EP4572012A1 - Verbesserte halbkugelförmige gruppenantenne - Google Patents

Verbesserte halbkugelförmige gruppenantenne Download PDF

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Publication number
EP4572012A1
EP4572012A1 EP24219946.1A EP24219946A EP4572012A1 EP 4572012 A1 EP4572012 A1 EP 4572012A1 EP 24219946 A EP24219946 A EP 24219946A EP 4572012 A1 EP4572012 A1 EP 4572012A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
antenna
module
reception
transmission
common
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP24219946.1A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Thierry Mazeau
Anthony Ghiotto
Clément BOURRETERE
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS
Thales SA
Universite de Bordeaux
Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux
Original Assignee
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS
Thales SA
Universite de Bordeaux
Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS, Thales SA, Universite de Bordeaux, Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux filed Critical Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS
Publication of EP4572012A1 publication Critical patent/EP4572012A1/de
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/40—Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
    • H01Q1/405—Radome integrated radiating elements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q15/00—Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices
    • H01Q15/0006—Devices acting selectively as reflecting surface, as diffracting or as refracting device, e.g. frequency filtering or angular spatial filtering devices
    • H01Q15/0013—Devices acting selectively as reflecting surface, as diffracting or as refracting device, e.g. frequency filtering or angular spatial filtering devices said selective devices working as frequency-selective reflecting surfaces, e.g. FSS, dichroic plates, surfaces being partly transmissive and reflective
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q15/00—Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices
    • H01Q15/0006—Devices acting selectively as reflecting surface, as diffracting or as refracting device, e.g. frequency filtering or angular spatial filtering devices
    • H01Q15/0086—Devices acting selectively as reflecting surface, as diffracting or as refracting device, e.g. frequency filtering or angular spatial filtering devices said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q3/00—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system
    • H01Q3/44—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element
    • H01Q3/46—Active lenses or reflecting arrays

