• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
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    • 专利摘要:
    The compact Butler matrix consists of a planar multilayer structure comprising N waveguides with parallel metal plates PPW stacked one above the other, two adjacent waveguides PPW having a common wall formed by one metal plates. The couplers, phase shifters and crossover devices of the Butler matrix are constituted by metasurfaces integrated into the metal plates. The planar two-dimensional beamformer may comprise a PPW waveguide Butler matrix associated with optical lenses integrated in each PPW waveguide. Alternatively, the planar two-dimensional beamformer may comprise an upper stage consisting of a Butler matrix with PPW waveguides, and a lower stage comprising PPW waveguides equipped with integrated reflectors, the two stages being connected in series. .
    公开号:FR3034262A1
    申请号:FR1500565
    申请日:2015-03-23
    公开日:2016-09-30
    发明作者:Herve Legay；Jean Philippe Fraysse；Etienne Girard；Mauro Ettorre；Ronan Sauleau
    申请人:Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS；Universite de Rennes 1；Thales SA；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    [0001] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a compact Butler matrix, a planar two-dimensional beamformer and a multi-beam planar antenna comprising such a Butler matrix. It applies to any multibeam antenna, especially in the field of space applications such as satellite telecommunications, and more particularly to thin antennas. The beamformers are used in multibeam antennas to develop output beams from input radio frequency signals. A conventional beamformer comprises N inputs In1 to InN, P outputs Out1 to OutP, and a plurality of radio frequency circuits 11, 12, 13 able to divide and recombine the input radio frequency signals according to a chosen phase and amplitude law. to form output beams. There are different beamformer technologies. In FIG. 1, the radio frequency circuits 20 comprise a large number of individual waveguides 10 which intercross with one another so as to allow the combinations necessary for the formation of the different output beams by radiofrequency signal combiners 12. These beamformers are suitable for a limited number of radiating elements and to form a limited number of beams because they become very complex as the number of beams increases due to the necessary crossovers between the waveguides. It is also known to form beams using a Butler matrix consisting of a symmetrical passive circuit with N input ports 30 and N output ports, which drives radiating elements producing N different beams of equal amplitudes. The circuit is composed of junctions that connect the input ports to the output ports by N different transmission lines 18 and parallel to each other. There are several possible configurations of Butler matrix. In the diagram of FIG. 2, the Butler matrix comprises couplers 15, of the 3 dB, 90 ° hybrid coupler type, making it possible to combine or divide the power of the input radio frequency waves, phase shifters 16 capable of apply a phase delay of 45 °, and crossing devices 17 to cross two different transmission lines. In known manner, each crossing device 17 may consist of two 3 dB, 90 ° couplers connected in series. An example of a Butler matrix architecture with four input ports A, B, C, D and four output ports A ', B', C ', D' is shown in FIG. 2. In this example, the Butler matrix has four 3 dB couplers, 90 °, two 45 ° phase shifters and a crossover device. This type of beamformer is well suited for forming a small number of beams but becomes too complex as the number of beams increases. In addition, it allows the formation of the beams in only one direction of the space perpendicular to the transmission lines 18. According to another technology, there are planar quasi-optical beam formers using electromagnetic propagation of the radiofrequency waves from several feed sources placed at the inlet, for example radiating horns, according to a propagation mode in general TEM between two parallel metal plates. The focusing and collimation of the beams can be performed by an optical lens as described for example in US 3170158 and US 5936588 which illustrate the case of a Rotman lens, or alternatively by a reflector as described for example in the documents FR 2944153 and FR 2 986377, the optical lens or respectively the reflector being inserted in the propagation path of the radio frequency waves, between the two parallel metal plates. Different types of optical lenses may be used, these optical lenses serving essentially as phase correctors and allowing in most cases to convert one or more cylindrical waves emitted by the sources into one or more plane waves propagating in the waveguide with parallel metal plates. The optical lens may comprise two opposite edges with parabolic profiles, respectively input and output. Alternatively, the optical lens may be a dielectric lens, or a right-sided index gradient lens, or any other type of optical lens. In the case of an optical lens quasi-optical beamformer, to obtain a planar antenna, it is sufficient to place input radiating elements around the input edge of the optical lens and to fix radio frequency probes. on the output edge of the optical lens, and then connect each radiofrequency probe to an output radiating element via a transmission line, for example a coaxial cable.
