Abstract: An apparatus for effecting transfer of electromagnetic signals intermediate a host device and a medium adjacent to the antenna includes: (a) a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array in facing relation with a target sector; (b) a phase adjusting unit coupled with selected antenna elements and with the host unit for transferring internal signals intermediate the host device and the antenna elements; and (c) a control unit coupled with the phase adjusting unit. The phase adjusting unit cooperates with the control unit to adjust at least one parameter relating to the electromagnetic signals intermediate the host device and the antenna elements. The adjusting is carried out to cause the antenna elements to address the sector in a timed space-sharing pattern. At least two of the plurality of antenna array, the phase adjusting unit and the control unit are implemented in a unitary structure borne upon a single silicon substrate.

Abstract: A hybrid geostationary and low earth orbit (LEO) ground station antenna provides a geostationary receive antenna (30) which generates a narrow receive antenna beam for use with geostationary satellites. The ground station antenna can be either manually positioned so that the normal boresight of the antenna is directed toward the geostationary satellite serving the subscriber, or may be positioned using a cradle (170) which provides motion in the pitch, roll, and yaw axes. The ground station antenna also includes a LEO receive antenna (40) and a LEO transmit antenna (50) which receive which communicate with LEO satellites by way of wider beam, lower gain antenna beams. The geostationary receive antenna (30) is used in conjunction with the LEO satellites and during operations which involve communication with both types of satellites.

Abstract: A user terminal (110) includes a rotating electronically steerable antenna system (210) which combines coarse mechanical beam steering with fine electronic beam steering to provide full hemispherical coverage and enable hand-offs in a satellite communication system. The antenna system (210) comprises at least one antenna unit (and preferably two antenna units) including a mechanically rotatable base (330), an antenna holder (320) coupled to the mechanically rotatable base, and two electronically steerable antenna subunit (310) mounted on the antenna holder. Antenna system (210) also includes an antenna unit controller (260) adapted to control rotation of the mechanically rotatable base (330).

Abstract: A modular phased array antenna for the formation of simultaneous independently steerable multiple beams, the modular phased array antenna comprising a modular array including a plurality of sub-array modules combined together in close proximity, each one of the plurality of sub-array modules including a plurality of input modules, a layer of a plurality of radiating antenna elements, a plurality of stacked beamformers arranged in series and each connected to one of the plurality of input modules and to the plurality of radiating antenna elements in beam communication.

Abstract: A network (26) for feeding a planar array of radiating antenna elements using row beamformers (28) and column beamformers (30) is made to project multiple contiguous antenna beams in a triangular pattern (22). The row beamformers (28) couple to the column beamformers (30). Phase shifting networks (46) are interposed between the row beamformers (28) and column beamformers (30) to apply a phase slope that distributes up to 180.degree. of phase shift across alternating rows of row beamformers (28).