EP0921590A2 - Antenne zum Kommunizieren mit Satelliten in niedriger Umlaufbahn - Google Patents

Antenne zum Kommunizieren mit Satelliten in niedriger Umlaufbahn Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0921590A2
EP0921590A2 EP98309924A EP98309924A EP0921590A2 EP 0921590 A2 EP0921590 A2 EP 0921590A2 EP 98309924 A EP98309924 A EP 98309924A EP 98309924 A EP98309924 A EP 98309924A EP 0921590 A2 EP0921590 A2 EP 0921590A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
antenna
reflector
satellite
elevation
earth orbit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP98309924A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0921590A3 (de
Inventor
Osamu Yamamoto
Ryuichi Iwata
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
NEC Corp
Original Assignee
NEC Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by NEC Corp filed Critical NEC Corp
Publication of EP0921590A2 publication Critical patent/EP0921590A2/de
Publication of EP0921590A3 publication Critical patent/EP0921590A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q19/00—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic
    • H01Q19/10—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces
    • H01Q19/12—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces wherein the surfaces are concave
    • H01Q19/13—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces wherein the surfaces are concave the primary radiating source being a single radiating element, e.g. a dipole, a slot, a waveguide termination
    • H01Q19/132—Horn reflector antennas; Off-set feeding
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q3/00—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system
    • H01Q3/12—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system using mechanical relative movement between primary active elements and secondary devices of antennas or antenna systems
    • H01Q3/16—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system using mechanical relative movement between primary active elements and secondary devices of antennas or antenna systems for varying relative position of primary active element and a reflecting device
    • H01Q3/20—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system using mechanical relative movement between primary active elements and secondary devices of antennas or antenna systems for varying relative position of primary active element and a reflecting device wherein the primary active element is fixed and the reflecting device is movable

