EP0426566A1 - Multifocal receiving antenna with one single pointing direction for reception from several satellites - Google Patents

Abstract

The receiving antenna comprises at least two sectors or areas (1, 2) of paraboloids which focus the radiation on their axes (xx') at points F1 and F2 respectively which are offset by an integer of wavelengths of the received radiation. Each sector or area (1, 2) is linked to a helical source (S1, S2) located in its focal zone (F1, F2) on the same axis as the corresponding sector.

Description

Multifocal reception antenna with single pointing direction for several satellites.

The invention relates to satellite reception equipment available in the form of individual reception stations and more particularly to reception antennas which can be used with a microwave head and a demodulator for constituting such stations.

The antenna of a satellite reception station is traditionally constituted by a parabolic reflector. This reflector is most of the time circular or ovoid in shape. In all cases, the reception principle remains the same: the electromagnetic waves are focused on the reception focal point. The signal is received by a "source" then amplified by the microwave head.

There are several types of satellite dishes. The three main types of antennas are:
- The antenna of type with symmetry of revolution, or "Prime focus", whose microwave head is supported by a tripod fixed to the external edges of the parabola, and directly placed near the focus of the reflector: The presence of the head in the active part of the parabola causes a mask effect and diffraction phenomena. A waveguide (feeder) is sometimes used to route the signal from the source to the microwave head (in this case placed at the rear).
- The "Cassegrain" type antenna, the microwave head of which is installed behind the main reflector and receives the waves reflected on a hyperbolic sub-reflector which concentrates towards the low noise amplifier (called LNA for "Low Noise Amplifier") signals received by the main reflector; this sub-reflector generates a mask effect. - The antenna type with offset illumination, or "off-set" which is a parabolic antenna with off-center focus: the amplifier Low noise factor and source are offset to reduce the mask effect.

The choice of the type of antenna depends mainly on the size of the microwave head used: a bulky microwave head, if it is placed in the center of the dish, decreases its gain. Furthermore, the materials used to make the parabolic reflectors are mainly of the plastic or metallic type (aluminum). Finally, the diameter of the parabola is a function of the merit factor, G / T, connecting the gain G of the parabola and the desired overall noise temperature T on the station. This diameter has been able to decrease considerably in recent years, at constant G / T, due to the technological improvements of the amplifiers which have resulted in a reduction in their noise temperature. The diameter of the dish defines its opening and, in addition to their discretion, the major advantage of small diameter dishes is the ease of pointing due to the corresponding increase in opening. However, the aperture simultaneously fixes the sensitivity of the system to interference from satellites neighboring the target satellite, which limits the possible reduction in diameter.

On the other hand, most of the manufacturers currently have in development, network antennas, called flat antennas, intended either for the reception of television programs, or for communications, mobile or fixed, for the transmission of data for use. professional: the entire surface of the antenna receives radio signals emitted by the satellite; a network of receiving micro-elements is placed in parallel and the gain depends on the surface of the antenna.

The efficiency of such flat antennas decreases notably when the antenna surface increases due to the loss generated in the summation systems.

However, the use of a flat antenna is likely to simplify the procedures and therefore limit the installation costs: a flat antenna can be installed almost vertically from a wall, or glued to a roof. It blends in with the decor (superior aesthetic qualities that its design gives it): low thickness, reduced dimensions (it comes in the form of squares of 35 to 70 cm per side), lightness, discretion;

To be able to receive programs from several satellites, a flat antenna should be motorized. Network antennas with electronic pointing are under development. They will make it possible to receive the emissions of several neighboring satellites without movement. But no general public realization is known to date, because each micro-element must be controlled in phase which notably affects the gain and the noise temperature of the antenna.

In addition, in the current state of technology, these flat antennas have three major drawbacks:
- the reception gain of a flat antenna is on average 25% lower than that of a parabolic antenna, the bandwidth is limited and to receive the 2 circular polarizations you need 2 antennas;

• 1. des matériaux coûteux sont nécessaires pour minimiser les pertes ;
• 2. la matrice représentée par la surface réceptrice de l'antenne nécessite un raccordement individuel de chacun des micro-éléments.

- the production cost of such an antenna is high, mainly for two reasons:

• 1. expensive materials are required to minimize losses;
• 2. the matrix represented by the receiving surface of the antenna requires an individual connection of each of the micro-elements.

Regarding microwave heads, these consist of two elements: a low noise amplifier (LNA), and a low noise converter (LNC for Low Noise Converter), which can be mounted as independent modulators as a result one from the other, or integrated in a single box (LNB: Lew Noise Block down converter).