    [0002] In the case of a pillbox beamformer, to obtain a planar antenna, input radiating elements are placed in front of the integrated parabolic reflector, and radiating output elements are placed in the path of the radiofrequency waves reflected by the reflector. parabolic. There are various pillbox beamformer solutions using one or more reflectors. Since this technology uses parallel plate waveguides, as an alternative to the use of multiple discrete radiators aligned side by side, it is possible to use a continuous linear aperture radiating out of each plate waveguide parallel.
    [0003] These linear radiating apertures, which are not spatially quantized, have much higher performances compared to the linear arrays of several radiating elements, for the depointed beams, because of the absence of quantization, and in bandwidth due to the lack of quantization. absence of resonant propagation modes.
    [0004] A quasi-optical beamformer is much simpler than traditional waveguide beamformers because it does not have a coupler or crossover device. However, all known planar beam formers are able to form beams only in one dimension of space, in a direction parallel to the plane of the metal plates. To form beams according to two dimensions of the space, in two directions, respectively parallel and orthogonal to the plane of the metal plates, it is necessary to combine orthogonally between them, two sets of beam forming, each beam forming assembly being consisting of a stack of several layers of unidirectional beamformers. To orthogonally combine two beamforming assemblies, it is furthermore necessary to arrange connection interfaces, in particular input / output connectors, on each set of beamformers and then to connect the two inputs in pairs. and corresponding outputs of the two bundle forming assemblies by dedicated interconnect cables as shown for example in US 5,936,588 for lens bundle formers. This architecture is satisfactory for the formation of a small number of beams, but becomes very complex and too large when the number of beams increases. To our knowledge, to date, there is no planar beam forming device for forming beams in two dimensions of space. Moreover, there are also no simple solutions for interconnecting two unidirectional beam formers to overcome connection interfaces and interconnection cables. The object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of known beam formers and to provide a planar two-dimensional beamformer with continuous transmission lines and to form beams in two dimensions of space without any connection interface. nor any interconnection cable.
    [0005] Another object of the invention is to provide a particularly compact new Butler matrix having a novel parallel plate architecture compatible with quasi-optical beamformers.
    [0006] For this purpose, the invention relates to a compact Butler matrix comprising N waveguides, where N is an integer greater than three and chosen from among the powers of two, couplers intended to couple two adjacent waveguides, phase shifters and at least one crossing device capable of crossing two adjacent waveguides, the crossing device comprising two couplers connected in series. The Butler matrix consists of a planar multilayer structure comprising N + 1 metal plates parallel to each other, stacked one above the other, and regularly spaced from each other, each space between two consecutive metal plates forming a guide a wave with parallel plates of which two opposite walls, respectively upper and lower, are the two consecutive metal plates, two adjacent metal plate waveguides having a common wall formed by one of the metal plates, and the couplers the phase shifters and the crossing device are constituted by metasurfaces integrated in the respective walls of the waveguides to be coupled, crossed and phase shifted. Advantageously, the metasurfaces constituting each coupler and the crossing device between two adjacent waveguides may consist of a plurality of through holes regularly distributed in a coupling zone, respectively a crossing zone, of the wall common to both of them. Corresponding adjacent waveguides, and the metasurfaces constituting each phase shifter integrated in a waveguide may consist of corrugations arranged in a phase shift zone, on the two opposite walls of the corresponding waveguide. According to a particular embodiment, each metal plate may consist of a metal coating deposited on a dielectric substrate and each coupler and crossing device between two adjacent waveguides may consist of a slot etched in the metal coating. , the length of the slot of the crossing device being equal to twice the length of the slot of a coupler. Advantageously, each phase-shifter may consist of a set of periodically photo-etched metal patches on the dielectric substrate of the two walls of a phase-shifted waveguide. The invention also relates to a planar beamformer capable of synthesizing beams according to two dimensions of space, comprising at least one butler matrix with N + 1 parallel plates. Advantageously, the beamformer may comprise two different Butler matrices stacked one above the other and respectively dedicated to two different orthogonal polarizations between them.
