EP3758146A1 - Two-dimensional analog multibeams beamformer with reduced complexity for reconfigurable active network antennas - Google Patents

Abstract

A multibeam analog formatter of multiple two-dimensional radio frequency beams of continuously varying sizes and / or pointing directions for a reconfigurable two-dimensional active array antenna, includes a first set (112) of one-dimensional fixed-beam multibeam analog shapers of identical structure. , superimposed and connected at the output to rows of elementary radiating sources of an antenna array (104) plane in a first axial direction X. The multibeam analog formatter comprises a second set (114) of second unidimensional analog formers of radiofrequency beams, continuously variables in size and / or in direction of pointing along second angular pointing directions By along a second axial direction Y. Each second analog formatter is formed by a single input divider and R output branches in transmit mode, each branch of sor tie of the divider including an amplitude and phase control point. Each second analog trainer of the second set is connected to at least one access column of the first set of first analog trainers, one access column being formed of R terminals d 'access to the input channels of the same rank j of the first analog trainers.

Description

The present invention relates to a two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter of reduced complexity for reconfigurable two-dimensional active array antennas.

The invention also relates to a reconfigurable two-dimensional multibeam active antenna of reduced complexity in transmission and / or reception mode using a two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter of reduced complexity according to the invention.

The invention also relates to a satellite payload of a telecommunications satellite comprising a multibeam reception antenna and / or a multibeam transmit antenna, interconnected by a router, and in which the multibeam reception antenna and / or the transmit antenna multibeam are reconfigurable two-dimensional active multibeam antennas of reduced complexity according to the invention.

Reconfigurable active array antennas are known to generate, with a single array of radiating elements or radiating sources, several reconfigurable beams which can adapt to the evolution over time of a need for spatial distribution of transmission traffic. .

These antennas are particularly suitable for satellite applications which require a capacity or aptitude to reconfigure as a function of time the coverage of the beams generated by the antenna. This requirement to be able to reconfigure the geographical coverage of the beams as a function of time is significant for a large number of satellite applications such as telecom satellites, whether for geostationary, medium or low orbits.

Thus, for example, for constellations of satellites in low or medium orbits, such antennas make it possible to adapt the coverage of each satellite. to the evolution of the need induced by the displacement of the satellite relative to the earth and are therefore very attractive.

But given the large number of satellites in these constellations, these antennas must not only be reconfigurable but must also meet the reduced cost requirement of these systems, which can technically translate into a reduction in complexity and / or cost. treatment.

In addition, the limited power resources of satellite systems also require minimizing the power consumed by such antennas. It is known that one of the main elements of these antennas having an impact on the criteria set out above is the beam former.

Different architectures are known for producing reconfigurable 2D two-dimensional beamformers and can be grouped into two families according to the level or degree of their ability to reconfigure the coverage of the beams, this level being called hereafter “reconfigurability level”. A first family groups together multi-beam trainers having a “total” reconfigurability level and a second family groups together multi-beam trainers having a “partial” reconfigurability level. Obviously, the total reconfigurability of a two-dimensional active array antenna is obtained by relying on beamformers more complex than those which allow partial reconfigurability.

In the case of beamformers with full reconfigurability, digital beamforming amounts to having a digital access associated with each active radiating element via digital-to-analog conversion interfaces. These interfaces are expensive and energy-consuming, the more so as the operating frequencies are high. In the case of Ka-band satellite applications, this consumption is increased by the need to add a frequency conversion stage to remain within the operating range accessible by digital to analog converters. It is therefore important to minimize the number of digitized accesses if the criteria of reduced complexity and power consumption are preponderant in the design of a payload. Thus the integration of beamformers in the digital part of satellite payloads leads to a very significant increase in complexity and consumption when the number of radiating elements is greater than the number of beams to be routed.

In the case of beamformers with full reconfigurability, analogue mobile beamformers are a very attractive alternative to digital beamformers when the criteria of limited complexity and power consumption must be preferred. However, these analog mobile beam formers are penalized by the difficulty in implementing this solution when the numbers of radiating elements and of beams are high. Thus by way of example, the generation of 20 beams from 500 radiating elements leads to having to implement in the analog beamformator 20 dividers 1 to 500, 10,000 amplitude / phase control points and 500 combiners 20 to 1. It It is specified that each amplitude / phase control point integrates phase shifters or variable delay lines and can also integrate variable attenuators or amplifiers. The physical implementation of these elements comes up against not only their large number but also the complexity of the routing to be carried out between these different elements and the difficulty of controlling the phase dispersions of this multitude of radiofrequency paths. This is all the more true the higher the operating frequency.

In the case of beamformers with partial reconfigurability, a first solution consists in implementing fixed beamformers associated with a beam selection device. Fixed beamformers can be made using Butler or Blass matrices, quasi-optical formers such as Rotman lenses or continuous delay lenses, or hybrid devices combining different types of fixed beamformers. . Among the different types of fixed beamformers, quasi-optical beamformers are particularly interesting because they allow with a single element to simultaneously produce several beams from several accesses of radiating elements, and thus constitute an alternative to the complexity phase variable analog beamformers. In known manner, one-dimensional Rotman or continuous delay lenses form beams distributed on a single axis. To form beams distributed on two axes with quasi-optical one-dimensional beamformers at a distribution axis, it It is then necessary to connect two different sets of quasi-optical beamformers, as described for example in a first document, formed by the patent US 5,936 , 588 by SK Rao et al. , entitled “Reconfigurable multiple beam satellite phased array antenna”. According to this first document, the two assemblies are composed of quasi-optical beamformers superimposed and positioned perpendicularly to one another. The main disadvantage of such an architecture is that the number of accesses of the 2D two-dimensional beamformer on the beam side is significantly higher than the number of beams when the beamformer has to address wide coverage with narrow beams. Consequently, in order to minimize the number of digital-to-analog converters in the payload, it is then necessary to place a selection matrix upstream of the beam former making it possible to reduce the number of accesses processed by the digital part. This selection matrix is complex to produce in the case of a large number of accesses of the two-dimensional quasi-optical beam former. Another drawback of this architecture is the large size resulting from the placing in series of the two groups of quasi-optical formers and of the selection matrix. Furthermore, such an architecture leads to a discretization of the coverage in which the displacement of a beam is effected by jumps between preformed beams.

In the case of beamformers with partial reconfigurability, a second solution consists in implementing the association of subsets of two-dimensional beamformers and a final two-dimensional beamformer.

• l'association de sous-ensembles de formateurs de faisceaux analogiques qui se chevauchent et d'un formateur de faisceaux numérique principal ;
• l'association de sous-ensembles de formateurs de faisceaux quasi-optiques qui se chevauchent et d'un formateur de faisceaux numérique principal ;
• l'association de sous-ensembles de formateurs quasi-optiques qui se chevauchent, de commutateurs et d'un formateurs de faisceaux numérique principal.

A second document by Vincent Tugend et al., Entitled “Hybrid beamforming with reduced grating lobes for satellites applications” and published in EuCAP 2018, describes different types of associations of the second solutions, including:

• the association of overlapping analog beamformers subsets and a main digital beamformer;
• combining subsets of overlapping quasi-optical beamformers and a main digital beamformer;
• the association of subsets of overlapping quasi-optical formers, switches and a main digital beamformers.

The patent application US 8,344,945 , entitled “System for simplification of reconfigurable beam-forming network processing within a phased array antenna for a telecommunications satellite” and forming a third document, describes another type of association of the second solution in which subsets are associated overlapping analog beamformers and a main analog beamformer.

The approach presented in the second and third documents makes it possible to reduce the number of control points of the beamformers by breaking down the beamformer into two parts, a first part made up of beamformers from sub-arrays of elements beams and a second part comprising a main beam former. The first drawback of this approach is that it generates network lobes that are detrimental to the performance of the antenna which can certainly be attenuated but at the cost of using several levels of amplifiers and of increasing the control points with an overlap of the subnets. This approach has the second drawback of generating bundled beams and does not make it possible at the same time to generate scattered beams over the entire coverage of the antenna.

None of the embodiments of the beamformers makes it possible to generate from a large number of radiating elements of a predetermined two-dimensional antenna array a large number of reconfigurable beam configurations in terms of pointing angles and / or sizes, which can be dispersed at the same time over the entire coverage of the antenna and at another time grouped together in a limited compact area of said antenna coverage, consuming low electrical power and using a number reduced phase amplitude control points.

A first technical problem is to provide a beam former whose architecture makes it possible to generate, from a large number of radiating elements of a predetermined two-dimensional antenna array, a large number of reconfigurable beam configurations in terms of beam angles. pointing and / or sizes, which can be dispersed at the same time over the entire coverage of the antenna and at another time grouped together in a limited compact area of said coverage of the antenna, consuming low electrical power and using a reduced number of phase amplitude control points.

A second technical problem is to provide an analog beamformator which solves the first technical problem and in which a limited number of phase amplitude control points are used to fulfill the flexibility and speed requirements of the antenna beams reconfigurability.

To this end, the invention relates to a two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions for a reconfigurable two-dimensional active array antenna, having an integer total M, greater than or equal to 4 , radiating sources distributed over a flat or curved surface following a mesh formed by the points of intersection of a first network of a first integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines following a first axial direction X, and a second network of a second integer number S, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a second axial direction Y, different from the first axial direction X.

The multibeam analog trainer comprises a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form P fixed radiofrequency beams following first angular pointing directions Ax fixed along the first axial direction X, each first analog trainer, i varying from 1 to R, being configured to be connected through S output channels in transmit mode or S input channels in receive mode, corresponding to a row of S radiating sources of the antenna array and corresponding to a different line the mesh of the antenna network, identified by a level index i, i varying from 1 to R; and each first analog formatter having an integer number P, greater than or equal to 2, of input channels in transmission mode or output in reception mode, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X.

The multibeam analog formatter is characterized in that it comprises a second set of an integer Q number of second analog radiofrequency beam trainers continuously variable in size and / or in pointing direction along second angular pointing directions By along the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a single input divider and R output branches in transmit mode or by a combiner with single output and R input branches in receive mode, each output branch of a divider in transmission or input mode of a combiner in reception mode including an amplitude and phase control point; each second analog formatter of the second set being connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beamformers, one access column being formed by R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank j of the first analog trainers.

