Stephen R Peck

US Patent:

7710340, May 4, 2010

Filed:

Jul 5, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/480497

Inventors:

Sudhakar K. Rao - Churchville PA, US
Stephen R. Peck - Yardley PA, US
Minh Tang - Yardley PA, US
Jim Wang - Churchville PA, US
David M. Brown - Upper Makefield PA, US

Assignee:

Lockheed Martin Corporation - Bethesda MD

International Classification:

H01Q 13/00

US Classification:

343781R, 343778, 343779

Abstract:

An antenna system for generating and configuring at least one defocused beam is provided. The antenna system includes a reflector having a focal plane and a non-parabolic curvature for forming the at least one defocused beam, and a plurality of feed antennas that illuminate the reflector. Each feed antenna is disposed in the focal plane of the reflector. The antenna system further includes at least one incoming signal dividing network that divides at least one incoming signal into a plurality of sub-signals, each corresponding to one of the feed antennas, a plurality of variable phase shifters, each receiving one of the sub-signals from the incoming signal dividing network and phase shifting the sub-signal to generate a corresponding phase-shifted sub-signal, and a plurality of fixed-amplitude amplifiers, at least one corresponding to each of the feed antennas. The at least one amplifier for each feed antenna amplifies the corresponding phase-shifted sub-signal to generate an amplified phase-shifted sub-signal which is provided to the corresponding feed antenna.