    [0007] According to one embodiment, the beamformer may furthermore comprise N optical lenses respectively integrated, at the output, or alternatively at the input, of the Butler matrix, in the N waveguides delimited by the N + 1s. metal plates. Advantageously, each optical lens may be a lens of constant thickness and index gradient.
    [0008] According to another embodiment, the beamformer may comprise two stacked stages, respectively lower and upper, each stage comprising an identical number of parallel plate waveguides, the Butler matrix being located on the upper stage, each lower-stage waveguide being serially connected to an upper-stage waveguide by a respective intermediate waveguide having parallel metal plates arranged orthogonally to the XOY plane of the two lower and upper stages; , the parallel metal plates constituting the walls of each intermediate waveguide forming a reflector integrated in the beamformer.
    [0009] The invention also relates to a plane antenna comprising at least one Butler matrix with N + 1 parallel plates, the antenna further comprising M radiating feed horns connected at the input of each waveguide with parallel metal plates, or MN feeding horns 25 for N metal plate waveguides, where M is greater than 2, and N output radiating horns respectively connected to N-waveguides with metal plates. Advantageously, each output radiating horn may be a longitudinal horn coupled to a linear radiating aperture extending transversely across the width of the corresponding parallel plate waveguide.
    [0010] Advantageously, the linear radiating openings may be oriented in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the parallel plates of the corresponding parallel plate waveguide.
    [0011] Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge clearly from the description given by way of a purely illustrative and nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawings which represent: FIG. 1: a block diagram of an example conventional beamformer 10, according to the prior art; FIG. 2: an example of a block diagram of a Butler matrix, according to the prior art; FIGS. 3a and 3b: two diagrams, respectively in perspective and in longitudinal section, of a first exemplary embodiment of a Butler matrix comprising a stack of several parallel plate waveguides, according to the invention; FIGS. 4a and 4b: two diagrams, respectively in longitudinal section and in plan view, illustrating an example of a coupling zone inserted in a metal plate common between two metal plate waveguides, according to the invention; FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional diagram of a second embodiment of a Butler matrix comprising a composite stack of several layers of etched and metallized substrates separated by spacers, according to the invention; Figure 6 is a perspective diagram of a first example of a two-dimensional beamformer connected to linear apertures radiating and having a Butler matrix according to the invention; FIG. 7 is a perspective diagram of a second example of a two-dimensional beamformer connected to linear apertures radiating and having a Butler matrix 35 according to the invention; Fig. 8a: a perspective diagram of an example of a dielectric lens integrated in a parallel plate waveguide; according to the invention; FIG. 8b: a perspective diagram of an example of a lens 5 of constant thickness and index gradient integrated into a parallel plate waveguide; according to the invention; FIG. 9 is a diagram, in longitudinal section, of a third example of a two-dimensional beamformer comprising a Butler matrix, according to the invention; 10a and 10b: a diagram, in plan view, of two floors, respectively lower and upper, of a planar antenna according to the embodiment of Figure 9; FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional diagram of an example of a bi-polarization Butler matrix according to the invention.