• les premiers formateurs analogiques sont superposés le long de la deuxième direction axiale Y et correspondent chacun à une rangée différente de sources rayonnantes le long de la première direction axiale X ; et les deuxièmes formateurs analogiques sont alignés côte à côte le long de la première direction axiale X et correspondent chacun à une ou plusieurs colonnes voisines d'accès aux deuxièmes formateurs analogiques du deuxième ensemble ;
• les R premiers formateurs analogiques superposés du premier ensemble sont des formateurs quasi-optiques ou des matrices de Butler ;
• les points de contrôle en amplitude et en phase des R branches de sortie en mode émission ou R branches d'entrée en mode réception de chacun des Q deuxièmes formateurs analogiques, alignés côte à côte, du deuxième ensemble sont des composants électriques analogiques de déphasage et d'amplification ou atténuation à déphasage et gain variables continument ou quasi-continûment en fonction de commandes analogiques ou de commandes discrètes à résolution fine sur une plage large ;
• le formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel comprend en outre, pour chaque premier formateur analogique et le niveau associé i, i variant de 1 à R, un combineur en mode émission suivant une configuration de combinaison prédéterminée ou un diviseur en mode réception suivant une configuration de division prédéterminée, des sorties en mode émission ou des entrées en mode réception des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques ayant le niveau associé i du premier formateur analogique de faisceaux fixes suivant la première direction angulaire ;
• le formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel comprend en outre, pour chaque premier formateur analogique et le niveau i associé, i variant de 1 à R, intérieure au formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel, une première matrice de commutation, suivant une première configuration d'un ensemble de routages prédéterminé, des sorties en mode émission ou des entrées en mode réception des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques ayant le même niveau associé i du premier formateur analogique de faisceaux fixes suivant la première direction angulaire X ;
• le formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel comprend en outre, périphérique au formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel et à l'opposé des voies d'accès aux sources rayonnantes du réseau antennaire, une deuxième matrice de commutation, suivant une deuxième configuration d'un ensemble de routages prédéterminé, des Q entrées en mode émission ou des Q sorties en mode réception des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques sur un nombre entier T, supérieur ou égal à 2 et inférieur ou égal à Q, d'entrées de faisceaux en mode émission ou de sorties de faisceaux en mode réception ;
• le formateur analogique multifaisceaux comprend en outre, pour chaque premier formateur analogique et le niveau associé i, i variant de 1 à R, intérieure au formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel, une première matrice de commutation, suivant une première configuration d'un ensemble de routages prédéterminé, des sorties en mode émission ou des entrées en mode réception des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques ayant le niveau associé dudit premier formateur analogique de faisceaux fixes suivant la première direction angulaire ; et, périphérique au formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel et à l'opposé des voies d'accès aux sources rayonnantes de l'antenne, une deuxième matrice de commutation, suivant une deuxième configuration d'un ensemble de routages prédéterminé, des Q entrées en mode émission ou des Q sorties en mode réception des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques sur un nombre entier T, supérieur ou égal à 2 et inférieur ou égal à Q, d'entrées de faisceaux en mode émission ou de sorties de faisceaux en mode réception ;
• le nombre P de voies d"entrée en mode d'émission ou de sortie en mode réception de chaque premier formateur analogique est strictement supérieur au premier nombre R de voies d'entrée en mode d'émission ou de sortie en mode réception des sources rayonnantes d'une même rangée suivant la première direction axiale ; et formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel comprend, pour chaque premier formateur analogique et le niveau associé, un diviseur en mode émission suivant une configuration de diviseur prédéterminée ou un combineur en mode réception suivant une configuration de combinaison prédéterminée, des sorties en mode émission ou des entrées en mode réception des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques ayant le niveau associé du premier formateur analogique de faisceaux fixes suivant la première direction angulaire, le diviseur en mode émission ou le combineur en mode réception étant connecté entre les sorties en mode émission ou les entrées en mode réception des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques ayant le niveau associé dudit premier formateur analogique de faisceaux fixes suivant la première direction angulaire, et les entrées en mode émission ou les sorties en mode réception du premier formateur analogique ;
• le formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel comprend en outre, pour chaque premier formateur analogique de faisceaux unidimensionnels et le niveau associé i, i variant de 1 à R, en mode émission, connecté aux entrées dudit premier formateur analogique de faisceaux fixes, un diviseur suivant une configuration de division des sorties des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques de faisceaux de faisceaux ayant le niveau associé i dudit premier formateur analogique de faisceaux fixes, ou en mode réception, connecté aux sortie dudit premier formateur analogique de faisceaux un combineur suivant une configuration de combinaison des entrés des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques de faisceaux de faisceaux ayant le niveau associé j dudit premier formateur analogique de faisceaux fixes; et en mode émission la configuration de division est fonction d'un motif prédéterminé des largeurs des faisceaux émission suivant la première direction angulaire Ax ; ou en mode réception la configuration de combinaison est fonction d'un motif prédéterminé des largeurs des faisceaux réception suivant la première direction angulaire Ax ;
• en mode émission, les points de contrôle en amplitude et en phase des deuxièmes formateurs de faisceaux variables continument en taille sont ajustés de sorte que les diagrammes de rayonnement des faisceaux émissions générés suivant des pointages prédéterminés présentent des diagrammes de rayonnement iso-flux ; ou en mode réception, les points de contrôle en amplitude et en phase des deuxièmes formateurs de faisceaux variables continument en taille sont ajustés de sorte que les diagrammes de rayonnement des faisceaux réception générés suivant des pointages prédéterminés présentent des diagrammes de rayonnement iso-flux ;
• les deuxièmes formateurs analogiques de faisceaux mobiles du deuxième ensemble sont intégrés dans un circuit unique de forme plane, le circuit intégré étant disposé dans un plan perpendiculaire aux plans d'extension des circuits des premiers formateurs analogiques de faisceaux fixes et jouxtant en bout des bordures desdits circuits, parallèles entre elles et contenues dans un même plan.

According to particular embodiments, the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or in combination:

• the first analog formers are superimposed along the second axial direction Y and each correspond to a different row of radiating sources along the first axial direction X; and the second analog formatters are aligned side by side along the first axial direction X and each correspond to one or more neighboring columns of access to the second analog formatters of the second set;
• the R first superimposed analog formers of the first set are quasi-optical formers or Butler matrices;
• the amplitude and phase control points of the R output branches in transmit mode or R input branches in receive mode of each of the Q second analog trainers, aligned side by side, of the second set are phase-shifting analog electrical components and amplification or attenuation with phase shift and gain variable continuously or quasi-continuously as a function of analog commands or discrete commands with fine resolution over a wide range;
• the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter further comprises, for each first analog formatter and the associated level i, i varying from 1 to R, a combiner in transmission mode according to a predetermined combination configuration or a divider in reception mode according to a predetermined division configuration , outputs in transmission mode or inputs in receiving the second analog formatters having the associated level i of the first fixed beam analog formator in the first angular direction;
• the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter further comprises, for each first analog trainer and the associated level i, i varying from 1 to R, inside the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter, a first switching matrix, according to a first configuration of a set of routings predetermined, outputs in transmission mode or inputs in reception mode of the second analog trainers having the same associated level i of the first analog formatter of fixed beams in the first angular direction X;
• the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter further comprises, peripheral to the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter and opposite the access paths to the radiating sources of the antenna array, a second switching matrix, according to a second configuration of a predetermined set of routings, Q inputs in transmit mode or Q outputs in receive mode of the second analog trainers on an integer T, greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to Q, of beam inputs in transmission mode or of beam outputs in mode reception;
• the multibeam analog formatter further comprises, for each first analog formatter and the associated level i, i varying from 1 to R, inside the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter, a first switching matrix, according to a first configuration of a set of predetermined routings , outputs in transmission mode or inputs in reception mode of the second analog formatters having the associated level of said first analog formator of fixed beams in the first angular direction; and, peripheral to the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter and opposite the access paths to the radiating sources of the antenna, a second switching matrix, according to a second configuration of a set of predetermined routings, of the Q inputs in transmission mode or Q outputs in receive mode from the second analog trainers on an integer T, greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to Q, of beam inputs in transmission mode or of beam outputs in reception mode;
• the number P of input channels in transmission mode or output in reception mode of each first analog formatter is strictly greater than the first number R of input channels in transmission mode or output in reception mode of the radiating sources of the same row in the first axial direction; and two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter comprises, for each first analog formatter and the associated level, a divider in transmit mode according to a predetermined divider configuration or a combiner in receive mode according to a combination configuration predetermined, outputs in transmit mode or inputs in receive mode of the second analog trainers having the associated level of the first analog formatter of fixed beams in the first angular direction, the divider in transmit mode or the combiner in receive mode being connected between the outputs in transmission mode or the inputs in reception mode of the second trainers an alogics having the associated level of said first analog formatter of fixed beams in the first angular direction, and the transmit mode inputs or the receive mode outputs of the first analog formatter;
• the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter further comprises, for each first analog one-dimensional beam former and the associated level i, i varying from 1 to R, in transmission mode, connected to the inputs of said first analog fixed beam formatter, a divider according to a configuration for dividing the outputs of the second analog beamformers of beams having the associated level i of said first analog beamformers of fixed beams, or in reception mode, connected to the outputs of said first analog beamformers a combiner according to a combination configuration of the inputs of the second analog beamformers having the associated level j of said first analog fixed beamformers; and in emission mode, the division configuration is a function of a predetermined pattern of the widths of the emission beams along the first angular direction Ax; or in reception mode, the combination configuration is a function of a predetermined pattern of the widths of the reception beams along the first angular direction Ax;
• in emission mode, the amplitude and phase control points of the second continuously variable in size beamformers are adjusted so that the radiation patterns of the emission beams generated according to predetermined scores show iso-flux radiation patterns; or in receive mode, the amplitude and phase control points of the second continuously variable in size beamformers are adjusted so that the radiation patterns of the receive beams generated at predetermined pointings present iso-flux radiation patterns;
• the second analog formers of mobile beams of the second set are integrated into a single circuit of planar shape, the integrated circuit being arranged in a plane perpendicular to the extension planes of the circuits of the first analog formers of fixed beams and adjoining at the end of the edges of said circuits, mutually parallel and contained in the same plane.

The object of the invention is a two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions for a reconfigurable two-dimensional active array antenna, having a total integer M, greater than or equal to 4, of radiating sources , forming an antenna array and distributed over a compact portion and in one piece D of a flat or curved surface in a compact stack of an integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of rows r (i) parallel between they and oriented in a first local axial direction X, the stack being oriented in a second axial direction Y, different from the first local axial direction X, i designating a level and numbering index from 1 to R in the direction of travel of the second axial direction Y of stacking of said rows r (i), each row r (i), i varying from 1 to R having an integer S (i) depending on the level i of radiating sources, the sum of the integers S (i) i varying from 1 to R being equal to the number M.

