TECHNICAL HELD

The present invention relates to reflectors for satellite antennas.

BACKGROUND

Satellite antennas are used to bring Direct-To-Home (DTH) TV programming to the consumer market from satellite broadcasts. There are multiple companies that provide DTH TV programming, with each company providing TV channels through its own satellite broadcast.

Some areas of the U.S. market, such as Puerto Rico or Alaska, are considered “fringe” areas, because DTH TV satellites do not cover these areas as well. Therefore, in these fringe areas, larger size antennas are required where satellites are spaced 22° apart along a geostationary arc. For example, these areas might require a 1.2 meter satellite antenna rather than the more common 18″ satellite antenna.

This increased antenna size becomes more of an issue when satellites are far apart in space and local communities are expected or required to provide the channels of multiple satellites. This could mean that at least three 1.2 meter satellite antennas are to be installed at a residence, leading to increased installation costs and unfavorable aesthetics. Some approaches involve several low-noise block feedhorns (LNBFs) using the same antenna, but these approaches suffer from scan loss associated with the LNBFs' displacement from the reflector's main focal point. Furthermore, the DTH commercial market is price sensitive and satellite service providers are competing with cable and other wireless technologies.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention describe a satellite reflector antenna that enables a single satellite antenna installation to take the place of multiple satellite antenna installations.

A standard parabolic reflector antenna suffers from scan losses if its feed horn is moved away from its only focal point, resulting in antenna gain drop, widening of the beamwidth and an increase in antenna noise temperature. This directly impacts the signal quality.

According to some embodiments, a reflector antenna is shaped to reflect radiated signals off a first side of the reflector antenna. The reflector antenna is further shaped to improve the scan losses due to the LNBF being placed away from the reflector antenna's main focal point. The reflector antenna includes a first surface area of the first side encompassing a first surface, where the first surface is formed to reflect a first radiated signal towards a first focal point. The reflector includes a second surface area of the first side encompassing a second surface. The second surface area may be inclusive of the first surface area. The second surface area can be considered a virtual surface area, because the second surface is still part of the first side of the reflector antenna, but the geometry (shape of the reflector antenna) over the area of the second surface is different than the geometry for the area of what is considered to be just the first surface. The second surface area is formed to reflect a second radiated signal towards a second focal point that is different than the first focal point.

The first and second surface areas and the respective first and second surfaces may be formed to reflect the first and second radiated signals such that a first antenna gain and/or beamwidth of the reflected first radiated signal that would be received at the first focal point is about the same as a second antenna gain and/or beamwidth of the reflected second radiated signal that would be received at the second focal point. For example, at least a portion of the second surface is raised or recessed with respect to the first surface, and the second surface area may be a different area shape than the first surface area.

In this case, the reflector antenna may also include a third (virtual) surface area of the first side encompassing a third surface, where the reflector antenna surface is formed to reflect a third radiated signal towards a third focal point that is different than the first and second focal points. The third surface area may be inclusive of the first and second surface areas. The first, second and third surface areas and the respective first, second and third surfaces are formed to reflect the first, second and third radiated signals such that a first antenna gain and/or beamwidth of the reflected first radiated signal that would be received at the first focal point is about the same as a second antenna gain or beamwidth of the reflected second radiated signal that would be received at the second focal point and a third antenna gain and/or beamwidth of the reflected third radiated signal that would be received at the third focal point.

According to some embodiments, an antenna system includes an antenna mount, a first LNBF, a second LNBF, a feed bracket configured to attach the first LNBF and the second LNBF, a boom arm extending from the antenna mount to the feed bracket, and a reflector antenna coupled to the antenna mount, where the surface of the reflector antenna is shaped to reflect radiated signals off a first side of the reflector. The reflector antenna includes a first surface area of the first side encompassing a first surface, where the first surface is formed to reflect a first radiated signal towards the first LNBF. The reflector antenna includes a second surface area of the first side, inclusive of the first surface area and encompassing a second surface. The second surface is formed to reflect a second radiated signal towards the second LNBF. The first and second surface areas and the respective first and second surfaces are formed to reflect the first and second radiated signals such that a first antenna gain and/or beamwidth of the reflected first radiated signal received at the first LNBF is about the same as a second antenna gain and/or beamwidth of the reflected second radiated signal received at the second LNBF.

The antenna system may include a third LNBF, where the feed bracket is configured to attach the first, second and third LNBFs in an array. The reflector antenna may then include a third surface area of the first side, inclusive of the first and second surface areas, encompassing a third surface. The third surface is formed to reflect a third radiated signal towards the third LNBF, where the first, second and third surface areas and the respective first, second and third surfaces are formed to reflect the first, second and third radiated signals such that a third antenna gain and/or beamwidth of the reflected third radiated signal received at the third LNBF is about the same as the second antenna gain or beamwidth and the third antenna gain and/or beamwidth.

The reflector antenna described in the embodiments may provide equal antenna beamwidth and gain for each satellite location with similar electrical performance over a wide geostationary arc span 22° apart. The shaped reflector surface and profile can be used to overcome scan losses related to an LNBF being placed away from an antenna focal point. The reflector antenna can provide multiple focal points for the same antenna, eliminating antenna scan loss and beam broadening.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above features and advantages. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize additional features and advantages upon reading the following detailed description, and upon viewing the accompanying drawings.