    [0012] According to the invention, as shown in the diagrams of FIGS. 3a and 3b, the Butler matrix consists of a planar multilayer structure comprising N + 1 metal plates 20, parallel to each other, stacked one above the other and regularly spaced apart from each other. The space 21 between two consecutive metal plates, consisting of air or dielectric, forms a waveguide with parallel plates PPW (in English: parallel plate waveguide) whose upper and lower walls are the two consecutive metal plates. In the various figures, the metal plates are parallel to the XOY plane, the X direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of propagation of the radio frequency waves in each parallel plate waveguide. Two adjacent waveguides PPW1 and PPW2, PPW2 and PPW3, PPW3 and PPW4, comprise a common wall constituted by one of the metal plates 20. The Butler matrix therefore comprises N 30 parallel plate waveguides, stacked on one above the other in the direction Z orthogonal to the plane XOY, where N is an integer greater than three and selected from the powers of two. The Butler matrix also comprises couplers, for example of the hybrid coupler type 3dB, 90 °, each coupler being intended to couple two waveguides 35 adjacent to each other, 45 ° phase shifters and crossover devices 3034262. in English: crossover) intended to cross between them two adjacent waveguides. According to the invention, the couplers 15, the crossing devices 17 and the phase-shifters 16 are integrated locally into the metal plates forming the walls of the waveguides PPW1, PPW2, PPW3, PPW4 in respective coupling zones 22a, 22b , 22c, 22d, cross-over 24 and phase shift 23a, 23b, located in the path of propagation of radiofrequency waves and extending transversely, parallel to the Y direction, over the entire width D of the corresponding metal plate 20.
    [0013] To couple or cross two waveguides adjacent to each other, the metal plate forming the common wall between the two adjacent waveguides comprises coupling zones and crossing zones constituted by metasurfaces integrated locally in said common wall. . A metasurface is a textured surface consisting of a dense planar distribution of small identical or non-identical elements, fixed, or printed, or etched, on a very thin support. A metasurface is characterized by a surface impedance that locally modifies the longitudinal propagation of a guided wave in a waveguide. A metasurface possesses properties of great interest from an electromagnetic point of view since it makes it possible to control the propagation of electromagnetic waves along its surface. Depending on the desired properties, the elements fixed, or printed or engraved may for example be metal studs or metal patches or holes, regularly distributed or variable density. As shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, according to the invention, in each coupling zone 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d and in the crossing zone 24 which consists of two coupling zones disposed in cascade, one behind the On the other hand, the metasurface consists of a metallized support 26 provided with a plurality of through-holes 25 regularly distributed throughout the coupling zone, respectively in the entire crossing zone. The distance separating two adjacent holes is much less than, at least a factor of three, at the wavelengths guided in the parallel plate guide. The metasurface has a high reactive surface impedance, for example 100 ohms, the value of which depends on the density of the holes and the length L of the coupling zone. By way of non-limiting example, at 25 GHz, a 90 ° 3dB coupler synthesized by a metasurface having a reactive surface impedance of 100 Ohms was obtained with holes uniformly distributed over a length L equal to 35. mm. Two identical metasurfaces put end to end synthesize the crossing zone. It has been verified that these surface impedances are effective for radio waves having different angles of incidence. In order to effect a phase shift in a parallel plate waveguide, PPW1, PPW4, the two metal plates forming the upper and lower walls of the corresponding waveguide comprise phase-shifting zones 23a, 23b which may consist of corrugations arranged locally. on the inner surface of the two corresponding metal plates and whose width is equal to the transverse width D of the corresponding metal plates. In the example of FIGS. 3a and 3b, the number N of waveguides is four, and the number of metal plates 20 is five. Between the inputs 11, 12, 13, 14, and the outputs 01, 02, 03, 04, of the Butler matrix, a first coupling zone 22a is integrated in the second metal plate common to the first waveguide PPW1 and at the second waveguide PPW2 and a second coupling zone 22b is integrated in the fourth metal plate common to the third waveguide PPW3 and the fourth waveguide PPW4. Downstream of the two coupling zones 22a, 22b, the Butler matrix comprises a crossing zone 24 consisting of two hybrid couplers 3dB, 90 °, cascaded, one behind the other, in the third metal plate common to the second and third waveguides PPW2, PPW3, and two phase