The two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter comprises a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form a number P, greater than or equal to 2, of fixed radiofrequency beams following first angular pointing directions Ax fixed along the first local axial direction X, each first analog trainer being configured to be connected through the integer S (i) of output channels in transmit mode or S (i) input channels in receive mode, corresponding to the row r (i) S (i) radiating sources of the antenna array; and each first analog trainer having P input channels in transmission mode or output mode in reception mode, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X.

The two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter is characterized in that it comprises a second set of an integer Q of second analog trainers of radiofrequency beams continuously variable in size and / or in direction of pointing along second angular directions of pointing By along of the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a divider with single input and R output branches in transmit mode or by a combiner with single output and R input branches in receive mode, each output branch of a divider in transmit or input mode of a combiner in receive mode including an amplitude and phase control point; each second analog formatter of the second set being connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beamformers, one access column being formed by R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank of the first trainers analog.

Another subject of the invention is a reconfigurable two-dimensional active transmit antenna for transmitting radiofrequency signals on a plurality of emission beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, comprising an antenna array of radiating sources, a set of HP RF power amplifiers, and a two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer.

The antenna array of radiating sources has a total integer number M, greater than or equal to 4, of radiating sources distributed over a flat or curved surface following a mesh formed by the points of intersection of a first array of a first integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a first axial direction X, and of a second network of a second integer S, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a second axial direction Y, different from the first axial direction X.

The two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter comprises a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form P fixed transmission radiofrequency beams following first angular pointing directions Ax fixed along of the first axial direction X fixed, each first analog trainer being configured to be connected through S output channels in transmission mode, corresponding to a row of S radiating sources of the antenna array and corresponding to a different line of the mesh of the antenna, identified by a level index i, i varying from 1 to R; and each first analog formatter having an integer number P, greater than or equal to 2, of input channels in transmit mode, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X.

The multibeam two-dimensional active transmitting antenna is characterized in that the multibeam analog trainer comprises a second set of an integer Q, greater than or equal to 2, of second analog formers of radiofrequency beams continuously variable in size and / or in pointing direction following second angular pointing directions By along the second axial direction Y, each second analog former being formed by a single input divider and R output branches in transmit mode, each output branch of a divider including an amplitude and phase control point; each second analog formatter of the second set being connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beamformers, one access column being formed of R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank j of the first analog trainers.

Another subject of the invention is a reconfigurable two-dimensional receiving active antenna for receiving radiofrequency signals on a plurality of reception beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, comprising an antenna array of radiating sources, a set of amplifiers. Low Noise RF (LNA), and a two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer.

The antenna array of radiating sources has a total integer number M, greater than or equal to 4, of radiating sources distributed over a flat or curved surface following a mesh formed by the points of intersection of a first array of a first integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a first axial direction X, and of a second network of a second integer S, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a second axial direction Y, different from the first axial direction X.

The two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter comprises a first assembly in which are superimposed S first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form R fixed radiofrequency beams along first angular pointing directions Ax along the first fixed axial direction X, each first analog formatter being configured to be connected through S input channels in reception mode, corresponding to a row of S radiating sources of the antenna network and corresponding to a line different from the mesh of the antenna, identified by a level index i, i varying from 1 to R; and each first analog formatter having an integer number P, greater than or equal to 2, of output channels in receive mode, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X.

The two-dimensional active transmit antenna is characterized in that the multibeam analog formatter comprises a second set of an integer Q of second analog radiofrequency beamformers continuously variable in size and / or in the direction of pointing in second angular directions. by pointing along the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a single output combiner and R input branches in receive mode, each input branch of a combiner including an amplitude control point and in phase; each second analog trainer of the second set being connected to at least one access column of the first set, one access column being formed R access terminals to the output channels of the same rank i of the first analog trainers.

Another subject of the invention is a reconfigurable two-dimensional transmitting active antenna for transmitting radiofrequency signals on a plurality of transmission beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, comprising an antenna array of radiating sources, a set of HP RF power amplifiers, and a two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer.

The antenna array of radiating sources has an integer total number M, greater than or equal to 4, of radiating sources distributed over a compact portion and in one piece D of a flat or curved surface following a compact stack of an integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of rows r (i) parallel to each other and oriented in a first local axial direction X, the stack being oriented in a second axial direction Y, different from the first local axial direction X, i designating a level and numbering index from 1 to R in the direction of travel of the second axial direction Y of stacking of said rows r (i), each row r (i), i varying from 1 to R having an integer S (i) function of the level i of radiating sources, the sum of the integers S (i) i varying from 1 to R being equal to the number M.

The two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter comprises a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form a number P, greater than or equal to 2, of fixed emission radiofrequency beams following first fixed angular pointing directions Ax along the first local axial direction X, each first level i analog trainer, i varying from 1 to R, being configured to be connected through the integer number S (i) of output channels in transmit mode, corresponding to the row r (i) of S (i) radiating sources of the antenna array; and each first analog formatter having P transmit mode input channels, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X.

The two-dimensional active transmit antenna is characterized in that the multibeam analog formatter comprises a second set of an integer Q of second analog radiofrequency beamformers continuously variable in size and / or in the direction of pointing in second angular directions. pointing By along the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a single input divider and R output branches in transmit mode, each output branch of a divider in transmit mode including a control point in amplitude and phase; each second analog formatter of the second set being connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beamformers, one access column being formed by R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank of the first trainers analog.

The subject of the invention is also a two-dimensional active reception antenna reconfigurable for receiving radiofrequency signals on a plurality of reception beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, comprising an antenna array of radiating sources, a set low noise RF amplifiers (LNAs), and a two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer.

The antenna array of radiating sources has an integer total number M, greater than or equal to 4, of radiating sources distributed over a compact portion and in one piece D of a flat or curved surface following a compact stack of an integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of rows r (i) parallel to each other and oriented in a first local axial direction X, the stack being oriented in a second axial direction Y, different from the first local axial direction X, i denoting a level and numbering index from 1 to R in the direction of travel of the second axial direction Y of stacking of said rows r (i), each row r (i), i varying from 1 to R having an integer S (i) function of the level i of radiating sources, the sum of the integers S (i) i varying from 1 to R being equal to the number M.

The two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter comprises a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form a number P, greater than or equal to 2, of fixed radiofrequency reception beams along first angular pointing directions Ax fixed on the along the first local axial direction X, each first analog trainer of level i, i varying from 1 to R, being configured to be connected through the integer number S (i) of input channels in receive mode, corresponding to row r (i) of S (i) radiating sources of the antenna array; and each first analog formatter having P output channels in receive mode, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X.

The two-dimensional active receiving antenna is characterized in that the multibeam analog former comprises a second set of an integer number Q of second analog formers of radiofrequency beams continuously variable in size and / or in the direction of pointing in second angular directions of By pointing along the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a single output combiner and R input branches in receive mode, each input branch of a combiner in receive mode including a control point in amplitude and phase; each second analog formatter of the second set being connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beam former, an access column being formed by R access terminals to the output channels in reception mode of the same rank j of the first analog trainers.

Another subject of the invention is a satellite payload of a telecommunications satellite comprising a multibeam reception antenna, a multibeam transmission antenna, and a router interconnecting the multibeam reception antenna and the multibeam transmission antenna, the multibeam transmission antenna. being defined as described above and / or the multibeam reception antenna being defined as described above.

• le routeur est un processeur numérique transparent (DTP).

According to particular embodiments, the satellite payload comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or in combination:

• the router is a transparent digital processor (DTP).

• La figure 1 est une vue générale d'une antenne active 2D bidimensionnelle en mode émission selon l'invention ;
• La figure 2 est une vue générale d'une antenne active 2D bidimensionnelle en mode réception selon l'invention ;
• La figure 3 est une vue en perspective d'un premier mode de réalisation d'une antenne active émission selon l'invention incluant son formateur analogique multifaisceaux reconfigurable associé ;
• La figure 4 est une vue de dessus schématique de l'antenne active de la figure 3 dans laquelle seul est visible le rang du premier niveau de dessus de sources rayonnantes élémentaires, alignées suivant la première direction axiale X ;
• La figure 5 est une vue à un instant donné des faisceaux émission reconfigurables produits par l'antenne active d'émission des figures 3 et 4 et leur aptitude à la mobilité ;
• La figure 6 est une vue en perspective d'un deuxième mode de réalisation d'une antenne active émission selon l'invention incluant son formateur analogique multifaisceaux reconfigurable associé ;
• La figure 7 est une vue de dessus schématique de l'antenne active de la figure 6 dans laquelle seul est visible le rang du premier niveau de dessus de sources rayonnantes élémentaires, alignées suivant la première direction axiale X ;
• La figure 8 est une vue à un instant donné des faisceaux émission reconfigurables produits par l'antenne active d'émission des figures 6 et 7 et leur aptitude à la mobilité ;
• La figure 9 est une vue en perspective d'un troisième mode de réalisation d'une antenne active émission selon l'invention incluant son formateur analogique multifaisceaux reconfigurable associé ;
• La figure 10 est une vue de dessus schématique de l'antenne active de la figure 9 dans laquelle seul est visible le rang du premier niveau de dessus de sources rayonnantes élémentaires, alignées suivant la première direction axiale X ;
• La figure 11 est une vue à un instant donné des faisceaux émission reconfigurables produits par l'antenne active d'émission des figures 9 et 10 et leur aptitude à la mobilité ;
• La figure 12 est une vue en perspective d'un quatrième mode de réalisation d'une antenne active émission selon l'invention incluant son formateur analogique multifaisceaux reconfigurable associé ;
• La figure 13 est une vue de dessus schématique de l'antenne active de la figure 12 dans laquelle seul est visible le rang du premier niveau de dessus de sources rayonnantes élémentaires, alignées suivant la première direction axiale X ;
• La figure 14 est une vue à un instant donné des faisceaux émission reconfigurables produits par l'antenne active d'émission des figures 12 et 13 et leur aptitude à la mobilité ;
• La figure 15 est une vue en perspective d'un cinquième mode de réalisation d'une antenne active émission selon l'invention incluant son formateur analogique multifaisceaux reconfigurable associé ;
• La figure 16 est une vue de dessus schématique de l'antenne active de la figure 15 dans laquelle seul est visible le rang du premier niveau de dessus de sources rayonnantes élémentaires, alignées suivant la première direction axiale X ;
• La figure 17 est une vue à un instant donné des faisceaux émission reconfigurables produits par l'antenne active d'émission des figures 15 et 16 et leur aptitude à la mobilité ;
• La figure 18 est une vue en perspective d'un sixième mode de réalisation d'une antenne active émission selon l'invention incluant son formateur analogique multifaisceaux reconfigurable associé ;
• La figure 19 une vue en perspective d'un septième mode de réalisation d'une antenne active émission selon l'invention incluant son formateur analogique multifaisceaux reconfigurable associé, la vue étant limitée à un rang de sources rayonnantes élémentaires, alignées suivant une première direction axiale X et situées à un niveau donné quelconque, et étant limitée aux composants (un premier formateur analogique de faisceaux fixes unidimensionnel et un diviseur) connectés audit rang de source, situées juste en aval d'un premier ensemble non représenté de deuxièmes formateurs analogiques de faisceaux mobiles ;
• La figure 20 est une vue à instant donné des faisceaux émission produits par le rang de sources seuls de l'antenne de la figure 19 ;
• La figure 21 est une vue de l'éclairement de la surface de Terre par une antenne satellitaire multifaisceaux permettant de visualiser la dépendance du flux reçu dans un faisceau donné en fonction de l'angle de pointage du faisceau par rapport au nadir du satellite et de la largeur du faisceau ;
• La figure 22 est une vue des diagrammes de rayonnement iso-flux produits par une antenne active d'un huitième mode de réalisation de l'invention en ajustant uniquement les points de contrôle amplitude phases des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques de faisceaux mobiles ;
• La figure 23 est une vue en perspective d'un neuvième mode de réalisation d'une antenne active émission selon l'invention incluant son formateur analogique multifaisceaux reconfigurable associé ;
• La figure 24 est une vue en perspective d'un dixième mode de réalisation d'une antenne active émission selon l'invention incluant son formateur analogique multifaisceaux reconfigurable associé ;
• La figure 25 est une vue d'un exemple de charge utile satellite intégrant une antenne émission selon l'invention et une antenne réception selon l'invention.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description of several embodiments which follows, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the drawings in which:

