Two-way duplexer for polarized microwaves

Claim 2

A two-way duplexer for polarized microwaves, comprising: a first set of input/outputs, wherein the first set of input/outputs comprises a first input/output capable of receiving and transmitting a vertically polarized signal and a second input/output capable of receiving and transmitting a horizontally polarized signal; a second set of input/outputs, wherein the second set of input/outputs comprises a third input/output capable of receiving and transmitting a right-hand circularly polarized signal and a fourth input/output capable of receiving and transmitting a left-hand circularly polarized signal; a plurality of combiner/dividers including a first, a second, a third and a fourth combiner/divider, wherein each combiner/divider comprises a combination channel operatively coupled to first and second division channels, wherein the first, second, third and fourth input/outputs are connected to the combination channel of the first, second, third and fourth combiner/dividers, respectively, wherein: the first division channel of the first combiner/divider is connected through first phase-shifting means to the first division channel of the third combiner/divider; the second division channel of the first combiner/divider is connected through second phase-shifting means to the first division channel of the fourth combiner/divider; the first division channel of the second combiner/divider is connected through third phase-shifting means to the second division channel of the third combiner/divider; and the second division channel of the second combiner/divider is connected through fourth phase-shifting means to the second division channel of the fourth combiner/divider; wherein said first and third phase-shifting means introduce first and third phase shifts, respectively, wherein a difference in absolute value between the first phase shift and the third phase shift is approximately equal to 90° modulo 360°; and and wherein said second and fourth phase-shifting means introduce second and fourth phase shifts, respectively, wherein a difference in absolute value between the second phase shift and the fourth phase shift is approximately equal to 90° modulo 360°.

Claim 3

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein one of said combiner/dividers is a Wilkinson Tee type three-port structure.

Claim 4

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein the first input/output comprises first phase-tuning means connected to the combination channel of the first combiner/divider and wherein the second input/output comprises second phase-tuning means connected to the combination channel of the second combiner/divider.

Claim 5

A duplexer according to claim 3, wherein each of the first and second phase-tuning means comprise field effect transistors operatively configured to provide voltage controlled capacitance.

Claim 6

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein said second and third phase-shifting means provide for a +π/4 phase shift, and wherein said first and fourth phase-shifting means provide for a -π/4 phase-shift.

Claim 7

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein each of said phase-shifting means are highpass type phase-shifting cells.

Claim 8

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein each of said phase-shifting means are lowpass type phase-shifting cells.

Claim 9

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein each input/output comprises means for providing an impedance of approximately 50 to 100 Ω.

Claim 10

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein each said combiner/divider is a Wilkinson pi type structure.

Claim 11

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein the duplexer further comprises a vertically polarized antenna connected to the first input/output, a horizontally polarized antenna connected to the second input/output and a processing unit connected to the third and fourth input/outputs.

Claim 12

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein said second and third phase-shifting means provide for a -π/4 phase shift, and wherein said first and fourth pahse-shifting means provide for a +π/4 phase-shift.

Claim 13

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said combiner/dividers is a Wilkinson pi type three-port structure.

Claim 14

A duplexer according to claim 1, wherein each said combiner/divider is a Wilkinson Tee type three-port structure.

Claim 15

A two-way duplexer for microwaves, comprising: a plurality of input/outputs including a first, a second, a third and a fourth input/output; first, second, third and fourth combiner/dividers connected to the first, second, third and fourth input/outputs, respectively; first phase-shifting means, connected to the first and third combiner/dividers, for providing a first phase shift; second phase-shifting means, connected to the first and fourth combiner/dividers, for providing a second phase shift; third phase-shifting means, connected to the second and third combiner/dividers, for providing a third phase shift; fourth phase-shifting means, connected to the second and fourth combiner/dividers, for providing a fourth phase shift; wherein the first and second phase shifts differ by approximately 90° modulo 360°; wherein the first and third phase shifts differ by approximately 90° modulo 360°; wherein the second and fourth phase shifts differ by approximately 90° modulo 360°; wherein the third and fourth phase shifts differ by approximately 90° modulo 360°; wherein a transmit signal CD received at the third input/output is transformed by said third combiner/divider and said first and third phase-shifting means into first and second phase-shifted transmit signals having first and second polarizations, respectively, said first and second phase-shifted transmit signals being transmitted by the first and second input/outputs, respectively; wherein a transmit signal CG received at the fourth input/output is transformed by said fourth combiner/divider and said second and fourth phase-shifting means into third and fourth phase-shifted transmit signals having first and second polarizations, respectively, said third and fourth phase-shifted transmit signals being transmitted by the second and first input/outputs, respectively; and wherein components of a circularly polarized signal received by the first and second input/outputs, respectively, are phase-shifted by the first, second, third and fourth phase-shifting means and are combined into a first receive signal by the third combiner/divider and into a second receive signal by the fourth combiner/divider, wherein one of the first and second receive signals has a maximum amplitude and the other of the first and second receive signals has approximately zero amplitude.