shift zones 23a, 23b respectively provided in the upper and lower walls of the first and fourth waveguides PPW1, PPW4. Finally, downstream of the phase shift zones 23a, 23b and the crossing zone 24, a third and a fourth coupling zone 23c, 23d are respectively integrated in the second metal plate common to the first and second waveguides PPW1. , PPW2 and in the fourth metal plate common to the third and fourth waveguides PPW3, PPW4. In operation, in the crossing zone 24 between two adjacent waveguides PPW2, PPW3, the radio frequency signals propagating in the two adjacent waveguides intersect and mutually exchange their propagation waveguide, which allows to couple two by two signals that propagate initially in non-adjacent waveguides to couple them. Thus, in this example, the radiofrequency signals propagating initially in the waveguides PPW2 and PPW3 are exchanged in the crossing zone 24 and then propagate, downstream of the crossing zone, respectively in the waveguides. PPW3 and PPW2 wave. They can then be respectively coupled to radio frequency signals that propagate in waveguides PPW4 and PPW1. In order for the Butler matrix to work properly for multiple incidences of radiofrequency waves propagating, in a TEM mode, in the parallel plate waveguides, it is necessary that the phase shift, coupling and crossover areas be compact. and therefore the surface impedances are high. The size of the phase shift, coupling and crossover areas is further reduced by the fact that the Butler matrix operates over a wider band and for higher radiofrequency wave incidences. Alternatively, as shown in the example of FIG. 5, the Butler matrix can be made according to a printed circuit technology by using a multilayer composite structure comprising a stack 20 of several layers consisting of etched and metallized substrates S1, S2, S3 , S4, S5 possibly being separated by spacers E1, E2, E3, E4. Each layer forms a waveguide comprising two metallized walls parallel to each other, each wall consisting of a metal coating 33 deposited on a dielectric substrate 32, the spacer 25 located between two metallized walls which may consist of air or comprise a material that is transparent to radio frequency waves, such as, for example, a honeycomb material, or a quartz material, or a Kevlar material, or an expanded polymer foam. The role of a spacer is to reduce propagation losses, but this spacer is not essential. The metal coating 33 deposited on the substrate 32 is then equivalent to a metal plate 20. The coupling zones 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d and crossing 24 between two adjacent waveguides then consist of slots etched in the metal coating , the length of the slot in the crossing zone 24 being twice the length of each slot in the different coupling zones, and the zones of phase shift consist of metasurfaces, deposited on the metal coating, which modify the propagation delay of radiofrequency waves. According to the invention, in the phase shift zone 23a, 23b of a waveguide, the metasurfaces may, for example, consist of a set of metal patches 30 which are periodically photolithographed by photolithography on the internal face of the dielectric substrate. two walls of the corresponding waveguide. Although this is not essential, the metal patches may for example be short-circuited by connecting them to the metal coating of the wall of the corresponding waveguide, through a through-hole metallized 31 arranged in the corresponding dielectric substrate. The distribution period of the metal patches, equal to the distance between two adjacent metal patches, is less than the propagation wavelength of the radiofrequency waves in the waveguide with parallel metallic walls.
    [0014] The Butler matrix according to the invention constitutes a one-dimensional beamformer when used alone. According to the invention, the two-dimensional planar beamformer comprises a Butler matrix 41 having N parallel-stacked PPW waveguides, stacked one above the other, where N is an integer greater than three and chosen from among the powers of two, for example, 4, 8, 16, 32 ..., and further comprises an optical device of the optical lens or reflector type. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the number N of waveguides PPW1, PPW2, PPW3, PPW4, is equal to 4. The structure of the Butler matrix is identical to that shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. In addition, the beamformer comprises N optical lenses 42 respectively integrated in the N waveguides delimited by N + 1 parallel metal plates. In FIG. 6, the optical lenses 42 are arranged in the waveguides PPW, at the input of the Butler matrix 41, between the input feed horns 43 of each waveguide and the Butler matrix. 