• The figure 1 is a general view of a two-dimensional active 2D antenna in transmission mode according to the invention;
• The figure 2 is a general view of a two-dimensional active 2D antenna in reception mode according to the invention;
• The figure 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an active transmit antenna according to the invention including its associated reconfigurable multibeam analog formatter;
• The figure 4 is a schematic top view of the active antenna of the figure 3 in which only the row of the first top level of elementary radiating sources is visible, aligned in the first axial direction X;
• The figure 5 is a view at a given instant of the reconfigurable transmission beams produced by the active transmission antenna of the figures 3 and 4 and their suitability for mobility;
• The figure 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an active transmit antenna according to the invention including its associated reconfigurable multibeam analog formatter;
• The figure 7 is a schematic top view of the active antenna of the figure 6 in which only the row of the first top level of elementary radiating sources is visible, aligned in the first axial direction X;
• The figure 8 is a view at a given instant of the reconfigurable transmission beams produced by the active transmission antenna of the figures 6 and 7 and their suitability for mobility;
• The figure 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of an active transmit antenna according to the invention including its associated reconfigurable multibeam analog formatter;
• The figure 10 is a schematic top view of the active antenna of the figure 9 in which only the row of the first top level of elementary radiating sources is visible, aligned in the first axial direction X;
• The figure 11 is a view at a given instant of the reconfigurable transmission beams produced by the active transmission antenna of the figures 9 and 10 and their suitability for mobility;
• The figure 12 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of an active transmit antenna according to the invention including its associated reconfigurable multibeam analog formatter;
• The figure 13 is a schematic top view of the active antenna of the figure 12 in which only the row of the first top level of elementary radiating sources is visible, aligned in the first axial direction X;
• The figure 14 is a view at a given instant of the reconfigurable transmission beams produced by the active transmission antenna of the figures 12 and 13 and their suitability for mobility;
• The figure 15 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of an active transmit antenna according to the invention including its associated reconfigurable multibeam analog formatter;
• The figure 16 is a schematic top view of the active antenna of the figure 15 in which only the row of the first top level of elementary radiating sources is visible, aligned in the first axial direction X;
• The figure 17 is a view at a given instant of the reconfigurable transmission beams produced by the active transmission antenna of the figures 15 and 16 and their suitability for mobility;
• The figure 18 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of an active transmit antenna according to the invention including its associated reconfigurable multibeam analog formatter;
• The figure 19 a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of an active transmit antenna according to the invention including its associated reconfigurable multibeam analog trainer, the view being limited to a row of elementary radiating sources, aligned in a first axial direction X and located at any given level, and being limited to the components (a first fixed-beam analog former and a splitter) connected to said source row, located just downstream of a first set, not shown, of second analogue mobile-beam formers;
• The figure 20 is a view at a given instant of the emission beams produced by the row of sources alone of the antenna of the figure 19 ;
• The figure 21 is a view of the illumination of the Earth's surface by a multibeam satellite antenna making it possible to visualize the dependence of the flux received in a given beam as a function of the aiming angle of the beam with respect to the nadir of the satellite and the width of the beam;
• The figure 22 is a view of the iso-flux radiation patterns produced by an active antenna of an eighth embodiment of the invention by adjusting only the phase amplitude control points of the second analog trainers of moving beams;
• The figure 23 is a perspective view of a ninth embodiment of an active transmit antenna according to the invention including its associated reconfigurable multibeam analog formatter;
• The figure 24 is a perspective view of a tenth embodiment of an active transmit antenna according to the invention including its associated reconfigurable multibeam analog formatter;
• The figure 25 is a view of an example of a satellite payload incorporating a transmit antenna according to the invention and a receive antenna according to the invention.

Following the figure 1 , an active array antenna 2 according to the invention is formed by an antenna array 4 of a number M of active radiating elements or of active elementary radiating sources 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ , 4 ₃ , ..., 4 _M , associated to an analog formatter 6 of reconfigurable beams according to the invention generating a number N of beams.

Here, the active network antenna 2 is configured in transmit mode and comprises M RF radiofrequency power amplifiers of HPA power 8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , ..., 8 _M , connected between the analog beam formatter 6 and the M elementary radiating sources 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ , 4 ₃ , ..., 4 _M.

Depending on the number of axes required to locate the positioning of the generated beams, the analog beamformer is called the one or two dimensional (1D or 2D) analog beamformer.

According to the invention, the analog beamformer is a 2D or even two-dimensional two-dimensional analog beamformator.

The term active indicates that an amplifier is associated with each radiating source, here a power amplifier HPA for the antenna in transmission mode. This proximity between the amplifiers and the radiating sources makes it possible to minimize the losses between these two types of device and thus to maximize the overall RF performance of the antenna system.

The analog beamformator makes it possible to create for each beam to be generated the phase and amplitude law (A, φ) to be applied to the radiating sources of the antenna array.

The modification of the phase and amplitude law of a beam makes it possible to reconfigure the characteristics of this beam in terms of pointing direction, width of the beam or other parameters of the shape of the beam.

Following the figure 2 and the invention, an active array antenna 52, here in reception mode, comprises an antenna array 54 formed by a predetermined number M of active elementary radiating sources 54 ₁ , 54 ₂ , 54 ₃ , ..., 54 _M , associated with an analog beam former 56 according to the invention generating a number N of reception beams.

The active network antenna 52 comprises M RF radiofrequency amplifiers 58 ₁ , 58 ₂ , 58 ₃ , ..., 58 _M , connected between the M elementary radiating sources 54 ₁ , 54 ₂ , 54 ₃ , ..., 54 _M , and the multibeam analog trainer, which unlike the HPA power amplifiers of the transmit antenna of the figure 1 , are low noise RF radio frequency amplifiers LNA (in English Low Noise Amplifier).

Like the active transmission array antenna 2 of the figure 1 the analog beam former 56 makes it possible to create for each reception beam to be generated the phase and amplitude law (A, φ) to be applied to the radiating sources of the antenna array.

The modification of the phase and amplitude law of a reception beam makes it possible to reconfigure the characteristics of this beam in terms of direction of aiming, width of the beam or other parameters of the shape of the beam.

In general, the two-dimensional and limited-complexity analog beamformers for reconfigurable active array antennas according to the invention are based on an architecture associating one-dimensional analog formers of fixed beams in a first angular direction with one-dimensional analog formers of beams. movable in a second angular direction different from the first angular direction.

The limited complexity of the two-dimensional analog beamformers is achieved by scaling the flexibility of the beamformator to just the point. Full flexibility is unnecessary when the antenna is connected to a digital processor, handling multiple beams in parallel. The coverage area of each of the beam accesses can be limited, and the complexity of the associated trainer can thus be reduced. The total coverage is then the concatenation of the coverages associated with each beam. To allow to address spatially concentrated user traffic, an overlap of the individual coverage of each beam is allowed.

In addition, it should be noted that the minimum ratio required between the useful signals and the parasitic signals (C / I) limits the proximity between two simultaneously active beams and induces a relative pointing restriction of each beam, even if each beam had flexibility. total.

Thus too strong proximity between the beams lead to induce interference levels between the beams which do not allow all the configurations to be used. It follows that the taking into account of the constraints of C / I in the dimensioning of the beamformers to best meet the needs of the satellite users leads to highlight that architectures with reduced flexibility can make it possible to reach levels. satisfaction of customer needs equivalent to those obtained with fully reconfigurable beamformers. Thus, simulations based on the architectures of beamformers according to the invention show that despite a reduction of about a factor of 10 in the number of control points, these architectures make it possible to achieve an equivalent level of satisfaction of user needs. than with fully reconfigurable architectures for low orbital satellite applications.

In particular, the one-dimensional analog fixed beam shapers can be quasi-optical beam shapers.

In particular, the reconfigurable active network antennas according to the invention are suitable and are used for satellite applications.

Following the figure 3 and a first embodiment, a two-dimensional active array antenna 102, here configured in transmission mode, comprises an antenna array 104 of elementary radiating sources 104 _{i, j} , a multibeam analog formatter 106 according to the invention of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams transmission of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, and a set 108 of HPA power amplifiers 108 _{i, j} interconnecting multibeam analog trainer 106 of emission beams to elementary radiating sources 104 _{i, j} .

The antenna array 104 comprises a total integer number N, greater than or equal to 4, of elementary radiating sources distributed over a flat surface according to a mesh or network formed by the points of intersection of a first series of a first integer number R , greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a first axial direction X, numbered by an index i varying from 1 to R from top to bottom in the figure, and of a second series of a second whole number S, greater or equal to 2, of parallel lines following a second axial direction Y, different from the first axial direction X, numbered by an index j varying from 1 to S from left to right on the figure 3 .

Here, in a particular manner and by way of example, the total number N of radiating sources 104 _{i, j} , the number R of first lines oriented in the first axial direction X and the number S of second lines oriented in the second axial direction Y are respectively equal to 25, 5 and 5.