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an antenna for communicating with a low earth orbit satellite, particularly relates to an antenna for communicating with a low earth orbit satellite used for an earth station in a satellite communication system in which plural low earth orbit (LEO) satellites revolve around the earth for automatically tracking each satellite.
  • LEO low earth orbit
  • an antenna for tracking a satellite plural techniques are widely known as the antenna of an earth station for a geostationary satellite and a mobile satellite.
  • a monopulse tracking method of continuously detecting whether an antenna tracks a satellite in the center of a beam or not and controlling so that a direction of a radiation pattern of an antenna is always equal to the direction of a satellite a step tracking method of shifting an antenna at a fixed interval of time by degrees and adjusting it in a bearing in which a receiving level is maximum and a program tracking method of changing the bearing of an antenna based upon the estimated information of a satellite orbit are known.
  • an AZ-EL mount in which the azimuth and the elevation of the mobile antenna are shifted and a XY mount which the mobile antenna is shifted in a direction perpendicular to a satellite orbital direction are widely known.
  • the AZ-EL mount is currently the most adopted method, one axis (the azimuth axis) is arranged perpendicularly to the ground and the other axis (the elevation axis) is arranged horizontally.
  • the x-axis horizontal with the ground is perpendicular to the y-axis and the y-axis is turned together with the x-axis.
  • the XY mount is suitable for tracking a LEO satellite which moves near the zenith at high speed, however, as both axes are located in high positions from the ground, the XY mount has a mechanical defect.
  • Fig. 11 shows the constitution of a conventional type antenna of an earth station for tracking a satellite.
  • Fig. 11 shows an example of a large-sized antenna of an earth station for tracking a satellite and the main reflector is Cassegrainian antenna 13 m in diameter.
  • the antenna tracks a satellite using a driving mechanism according to the AZ-EL mount, and both the azimuth axis and the elevation axis are driven by a jackscrew driving mechanism.
  • the driving mechanism is allowed to continuously drive only within a range of ⁇ 10° in the direction of the azimuth axis and a limited driving method that when an antenna is required to be directed at a larger angle in another direction, a set screw is loosened and the antenna is turned slowly is adopted.
  • continuous driving between 0° and 90° is enabled.
  • a primary feed is attached to the main reflector and is integrally driven with the main reflector.
  • Fig. 12 shows another conventional type antenna of an earth station for tracking a satellite and a small-sized antenna of an earth station for tracking a satellite in which miniaturization and lightening are realized though an aperture antenna is used as the above large-sized antenna is known.
  • Fig. 12 shows a parabolic antenna used for a ship earth station according to International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT) standard A, and a cross dipole and a reflector board are located in the focus of a reflector with a paraboloid of revolution as a primary feed.
  • the reflector and the radiator are integrated.
  • the above parabolic antenna is driven using four-axes mounting obtained by combining the above AZ-EL mount and XY mount.
  • the antenna to be turned is heavy, a driving system is also large-sized, high-speed tracking is difficult and the area of a radome for housing the antenna is also increased.
  • the size of the whole antenna is required to be as small-sized as possible and as light as possible, and miniaturization and lightening are a large problem.
  • a radio frequency (RF) sending/receiving section including a feeding system such as a low noise amplifier and a high-frequency power amplifier is required to be mounted near the primary feed so as to stably feed to the primary feed during turning.
  • a feeding system such as a low noise amplifier and a high-frequency power amplifier
  • the weight of the antenna is also increased by the weight of the RF sending/receiving section.
  • the RF sending/receiving section is separated from the reflector and fixed to maintain stable connection independent of displacement by turning of the feeding section, a feeder cable is required to be flexible, a rotary joint and others are required and there is a problem that an antenna for satellite communication is complicated and high-priced.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide an antenna for communicating with a low earth orbit satellite used for a small-sized earth station for communicating with plural LEO satellites, which is small-sized and light and can track a LEO satellite at high speed.
  • the present invention provides an antenna for use at an earth station for communicating with a low earth orbit satellite, wherein said antenna comprises an offset aperture antenna for mechanically tracking said low earth orbit satellite.
  • An antenna for communicating with a low earth orbit satellite is based upon an antenna for communicating with a low earth orbit satellite used on the side of the ground in a satellite communication system using low earth orbit satellite and mechanically tracks the above low earth orbit satellite using an offset aperture antenna.
  • the above antenna may mechanically track by fixing a primary feed of the aperture antenna and turning only the reflector of the antenna based upon an azimuth and an elevation axis in a direction of a low earth orbit satellite.