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to three-dimensional array antennas and, more particularly, to hemispherical array antennas.
  • the radiating elements of an array antenna can be arranged on a curved, in particular hemispherical, supporting surface.
  • Each radiating element is controlled by a transmit/receive module (or TR module).
  • TR module transmit/receive module
  • a TR module is associated with a single radiating element.
  • a TR module can control a certain number of radiating elements.
  • a TR module is mounted immediately behind the associated radiating element, i.e. for example on an inner face of the support surface when the radiating elements are arranged on an outer face of this support surface.
  • each TR module is connected to low-level control electronics by a wired connection, such as a coaxial cable or an optical fiber.
  • a wired connection such as a coaxial cable or an optical fiber.
  • This connection allows the transmission chain of the TR module to receive the transmission signal to be transmitted and to shape it (amplification and/or phase shift) before applying it to the radiating element to emit an electromagnetic wave.
  • This connection allows the transmission to the control electronics of the reception signal corresponding to an electromagnetic wave captured by the radiating element and processed (amplification and/or phase shift) by the reception chain of the TR module.
  • This connection also allows the controllable components of the TR module to be controlled to compensate for a bias and/or participate in beam formation.
  • the aim of the present invention is therefore to propose a network antenna making it possible to overcome these problems.
  • the invention relates to an array antenna comprising: a hemispherical radome, with center C and radius R; a plurality of radiating elements, the radiating elements being carried by the radome; a plurality of transmission-reception modules, the transmission-reception modules being carried by the radome, each radiating element being associated with a transmission-reception module and electrically connected to it by one or more power supply links, characterized in that the array antenna further comprises: a common radiocommunication module, provided with a common antenna, placed at the center C of the hemispherical radome and connected to transmission-reception electronics of the common radiocommunication module, each transmission-reception module comprising a communication module, equipped with an elementary antenna for bidirectional radiofrequency communication with the common radiocommunication module.
  • the invention is based on the implementation of wireless communication, preferably radio frequency - RF, between each transmission/reception module of the network antenna and a central, common antenna, connected to the low-level electronics for controlling the network antenna.
  • wireless communication preferably radio frequency - RF
  • the network antenna 1 comprises a hemispherical radome 10.
  • the radome 10 takes the general shape of a half-sphere, with center C and radius R. It is delimited by a median plane P, constituting the floor of the antenna 1.
  • the axis A normal to the plane P at the center C, is an axis of symmetry of revolution of the network antenna 1.
  • Radome 10 is for example a polyhedron with triangular facets inscribed in the half-sphere with center C and radius R. Alternatively, it is a question of hexagonal, or pentagonal, facets, or the equivalent.
  • i is an integer between 1 and N, total number of facets, but also of radiating elements and of TR modules.
  • a 10 i facet results from the superposition of several layers.
  • the junction of the layers of the different facets defines a plurality of layers in the radome, such as, from the inside to the outside of the hemisphere, a metallized layer 12, a substrate 14, an adaptation layer 16, and a protection layer 18.
  • the continuous metallized layer 12 defines a half-sphere, which delimits, externally, a space 2 of radiation of the network antenna 10 and, internally, a cavity 4.
  • the metallized layer makes it possible to electromagnetically isolate the volume of the cavity 4 from the space 2.
  • the metallized layer 12 is advantageously used to define a ground plane for the TR modules and the radiating elements.
  • the substrate layer 14 is made of dielectric material whose relative permittivity is adjusted.
  • the adaptation layer 16 is for example made of a radiofrequency foam having a relative permittivity close to unity. This is for example the Rohacell ® HF/WF material.
  • the outer layer 18 is for example made of a material having mechanical properties suitable for providing the desired mechanical resistance and protecting the radiating elements from external aggression. This is for example the FR-4 material.
  • the radome 10 carries a plurality of radiating elements 20 and a plurality of TR modules 30, each TR module being associated with a radiating element in the present embodiment.
  • a radiating element 20 is for example a planar antenna (or “patch” antenna), single or multiport.
  • each radiating element 20 of the array antenna 1 is carried by a facet.
  • a radiating element 20 is for example arranged in the center of a facet.
  • each radiating element 20 i is mounted on an external face of the substrate 14 and is covered with the material constituting the adaptation layer 16.
  • Each TR module such as the TR module 30 i, is for example a printed circuit integrating a transmission chain 32 i and a reception chain 33 i connected, via a duplexer 31 i , to the ports of the radiating element 20 i , by one or more supply lines.
  • Each TR module 30 i is mounted behind the associated radiating element 20i. It is for example mounted on an internal face of the metal layer 12, as shown in the Figure 2 . It is therefore located inside cavity 4.
  • an additional support layer is provided on the inner side of the metallized layer 12 to support the electronics, in particular the TR modules 30 i and their power supply lines.
  • Vias are provided through the metal layer 12 and the substrate 14 to allow the passage of the power supply lines electrically connecting the TR module 30 i and the associated radiating element 20 i .
  • each TR module 30 i is provided with an elementary radiocommunication module 36 i for communication, inside the cavity 4, with a common radiocommunication module 40.
  • the module 36 i is connected to the input of the transmission chain 32 i and to the output of the reception chain 33 i of the TR module 30 i.
  • An elementary radiocommunication module 36 i is equipped with an elementary radiofrequency antenna - RF 34 i .
  • the network antenna 10 comprises a common radiocommunication module 40.
  • the module 40 is equipped with a common antenna or source 44 and suitable electronics.
  • the electronics of the module 40 comprises a circulator 41 connecting transmission means and reception means, on the one hand, and the antenna 44, on the other hand.
  • the communication between the module 40 and each TR module 30 i is carried out along a dedicated channel, characterized by a particular frequency F i .
  • the module 40 comprises a transmission/reception unit 70 i for addressing in transmission and reception each TR module 30 i .
  • Each unit 70 i comprises a waveform generator 73 i , capable of generating a suitable individual transmission signal SE i .
  • the different units 70 i are connected to the input of a summer 43, the output of which is connected to the circulator 41.
  • the antenna 44 thus emits a global signal SE resulting from the sum of the individual emission signals SE i .
  • the antenna 44 is connected to the input of a distributor 42, the output of which is connected to the input of each of the units 70 i , so as to apply to each module the overall reception signal SR resulting from the sum of the individual reception signals SR i captured by the antenna 44.
  • the input of a 70 i module comprises a 72 i filter, centered on the characteristic frequency F i of the corresponding channel, so as to isolate the individual reception signal SRj.
  • a 74i demodulator then allows the SRj signal to be demodulated, possibly taking into account the waveform generated by the corresponding 73i generator.
  • the raw signal is then transmitted to a conventional processing chain.
  • the module 40 transmits to the transmission-reception module 30 i , at the start of a recurrence period, the transmission signal SEj, then, at the end of the recurrence period, different control signals so that the module 30 i adjusts the value of its operating parameters for the following recurrence period.
  • the elementary reception signal SR i at the output of each transmission-reception module 30 i is re-emitted in the cavity 4 towards the common antenna 44, the different elementary reception signals superimposing in the cavity so as to form a global reception signal, the common antenna 44 collecting the global reception signal SR.
  • the common antenna 44 must make it possible to address the different elementary antennas 34 i (which are located on the same sphere) with an identical amplitude, phase and polarization.
  • phase and amplitude control devices can be moved from the TR module upstream of the waveform generator of the module 40.
  • the components of the signals which must be radiated by each radiating element are therefore created upstream and transmitted to the TR module, whose only function is then to stimulate the corresponding radiating element.
  • the common antenna 44 is placed in the vicinity of the center C of the network antenna 1.
  • antennas which have, more or less precisely, the desired properties of hemispherical radiation, without phase shift, without polarity disturbance.
  • the person skilled in the art knows dipole, monopole, collinear, helical antennas, etc.
  • the radiation pattern of a patch type antenna is shown in an axial plane (i.e. containing the axis A). If at -3dB, the angular opening of the main lobe 45 is approximately 100°, at -6dB, the angular opening is approximately 130° and at -9dB, the angular opening is approximately 155°.
  • an antenna can approach an omnidirectional antenna provided that it works with strong attenuations.
  • the problem arises of the reflection of the radiofrequency electromagnetic waves emitted either by the source 40 or by the elementary antennas 34 i of the TR modules, insofar as it is a medium confined by the metal layer 12.
  • the network antenna 1 is provided with a device 50 for absorbing electromagnetic waves.
  • the absorption plane 50 is for example a meta-material consisting of the superposition of a reflective layer 52, an electromagnetic wave absorbing layer 54 and a structured metallic layer 56.
  • a wave 60 coming from the cavity 4 and incident on the absorption plane 50 is transmitted by the structured metal layer 56 provided that it has a first polarity compatible with the layer 56 so that the latter is transparent.
  • the transmitted wave 61 then propagates a first time in the absorbent material 54.
  • the wave undergoes a modification of its polarization while being reflected.
  • the reflected wave 62 propagates a second time in the absorbing material 54.
  • the structured metallic layer 56 does not transmit it into the cavity 4, but reflects it.
  • the reflected wave 63 propagates a third time in the absorbing material 54.
  • the reflected wave 64 propagates a fourth time in the absorbing material 54.
  • the structured metal layer 56 transmits it towards the cavity 4.
  • Wave 65 emerges in cavity 4 after four passes through the absorbing material. It is therefore strongly attenuated.
  • the background noise level can be very significantly lowered in cavity 4.
  • This network antenna is therefore lightweight and compatible with carriers such as aerial drones.
  • phase disparities Indeed, electromagnetic radiation is homogeneous in phase regardless of its direction, whereas a multitude of cables will present disparities along their lengths, and therefore on the phases of the signals they transmit.
  • radiating elements can be grouped together to emit together so as to form a beam in an emission direction.
  • This grouping can be predefined.
  • the radiating elements participating in beamforming (and therefore their number) are fixed by the initial configuration of the array antenna. For example, a group is formed by several radiating elements connected to the same TR module.
  • the transmission direction is then fixed. For example, a group is formed by associating the different TR modules of the radiating elements to the same communication channel with the common antenna. In this case, the transmission direction can be modified by beamforming.
  • This grouping can be defined dynamically, by appropriately controlling the TR modules of the grouped radiating elements.
  • the radiating elements participating in the formation of a beam are selected according to the need (for example according to the direction in which the beam must point or the power to be transmitted).
  • only one group can be activated, with the antenna emitting only one beam, or several groups can be activated simultaneously, with the antenna emitting several beams.
  • the array antenna just presented finds applications in all applications requiring detection over a wide area. This is the case, for example, of airborne radar antennas, particularly for ground-to-air detection, electronic warfare systems, telecommunications antennas, etc.

