The Need

Previously, it was necessary to have three separate parabolic dish antennas, each with positioning equipment, to receive signals from three different satellites. In order to make these multiple independent contacts, communications arrays grow quickly in size with increased costs for each addition. As multiple contact communications and high speed internet increase in importance, hedging the upgrade costs on communications satellite antenna will prove attractive for stakeholders in the technology.

The Technology

The Ohio State University researchers, led by Dr. Eric Walton, developed a novel satellite communications system. This invention incorporates three independently pointing antenna systems into the same radome without an increase in the size of the radome. The technology employs frequency selective surface concepts to build each antenna as an array antenna, but in this invention, the array antenna is transparent to the signals from the antenna below it.

Commercial Applications

• Antenna industry
• