Antenna lattice for single-panel full-duplex satellite user terminals

Abstract

A full-duplex User Terminal Panel (UTP) including one or more User Terminal Modules (UT M) having a plurality of Tx antenna elements. Each of the Tx antenna elements spaced apart from one another by a distance dTx. The full-duplex UTP further includes a plurality of Rx antenna elements. Each of the Rx antenna elements are spaced apart from one another by a distance dRx. Furthermore, the Tx antenna elements may be spaced according to a Tx lattice dTx, such that the Tx lattice dTx spacing arrangement provides grating lobe-free scanning in an elevation plane at a Tx frequency range. The Rx antenna elements are spaced according to an Rx lattice dRx, such that the Rx lattice dRx spacing arrangement provides grating lobe-free scanning in an elevation plane at a Rx frequency range.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A full-duplex User Terminal Panel (UTP} comprising:
 one or more User Terminal Modules (UTM)s, each UTM comprising:
 two or more unit cells, each unit cell comprising:
 a transmit (Tx) antenna element, comprising a plurality of Tx antenna element ports; 
 a receive (Rx) antenna element, comprising a plurality of Rx antenna element ports; 
 wherein a center of a first Tx antenna element of a first unit cell has a distance x to a center of a first Tx antenna element of a second unit cell; 
 wherein, each of the Tx antenna elements transmit via a first frequency range, and each of the Rx antenna elements receive via a second frequency range., the first frequency range being different than the second frequency range; and 
 wherein a center of a first Rx antenna element of the first unit cell has a same distance to a center of a first Rx antenna element of the second unit cell, and wherein the distance x is a value such that a grating lobe-free scanning in an elevation plane at the second frequency range is achieved; at least one Tx radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) configured to 
 transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal, the Tx RFIC comprising one or more Tx channels, each of the Tx channels connected individually to one of the plurality of Tx antenna element ports: and 
 at least one Rx RFIC configured to receive an RF signal, the Rx RFIC comprising one or more Rx channels, each of the Rx channels connected individually to one of the plurality of Rx antenna element ports.