The multibeam analog formatter 106 of the transmit beams comprises a first set 112 of R first analog trainers 112i, i varying from 1 to R, superimposed and having an identical structure, and configured to form S fixed RF radiofrequency beams in first angular pointing directions Ax along the first axial direction X fixed.

Each first analog trainer 112i, i varying from 1 to R, is configured to be connected through S output channels in transmit mode, corresponding to a row of S radiating sources of the antenna array and corresponding to a line i of the first series of the antenna mesh, identified by the level index i, i being an integer varying from 1 to R.

Each first analog formatter 112i comprises an integer number P, greater than or equal to 2, of input channels in transmission mode, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X, j varying from 1 to P .

The multibeam analog trainer 106 of transmit beams also comprises a second set 114 of an integer Q of second analog trainers 114 _k of radiofrequency beams continuously variable in size and / or in the direction of pointing in second angular directions of pointing By along of the second axial direction Y.

Each second analog trainer 114k, k varying from 1 to Q, is formed by a single input divider 116k and R output branches in transmit mode, each output branch of a divider 116k including a control point 118 _{k, i} in amplitude and phase.

Each second analog trainer 114k of the second set 114 is connected to an access column 118k of the first set, an access column 118k being formed by R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank j of the first analog trainers 112i .

Here, in a particular way and by way of example, the number P of input channels of each first analog trainer is equal to S, that is to say 5, and the number Q of second analog trainers of radiofrequency beams, continuously variable in size and / or pointing direction, is equal to S, i.e. 5.

Here, the five (R = 5) first analog formers 112i of fixed beams are quasi-optical beamformers, grouped together in the first set 112, and placed on the side of the radiating elements 104 _{i, j} .

The architecture of the multibeam analog formatter 106 is illustrated here for a limited number of radiating elements for the sake of clarity, and it is all the more interesting and advantageous as the number of radiating elements is high.

• une implémentation aisée du formateur de faisceaux mobiles à 2 dimensions grâce à la simplification apportée par l'utilisation des formateurs de faisceaux quasi-optiques, connectés en entrée des sources rayonnantes au travers des amplificateurs de puissance HPA ;
• le remplacement de la classique association d'une matrice de connexion et d'un ensemble de formateurs de faisceaux quasi-optiques par un seul ensemble de formateurs analogiques, ce qui a pour effet de simplifier et compacter la structure global du formateur de faisceaux ;
• d'obtenir un nombre réduit d'accès de faisceaux à traiter in fine par la charge utile ;
• de minimiser la consommation en puissance et diminuer la complexité de fabrication.

The association of a first set 112 of first fixed quasi-optical beamformers and a second set 114 of second analog trainers of continuously variable emission beams according to the two-dimensional arrangement described above allows:

• easy implementation of the 2-dimensional mobile beamformer thanks to the simplification provided by the use of quasi-optical beamformers, connected at the input of the radiating sources through HPA power amplifiers;
• the replacement of the conventional association of a connection matrix and a set of quasi-optical beamformers by a single set of analog trainers, which has the effect of simplifying and compacting the overall structure of the beamformers;
• to obtain a reduced number of accesses of beams to be ultimately processed by the payload;
• to minimize power consumption and reduce manufacturing complexity.

In the case of the structure of the antenna and the multibeam trainer described in the figures 3 and 4 , this leads to having mobile beams only over one dimension along the second angular direction By. Each of the beams is movable on a column, all the columns being different and parallel to each other. This advantageously makes it possible to disperse the five beams 140, 141, 142, 143, 144 over the entire cover 146, as shown in figure 5 .

As a variant of the first embodiment, other embodiments, described below, make it possible to increase the number of beams along the second angular direction By per column each corresponding to a different angular position along the first angular direction Ax, or to switch beams between several columns corresponding to different angular positions along the first angular direction Ax.

By using these variations, the flexibility of the analog multibeam formatter can be improved without significantly increasing its complexity. The architectures of these variants, derived from the first embodiment, make it possible to size the analog multibeam trainer of emission beams to the exact needs of the targeted application and thus to significantly reduce the number of control points of the beam former with respect to a fully flexible beamformator.

Following the figures 6 , 7 and 8 a second embodiment, a two-dimensional active array antenna 152, here configured in transmit mode, comprises the same antenna array 104 as that of the transmit antenna of the figure 3 , a multibeam analog trainer 156 of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams transmitting continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, a set 108 of HPA power amplifiers, identical to those of the figure 3 .

Multibeam Analog Formatter 156 differs from Multibeam Analog Formatter 106 in the figure 3 in that it comprises, for each level i, i varying from 1 to 5 (R = 5), a combiner 172i combining according to a predetermined configuration the outputs in transmission mode of the second analogue trainers 164k, k varying from 1 to 10 ( Q = 10) having the same level i associated with the first analogue formatter 162i of fixed beams along the first angular direction Ax, and in that the number Q of second analogue trainers 164k of continuously variable beams along the second angular direction By of the second set 164 is double that of the second set 114 of the figure 3 .

Here, each input of a second 164k analog formatter, k varying from 1 to 10, corresponds to a different transmit beam, and the column outputs of the second analog trainers are combined in pairs by the 172i combiners of the first 162i analog trainers , i varying from 1 to 5.

The architecture proposed here allows, as illustrated on the figure 8 , to double the number of mobile beams per column 182, in the second angular direction By relative to the first embodiment, the number of columns here being equal to 5.

More generally, by placing several second analogue formers of unidimensional moving beams on the same access column of the first analogue formators of fixed beams, here quasi-optical formers, several moving beams moving on the same column are obtained.

Following the figures 9 , 10 and 11 and a third embodiment, a two-dimensional active array antenna 202, here configured in transmit mode, comprises the same antenna array 104 as that of the transmit antenna 104 of the figure 3 , a multibeam analog formatter 206 of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams transmitting continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, a set 108 of HPA power amplifiers, identical to those of the figure 3 .

The 206 multibeam analog formatter differs from the 106 multibeam analog formatter in the figure 3 in that it comprises, inside said multibeam analog trainer 206, for each level i, i varying from 1 to 5 (R = 5), a first switching matrix 220i, according to a first predetermined configuration of a set of routings, outputs in transmission mode of the second analog trainers 214k, k varying from 1 to 5, (Q = 5) having the same level i associated with the first analog trainer 212i of fixed beams in the first angular direction Ax.

The first switching matrices 220i, i varying from 1 to 5, are added at the input of the first analog beamformers 212i and at the output of the second analog trainers 214k of continuously variable beams in angular position according to the second angular position By.

Here, each input of a second analog trainer 214k, k varying from 1 to 5, corresponds to a different transmit beam.

The architecture proposed here allows, as illustrated on the figure 11 , to switch the mobile beams per column in the second angular direction By relative to the first embodiment, the number of columns being equal here to 5.

More generally, by adding a first switching matrix between the output ports of the second analog trainers of unidimensional mobile beams and the input ports on the same access column of the first analog trainers of fixed beams, here quasi trainers -optical, it is possible to move the beams between several columns.

Following the figures 12, 13 , 14 and a fourth embodiment, a two-dimensional active array antenna 252, here configured in transmit mode, comprises the same antenna array 104 as that of the transmit antenna 102 of the figure 3 , a multibeam 256 analog formatter of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams emission of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, a set 108 of HPA power amplifiers, identical to those of the figure 3 .

The 256 multibeam analog formatter differs from the 106 multibeam analog formatter in the figure 3 in that it comprises, peripheral to said two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter 256 and opposite the access paths to the radiating sources 104 _{i, j} of the antenna array 104, a second switching matrix 272, according to a second predetermined configuration of a set of routings, Q inputs in transmission mode of the second analog formators 264k, k varying from 1 to 5 (Q = 5).

The second switching matrix 272 is added at the input of the second analog formers 264k, k varying from 1 to 5, of continuously variable beams in angular position according to the second angular position By.

The architecture proposed here allows, as illustrated on the figure 14 , to reduce the number of beams in the coverage 292 to two beams 294, 296. With respect to the first embodiment of the figure 3 , the number of beams is reduced from five to two.

More generally, by adding a second switching matrix at the input of the second analog formers of unidimensional moving beams, the number of accesses of beams, the number of beams at a given instant is reduced.

Following the figures 15 , 16 and 17 and a fifth embodiment, a two-dimensional active array antenna 302, here configured in transmit mode, comprises the same antenna array 104 as that of the transmit antenna 102 of the figure 3 , a multibeam analog formatter 306 of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams transmitting continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, a set 108 of HPA power amplifiers, identical to those of the figure 3 .

• pour chaque premier formateur analogique 312i et le niveau i associé, i variant de 1 à 5 (R=5), intérieure au formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel 306, une première matrice de commutation 320i, suivant une première configuration d'un ensemble de routages prédéterminé, des sorties en mode émission des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques 314k, k variant de 1 à 5 (Q=5) ayant le même niveau i associé du premier formateur analogique 312i de faisceaux fixes suivant la première direction angulaire Ax ; et
• périphérique au formateur analogique multifaisceaux bidimensionnel 306 et à l'opposé des voies d'accès aux sources rayonnantes 104_i,j de l'antenne, une deuxième matrice de commutation 322, suivant une deuxième configuration d'un ensemble de routages prédéterminé, des Q entrées en mode émission des deuxièmes formateurs analogiques 314k sur un nombre entier T, supérieur ou égal à 2 et inférieur ou égal à Q, d'entrées de faisceaux en mode émission.

The 306 multibeam analog formatter differs from the 106 multibeam analog formatter in the figure 3 in that it includes:

• for each first analog formatter 312i and the associated level i, i varying from 1 to 5 (R = 5), inside the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter 306, a first switching matrix 320i, according to a first configuration of a set of predetermined routings , outputs in transmission mode of the second analog trainers 314k, k varying from 1 to 5 (Q = 5) having the same level i associated with the first analog trainer 312i of fixed beams in the first angular direction Ax; and
• peripheral to the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter 306 and opposite the access paths to the radiating sources 104 _{i, j} of the antenna, a second switching matrix 322, according to a second configuration of a set of predetermined routings, of the Qs inputs in transmission mode of the second analog formators 314k on an integer T, greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to Q, of beam inputs in transmission mode.

Each first matrix 320i associated with a given level i, i varying from 1 to 5, interposed between the first analog trainer 316i of beams of the same level i, here comprises five switches 332, 334, 336, 338, 340 with one input and two output.

The second switching matrix 322, connected at the input of the second set 314 of second analog beamformers 314k, here comprises a fixed connection line 342 and two switchers or switches 344, 346 with one input-two outputs.