In addition, the frequency bands allocated to geostationary satellite television broadcasts have been optimized to release a sufficient number of channels for the whole ble of potential operators (countries and international organizations). Consequently, DBS type satellites use two types of electromagnetic radiation polarized in opposite directions. Two transmissions can thus co-exist on the same channel: their reverse polarizations allow them to be separated on reception.

The polarizations used by the two types of television satellites are as follows.

For direct broadcast satellites:
- right hand circular polarization, for example TDFI, BSB, BS, OLYMPUS;
- left circular polarization (or "left hand circular polarization") for example TVSAT, OLYMPUS.

For telecommunications satellites:
- horizontal linear polarization: for example Intelsat V, ECS 1 F1
- vertical linear polarization: for example Intelsat V, ECS 1 F1, Telecom 1; the satellite channels of the organizations "Eutelsat" and "Intelsat" assigned to television broadcasts fall into two subgroups of programs, each of which corresponds to a different polarization.

When a receiving station is intended to receive several types of polarization, depolarizers are provided to allow the user to choose the desired polarization at will. The choice of these systems depends on the nature of the polarizations received.

In the case of horizontal and vertical polarizations, it is necessary to have recourse to a motorized system of change of polarization, most often mounted on the waveguide of the parabola.

In the case of right and left circular polarizations (direct broadcasting satellites), the simultaneous reception of polarized signals requires a waveguide with double output, equipped with an orthomode transducer making it possible to mount on the same parabola two microwave heads each dedicated to a different polarization.

Motorized systems intended to ensure the permutation of the microwave heads in the center of the parabola are currently being studied, but the reliability of this equipment is insufficient.

Very broadband heads, multifrequency by band switching or agile frequency synthesis, should make it possible to receive all the frequencies allocated to television broadcasts. But such multi-band heads will not be available at affordable prices quickly.

The output of the microwave head is connected to a demodulator which converts and demodulates the signal received in the satellite intermediate band (BIS) 950 to 1750 MHz. The receiver allows the selection of satellite channels. Only broadband input demodulators, which cover the entire frequency range from 950 to 1750 MHz, are capable of receiving emissions from all the satellites which will cover Europe in the coming years. Currently, these demodulators are used to the maximum of their possibilities only in motorized stations intended for the reception of several satellites.

The problem solved by the present invention is the reception by means of a single fixed antenna of transmissions received from one or the other of several satellites located in the same orbital position, but polarized in different ways.

The subject of the invention is therefore a reception antenna with a single pointing direction, allowing the simultaneous reception of several satellites located in the same orbital position, allowing the selection of one of the right or left circular polarizations with correct decoupling (FIG. 1), or optionally a composition of these two polarizations to restore linearly polarized radiation, which does not require any motorization and which moreover is of relatively small size and at low cost.

For this, the antenna reflector is of the parabolic type and with symmetry of revolution or with offset illumination, but with essential adaptations which make it multifocal and is associated with several sources correctly decoupled for the reception of radiation of different polarizations.

According to the invention, a multifocal reception antenna with a single pointing direction, for several satellites, is characterized in that it comprises a reflector consisting of several sectors of paraboloids each associated with a source situated on its axis, these sectors having axes. of the same direction and of the focal points offset by an integer number of wavelengths of the radiation to be received, and in that it comprises, for the coupling of the radiation, sources located in the areas of concentration of the radiation, having axes confused with the axes of the paraboloid sectors associated therewith and adapted to the reception of differently polarized radiation.

• La figure 1 est le schéma de principe d'un premier mode de réalisation d'une antenne multifocale selon l'invention.
• La figure 2 est le schéma d'une antenne de même type, accompagné de diagrammes explicatifs.
• La figure 3 est le schéma d'un second mode de réalisation d'une antenne multifocale selon l'invention.
• La figure 4 est le schéma d'un troisième mode de réalisa­tion d'une antenne multifocale selon l'invention.
• Les figures 5 à 9 sont des schémas plus détaillés de différents types de sources doubles, de même axe, utilisables avec un réflecteur en deux parties du type de celui représenté sur la figure 1.
• Les figures 10 et 11 sont des variantes des antennes représentées respectivement sur les figures 1 et 3, à encombre­ment réduit.
• Les figures 12 et 13 représentent une antenne multisec­teur quasi- plane, formant en projection un carré.