41, while in FIG. 7, the optical lenses 42 are arranged in the PPW waveguides at the outlet of the Butler matrix 41, between the Butler matrix and exit horns 44. For example, each optical lens 42 may be a dielectric lens whose dielectric permittivity is different from that of the propagation medium of the parallel plate waveguides PPW1, PPW2, PPW3, PPW3, PPW4 (which is equal to 1 if the waveguides PPW1, .. ., PPW4 are filled with air or equal to the permittivity of the substrate 32 in the case where the waveguides consist of a stack of layers of metallized and etched substrates). Each optical lens 42 integrated in a parallel plate waveguide may have parabolic edges as shown on the waveguide PPW of FIG. 8a, or be a variable-thickness lens, or, to avoid discontinuities of shape. be a straight-edged, constant-thickness, refractive index gradient lens as shown in the waveguide PPW of FIG. 8b, or any other type of optical lens having a variable refractive index for phase shifting radiofrequency waves according to a predefined phase law. The planar beam former thus produced makes it possible, with the Butler matrix 41, to synthesize beams in the XOZ plane perpendicular to the parallel plates and makes it possible, with the optical lens 42, to synthesize beams in the XOY plane parallel to the parallel plates without any discontinuity. propagation in the parallel plate waveguides and without using any interconnection, or any connecting cable. To obtain a planar antenna, M feed horns 43 aligned next to each other are connected at the input of each waveguide PPW, where M is greater than two, and at the output of the beamformer, each waveguide The PPW wave may be connected to a plurality of radiating output elements or to a single longitudinal radiating horn 44 coupled to a linear radiating aperture. In FIGS. 6, 7, 8a and 8b, the number M of 25 feed horns 43 is equal to 7 per waveguide, ie MN inlet horns in total, equal to 28 for the four waveguides PPW. In FIGS. 6 and 7, only one longitudinal radiating horn 44 is used at the output of each waveguide PPW. Each radial linear aperture, coupled to the longitudinal radiating output horn 44, extends transversely across the entire width D of the corresponding waveguide. In FIGS. 6 and 7, each linear aperture radiating is oriented to radiate in a direction Z perpendicular to the plane XOY of the parallel plates, but this is not essential, the linear openings could also be in the extension of the parallel plates. It should be noted that in FIGS. 6 and 7, the radiating plane of the longitudinal radiating horns is not parallel to the parallel plates, but is folded in relation to the parallel plates. Of course, this is not essential. It is also possible to arrange the radiating cornets in the extension of the parallel plates, but in this case it may be necessary to add a transition between each horn and the corresponding waveguide when the width of the horns is greater than thickness of the waveguides. A longitudinal horn has the advantage of radiating energy over the entire width of the opening of the parallel plate waveguide, which makes it possible to produce an antenna with a large bandwidth of operation and with a large capacity of misalignment of the beam formed and makes it possible to overcome the lobes of networks. The dimensions of the beamformer including optical lenses are strongly constrained by the focal length between each optical lens 42 and the input feed horns 43. The greater the focal length, the better the quality of the depointed beams. When the optical lenses are arranged at the outlet of the Butler matrix as shown in FIG. 7, the required focal length between each optical lens and the feed horns is advantageously used by the Butler matrix, which makes it possible to reduce the dimensions of the beamformer which is then more compact. In this embodiment, radiofrequency waves propagating in the Butler matrix are no longer flat but cylindrical.
    [0015] Figure 9 illustrates another embodiment of a two-dimensional planar beamformer having no propagation discontinuity. In this embodiment, the planar beamformer comprises 2N + 1 parallel plates 20 constituting the respective walls of 2N parallel plate waveguides distributed over two floors, respectively lower 50 and upper 51. Each floor has N guide plates. wave in PPW technology, stacked one above the other, where N is greater than three. Each parallel plate waveguide PPW1, PPW2, PPW3, PPW4 of the lower stage is respectively connected in series with a parallel plate waveguide PPW8, PPW7, PPW6, PPW5 of the upper stage by the intermediate of a respective intermediate waveguide, with parallel plates PPWP1, PPWP2, PPWP3, PPWP4, disposed orthogonally to the XOY plane of the two stages of the beamformer. The parallel metal plates forming the walls of each intermediate waveguide then form a reflector integrated in the beamformer, as in a pillbox-type beamformer. The parallel metal plates forming the walls of the intermediate waveguides may comprise a chosen shape profile, which may for example be of straight shape as illustrated in FIG. 9 or of curved shape, for example of parabolic shape, as illustrated. Figures 10a and 10b, which represent two lower and upper stages of a planar antenna having such a beamformer. At the output of the reflector, the N waveguides PPW8, PPW7, PPW6, PPW5 of the upper stage are coupled together by a Butler matrix according to the invention and as described in connection with FIGS. 3a and 3b.
