Antenna feed network

Claim 2

An antenna feed network for distributing a plurality of microwave signals to a plurality of spaced apart overlapping subarrays having common antenna elements comprising: a first plurality of power dividers each having an input and at least two outputs interconnected in series from each respective output to provide a plurality of first output terminals from a first input terminal, said first input terminal adapted for coupling to one of said microwave signals, a second plurality of power dividers, each having an input and at least two outputs interconnected in series from each respective output to provide a plurality of second output terminals from a second input terminal, said second input terminal adapted for coupling to another one of said microwave signals, a plurality of power combiners each having a first and second input coupled to one of said first and second output terminals, respectively, and having an output terminal adapted for coupling to one of said antenna elements, respectively, said plurality of power combiners including at least one power combiner of the Wilkenson type, said first plurality of power dividers spaced apart to provide a predetermined electrical path length from said first input terminal to each output terminal of said first plurality of power dividers, and said second plurality of power dividers spaced apart to provide a predetermined electrical path length from said second input terminal to each output terminal of said second plurality of power dividers.

Claim 3

The antenna feed network of claim 1 wherein said first plurality of power dividers includes a microstrip power divider of the Wilkenson type.

Claim 4

The antenna feed network of claim 1 wherein said first plurality of power dividers includes a strip-line power divider of the Wilkenson type.

Claim 5

The antenna feed network of claim 1 wherein said first plurality of power dividers and the second plurality of power dividers are interconnected on the upper surface of a printed circuit board and include a zero db branch arm hybrid to provide a crossover with a single layer of metallization on the upper surface of the printed circuit board.

Claim 6

The antenna feed network of claim 4 wherein said printed circuit board includes a ground plane on the lower surface to form a microstrip transmission line between the conductors on the upper surface and the ground plane on the lower surface of the printed circuit board.

Claim 7

The antenna feed network of claim 4 wherein said first plurality of power combiners are interconnected on a single layer of metallization on said upper surface of said printed circuit board, and includes at least one zero db branch line hybrid coupler to provide a crossover on said single layer of metallization.

Claim 8

The antenna feed network of claim 1, wherein said plurality of first output terminals is eight.

Claim 9

The antenna feed network of claim 7 wherein said plurality of second output terminals is eight.

Claim 10

The antenna feed network of claim 7 wherein said plurality of power combiners is four.

Claim 11

The antenna feed network of claim 1 wherein said plurality of first output terminals is four and said plurality of power combiners is two.

Claim 12

The antenna feed network of claim 1 wherein said predetermined electrical path length from said first input terminal to each output terminal of said first plurality of power dividers is substantially equal.

Claim 13

The antenna feed network of claim 11 wherein said predetermined electrical path length from said second input terminal to each output terminal of said second plurality of power dividers is substantially equal.

Claim 14

The antenna feed network of claim 4 wherein said printed circuit board includes a first ground plane on the lower surface and a layer of dielectric material over said upper surface and over said first and second plurality of power dividers, said layer of dielectric material having a second ground plane thereover to form a strip transmission line between the conductors on said upper surface and said first and second ground planes.

Claim 15

An antenna feed network for distributing a plurality of microwave signals to a plurality of spaced apart overlapping subarrays having common antenna elements comprising: a first plurality of power dividers each having an input and at least two outputs interconnected in series from each respective output to provide a plurality of first output terminals from a first input terminal, said first input terminal adapted for coupling to one of said microwave signals, a second plurality of power dividers, each having an input and at least two outputs interconnected in series from each respective output to provide a plurality of second output terminals from a second input terminal, said second input terminal adapted for coupling to another one of said microwave signals, a first plurality of power combiners each having at least a first and second input, and an output, said first plurality of power combiners interconnected in series from each respective output to a respective input to provide a first combiner network having a plurality of third input terminals and a third output terminal, a first one of said third input terminals coupled to one of said first output terminals, a second one of said third input terminals coupled to one of said second output terminals, said other third input terminals coupled to selected ones of said plurality of microwave signals, said third output terminal adapted for coupling to one of said antenna elements, said first plurality of power dividers spaced apart to provide a predetermined electrical path length from said first input terminal to each output terminal of said first plurality of power dividers, and said second plurality of power dividers spaced apart to provide a predetermined electrical path length from said second input terminal to each output terminal of said second plurality of power dividers.

Claim 16

An antenna feed network for distributing a plurality of microwave signals to a plurality of spaced apart overlapping subarrays having common antenna elements comprising: a first plurality of power dividers each having an input and at least two outputs interconnected in series from each respective output to provide a plurality of first output terminals from a first input terminal, said first input terminal adapted for coupling to one of said microwave signals, a second plurality of power dividers, each having an input and at least two outputs interconnected in series from each respective output to provide a plurality of second output terminals from a second input terminal, said second input terminal adapted for coupling to another one of said microwave signals, a first plurality of power combiners each having at least a first and second input, and an output, said first plurality of power combiners interconnected in series from each respective output to a respective input to provide a first combiner network having a plurality of third input terminals and a third output terminal, a first one of said third input terminals coupled to one of said first output terminals, a second one of said third input terminals coupled to one of said second output terminals, said other third input terminals coupled to selected ones of said plurality of microwave signals, said third output terminal adapted for coupling to one of said antenna elements, said first plurality of power dividers spaced apart to provide a predetermined electrical path length from said first input terminal to each output terminal of said first plurality of power dividers, and said second plurality of power dividers spaced apart to provide a predetermined electrical path length from said second input terminal to each output terminal of said second plurality of power dividers.

Claim 17

The antenna feed network of claim 14 wherein said first plurality of power dividers includes a microstrip power divider of the Wilkenson type.