The architecture proposed here is a hybrid architecture of the third and fourth embodiments, and as illustrated in figure 17 , this architecture makes it possible to reduce the number of beams by going from five to three beams 347, 348, 349, and to switch by column the beams, movable continuously in the second angular direction By, of the three columns.

In general, the generalized architectures of the second, third and fourth embodiments can be combined.

Following the figure 18 and a sixth embodiment, a two-dimensional active array antenna 352, here configured in transmit mode, comprises the same antenna array 104 as that of the transmit antenna of the figure 3 , a multibeam analog formatter 356 of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams emission of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, and a set 108 of HPA power amplifiers, identical to those of the figure 3 .

The 356 multibeam analog formatter differs from the multibeam analog formatter of the Figure 3 in that it comprises four beam inputs and at least one second reduction switching matrix with four beams.

Here, the five second analog trainers 364k, k varying from 1 to 5, of the second set 364 are integrated on a single circuit 368 placed on a plane perpendicular to those of the quasi-optical trainers 362i, i varying from 1 to 5.

Generally and independently of the architecture of the multibeam analog trainer according to the invention used, the second mobile beam analog trainers of the second set are integrated into a single plane-shaped circuit, the integrated circuit being arranged in a plane perpendicular to the planes. extension of the circuits of the first analogue fixed beam trainers and adjoining the edges of said circuits at the end, mutually parallel and contained in the same plane.

All of the embodiments of the multibeam analog formatter described above use first fixed beam analog trainers, produced by quasi-optical trainers. Alternatively, the first analog fixed beam shapers can be realized by other types of fixed analog beam shapers such as Butler matrices.

• un système partageant dans le temps un ou plusieurs accès faisceaux entre plusieurs faisceaux distincts sur la couverture de l'antenne selon le principe d'accès multiple à répartition dans le temps ;
• un étage supplémentaire de formation numérique de faisceaux avec potentiellement une fonction de pré-codage.

The multibeam analog trainers described above can be used with

• a system sharing in time one or more access beams between several distinct beams on the coverage of the antenna according to the principle of multiple access to division in time;
• an additional digital beamforming stage with potentially a pre-coding function.

The first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth embodiments described above in the figures 3 to 18 active transmit antennas and their associated analog formators according to the invention are configured to generate transmit beams of identical sizes.

As a variant of the configurations described above, different settings of the first analog formers of fixed beams in the first angular direction and of the second analog formers of mobile beams in the second angular direction By can be used to generate emission beams of different sizes.

Following the figure 19 and a seventh embodiment, a two-dimensional active array antenna 402, here configured in transmit mode, comprises the same antenna array 104 as that of the transmit antenna 102 of the figure 3 , a multibeam analog formatter 406 of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams transmitting continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, a set 108 of HPA power amplifiers, identical to those of the figure 3 .

The 406 multibeam analog formatter differs from the 106 multibeam analog formatter in the figure 3 in that he understands, for each first analog formatter of one-dimensional beams and the associated level i, i varying from 1 to 5 (R = 5), connected to the inputs of said first analog formatter 412i of fixed emission beams, a divider 432i following a configuration of division of the outputs of the second analog trainers of beams having the same associated level i of said first analog formatter 412i of fixed beams.

The division configuration of the divider 432i is a function of a predetermined pattern of the widths of the emission beams in the first angular direction Ax, in which the unique ports of the beams F1, F2, F3, F4, F5 at the output of the five second beamformers mobile, not shown on the figure 19 , are divided respectively into one, two, three, two, one branches which each access a single associated input of the first quasi-optical beam former.

Thus, the elementary dividers of each divider 432i, connected at the input to the first one-dimensional analog beam former 412i, of the same level i and formed here by a first quasi-optical beam former, are configured so as to obtain an increase in gain at as the beams are eccentric from the phase center of the antenna by moving away from it in the first angular direction Ax. As shown on figures 20 and 21 , this variation in gain may be intended to compensate for the increase in propagation losses between a satellite and the earth when the propagation path becomes longer and the increase in footprints on the ground when the angle of projection on the ground becomes greater. large as the beams emitted from the satellite are eccentric. This compensation makes it possible to provide the various users distributed over the earth with an almost equivalent signal level (isoflux).

Following the figure 22 , this variation in the gain of the beams can also be obtained by acting only on the phase amplitude control points of 12 mobile electronic trainers of an eighth embodiment of an active antenna according to the invention, not shown. The variation in the size of a beam can also be dictated by a need to cover a larger or smaller area with this beam.

In general, a two-dimensional active transmitting antenna according to the invention, as shown in FIG. figure 1 , is of reduced complexity and reconfigurable to emit radiofrequency signals on a plurality of emission beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions. The reconfigurable two-dimensional active transmission antenna according to the invention comprises an antenna array of elementary transmission radiating sources, a set of RF HPA power amplifiers, and a two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer.

The antenna array of radiating emission sources is formed by a total integer number N, greater than or equal to 4, of elementary emission RF radiating sources, distributed on a flat or curved surface following a mesh formed by the points of intersection of a first series of a first integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a first axial direction X, and of a second series of a second integer number S, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines following a second axial direction Y, different from the first axial direction X.

The two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter comprises a first assembly in which are superimposed S first analog formatters of fixed one-dimensional beams of identical structure along the second axial direction Y.

The R first analog one-dimensional fixed beamformers are configured to form P fixed radiofrequency transmitting beams following first angular pointing directions Ax along the first axial direction X fixed.

Each first one-dimensional analog beam former is connected through R output channels in transmission mode, corresponding to a row of R elementary radiating sources of the antenna array and corresponding to a different line of the mesh of the active antenna, identified by an index level j.

Each first analog formatter has an integer number P, greater than or equal to 2, of input channels in transmission mode, numbered by a path index i along the first axial direction X.

The multibeam analog formatter further comprises a second set of an integer Q number of second analog RF beam trainers continuously variable in size and / or pointing direction. following second angular pointing directions By along the second axial direction Y.

Each second analog formatter is formed by a divider with a single input and R output branches in transmit mode, each output branch of a divider including an amplitude and phase control point. Each second analog trainer of the second set is connected to at least one access column of the first set, one access column being formed of S access terminals to the input channels of the same rank i of the first analog trainers.

It should be noted that the same architectures of reconfigurable multi-beam active transmission antennas and their associated two-dimensional multi-beam analog formatters according to the invention, described in the figures 3 to 22 can be used correspondingly in reconfigurable multi-beam active receiving antennas. The reconfigurable active multibeam reception antennas are the reconfigurable active multibeam antennas of figures 3 to 22 in which HPA power RF amplifiers have been replaced by low noise LNA RF amplifiers.

In general, a two-dimensional active receiving antenna according to the invention, as shown in Figure figure 2 , is of reduced complexity and reconfigurable to receive RF radiofrequency signals on a plurality of reception beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions. The two-dimensional active reception antenna according to the invention comprises an antenna array of elementary radiating sources, a set of low noise RF amplifiers (LNA), and a two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer.

The antenna array of radiating sources is formed by a total integer number N, greater than or equal to 4, of elementary RF radiating sources, distributed over a flat or curved surface following a mesh formed by the points of intersection of a first series of 'a first integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a first axial direction X, and of a second series of a second integer number S, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a second direction axial Y, different from the first axial direction X.

The two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter comprises a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form P fixed radiofrequency beams following first angular pointing directions Ax along the first axial direction X fixed, each first analog trainer being configured to be connected through R input channels in reception mode, corresponding to a row of R radiating sources of the antenna array and corresponding to a line different from the mesh of the antenna, identified by a level index j; and each first analog formatter having an integer number P, greater than or equal to 2, of output channels in receive mode, numbered by a path index i along the first axial direction X.

The multibeam analog trainer in receive mode also includes a second set of an integer Q number of second analog RF beam trainers continuously varying in size and / or pointing direction along second angular pointing directions By along the second direction axial Y.

Each second analog formatter is formed by a combiner with a single output and R input branches in receive mode, each input branch of a combiner including an amplitude and phase control point. Each second analog trainer of the second set is connected to at least one access column of the first set, one access column being formed S access terminals to the output channels of the same rank i of the first analog trainers.

Even more generally, a multibeam analog formatter according to the invention is configured to form several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions of a reconfigurable two-dimensional active array antenna having an antenna array.

The antenna array is formed by a total integer number M, greater than or equal to 4, of radiating sources, distributed over a compact portion and in one piece D of a flat or curved surface following a compact stack of a number integer R, greater than or equal to 2, of rows r (i) parallel to each other and oriented in a first local axial direction X, the stack being oriented in a second axial direction Y, different from the first local axial direction X. i denotes a level and numbering index from 1 to R in the direction of travel of the second axial direction Y of stacking of said rows r (i). Each row r (i), i varying from 1 to R has an integer S (i) depending on the level i of radiating sources, the sum of integers S (i) i varying from 1 to R being equal to the number M.

The multibeam analog trainer comprises a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form a number P, greater than or equal to 2, of fixed radiofrequency beams following first angular pointing directions Ax fixed along the line. first local axial direction X. Each first analog trainer associated with level i, i varying from 1 to R, is configured to be connected through the integer number S (i) of output channels in transmit mode or S (i) channels d entry into reception mode, corresponding to row r (i) of S (i) radiating sources of the antenna array. Each first analog formatter has P input channels in transmit mode or output in receive mode, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X.

The multibeam analog formatter comprises a second set of an integer number Q of second analog radio frequency beam trainers continuously variable in size and / or pointing direction along second pointing angular directions By along the second axial direction Y. Each second analog formatter is formed by a divider with single input and R output branches in transmit mode or by a combiner with single output and R input branches in receive mode, each output branch of a divider in transmit mode or by input of a combiner in receive mode including an amplitude and phase control point. Each second analog formatter of the second set is connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beamformers, one access column being formed by R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank of the first trainers analog.

Correspondingly, a transmitting two-dimensional multibeam active antenna or a receiving two-dimensional multibeam active antenna uses a generalized multibeam analog formatter as described above.

Following the figure 23 and a ninth embodiment, a two-dimensional active array antenna 502, here configured in transmit mode, comprises an antenna array 504 different from that of the transmit antenna 102 of the figure 3 , a multibeam analog trainer 506 of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams emission of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, a set 508 of HPA power amplifiers, different from that of the figure 3 .