    [0016] To produce a planar antenna, it suffices then to equip, each waveguide PPWP1, PPWP2, PPWP3, PPWP4 of the lower stage of the beamformer, with a plurality of radiating horns 43 for feeding and at the output of the matrix. of Butler 41, coupling each waveguide PPW8, PPW7, PPW6, PPW5 of the upper stage to a longitudinal output horn 44 coupled to a linear radiating aperture extending transversely across the entire width D of the waveguide. corresponding metal plate wave, as shown in Figures 10a and 10b. For double polarization operation, for example circular, the invention consists in using two identical Butler matrices, respectively dedicated to each polarization, and stacked one above the other as shown in FIG. Butler matrix comprises four waveguides A, B, C, D and A ', B', C ', D', in PPW parallel plate waveguide technology. Each Butler matrix being dedicated to one of the two polarizations, at the output of the beamformer, the PPW waveguides operating in the same polarization are adjacent to each other. However, to produce a circular double polarization antenna, it is necessary to supply radially circular circular output output elements via orthomode transducers OMT. It is therefore necessary, at the output of the Butler matrix, to group two different polar waveguides two by two. For this purpose, at the output of the two Butler matrices, the invention also consists in successively crossing adjacent waveguides chosen to group two by two the waveguides of different polarizations. The crossings are made by metasurfaces integrated in the metal plates common to two adjacent waveguides to cross, as explained in connection with FIG. 3b. Thus, in the example of FIG. 11, a first intersection is made between the waveguides D and A 'by a metasurface integrated in the fifth metal plate 5. Then two successive crossings are respectively made between the guides of FIG. wave D and C and between the waveguides B and C by corresponding metasurfaces integrated in the fourth and third metal plates 4, 3. Similarly symmetrically, two successive crossings are respectively made between the waveguides A 'and B and B 'and C' by corresponding metasurfaces 15 integrated in the plates 6, 7. The different crossings made allow, at the output of the two Butler matrices, to group together the waveguides A and A ', the guides of wave B and B ', waveguides C and C' and waveguides D and D '. The number of waveguides of each Butler matrix is not limited to four but must be equal to a power of two.
    [0017] Although the invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments, it is quite obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and that it includes all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if these These are within the scope of the invention. 25
    权利要求:
    Claims (13)
    [0001]
    CLAIMS1 compact Butler matrix having N waveguides, where N is an integer greater than three and selected from the powers of two, couplers (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) for coupling two adjacent waveguides, phase shifters (23a, 23b) and at least one crossing device (24) adapted to intersect two adjacent waveguides, the crossing device (24) comprising two couplers connected in series, the Butler matrix being characterized in that it consists of a planar multilayer structure comprising N + 1 metal plates (20) parallel to each other, stacked one above the other, and regularly spaced from each other, each space between two consecutive metal plates forming a guide parallel plate waveguide (PPW1, PPW2, PPW3, PPW4) of which two opposing walls, respectively upper and lower, are the two consecutive metal plates, two metal plate waveguides adjacent laminations having a common wall constituted by one of the metal plates, and in that the couplers (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d), the phase shifters (23a, 23b) and the crossover device (24) are constituted by integrated metasurfaces in the respective walls (20) of the waveguides to be coupled, crossed and out of phase.
    [0002]
    2. Butler matrix according to claim 1, characterized in that the metasurfaces constituting each coupler (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) and the crossing device (24) between two adjacent waveguides (PPW1, PPW2), ( PPW2, PPW3), (PPW3, PPW4) consist of a plurality of through holes (25) regularly distributed in a coupling zone, respectively a crossing zone, of the wall common to the two adjacent adjacent waveguides, and in that the metasurfaces constituting each phase shifter (23a, 23b) integrated in a waveguide (PPW1), (PPW4) consist of corrugations arranged in a phase shift zone, on the two opposite walls of the corresponding waveguide. 3034262 18
    [0003]
    3. Butler matrix according to claim 1, characterized in that each metal plate consists of a metal coating (33) deposited on a dielectric substrate (32) and in that each coupler (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) and the crossing device (24) between two adjacent waveguides is constituted by a slot etched in the metal coating, the length of the slot of the crossing device (24) being twice the length of the slot a coupler. 10
    [0004]
    4. Butler matrix according to claim 3, characterized in that each phase shifter consists of a set of metal patches (30) periodically photogravated on the dielectric substrate (32) of the two walls of a waveguide to phase shift. 15
    [0005]
    5. Planar beam former characterized in that it comprises at least one Butler matrix (41) according to one of claims 1 to 4.
