CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/123,854, filed Sep. 6, 2018, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/103,742, filed Aug. 14, 2018, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/972,608, filed May 7, 2018 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/021,784, filed on Jun. 28, 2018. Each of the above listed applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

BACKGROUND

Embodiments of inventive concepts disclosed herein relate generally to communication systems including but not limited to antenna systems for and methods of beam forming radio frequency signals.

Modern sensing and communication systems may utilize various types of antennas to provide a variety of functions, such as communication, radar, and sensing functions. For example, ultra-high frequency (UHF) and very high frequency (VHF) radio systems use directional and omnidirectional antenna arrays for data and voice communication. In another example, radar systems use antenna arrays to perform functions including but not limited to: precision navigation timing (PNT), sensing, intelligence gathering (e.g., signals intelligence, or SIGINT), direction finding (DF), electronic countermeasure (ECM) or electronic self-protection (ESP), electronic support (ES), electronic attack (EA), Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) and the like. Various active electronically scanned array (AESA) applications utilize a particular polarization state, such as linear, circular, or elliptically polarizations for communicated or sensed radio frequency (RF) signals. Operation across a large band (ultra-wide band or ultra-ultra-wide band (UUWB)) using multiple independent beams is desirable in certain applications.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an antenna system. The antenna system includes a set of M antenna structures and a cross bar beam former. The analog (or digital) cross bar beam former includes a set of M(N×1) or M (N to 1)interfaces, each of the M(N×1) interfaces having a first line coupled to a respective one of the set of the M antenna structures. The cross bar beam former also includes a set of N(1×M) interfaces, each of the N(1×M) interfaces having a set of M second lines, each of the M second lines being coupled to a respective one of the M(N×1) interfaces. Each of the N(1×M) interfaces includes a third line for a respective one of N independent beams.

In a further aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a communication, radar, or electronic warfare system. The communication system includes an array of antenna elements; and a cross bar beam former. The cross bar beam former includes a set of N to 1 interfaces and a set of 1 to M interfaces. Each of the N to 1 interfaces are coupled to a respective one of the antenna elements at a second line, where N is an integer greater than 3. Each of the first lines are coupled to a respective one of the N to 1 interfaces. Each of the 1 to M interfaces includes a third line for one of N independent beams, where M is an integer greater than 3.

In a further aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a communication, radar, or electronic warfare system. The communication system includes a transceiver, a set of 1 by L antenna structures arranged along a first axis, a cross bar former for the set 1 by L antenna structures comprising time delay units, a set of 1 by P antenna structures arranged along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, and a second beam former comprising phase shifters for the set 1 by L antenna structures.

In some embodiments, the antenna structures are not rectilinear and can be a circular array of radial rings used with the cross bar beam former. The antenna structure can be three dimensional or conformal.