The antenna array 504 is formed by a total number M, here equal to 21, of radiating sources, distributed over a compact portion and in one piece D of a flat or curved surface following a compact stack of an integer R, here equal to 5, of rows r (i) parallel to each other and oriented in a first local axial direction X, the stack being oriented in a second axial direction Y, different from the first local axial direction X, the index of level i varying from 1 to 5 in the direction of travel of the second axial direction Y of stacking of said rows r (i). The numbers S (1), S (2), S (3), S (4), S (5) of radiating sources of rows r (1), r (2), r (3), r (4) , r (5) are respectively equal 3, 5, 5, 5, 3.

The sum of the integers S (i) i varying from 1 to 5 is equal to the number M having here the value 21.

The multibeam analog formatter 506 comprises a first assembly 512 in which are superimposed 5 first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form a number P, here equal to 5, of fixed radiofrequency beams following first angular pointing directions Ax fixed along the first local axial direction X. Each first analog formatter 512i associated with level i, i varying from 1 to 5, is configured to be connected through the integer number S (i) of output channels in transmit mode, corresponding to the row r (i) S (i) radiating sources of the antenna array. Each first analog trainer has 5 input channels in transmit mode.

The multibeam analog formatter 506 comprises a second set of an integer number Q, here equal to 5, of second analog trainers 514k, k varying from 1 to 5, of radiofrequency beams continuously variable in size and / or in direction of pointing according to second angular pointing directions By along the second axial direction Y. Each second analog formatter 514k, k varying from 1 to 5, is formed by a single input divider and 5 output branches in transmit mode, each output branch d 'a divider in transmission mode including an amplitude and phase control point. Every second trainer analog 514k of the second set 514 is connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beamformers, one access column being formed by 5 access terminals to the input channels of the same rank of the first analog trainers 512i.

Following the figure 24 and a tenth embodiment, a two-dimensional active array antenna 552, here configured in transmit mode, comprises an antenna array 554 different from that of the transmit antenna 102 of the figure 3 and the transmitting antenna of the figure 23 , a multibeam analog formatter 556 of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams transmitting continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, a set 508 of HPA power amplifiers different from that of the figure 3 .

The antenna array 554 is formed by a total number M, here equal to 19, of radiating sources, distributed over a compact portion and in one piece D of a flat or curved surface following a compact stack of an integer R, here equal to 5, of rows r (i) parallel to each other and oriented in a first local axial direction X, the stack being oriented in a second axial direction Y, different from the first local axial direction X, the index of level i varying from 1 to 5 in the direction of travel of the second axial direction Y of stacking of said rows r (i). The numbers S (1), S (2), S (3), S (4), S (5) of radiating sources of rows r (1), r (2), r (3), r (4) , r (5) are respectively equal to 3, 4, 5, 4, 3.

The sum of the integers S (i), i varying from 1 to 5, is equal to the number M having here the value 19.

The multibeam analog formatter 556 comprises a first assembly 562 in which are superimposed 5 first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form a number P, here equal to 5, of fixed radiofrequency beams following first angular pointing directions Ax fixed along the first local axial direction X. Each first analog trainer 562i associated with level i, i varying from 1 to 5, is configured to be connected through the integer number S (i) of output channels in transmit mode, corresponding to the row r (i) S (i) radiating sources of the antenna array. Each first analog trainer has 5 input channels in transmit mode.

The multibeam analog formatter 506 comprises a second set of an integer number Q, here equal to 5, of second analog trainers 564k, k varying from 1 to 5, of radiofrequency beams continuously variable in size and / or in direction of pointing according to second angular pointing directions By along the second axial direction Y. Each second 564k analog formatter, k varying from 1 to 5, is formed by a single input divider and 5 output branches in transmit mode, each output branch d 'a divider in transmission mode including an amplitude and phase control point. Each second analog formatter 564k of the second set 564 is connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beam former, one access column being formed by 5 access terminals to the input channels of the same rank of first 562i analog trainers.

It should be noted that the figures 3 to 20 and 23 to 24 are illustrations of embodiments of the invention in which a limited number of radiating elements are shown for clarity. These embodiments are intended to be applied for numbers of elements greater than those of the illustrations of the figures 3 to 20 and 23 to 24 . Typically, these embodiments are intended to be applied for active antennas made up of one to several hundred radiating elements. They are all the more interesting and advantageous as the number of radiating elements is high.

The invention applies more particularly to satellite payloads incorporating a routing function between the receiving antenna (s) and the transmitting antenna (s), such as the payload 602 illustrated in FIG. figure 25 . The purpose of this function is to direct part or all of the band of an input beam to one or more output beams. In order to benefit from a significant flexibility of connection between the input beams and the output beams and a fine filtering of the frequency bands to be routed, these routers are generally implemented in digital in the digital part of the payload. Following the figure 25 , the router is located in the digital module designated by the reference numeral 606.

Here, two multi-beam analog reconfigurable beam formers according to the invention as described above are used by the payload. A first multibeam analog trainer is configured to generate beams receive and a second multibeam analog formatter is configured to generate transmit beams.

As a variant, only one of the two beamformers is a multibeam analog former according to the invention, the remaining beamformator being of another type and using a different architecture.

Claims (19)