    [0006]
    6. Planar beamformer according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises two different Butler matrices stacked one above the other and respectively dedicated to two different polarizations orthogonal to each other.
    [0007]
    Planar beamformer according to claim 5, characterized in that it further comprises N integrated optical lenses (42) integrated at the output of the Butler matrix (41) in the N waveguides delimited by the N + 1 parallel metallic plates.
    [0008]
    Planar beamformer according to claim 5, characterized in that it further comprises N integrated optical lenses (42) integrated at the input of the Butler matrix (41) in the N waveguides delimited by the N + 1 metal plates.
    [0009]
    Planar beamformer according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that each optical lens (42) is a lens of constant thickness and graded index. 3034262 19
    [0010]
    Planar beamformer according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises two stacked stages, respectively lower (50) and upper (51), each stage comprising an identical number of parallel plate waveguides, the Butler matrix (41) being located at the upper stage (51), each parallel plate waveguide (PPW1, PPW2, PPW3, PPW4) of the lower stage (50) being connected in series with a guide of parallel plate wave (PPW5, PPW6, PPW7, PPW8) of the upper stage (51) by a respective intermediate waveguide (PPWP1, PPWP2, PPWP3, PPWP4) having parallel metal plates arranged orthogonally to the XOY plane the two lower and upper stages, the parallel metal plates constituting the walls of each intermediate waveguide forming a reflector integrated in the beamformer. 15
    [0011]
    11.Antenna plane comprising at least one Butler matrix according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it further comprises M radiating feed horns (43) connected to the input of each plate waveguide parallel wires (20), ie MN 20 feeding horns for the N metal plate waveguides, where M is greater than 2, and N output radiating horns (44) respectively connected to the N waveguides at metal plates. 25
    [0012]
    12.Antenna plane according to claim 11, characterized in that each output radiator horn (44) is a longitudinal horn coupled to a linear radiating aperture extending transversely over the entire width of the corresponding parallel plate waveguide. 30
    [0013]
    Planar antenna according to Claim 12, characterized in that the linear radiating openings are oriented in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the parallel plates (20) of the corresponding parallel plate waveguide. 35
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    EP3073569A1|2016-09-28|
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    EP3073569B1|2020-05-20|
    US20160285165A1|2016-09-29|
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    法律状态:
    2016-02-23| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 2 |
    2016-09-30| PLSC| Search report ready|Effective date: 20160930 |
    2017-02-27| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 3 |
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    2020-02-27| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 6 |
    2021-02-25| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 7 |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    FR1500565A|FR3034262B1|2015-03-23|2015-03-23|COMPACT BUTLER MATRIX, PLANAR BIDIMENSIONAL BEAM FORMER AND FLAT ANTENNA COMPRISING SUCH A BUTLER MATRIX|
    FR1500565|2015-03-23|FR1500565A| FR3034262B1|2015-03-23|2015-03-23|COMPACT BUTLER MATRIX, PLANAR BIDIMENSIONAL BEAM FORMER AND FLAT ANTENNA COMPRISING SUCH A BUTLER MATRIX|
    US15/076,244| US9887458B2|2015-03-23|2016-03-21|Compact butler matrix, planar two-dimensional beam-former and planar antenna comprising such a butler matrix|
    EP16161459.9A| EP3073569B1|2015-03-23|2016-03-21|Compact butler matrix , planar bi-dimensional beam-former, and planar antenna with such a butler matrix|
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