Claim 16

A two-way duplexer for microwaves, comprising: a plurality of input/outputs including a first, a second, a third and a fourth input/output; first, second, third and fourth combiner/dividers connected to the first, second, third and fourth input/outputs, respectively; first phase-shifting means, connected to the first and third combiner/dividers, for providing a first phase shift; second phase-shifting means, connected to the first and fourth combiner/dividers, for providing a second phase shift; third phase-shifting means, connected to the second and third combiner/dividers, for providing a third phase shift; fourth phase-shifting means, connected to the second and fourth combiner/dividers, for providing a fourth phase shift; wherein the first and second phase shifts differ by approximately 90° modulo 360°; wherein the first and third phase shifts differ by approximately 90° modulo 360°; wherein the second and fourth phase shifts differ by approximately 90° modulo 360°; wherein the third and fourth phase shifts differ by approximately 90° modulo 360°; wherein a transmit signal CD received at the third input/output is transformed by said third combiner/divider and said first and third phase-shifting means into first and second phase-shifted transmit signals having first and second polarizations, respectively, said first and second phase-shifted transmit signals being transmitted by the first and second input/outputs, respectively; wherein a transmit signal CG received at the fourth input/output is transformed by said fourth combiner/divider and said second and fourth phase-shifting means into third and fourth phase-shifted transmit signals having first and second polarizations, respectively, said third and fourth phase-shifted transmit signals being transmitted by the second and first input/outputs, respectively; and wherein components of a circularly polarized signal received by the first and second input/outputs, respectively, are phase-shifted by the first, second, third and fourth phase-shifting means and are combined into a first receive signal by the third combiner/divider and into a second receive signal by the fourth combiner/divider, wherein one of the first and second receive signals has a maximum amplitude and the other of the first and second receive signals has approximately zero amplitude.

Claim 17

The two-way duplexer according to claim 14 wherein the two-way duplexer further comprises a vertically polarized antenna connected to the first input/output and a horizontally polarized antenna connected to the second input/output.

Claim 18

The two-way duplexer according to claim 14 wherein the two-way duplexer further comprises first and second polarized antennas connected to the first and second input/outputs, respectively, wherein the first antenna is configured to receive vertically polarized components of a circularly polarized wave and wherein the second antenna is configured to receive horizontally polarized components of the circularly polarized wave.

Claim 19

The two-way duplexer according to claim 14 wherein the two-way duplexer further comprises first and second polarized antennas connected to the first and second input/outputs, respectively, wherein the first antenna is configured to receive horizontally polarized components of a circularly polarized wave and wherein the second antenna is configured to receive vertically polarized components of the circularly polarized wave.

Claim 20

The two-way duplexer according to claim 14 wherein at least one of the combiner/dividers comprises a Wilkinson Tee type three-port structure.

Claim 21

The two-way duplexer according to claim 14 wherein at least one of the combiner/dividers comprises a Wilkinson pi type three-port structure.

Claim 22

The two-way duplexer according to claim 14 wherein the two-way duplexer further comprises a phase tuning cell connected between the first input/output and the first combiner/divider.

Claim 23

The two-way duplexer according to claim 20 wherein the phase tuning cell comprises a structure operatively connected to said first input/output and said first combiner/divider.

Claim 24

The two-way duplexer according to claim 20 wherein the phase tuning cell comprises a pi structure operatively connected to said first input/output and said first combiner/divider.

Claim 25

The two-way duplexer according to claim 20 wherein the phase tuning cell comprises field effect transistors configured to provide voltage controlled capacitance.

Claim 26

The two-way duplexer according to claim 14 wherein each of the first second, third and fourth phase-shifting means comprise means for providing approximately 45° phase-shifts.

Claim 27

The two-way duplexer according to claim 14 wherein the first input/output comprises means for providing an impedance of approximately 50 to 100 Ω.