The invention will be better understood and other characteristics will appear from the following description with reference to the appended figures:

• Figure 1 is the block diagram of a first embodiment of a multifocal antenna according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is the diagram of an antenna of the same type, accompanied by explanatory diagrams.
• FIG. 3 is the diagram of a second embodiment of a multifocal antenna according to the invention.
• Figure 4 is the diagram of a third embodiment of a multifocal antenna according to the invention.
• FIGS. 5 to 9 are more detailed diagrams of different types of double sources, of the same axis, usable with a two-part reflector of the type shown in FIG. 1.
• Figures 10 and 11 are variants of the antennas shown respectively in Figures 1 and 3, with reduced overall dimensions.
• FIGS. 12 and 13 represent a quasi-planar multisector antenna, forming in projection a square.

To obtain a multifocal antenna, the invention provides a reflector formed from several sectors or parts of paraboloids, each of these sectors focusing the parallel radiation which it receives in a focal zone where a source is arranged.

To be able to receive either of the two circular polarizations, right and left, two sectors or parts are provided and each of the two sectors or parts of paraboloids of the reflector is associated with a source with helical surface waves, the two sources being spirals or helicoids in opposite directions of axes coinciding with the axes of the sectors or parts of paraboloids with which they are associated.

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the antenna according to the invention in which the two sectors or parts of paraboloids have the same axis x′x, the first 1 being the central sector of a paraboloid of axis of focal length F1 and having an outside diameter d1, the other being a crown of a paraboloid with the same focal axis F2, having an inside diameter d1 and an outside diameter d2. These two sectors or parts of paraboloids are arranged so that the distance d between their respective foci is equal to Kλ where K is an integer and λ is the wavelength of the radiation received. The virtual vertices of the paraboloids are also in a k′λ type relationship. In addition, to reduce the size of the resulting structure, the internal paraboloid sector is brought back into inclusion in the crown-shaped paraboloid sector, the corresponding surfaces not being continuous, but on the contrary discontinuous and connected by a trunk. of cone 3. Thus the depth of the structure is much shallower than if the dishes were simply contiguous; storage volumes are consequently lower and transport costs minimized.

In the focal zones of these two sectors or parts of satellite dishes are arranged two sources, respectively S₁ and S₂, helical, the pitch, the number of turns and the direction of winding are adapted to the reception of radiation polarized circularly respectively to the right and to the left. These two sources are connected to low noise amplifiers respectively LNA₁ and LNA₂ forming part of the associated microwave heads (not shown completely) located behind the dishes by coaxial cables, the core of the cable extending by the spiral while the outer conductor is terminated by a disc. A more precise representation of the sources is given in FIGS. 4 to 9 which will be described in more detail below. In the diagram of FIG. 1, the source S₁ is mounted to be excited according to a "back-fire" mode, while the source S₂ is mounted to be excited according to a so-called "end-fire" mode. The radiation focused by the paraboloid sector 1 excites the source S₁ which supplies the low noise amplifier LNA₁; similarly the sector or part of paraboloid 2 focuses the radiation it receives towards the source S₂ which converts the radiation and transmits it to the low noise amplifier LNA₂.

It is important that the radiation received respectively by S₁ and S₂ are correctly decoupled, that is to say that each of the sources selectively receive one of the two radiations circularly polarized. However, the radiation received by the reflector 1 and focused on S₁ produces rear radiation which disturbs the source S₂ and contributes to deteriorating the signal which it receives, unless special measures are taken to avoid these disturbances or use the rear radiation to contribute at the useful signal on S₂. In Figure 1 has been shown an electromagnetic absorbent, 3 which prevents the rear radiation not picked up by S₁ disturb the source S₂.

FIG. 2 illustrates an antenna comprising reflectors similar to those of FIG. 1 in which instead of providing an absorbent between the two sources, there is provided a particular structure of the sources which allows instead of eliminating the rear radiation created by the first reflector, after its focus, to use this rear radiation so as to increase the gain, which possibly makes it possible to decrease the surface of the reflector 2. As before, the paraboloid 1 is associated with the source S₁, its radiation diagram, represented on 18 figure, corresponding to the received radiation cone. But the source S₂ consists of two spirals or helicoid S′₂ and S˝₂ whose phases are adjusted so that the combination of the two radiation patterns creates a resulting pattern in which a hole is provided along the axis x'x , the rear radiation transmitted after the focus F₁ contributing to the overall establishment of a radiation pattern similar to that obtained for the source S₁. This second solution has the advantage of making the best use of all of the radiation received by the reflectors, and therefore optimizes the resulting gain on the two sectors or parts of the antenna with respect to the useful surfaces of the reflectors.

