Multiple beamwidth phased array

Claim 3

A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said antenna array is a direct radiating phased array.

Claim 4

A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said antenna array is a reflecting array comprising an array of feed sources illuminating a reflective surface.

Claim 5

A communications system according to claim 3, wherein said feed sources are driven in groups with wideband composite drive signals and said feed sources are driven individually with narrowband drive signals.

Claim 6

A communications system according to claim 4, wherein said wideband and narrowband drive signals for driving any particular feed source are summed prior to amplification in an associated power amplifier channel.

Claim 7

A communications system according to claim 5, wherein said power amplifier channel is formed between an input to an input combining network for a matrix power amplifier and an output of an output combining network for said matrix power amplifier.

Claim 8

A communications system according to claim 1, wherein antenna elements in said first and second sets are divided into subarrays.

Claim 9

A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second beamwidths overlap.

Claim 10

A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second beamwidths are separate beamwidths.

Claim 11

A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said first set of antenna elements includes at least some elements of said second set of antenna elements as a subset.

Claim 12

A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said second set of antenna elements includes at least some of said first set of antenna elements as a subset.

Claim 13

A multi-channel transponding method for relaying signals from a first station to a plurality of second stations using an antenna array, comprising the steps of: grouping signals at said first station to be transponded to second stations according to locations of said second stations and processing said signals to form composite signals; sampling said composite signals to obtain a plurality of analog signal samples wherein composite signals having a wider bandwidth are sampled more often to produce more samples than composite signals having a narrower bandwidth; multiplexing said analog signal samples with at least one known predetermined sample to form a time-division-multiplexed signal; modulating said time-division-multiplexed signal onto a first radio frequency carrier for transmission from said first station to a relay station; receiving said modulated first radio frequency carrier at said relay station and demodulating said transmission to recover said time-division-multiplexed signal; demultiplexing said demodulated signal to separate recovered analog signal samples, wherein recovered predetermined symbols are used to control said demultiplexing; for each of said wideband signals, combining recovered samples corresponding to the same wideband composite signal and filtering said samples to restore said wideband composite signal; filtering samples corresponding to each of said narrowband composite signal to restore said narrowband signals; converting said restored wideband signals to a second frequency band and amplifying said wideband signals; transmitting said amplified wideband signals at a first power level using for each signal a power amplifier connected to a radiating antenna element; converting said restored narrowband signals to said second frequency band and amplifying said narrowband signals; and transmitting said amplified narrowband signals at a second power level using for each signal a power amplifier connected to a radiating antenna element.

Claim 14

A multi-channel transponding method for relaying signals from a first station to a plurality of second stations using an antenna array, comprising the steps of: grouping signals at said first station to be transponded to second stations according to locations of said second stations and processing said signals to form composite signals; sampling said composite signals to obtain a plurality of analog signal samples wherein composite signals having a wider bandwidth are sampled more often to produce more samples than composite signals having a narrower bandwidth; multiplexing said analog signal samples with at least one known predetermined sample to form a time-division-multiplexed signal; modulating said time-division-multiplexed signal onto a first radio frequency carrier for transmission from said first station to a relay station; receiving said modulated first radio frequency carrier at said relay station and demodulating said transmission to recover said time-division-multiplexed signal; demultiplexing said demodulated signal to separate recovered analog signal samples, wherein recovered predetermined symbols are used to control said demultiplexing; for each of said wideband signals, combining recovered samples corresponding to the same wideband composite signal and filtering said samples to restore said wideband composite signal; filtering samples corresponding to each of said narrowband composite signal to restore said narrowband signals; converting said restored wideband signals to a second frequency band and amplifying said wideband signals; transmitting said amplified wideband signals at a first power level using for each signal a power amplifier connected to a radiating antenna element; converting said restored narrowband signals to said second frequency band and amplifying said narrowband signals; and transmitting said amplified narrowband signals at a second power level using for each signal a power amplifier connected to a radiating antenna element.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 12, wherein said antenna army is a direct radiating phased array.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 12, wherein said antenna array is a reflecting array comprising an array of feed sources illuminating a reflective surface.

Claim 17

A method system according to claim 14, wherein said feed sources are driven in groups with wideband composite drive signals and said feed sources are driven individually with narrowband drive signals.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 12, wherein said step of grouping signals comprises modulating each signal in a group onto a separate frequency channel by frequency-division-multiplexing said signals.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 12, wherein said step of grouping signals comprises modulating at least some signals in a group onto the same frequency channel by time-division-multiplexing said signals.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 12, wherein said step of grouping signals comprises modulating at least some signals in a group onto the same frequency channel by time-division-multiplexing said signals and another set of signals in the same group onto a different frequency channel by time-division-multiplexing.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 12, wherein said step of grouping signals comprises modulating each signal in a group using a separate CDMA code on the same frequency channel and forming a weighted sum of each signal.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 12, wherein said processing to form said composite signals comprises digital beam forming.

Claim 25

A system according to claim 21, wherein said second set of antenna elements includes said first set.