  • the present invention provides an antenna for use at an earth station for communicating with a low earth orbit satellite, said antenna comprising:
  • a reflector having a predetermined offset paraboloid of revolution an AZ-EL mount connected to the reflector for turning the reflector based upon an azimuth axis and an elevation axis and tracking a low earth orbit satellite, a primary feed for radiating predetermined beams to the reflector, a feeding part for feeding to the primary feed and a radiator supporting part for supporting the primary feed so that the primary feed can be fixed independently of the reflecting feed may be provided.
  • the value of the above offset is set so that antenna gain is maximum at a predetermined minimum operational elevation.
  • the invention also extends to a method of communicating with a low earth orbit satellite, comprising the step of mechanically tracking the satellite with an offset aperture antenna.
  • Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the constitution of an antenna for communicating with a low earth orbit satellite equivalent to one embodiment of the present invention.
  • an antenna for communicating with a low earth orbit satellite 100 is composed of a primary feed (horn) 1 for sending or receiving a signal in Ka band, an offset reflector 2 provided with a predetermined paraboloid of revolution, an AZ-EL mount 3 connected to the reflector 2 for turning an azimuth axis and an elevation axis and tracking a satellite, a feeding part 4 for feeding to the primary feed 1, a radiator supporting part 5 for fixing the primary feed 1, a, RF sending/receiving part 6 composed of a low noise amplifier and a high-frequency power amplifier and an antenna supporting part 7 for fixing the whole antenna.
  • This antenna uses an offset parabolic antenna type reflecting antenna and the primary feed 1 is installed in the focal position of the paraboloid of revolution forming the reflector 2.
  • the offset quantity of the offset parabolic antenna is selected so that antenna gain is maximum at the minimum operational elevation described later.
  • the primary feed 1 has constitution mechanically independent of the reflector 2 with mobile structure, is attached to the radiator supporting part 5 and fixed.
  • the, reflector 2 is constituted so that it is turned based upon the azimuth axis and the elevation axis by the AZ-EL mount 3.
  • a signal and others from the primary feed 1 are fed to the RF sending/receiving part 6 via the feeding part 4.
  • the AZ-EL mount 3, the radiator supporting part 5 and the RF sending/receiving part 6 are mounted on the antenna supporting part 7.
  • Figs. 2A and 2B explain the tracking mechanism of this antenna and particularly shows the reflector 2 and the primary feed 1 respectively related to tracking.
  • Fig. 2A shows the reflector 2 and the primary feed 1 viewed from a front
  • a full line shows the position of the reflector 2 at the minimum operational elevation ⁇ MIN and a dotted line shows the position of the reflector 2 in case an elevation is approximately 90°.
  • Fig. 2B shows the reflector 2 and the primary feed 1 respectively viewed from the side.
  • an azimuth axis 9 is turned around a straight line connecting the center of the reflecting mirror 2 and the center of the primary feed 1 and the reflector 2 is turned 360° with the azimuth axis 9 in the center.
  • a reference number 8 denotes the axis of a paraboloid of revolution.
  • Figs. 3A and 3B explain an elevation axis and the elevation axis in these drawings means an axis which is in contact with a line perpendicular on a paraboloid of revolution to a radial straight line passing the parboloid of revolution of the offset reflector 2 from an intersection point (the center) of the axis 8 of the paraboloid of revolution and a paraboloid 9.
  • An angle varies between the minimum operational elevation and 90° with the elevation axis in the center.
  • the AZ-EL mount 3 drives the reflector 2 so that the reflector is turned around the azimuth axis 9 and the elevation axis 10 to track a satellite.
  • the primary feed 1 is always fixed in the focal position of the paraboloid even if the reflector 2 is turned because the primary feed is fixed by the radiator support part 5.
  • the satellite communication antenna turns the reflector 2 around the azimuth axis and can track a satellite in the omnibearing.
  • the elevation showing directivity can be varied by turning the reflector 2 around the elevation axis and directivity in the direction of the zenith at which the elevation is 90° can be obtained.
  • Fig. 4 is an imaginative drawing showing that multiple LEO satellites are arranged on plural orbital planes over the earth to cover the whole world.
  • a satellite communication system for covering the whole world is provided by arranging plural LEO satellites over the earth so that any satellite can be seen in any place on the earth.
  • a LEO satellite means a satellite on an elliptical orbit including a circular orbit at the altitude of approximately 1500 km over the ground or less and assuming that the orbital period of each satellite is 1000 km at altitude, each satellite turns over the earth in approximately one hour and forty-five minutes.
  • the number of satellites to be arranged on the same orbital plane is 20 and ten orbital planes are required to cover the whole world. That is, the total number of required satellites is 200.