FIG. 3 represents a second embodiment of the multifocal antenna according to the invention. In this embodiment the two sectors or parts of paraboloids have parallel axes, x₁, x′₁ and x₂, x′₂ and no longer coincide as in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, and their homes are located on the same perpendicular to these axes. As in the previous figures, the distance F₁F₂ between the two foci of the sectors or parts of paraboloids d is equal to K λ. In this embodiment, the two helical sources S₁ and S₂ are excited according to the so-called "back-fire" modes, the two helicoids being as previously wound in opposite directions so as to be excited respectively by the left, G, and right polarized radiation , D. The corresponding reflectors dants 1 ′ and 2 ′ are no longer symmetrical with respect to their axes x₁x′₂ and x₂x′₂.

FIG. 4 represents a third embodiment of the multifocal antenna according to the invention in which the reflectors have a symmetrical structure, of the type of that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two helical sources being aligned on the common axis x ′ X reflectors, these sources S₁ and S₂ respectively "end-fire" and "back-fire" being connected by very low loss coaxial cables to the corresponding low noise amplifiers LNA₁ and LNA₂ by a so-called central mechanical structure, the connection points helicoids with coaxial cables being located in the middle of the segment F₁ F₂ connecting the two foci of the two sectors or parts of paraboloids. This structure is a little simpler mechanically than that shown in Figure 1 where the coaxial cables connecting the sources S₁ and S₂ are not similar, the second being significantly longer than the first. On the contrary, the structure represented in FIG. 4 is symmetrical in the sense that the two coaxial cables have the same length, the central access being connected to the low noise amplifiers by a structure of coaxial cables offset relative to the axis x′x reflectors. Another advantage of central attack structures is that in the vicinity of the connection points can be housed an electronic circuit, in particular in the case where it is desired to combine the two polarizations to restore the received radiation with a linear polarization.

Figures 5 to 9 illustrate in detail the possible structures of the two helical sources aligned on the common axis of the reflectors.

FIG. 5 illustrates a structure where the two helical sources are excited in a “back-fire” mode, the first S₁ being arranged as in FIG. 1, while the second is also supplied with “back-fire” which doesn’t was not the case of the source S₂ in FIG. 1. In all these figures the two helicoid S₁ and S₂ are wound by such that they are adapted respectively to one of the two circular polarizations, respectively right D or left G.

FIG. 6 illustrates in more detail the same embodiment of the sources as in FIG. 1, S₁ being excited in "back-fire" while S₂ is excited in an "end-fire" mode.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment according to which the two helical sources are excited according to an "end-fire" mode, the coaxial cables connecting these sources to the corresponding low noise amplifiers surrounding the sources at a distance l from the axis sufficient for do not create disturbance.

FIG. 8 illustrates in detail an embodiment of the sources such as those used in the multifocal antenna shown in FIG. 4, with central connection of the sources respectively excited in "back-fire" and "end-fire", the arrival common being offset relative to the common axis of the helicoid.

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment, also with a central attack, but in this embodiment the two coaxial cables are located symmetrically on either side of the source S₁ and meet on the common axis of the helicoid. In this embodiment, as in that of FIG. 7, the cables, or portions of cables, located symmetrically on either side of the common axis x′x of the helicoids can make it possible to support a protective radome 5 represented in dotted on these two figures.

Such an antenna therefore makes it possible to receive circularly polarized emissions on one or the other of the two channels, according to the direction of circular polarization. It also makes it possible to obtain, by vector addition of the two channels, the linear, horizontal H, or vertical V polarizations.

It was indicated above that the space requirement was minimized by bringing the reflector from the central part to the interior. of the paraboloid in which the external sector is formed by means of the truncated cone 3.

It is possible to further minimize the space requirement by approaching a planar structure, by replacing each of the reflectors in the form of a paraboloid with focal lengths respectively F₁ and F₂ by a set of paraboloid sectors whose vertices are offset by a number integer of half wavelengths, connected by truncated cones, all the inner rings being brought inside the widest diameter ring, as shown in Figures 10 and 11 where the structures have been illustrated Figures 1 and 3 with this improvement.

In FIG. 10, the two focusing zones F₁ and F₂ spaced from Kλ are aligned on the common axis of the paraboloid sectors. The sectors of parabola P₁ and P'1 which focus in F₁ are equivalent to sector 1 of figure 1 and the sectors P₂ and P′₂ which focus in F₂ are equivalent to sector 2 of figure 1.

In FIG. 11, the two focusing zones, spaced apart from K λ, are located on two parallel axes, the first axis being a common axis for the sectors of dishes P₁ and P′₁ whose characteristics are such that they focus the radiation in the zone F₁, while the second axis is a common axis for the paraboloid sectors P₂ and P′₂ which focus the radiation in the zone F₂.

