 16

A branching network in accordance with claim 11 in which said third and sixth directions are the same as said second direction and said fourth direction is the same as said first direction.

Claim 17

A branching network in accordance with claim 11 in which the path from said first port to said eleventh port, through said first branching network, is equal in length to the path from said first port to said eleventh port, through said second branching network, and the path from said first port to said thirteenth port, through said first branching network, is equal in length to the path from said first port to said thirteenth port, through said second branching network.

Claim 18

An antenna feed system for compensating for the Faraday rotation experienced by a pair of orthogonally polarized received waves, at a frequency f1, received by a ground station antenna and a pair of orthogonally polarized transmitted waves, at a frequency f2, transmitted from said antenna comprising: a common wave energy path for coupling said transmitted and received waves respectively, to and from said antenna; a first wave energy path along which traverses said received waves; a second wave energy along which traverses said transmitted waves; a frequency selective polarization insensitive branching network for branching said received waves from said common path to said first path and said transmitted waves from said second path to said common path; a first polarization rotator disposed along said first path for rotating the polarizations of said received waves such that the Faraday rotation experienced by said received waves during transmission is substantially cancelled; and a second polarization rotator disposed along said second path for pre-rotating the polarizations of said transmitted waves such that the Faraday rotation experienced by said transmitted waves during transmission is substantially cancelled.

Claim 19

An antenna feed system for compensating for the Faraday rotation experienced by a pair of orthogonally polarized received waves, at a frequency f1, received by a ground station antenna and a pair of orthogonally polarized transmitted waves, at a frequency f2, transmitted from said antenna comprising: a common wave energy path for coupling said transmitted and received waves respectively, to and from said antenna; a first wave energy path along which traverses said received waves; a second wave energy along which traverses said transmitted waves; a frequency selective polarization insensitive branching network for branching said received waves from said common path to said first path and said transmitted waves from said second path to said common path; a first polarization rotator disposed along said first path for rotating the polarizations of said received waves such that the Faraday rotation experienced by said received waves during transmission is substantially cancelled; and a second polarization rotator disposed along said second path for pre-rotating the polarizations of said transmitted waves such that the Faraday rotation experienced by said transmitted waves during transmission is substantially cancelled.

Claim 20

A feed system in accordance with claim 14 in which the frequency f1 is within the 4 GHz common carrier band and in which the frequency f2 is within the 6 GHz common carrier band.