  • the number of the required satellites is determined based upon the altitude and the minimum operational elevation of satellites and even if satellites are at the same altitude, the number of required satellites is 98 if the operational elevation is 20° and the number of required satellites is 45 if the operational elevation is 10°.
  • Fig. 5 is a conceptual drawing showing a wide-band satellite communication system provided using LEO satellites.
  • a low-speed channel of approximately 64 kbps using multi-beams in L band (1.5 to 1.6 GHz) is provided to a small-sized user such as a portable terminal and high speed data is provided to a large-sized user such as a ship, an airplane and a small-scale office using multiple spot beams in Ka band (generally called a quasi-millimeter wave band and 20 to 30 GHz) at a small-sized earth station.
  • Ka band generally called a quasi-millimeter wave band and 20 to 30 GHz
  • the present invention relates to the antenna for communicating with a low earth orbit satellite used at a small-sized earth station mainly for the latter user.
  • Fig. 6 shows a satellite tracking range in case a LEO satellite provided with an orbital plane 11 is viewed from a small-sized earth station 13 on the ground.
  • the minimum operational elevation ⁇ MIN is determined based upon relationship between the number of LEO satellites and altitude as described above and the satellite tracking range 12 is equivalent to an area shown by an oblique line, that is, the whole area in the omnibearing from the minimum operational elevation ⁇ MIN to the zenith.
  • Fig. 7 shows relationship between propagation loss (A) composed of free-space loss based upon an elevation and loss due to attenuation by rainfall and the gain of an offset parabolic antenna (B).
  • the minimum operational elevation ⁇ MIN is set to 40°. The quantity of an offset is adjusted so that antenna gain is maximum at the elevation and propagation loss is calculated using a sending frequency 30 GHz in Ka band.
  • Fig. 7 shows that as a result, the total propagation loss is the largest at the minimum operational elevation 40° and as an elevation approaches the zenith, the total propagation loss decreases.
  • the first embodiment of the present invention using an offset parabolic antenna is described above, however, the present invention is not limited to such an antenna provided with a single reflector.
  • an offset Cassegrainian antenna provided with plural reflectors shown in Fig. 8 may be also used.
  • a reference number 12 denotes a main reflector having a paraboloid of revolution and as described above, a predetermined offset is applied to the main reflector so that the maximum antenna gain is obtained at the minimum operational elevation.
  • a reference number 13 denotes a deputy reflector formed by a hyperboloid of revolution sharing the focus of a paraboloid of revolution as one focus. As the other focus of the hyperboloid of revolution is located in the area of the main reflector 12, a circular hole 14 for radiating beams from a primary feed 1 is provided to the main reflector 12.
  • the other reference numbers are similar to those shown in Fig. 1, the description is omitted.
  • the structure of the antenna is complicated, however, effect that loss in feeding is reduced, connection to a sending/receiving part is facilitated and blocking in a tracking range is prevented is produced because the primary feed 1 feeds from the rear surface of the main reflector 12.
  • an offset Cassegrainian antenna provided with plural reflecting mirrors shown in Fig. 9 is used.
  • the offset Cassegrainian antenna provided with plural reflectors shown in Fig. 8 is also used, however, this embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that the position of a primary radiator 1 is outside the area of a main reflector 12.
  • an offset Gregorian antenna provided with plural reflectors shown in Fig. 10 may be also used.
  • a predetermined offset is applied to a main reflector 15 having a paraboloid of revolution so that the maximum antenna gain is obtained at the minimum operational elevation.
  • a deputy reflector 16 has an ellipsoid of revolution sharing the focus of the paraboloid of revolution. The center of the phase of a primary feed 1 is located in the other focus of the ellipsoid of revolution.
  • loss in feeding is further reduced, the primary feed is fixed and the height of the whole antenna is further reduced, compared with the antenna in the first embodiment.
  • the antenna for low earth orbit satellite communication produces the following effect:
  • the best characteristics can be obtained at the minimum elevation at which propagation loss and attenuation by rainfall are the largest in a channel to a satellite by optimizing the side lobe characteristic of the antenna and cross-polarized electromagnetic radiation isolation because the offset parabolic antenna, the offset Cassegrainian antenna and others in which the maximum gain is obtained at the minimum operational elevation are used.
  • the above effect is remarkable because a LEO satellite uses a millimeter wave band and attenuation by rainfall is large.
  • the above antenna uses an offset parabolic antenna-type reflector and a primary feed is installed in the focal position of the paraboloid of revolution forming the reflector.
  • the quantity of an offset of the offset parabolic antenna is selected so that antenna gain is maximum at the minimum operational elevation.
  • the primary feed is mechanically independent of the mobile reflector and is attached and fixed to a radiator supporting part.
  • the reflector is turned based upon an azimuth axis and an elevation axis according to AZ-EL mount.