Claim 18

The antenna feed network of claim 14 wherein said first plurality of power dividers includes a strip-line power divider of the Wilkenson type.

Claim 19

The antenna feed network of claim 14 wherein said first plurality of power dividers and the second plurality of power dividers are interconnected on the upper surface of a printed circuit board and inlude a zero db branch arm hybrid to provide a crossover with a single layer of metallization on the upper surface of the printed circuit board.

Claim 20

The antenna feed network of claim 17 wherein said printed circuit board includes a ground plane on the lower surface to form a microstrip transmission line between the conductors on the upper surface and the ground plane on the lower surface of the printed circuit board.

Claim 21

The antenna feed network of claim 17 wherein said first plurality of power combiners are interconnected on a single layer of metallization on said upper surface of said printed circuit board, and includes at least one zero db branch line hybrid coupler to provide a crossover on said single layer of metallization.

Claim 22

The antenna feed network of claim 14 wherein said plurality of first output terminals is twelve.

Claim 23

The antenna feed network of claim 14 wherein said plurality of first output terminals is sixteen.

Claim 24

The antenna feed network of claim 14 wherein said first plurality of power combiners is two coupled in series.

Claim 25

The antenna feed network of claim 14 wherein said first plurality of power combiners is three with the output of two coupled to respective inputs of the third.

Claim 26

The antenna feed network of claim 14 further including a second plurality of power combiners each having at least a first and second input and an output, said second plurality of power combiners interconnected in series from each respective output to a respective input to provide a second combiner network having a plurality of fourth input terminals and a fourth output terminal, a first one of said fourth input terminals coupled to one of said first output terminals, a second one of said fourth input terminals coupled to one of said second output terminals, said other fourth input terminals coupled to selected ones of said plurality of microwave signals, said fourth output terminal adapted for coupling to one of said antenna elements.

Claim 27

The antenna feed network of claim 14 wherein said first plurality of power combiners are spaced apart to provide a substantially equal electrical path length from said third input terminals to said third output terminal.

Claim 28

The antenna feed network of claim 24 wherein said second plurality of power combiners are spaced apart to provide a substantially equal electrical path length from said fourth input terminals to said fourth output terminal.

Claim 29

The antenna feed network of claim 14 wherein said predetermined electrical path length from said first input terminal to each output terminal of said first plurality of power dividers is substantially equal.

Claim 30

The antenna feed network of claim 27 wherein said predetermined electrical path length from said second input terminal to each output terminal of said second plurality of power dividers is substantially equal.

Claim 31

The antenna feed network of claim 17 wherein said printed circuit board includes a first ground plane on the lower surface and a layer of dielectric material over said upper surface and over said first and second plurality of power dividers, said layer of dielectric material having a second ground plane thereover to form a strip transmission line between the conductors on said upper surface and said first and second ground planes.

Claim 32

An antenna feed network for distributing a plurality of microwave signals to a plurality of spaced apart overlapping subarrays having common antenna elements comprising: a first plurality of power dividers each having an input and at least two outputs interconnected in series from each respective output to provide a plurality of first output terminals from a first input terminal, said first input terminal adapted for coupling to one of said microwave signals, a second plurality of power dividers, each having an input and at least two outputs interconnected in series from each respective output to provide a plurality of second output terminals from a second input terminal, said second input terminal adapted for coupling to another one of said microwave signals, a first plurality of power combiners each having at least first and second inputs and an output terminal, said first input of each of said first plurality of power combiners coupled to said first output terminals, respectively, said second input of each of said first plurality of power combiners coupled to selected ones of said plurality of microwave signals, said output terminals of said first plurality of power combiners adapted for coupling to said antenna elements, respectively, said first plurality of power dividers spaced apart to provide a predetermined electrical path length from said first input terminal to each output terminal of said first plurality of power dividers, and said second plurality of power dividers spaced apart to provide a predetermined electrical path length from said second input terminal to each output terminal of said second plurality of power dividers.

Claim 33

An antenna feed network for distributing a plurality of microwave signals to a plurality of spaced apart overlapping subarrays having common antenna elements comprising: a first plurality of power dividers each having an input and at least two outputs interconnected in series from each respective output to provide a plurality of first output terminals from a first input terminal, said first input terminal adapted for coupling to one of said microwave signals, a second plurality of power dividers, each having an input and at least two outputs interconnected in series from each respective output to provide a plurality of second output terminals from a second input terminal, said second input terminal adapted for coupling to another one of said microwave signals, a first plurality of power combiners each having at least first and second inputs and an output terminal, said first input of each of said first plurality of power combiners coupled to said first output terminals, respectively, said second input of each of said first plurality of power combiners coupled to selected ones of said plurality of microwave signals, said output terminals of said first plurality of power combiners adapted for coupling to said antenna elements, respectively, said first plurality of power dividers spaced apart to provide a predetermined electrical path length from said first input terminal to each output terminal of said first plurality of power dividers, and said second plurality of power dividers spaced apart to provide a predetermined electrical path length from said second input terminal to each output terminal of said second plurality of power dividers.

Claim 34

The antenna feed network of claim 30 further including a second plurality of power combiners each having at least first and second inputs and an output terminal, said first input of each of said second plurality of power combiners coupled to said output terminals of said first plurality of power combiners, respectively, said second input of each of said second plurality of power combiners coupled to one or more of said plurality of microwave signals, said output terminals of said second plurality of power combiners adapted for coupling to said antenna elements, respectively.

Claim 35

The antenna feed network of claim 30 wherein said predetermined electrical path length from said first input terminal to each output terminal of said first plurality of power dividers is substantially equal.

Claim 36

The antenna feed network of claim 32 wherein said predetermined electrical path length from said second input terminal to each output terminal of said second plurality of power dividers is substantially equal.