In these Figures 10 and 11, as in Figures 1 and 3, the different sectors are mechanically integral via connecting surfaces in the form of truncated cones. Of course, any other distribution of the paraboloid sectors is possible provided that the radiation is focused as described above.

It is clear that the resulting structures are much smaller in size than structures in which the paraboloids would be in continuity and approach planar structures.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate an embodiment of a quasi-planar multi-sector antenna with two coaxial foci, respectively in section and in plan.

To give this antenna a quasi-planar structure, the paraboloid sectors focusing respectively on the focal points F₁ and F₂ are obtained from families of paraboloids whose vertices are offset by kλ / 2. For k = 1, and F = 12.5 GHz, the step on the axis is 12 mm.

The reflector of this antenna can be projected along its axis of circular section, but, to optimize the gain and the active surface at a given storage volume, a rectangular or square projection surface is preferred and has been illustrated in FIG. 13.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments precisely described and shown, both for the sectors or parts of paraboloids and for the sources and their arrangement; in particular, it is possible to envisage a reflector forming more than two focusing zones, a surface wave source being arranged in each zone along the axis of the corresponding reflector. These sources can be helical, as described above, but can also be sources with printed networks or sources with dielectric.

Claims (17)

1. Multifocal reception antenna with single pointing direction, for several satellites, characterized in that it comprises a reflector consisting of several sectors of paraboloids (1, 2) each associated with a source situated on its axis, these sectors having axes of the same direction (x′x) and of the focal points (F₁, F₂) offset by an integer number of wavelengths of the radiation to be received, and in that it comprises, for the coupling of the radiation, sources ( S₁, S₂) located in the radiation concentration zones, having axes coincident with the axes of the associated paraboloid sectors (x′x), and adapted to the reception of differently polarized radiation. 2. Antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that the sources are surface wave sources formed of helical illuminants respectively connected to low noise amplifiers by coaxial cables. 3. Antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises two sectors of paraboloids and in that the two helical illuminants associated therewith are adapted to the reception of the components of the radiation with circular polarization respectively right and left. 4. Antenna according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the paraboloid sectors have the same axis, which is at the same time the axis of the helicoids, the foci of the paraboloids being spaced on this axis of K λ and each sector having a symmetry of revolution around this axis. 5. Antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that, the paraboloid having the smallest focal length is used in its central part to form the first sector (1), the other paraboloid being used to form the second sector (2) in a crown-shaped part with an internal diameter equal to the diameter (d1) of the first sector. 6. Antenna according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the paraboloid sectors have parallel axes spaced from K λ, the foci of the helicoid associated therewith being on an axis orthogonal to these parallel axes. 7. Antenna according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that an electromagnetic absorbent (3) is disposed between the two illuminants so that the helical illuminant furthest from the reflecting surfaces of the paraboloid sectors is not disturbed by the rear wave focused on the other illuminant. 8. Antenna according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reflecting surfaces of the paraboloid sectors are of the same order of magnitude and adjusted so that the gains of the corresponding antenna parts are equal, taking account of disturbances. 9. Antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that the helicopters of the same axis are both excited by the back fire type. 10. Antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that the helicoids of the same axis are excited one by the rear, back-fire type, the other by the end, end-fire type. 11. Antenna according to claim 9, characterized in that the connection points of the helicals to the coaxial cables connected to the low noise amplifiers are on their common axis, between the two helicals. 12. Antenna according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that each of the two helicopters being connected to a coaxial cable, these two cables are placed symmetrically, with respect to the axis in the parts where they are separated and at a sufficient distance from the helicoids, the assembly formed by the helicoids then being capable of receiving a protective radome (5). 13. Antenna according to claim 12, characterized in that the first paraboloid sector is crossed at its center by the coaxial cables connected to the two sources. 14. Antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that the sector (1) having the smallest focal length used in its central part is inside the paraboloid in which the external sector (2) is formed in the form of a crown to which it is mechanically connected by a truncated cone (3) so as to reduce the bulk. 15. Antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the sectors of paraboloids focusing the radiation in a focus is in fact made up of several different sectors of paraboloids (P₁, P′₁; P₂, P′₂) whose virtual vertices are offset by an integer number of half wavelengths, focusing the radiation at the same focus and connected by truncated cones, to minimize clutter. 16. Antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that the reflector formed from paraboloids, is projected along its axis of rectangular surface. 17. Antenna according to claim 16, characterized in that the reflector is projected along its axis of square section.

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