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  • Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)
  • Details Of Aerials (AREA)
EP24219946.1A 2023-12-15 2024-12-13 Verbesserte halbkugelförmige gruppenantenne Pending EP4572012A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR2314280A FR3157019B1 (fr) 2023-12-15 2023-12-15 Antenne réseau hémisphérique améliorée

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4572012A1 true EP4572012A1 (de) 2025-06-18

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP24219946.1A Pending EP4572012A1 (de) 2023-12-15 2024-12-13 Verbesserte halbkugelförmige gruppenantenne

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP4572012A1 (de)
FR (1) FR3157019B1 (de)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2205733A1 (de) 1972-11-02 1974-05-31 Siemens Ag
CN108039562A (zh) * 2017-12-13 2018-05-15 中国电子科技集团公司第三十八研究所 一种应用于无人机平台的有源共形阵列天线
CN115498404A (zh) * 2022-10-10 2022-12-20 中国电子科技集团公司第三十八研究所 一种宽带共形天线及天线阵面
CN116417784A (zh) * 2021-12-31 2023-07-11 北京华航无线电测量研究所 一种共形相控阵数据链系统

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2205733A1 (de) 1972-11-02 1974-05-31 Siemens Ag
CN108039562A (zh) * 2017-12-13 2018-05-15 中国电子科技集团公司第三十八研究所 一种应用于无人机平台的有源共形阵列天线
CN116417784A (zh) * 2021-12-31 2023-07-11 北京华航无线电测量研究所 一种共形相控阵数据链系统
CN115498404A (zh) * 2022-10-10 2022-12-20 中国电子科技集团公司第三十八研究所 一种宽带共形天线及天线阵面

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Publication number Publication date
FR3157019A1 (fr) 2025-06-20
FR3157019B1 (fr) 2025-12-19

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