Methods of antenna pointing and antenna assemblies implementing those methods are disclosed. An example method includes providing a user terminal antenna assembly including an antenna and an auto-peak device. The antenna includes a reflector, a subreflector, and a feed, the feed oriented relative to the reflector and the subreflector to produce a beam. The antenna further includes a tilt assembly to tilt the subreflector relative to the reflector and the feed. The method further includes providing a control signal to tilt the subreflector in a plurality of tilt positions to move the beam while measuring corresponding signal strength of a signal communicated via the antenna at each of the plurality of tilt positions. Additionally, the method includes selecting a tilt position from the plurality of tilt positions based on a measured signal strength, and providing the control signal to tilt the subreflector to the selected tilt position.

Methods of antenna pointing and antenna assemblies implementing those methods are disclosed. An example method includes providing a user terminal antenna assembly including an antenna and an auto-peak device. The antenna includes a reflector, a subreflector, and a feed, the feed oriented relative to the reflector and the subreflector to produce a beam. The antenna further includes a tilt assembly to tilt the subreflector relative to the reflector and the feed. The method further includes providing a control signal to tilt the subreflector in a plurality of tilt positions to move the beam while measuring corresponding signal strength of a signal communicated via the antenna at each of the plurality of tilt positions. Additionally, the method includes selecting a tilt position from the plurality of tilt positions based on a measured signal strength, and providing the control signal to tilt the subreflector to the selected tilt position.

This invention proposes a reflective surface antenna based on a triple telescopic rod drive and quasi-geodesic grid structure, including a supportive back frame, a reflective surface frame, a vertical connecting rod, a primary reflective surface, an auxiliary reflective surface, a radial support rod, a feed source, and an attitude control device. The supportive back frame and reflective surface frame have a paraboloidal truss structure. The primary reflective surface is fixed on the quasi-geodesic grid of the reflective surface; the auxiliary reflective surface is fixed at the focal point of the primary reflective surface; the feed source is fixed at the apex of the reflective surface; and the attitude control device includes a base and a telescopic rod.

An apparatus for space and terrestrial communication applications includes a Ka-band horn combined with a S-band cross-polarization cup. The S-band cross-polarization cup is placed around a neck of the Ka-band horn in a form of a collar.

Parabolic reflector antennas advantageously support low side lobe radiation patterns for ETSI class 4 performance, by utilizing: (i) metal choke plates adjacent a distal end of a dielectric cone within a sub-reflector assembly, (ii) “lossy” material feed boom waveguide sleeves and/or (iii) extended length cylindrical shields lined with radiation absorbing materials. Relatively shallow and large diameter parabolic reflectors having an F/D ratio of greater than about 0.25 may be provided with one or more of the identified (i)-(iii) enhancements.

A system, in a programmable active reflector (AR) device associated with a first radio frequency (RF) device and a second RF device, receives a request and associated metadata from the second RF device via a first antenna array. Based on the received request and associated metadata, one or more antenna control signals are received from the first RF device. The programmable AR device is dynamically selected and controlled by the first RF device based on a set of criteria. A controlled plurality of RF signals is transmitted, via a second antenna array, to the second RF device within a transmission range of the programmable AR device based on the associated metadata. The controlled plurality of RF signals are cancelled at the second RF device based on the associated metadata.

The disclosed method may include (1) determining a current physical state regarding an antenna assembly that includes (a) a sub-reflector that receives a wireless signal and reflects the wireless signal to a feed structure for processing, (b) a continuous antenna reflector that receives the wireless signal at a reflecting surface that reflects the wireless signal to the sub-reflector, where the current physical state is indicative of a current surface error over the reflecting surface relative to the sub-reflector, and (c) a backing structure coupled to a back surface of the continuous antenna reflector opposite the reflecting surface and having a plurality of actuators distributed over, and coupled to, the back surface, (2) operating each of the plurality actuators in a manner that reduces the current surface error based on the current physical state. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed.

The disclosed method may include (1) determining a current physical state regarding an antenna assembly that includes (a) a sub-reflector that receives a wireless signal and reflects the wireless signal to a feed structure for processing, (b) a continuous antenna reflector that receives the wireless signal at a reflecting surface that reflects the wireless signal to the sub-reflector, where the current physical state is indicative of a current surface error over the reflecting surface relative to the sub-reflector, and (c) a backing structure coupled to a back surface of the continuous antenna reflector opposite the reflecting surface and having a plurality of actuators distributed over, and coupled to, the back surface, (2) operating each of the plurality actuators in a manner that reduces the current surface error based on the current physical state. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed.

A microwave prism is used to repoint an operational Direct-to-Home (DTH) or Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) reflector antenna as part of a ground terminal to receive (or transmit) signals from a different satellite or orbital position without physically moving the reflector or the feed horn antenna. The microwave prism operates by shifting the radiated fields from the horn antenna generally perpendicular to the focal axis of the parabolic reflector in order to cause the main beam of the reflector to scan in response. For an existing reflector antenna receiving signals from an incumbent satellite, a prism has been designed to be snapped into place over the feed horn and shift the fields laterally by a calibrated distance. The structure of the prism is designed to be positioned and oriented correctly without the use of skilled labor. This system allows a satellite service provider to repoint their subscribers to a new satellite by shipping a self-install kit of the prism that is pre-configured to have the correct orientation and position on the feed antenna to correctly re-point the beam at a different satellite once the prism is applied. One benefit of the system is that unskilled labor, i.e., the subscribers themselves, can be used to repoint a large number of subscriber antennas in a satellite network rather than requiring the cost of a truck roll and a technician to visit every site. The microwave prisms to implement this functionality can be constructed in different ways, with homogeneous slabs or blocks, Gradient-Index (GRIN), multi-layered dielectric, geometric or graded-index Fresnel-zone, metasurface, or metamaterial prisms. The geometric and electrical constraints of the design are determined by the incumbent and target satellites, and the ground terminal location.

A wireless transceiver for a wireless communication network has an offset Gregorian antenna arrangement comprising a primary reflector dish, an electrically conductive reflector member comprising a secondary reflector and a conductive support wall, a planar array of antenna elements arranged as a feed for transmitting radio frequency signals to the secondary reflector and/or for receiving radio frequency signals from the secondary reflector and a conductive support block configured to support the planar array of antenna elements. The conductive support wall is connected directly to the conductive support block, and the conductive support wall is configured to be substantially perpendicular to the planar array of antenna elements.