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  • Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)
  • Aerials With Secondary Devices (AREA)
EP98309924A 1997-12-04 1998-12-03 Antenne zum Kommunizieren mit Satelliten in niedriger Umlaufbahn Withdrawn EP0921590A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP09334060A JP3109584B2 (ja) 1997-12-04 1997-12-04 低軌道衛星通信用アンテナ装置
JP33406097 1997-12-04

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0921590A2 true EP0921590A2 (de) 1999-06-09
EP0921590A3 EP0921590A3 (de) 1999-09-15

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ID=18273065

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP98309924A Withdrawn EP0921590A3 (de) 1997-12-04 1998-12-03 Antenne zum Kommunizieren mit Satelliten in niedriger Umlaufbahn

Country Status (5)

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EP (1) EP0921590A3 (de)
JP (1) JP3109584B2 (de)
CN (1) CN1219004A (de)
AU (1) AU9520798A (de)
TW (1) TW405279B (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1408581A2 (de) * 2002-10-08 2004-04-14 EMS Technologies Canada, Limited Steuerbare Offset-Antenne mit feststehender Speisevorrichtung
US10283860B2 (en) 2014-02-17 2019-05-07 Nec Corporation Antenna device and antenna device control method

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002071538A1 (fr) * 2001-03-02 2002-09-12 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Antenne a reflecteur
AU2002354448A1 (en) * 2001-12-10 2003-06-23 Digital Wave Co., Ltd. Insect tactile dipole antenna, directional antenna, and area control antenna
JP2006261994A (ja) * 2005-03-16 2006-09-28 Toshiba Corp アンテナ装置
CA2680849A1 (en) * 2007-03-16 2008-09-25 Mobile Sat Ltd. A vehicle mounted antenna and methods for transmitting and/or receiving signals
JP5004846B2 (ja) * 2008-03-26 2012-08-22 三菱電機株式会社 ビーム走査反射鏡アンテナ
JP5961087B2 (ja) * 2011-10-17 2016-08-02 マクドナルド，デットワイラー アンド アソシエイツ コーポレーション キーホールのないワイドスキャン操作性を有するアンテナ
CN111900551A (zh) * 2020-06-17 2020-11-06 深圳捷豹电波科技有限公司 毫米波抛物面天线及其控制方法、计算机可读存储介质
CN116404419A (zh) * 2023-06-07 2023-07-07 武汉能钠智能装备技术股份有限公司四川省成都市分公司 一种卫星信号宽带户外采集方法及装置

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4312002A (en) * 1977-09-13 1982-01-19 Marconi Company Limited Combined radar and infrared scanning antenna
US4862185A (en) * 1988-04-05 1989-08-29 The Boeing Company Variable wide angle conical scanning antenna
WO1990006004A1 (en) * 1988-11-14 1990-05-31 Crooks Michell Peacock Stewart (Qld) Pty. Limited Offset parabolic reflector antenna
GB2226186A (en) * 1988-11-15 1990-06-20 Kokusai Denshin Denwa Co Ltd An offset reflector antenna

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4312002A (en) * 1977-09-13 1982-01-19 Marconi Company Limited Combined radar and infrared scanning antenna
US4862185A (en) * 1988-04-05 1989-08-29 The Boeing Company Variable wide angle conical scanning antenna
WO1990006004A1 (en) * 1988-11-14 1990-05-31 Crooks Michell Peacock Stewart (Qld) Pty. Limited Offset parabolic reflector antenna
GB2226186A (en) * 1988-11-15 1990-06-20 Kokusai Denshin Denwa Co Ltd An offset reflector antenna

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1408581A2 (de) * 2002-10-08 2004-04-14 EMS Technologies Canada, Limited Steuerbare Offset-Antenne mit feststehender Speisevorrichtung
EP1408581A3 (de) * 2002-10-08 2004-05-26 EMS Technologies Canada, Limited Steuerbare Offset-Antenne mit feststehender Speisevorrichtung
US10283860B2 (en) 2014-02-17 2019-05-07 Nec Corporation Antenna device and antenna device control method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
TW405279B (en) 2000-09-11
EP0921590A3 (de) 1999-09-15
JP3109584B2 (ja) 2000-11-20
JPH11168322A (ja) 1999-06-22
CN1219004A (zh) 1999-06-09
AU9520798A (en) 1999-06-24

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