Multibeam analog formatter of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions for a reconfigurable two-dimensional active array antenna (104), having a total integer M, greater than or equal to 4, of active radiating sources distributed over a surface plane or curve along a mesh formed by the points of intersection of a first network of a first integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a first axial direction X, and of a second network of a second integer S, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines following a second axial direction Y, different from the first axial direction X, and having a set (58) of M RF amplifiers, each active ray source being connected directly to an amplifier;
the multibeam analog formatter comprising a first assembly (112; 162; 212; 262; 312; 362) in which are superimposed R first analog trainers (112i; 162i; 212i; 262i; 312i; 362i) of identical structure and configured to form P radiofrequency beams fixed along first pointing angular directions Ax fixed along the first axial direction X, each first analog former (112i; 162i; 212i; 262i; 312i; 362i), i varying from 1 to R, being configured to be connected through S output channels in transmit mode or S input channels in receive mode, each including an RF amplifier and corresponding to a row of S active radiating sources of the antenna array (104) and corresponding to a different line of the mesh of the antenna network, identified by a level index i, i varying from 1 to R; and each first analog formatter having an integer number P, greater than or equal to 2, of input channels in transmission mode or output in reception mode, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X;
the multibeam analog formatter being characterized in that it comprises a second set (114; 164; 214; 264; 314; 364) of an integer Q of second analog trainers (114k; 164k; 214k; 264k; 314k; 364k ) of radiofrequency beams continuously variable in size and / or in direction of pointing following second angular directions of pointing By along the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a divider (116k; 166k; 216k; 266k) with single input and R output branches in transmit mode or by a combiner with single output and R input branches in receive mode , each output branch of a divider in transmit mode or input of a combiner in receive mode including a control point (118 _{k, i} ; 168 _{k, i} ; 218 _{k, i} ; 268 _ki ; 318 _{k, i} ; 368 _{k, i} ) in amplitude and phase; each second analog formatter (114k; 164k; 214k; 264k; 314k; 364k) of the second set (114; 164; 214; 264; 314; 364) being connected to at least one access column of the first set of first trainers of beams, an access column being formed by R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank j of the first analog trainers. A multibeam analog formatter according to claim 1 wherein,
the first analog formers (112i; 162i; 212i; 262i; 312i; 362i) are superimposed along the second axial direction Y and each correspond to a different row of radiating sources active along the first axial direction X; and
the second analog formatters (114k; 164k; 214k; 264k; 364k; 364k) are aligned side by side along the first axial direction X and each correspond to one or more neighboring columns of access to the second analog formatters of the second set ( 112; 162; 212; 262; 312; 362). Multibeam analog formatter according to one of claims 1 to 2, wherein
the R first superimposed analog formatters of the first set (112; 162; 212; 262; 312; 362) are quasi-optical formatters or Butler matrices. Multibeam analog formatter according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
the amplitude and phase control points (118k, i) of the R transmit mode output branches or R receive mode input branches of each of the Q second analog trainers, aligned side by side, of the second set (114; 164; 214; 264; 314; 364), are analog electrical components of phase shift and amplification or attenuation with variable phase shift and gain continuously or quasi-continuously based on analog commands or discrete fine resolution commands over a wide range. Multibeam analog formatter according to one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising, for each first analog trainer and the associated level i, i varying from 1 to R, - a combiner (172i) in transmission mode according to a predetermined combination configuration or a divider in reception mode according to a predetermined division configuration, outputs in transmission mode or inputs in reception mode of the second analog trainers having the associated level i of the first analog formatter (112i; 162i; 212i; 262i; 312i; 362i) of fixed beams in the first angular direction. Multibeam analog formatter according to one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising, for each first analog trainer and the associated level i, i varying from 1 to R, - inside the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter, a first switching matrix (220i), according to a first configuration of a set of predetermined routing, outputs in transmit mode or inputs in receive mode of the second analog trainers (114k; 164k; 214k ; 264k; 314k; 364k) having the same associated level i of the first analogue fixed beam formator along the first angular direction X. Multibeam analog formatter according to one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising, - peripheral to the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter and opposite the access paths to the radiating sources of the antenna array (104), a second switching matrix (322), according to a second configuration of a predetermined set of routings, Q inputs in transmission mode or of the Q outputs in reception mode of the second analog trainers on an integer T, greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to Q, of beam inputs in transmission mode or of beam outputs in reception mode. Multibeam analog formatter according to one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising, - for each first analog trainer and the associated level i, i varying from 1 to R, inside the two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer, a first switching matrix (320i), according to a first configuration of a set of predetermined routings, outputs in transmit mode or inputs in receive mode of the second analog trainers having the associated level of said first analog formatter of fixed beams in the first angular direction; and - peripheral to the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter and opposite the access paths to the radiating sources of the antenna, a second switching matrix (322), according to a second configuration of a set of predetermined routings, of the Q inputs in transmission mode or of the Q outputs in reception mode of the second analog trainers on an integer T, greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to Q, of beam inputs in transmission mode or of beam outputs in reception mode. Two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter according to one of claims 1 to 4,
in which the number P of input channels in transmission mode or of output in reception mode of each first analog formatter is strictly greater than the first number R of input channels in transmission mode or of output in reception mode of the radiating sources in the same row in the first axial direction; and
comprising, for each first analog formatter and the associated level, a divider in transmit mode according to a predetermined divider configuration or a combiner in receive mode according to a predetermined combination configuration, outputs in transmit mode or inputs in receive mode of the second trainers analog trainers having the associated level of the first analog formatter of fixed beams in the first angular direction, the divider in transmit mode or the combiner in receive mode being connected between the outputs in transmit mode or the inputs in receive mode of the second analog trainers having the level associated with said first analog formatter of fixed beams in the first angular direction, and the inputs in transmission mode or the outputs in reception mode of the first analog formatter. Two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter according to one of claims 1 to 4, - further comprising, for each first analog former of one-dimensional beams and the associated level i, i varying from 1 to R, in transmit mode, connected to the inputs of said first analogue fixed beam former, a splitter according to a configuration of dividing the outputs of the second analogue beam trainers having the associated level i of said first analogue fixed beam former, or
in receive mode, connected to the outputs of said first analog beam former a combiner according to a combination configuration of the inputs of the second analog beam trainers having the associated level j of said first analog fixed beam former; and
in which
in emission mode, the division configuration is a function of a predetermined pattern of the widths of the emission beams in the first angular direction Ax; or in reception mode, the combination configuration is a function of a predetermined pattern of the widths of the reception beams in the first angular direction Ax. A two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
in emission mode, the amplitude and phase control points of the second continuously variable in size beamformers are adjusted so that the radiation patterns of the emission beams generated according to predetermined pointings present iso-flux radiation patterns; or in receive mode the amplitude and phase control points of the second continuously variable in size beamformers are adjusted so that the radiation patterns of the receive beams generated at predetermined pointings present iso-flux radiation patterns. A two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein
the second analog movable beam formers of the second set are integrated into a single circuit (368) of planar shape, the integrated circuit (368) being arranged in a plane perpendicular to the extension planes of the circuits of the first analog fixed beam formers and adjoining the edges of said circuits at the end, mutually parallel and contained in the same plane. Multibeam analog formatter of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions for a reconfigurable two-dimensional active array antenna, having a total integer M, greater than or equal to 4, of active radiating sources, forming an antenna array and distributed on a compact portion and in one piece D of a flat or curved surface following a compact stack of an integer R, greater than or equal to 2, of rows r (i) parallel to each other and oriented in a first direction local axial X, the stack being oriented in a second axial direction Y, different from the first local axial direction X, i designating a level and numbering index from 1 to R in the direction of travel of the second axial direction Y d 'stack of said rows r (i), each row r (i), i varying from 1 to R having an integer S (i) depending on the level i of active radiating sources, the so even integers S (i) i varying from 1 to R being equal to the number M, and having a set (58) of M RF amplifiers, each active ray source being connected directly to an amplifier;
the multibeam analog trainer comprising a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form a number P, greater than or equal to 2, of fixed radiofrequency beams following first angular pointing directions Ax fixed along the line first local axial direction X, each first analog formatter (512i), i varying from 1 to R, being configured to be connected through the integer number S (i) of output channels in transmit mode or S (i) channels of entering receive mode, each including an RF amplifier and corresponding to row r (i) of S (i) active radiating sources of the antenna array (104); and each first analog formatter having P transmit mode input or receive mode output channels, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X;
the multibeam analog formatter being characterized in that it comprises a second set (514) of an integer number Q of second analog trainers (514) of radiofrequency beams continuously variable in size and / or in the direction of pointing in second angular directions by pointing along the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a divider (516k) with single input and R output branches in transmit mode or by a combiner with single output and R input branches in mode reception, each output branch of a divider in transmission mode or input of a combiner in reception mode including a control point (518 _{k, i} ,) in amplitude and in phase; each second analog formatter (514k) of the second set (516) being connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beamformers, one access column being formed by R access terminals to the input channels same rank of the first analog trainers. Reconfigurable two-dimensional transmitting active antenna for transmitting radiofrequency signals on a plurality of emission beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, comprising an antenna array (4) of active radiating sources, a set (8) of amplifiers of HP RF power, and a two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer; - the antenna array of active radiating sources having an integer total number M, greater than or equal to 4, of active radiating sources distributed over a flat or curved surface following a mesh formed by the points of intersection of a first array of a first integer R, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a first axial direction X, and of a second network of a second integer S, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a second axial direction Y , different from the first axial direction X; - the two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer comprising a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form P fixed emission radiofrequency beams following first angular pointing directions Ax fixed along the first axial direction X fixed , each first analog trainer being configured to be connected through S output channels in transmit mode, each including an HP RF power amplifier and corresponding to a row of S active radiating sources of the antenna array and corresponding on a line different from the mesh of the antenna, identified by a level index i, i varying from 1 to R; and each first analog formatter having an integer number P, greater than or equal to 2, of transmission mode input channels, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X; the two-dimensional active transmit antenna being characterized in that the multibeam analog formatter comprises a second set of an integer Q of second analog radiofrequency beam trainers continuously variable in size and / or in the direction of pointing in second angular directions by pointing along the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a single input divider and R output branches in transmit mode, each output branch of a divider including a control point in amplitude and in phase; each second analog formatter of the second set being connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beamformers, one access column being formed of R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank j of the first analog trainers. Reconfigurable two-dimensional receiving active antenna for receiving radio frequency signals on a plurality of receiving beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, comprising an antenna array (54) of active radiating sources, a set (58) of RF amplifiers to low noise (LNA), and a two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter (56); - the antenna array of active radiating sources having an integer total number M, greater than or equal to 4, of active radiating sources distributed over a flat or curved surface following a mesh formed by the points of intersection of a first array of a first integer R, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a first axial direction X, and of a second network of a second integer S, greater than or equal to 2, of parallel lines in a second axial direction Y , different from the first axial direction X; the two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer comprising a first assembly in which are superimposed S first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form R fixed radiofrequency beams following first angular pointing directions Ax along the first X direction fixed, each first analog trainer being configured to be connected through S input channels in receive mode, each including a low noise RF amplifiers (LNA), corresponding to a row of S active radiating sources in the array antenna and corresponding to a line different from the mesh of the antenna, identified by a level index i, i varying from 1 to R; and each first analog formatter having an integer number P, greater than or equal to 2, of output channels in receive mode, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X; the two-dimensional active transmitting antenna being characterized in that
the multibeam analog formatter comprises a second set of an integer number Q of second analog radiofrequency beam trainers continuously variable in size and / or pointing direction along second angular pointing directions By along the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a combiner with a single output and R input branches in receive mode, each input branch of a combiner including an amplitude and phase control point; each second analog trainer of the second set being connected to at least one access column of the first set, one access column being formed R access terminals to the output channels of the same rank i of the first analog trainers. Reconfigurable two-dimensional transmitting active antenna for transmitting radiofrequency signals on a plurality of transmitting beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, comprising an antenna array of active radiating sources, a set of HP RF power amplifiers, and a two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer; - the antenna array of active radiating sources having a total integer number M, greater than or equal to 4, of active radiating sources distributed over a compact portion and in one piece D of a flat or curved surface following a compact stack of an integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of rows r (i) parallel to each other and oriented in a first local axial direction X, the stack being oriented in a second axial direction Y, different from the first local axial direction X , i denoting a level and numbering index from 1 to R in the direction of travel of the second axial direction Y of stacking of said rows r (i), each row r (i), i varying from 1 to R having an integer S (i) depending on the level i active radiating sources, the sum of the integers S (i) i varying from 1 to R being equal to the number M; - the two-dimensional multibeam analog formatter comprising a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form a number P, greater than or equal to 2, of fixed radiofrequency emission beams in first angular pointing directions Ax fixed along the first local axial direction X, each first analog formatter 512i, i varying from 1 to R, being configured to be connected through the integer number S (i) of output channels in transmit mode, each including an amplifier RF of power HP and corresponding to row r (i) of S (i) radiating sources of the antenna array (504); and each first analog formatter having P transmit mode input channels, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X; the two-dimensional active transmitting antenna being characterized in that the multibeam analog formatter comprises a second set (514) of an integer Q number of second analog trainers (514) of radiofrequency beams continuously variable in size and / or in the direction of pointing along the second angular pointing directions By along the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a divider (116k; 166k; 216k; 266k) with single input and R output branches in transmission mode, each branch output of a divider in transmission mode including a control point (518 _{k, i} ) in amplitude and in phase; each second analog formatter (514k; 164k; 214k; 264k; 314k; 364k) of the second set (114; 164; 214; 264; 314; 364) being connected to at least one access column of the first set of first trainers of beams, an access column being formed by R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank of the first analog trainers. Reconfigurable two-dimensional active receiving antenna for receiving radiofrequency signals on a plurality of receiving beams of continuously variable sizes and / or pointing directions, comprising an antenna array of active radiating sources, a set of low noise RF amplifiers (LNA), and a two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer; - the antenna array of radiating sources having a total integer number M, greater than or equal to 4, of active radiating sources distributed over a compact portion and in one piece D of a flat or curved surface following a compact stack of an integer number R, greater than or equal to 2, of rows r (i) parallel to each other and oriented in a first local axial direction X, the stack being oriented in a second axial direction Y, different from the first local axial direction X , i designating a level and numbering index from 1 to R in the direction of travel of the second axial direction Y of stacking of said rows r (i), each row r (i), i varying from 1 to R having a integer S (i) function of the level i of radiating sources, the sum of the integers S (i) i varying from 1 to R being equal to the number M; - the two-dimensional multibeam analog trainer comprising a first assembly in which are superimposed R first analog trainers of identical structure and configured to form a number P, greater than or equal to 2, of fixed reception radiofrequency beams in first fixed angular pointing directions Ax along the first local axial direction X, each first level i analog formatter, i varying from 1 to R, being configured to be connected across the integer number S (i) of input channels in receive mode, including each a low noise RF amplifier (LNA) and corresponding to the row r (i) of the S (i) radiating sources of the antenna array; and each first analog formatter having P output channels in receive mode, numbered by a path index j along the first axial direction X; the two-dimensional active receiving antenna being characterized in that the multibeam analog former comprises a second set of an integer Q of second analog formers of radiofrequency beams continuously variable in size and / or in the direction of pointing in second angular directions of By pointing along the second axial direction Y, each second analog formatter being formed by a single output combiner and R input branches in receive mode, each input branch of a combiner in receive mode including a control point (518 _{k, i} ,) in amplitude and in phase; every second analog trainer (514k) to from the second set (516) being connected to at least one access column of the first set of first beamformers, an access column being formed by R access terminals to the output channels in reception mode of the same rank j of the first analog formators . Satellite payload of a telecommunications satellite comprising a multibeam reception antenna (52), a multibeam transmission antenna (2), and a router (604) interconnecting the multibeam reception antenna and the multibeam transmission antenna,
the multibeam transmitting antenna being defined according to claim 14 or 16; and / or the multibeam reception antenna being defined according to claim 15 or 17. A satellite payload of a telecommunications satellite according to claim 18, wherein the router (604) is a transparent digital processor (DTP).

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