Claim 26

A communications system according to claim 21, wherein said antenna array is a direct radiating phased array.

Claim 27

A communications system according to claim 21, wherein said antenna array is a reflecting array comprising an array of feed sources illuminating a reflective surface.

Claim 28

A communications system according to claim 24, wherein said feed sources are driven in groups with wideband composite drive signals and said feed sources are driven individually with narrowband drive signals.

Claim 29

A communications system according to claim 25, wherein said wideband and narrowband drive signals for driving any particular feed source are summed prior to amplification in an associated power amplifier channel.

Claim 30

A communications system according to claim 26, wherein said power amplifier channel is formed between an input of an input combining network for a matrix power amplifier and an output of an output combining network for said matrix power amplifier.

Claim 31

A communications system according to claim 21, wherein antenna elements in said first and second sets are divided into subarrays.

Claim 32

A communications system according to claim 21, wherein said first and second beamwidths overlap.

Claim 33

A communications system according to claim 21, wherein said first and second beamwidths are separate beamwidths.

Claim 34

A multi-channel transponding method for relaying signals from a plurality of second stations to a first station using an antenna array, comprising the steps of: receiving first signals using each of a first set of antenna elements; processing said received first signals using associated transponder channels of a first bandwidth and sampling said processed signals at a first sampling rate to produce a first sample stream corresponding to each channel; receiving second signals using each of a second set of antenna elements; processing said received second signals using associated transponder channels of a second bandwidth and sampling said second signals at a second sampling rate to produce a second sample stream corresponding to each channel; multiplexing said first and second sample streams with at least one known predetermined sample stream to form a time-division-multiplexed signal; modulating said time-division-multiplexed signal onto a feeder link radio carrier frequency for transmission to said first station; receiving said modulated feeder link radio frequency carrier at said first station and demodulating it to recover said time-division-multiplexed signal; demultiplexing said demodulated signal to separate said recovered sample streams including said at least one predetermined sample stream and using said recovered predetermined sample stream to control said demultiplexing; processing said recovered sample streams to separate signals from different second stations; and sending said separated signals to a switched telephone transmission network.

Claim 35

A multi-channel transponding method for relaying signals from a plurality of second stations to a first station using an antenna array, comprising the steps of: receiving first signals using each of a first set of antenna elements; processing said received first signals using associated transponder channels of a first bandwidth and sampling said processed signals at a first sampling rate to produce a first sample stream corresponding to each channel; receiving second signals using each of a second set of antenna elements; processing said received second signals using associated transponder channels of a second bandwidth and sampling said second signals at a second sampling rate to produce a second sample stream corresponding to each channel; multiplexing said first and second sample streams with at least one known predetermined sample stream to form a time-division-multiplexed signal; modulating said time-division-multiplexed signal onto a feeder link radio carrier frequency for transmission to said first station; receiving said modulated feeder link radio frequency carrier at said first station and demodulating it to recover said time-division-multiplexed signal; demultiplexing said demodulated signal to separate said recovered sample streams including said at least one predetermined sample stream and using said recovered predetermined sample stream to control said demultiplexing; processing said recovered sample streams to separate signals from different second stations; and sending said separated signals to a switched telephone transmission network.

Claim 36

A system according to claim 1, wherein said second set of antenna elements includes said first set.

Claim 37

A method according to claim 31, wherein said antenna array is a direct radiating phased array.

Claim 38

A method according to claim 31, wherein said antenna array is a reflecting array comprising an array of feed sources illuminating a reflective surface.

Claim 39

A method system according to claim 34, wherein said feed sources are driven in groups with wideband composite drive signals and said feed sources are driven individually with narrowband drive signals.

Claim 40

A method system according to claim 35, wherein said wideband and narrowband drive signals for driving any particular feed source are summed prior to amplification in an associated power amplifier channel.

Claim 41

A method system according to claim 36, wherein said power amplifier channel is formed between an input to an input combining network for a matrix power amplifier and an output of an output combining network for said matrix power amplifier.

Claim 42

A method according to claim 31, wherein each signal in a group is modulated onto a separate frequency channel by frequency-division-multiplexing said signals.

Claim 43

A method according to claim 31, wherein at least some signals in a group are modulated onto the same frequency channel by time-division-multiplexing said signals.

Claim 44

A method according to claim 31, wherein at least some signals in a group are modulated onto the same frequency channel by time-division-multiplexing said signals and another set of signals in the same group onto a different frequency channel by time-division-multiplexing.

Claim 45

A method according to claim 31, wherein each signal in a group is modulated using a separate CDMA code on the same frequency channel and forming a weighted sum of each signal.

Claim 46

A method according to claim 31, wherein said processing to form composite signals comprises digital beam forming.

Claim 47

A method system according to claim 15, wherein said wideband and narrowband drive signals for driving any particular feed source are summed prior to amplification in an associated power amplifier channel.

Claim 48

A method system according to claim 43, wherein said power amplifier channel is formed between an input of an input combining network for a matrix power amplifier and an output of an output combining network for said matrix power amplifier.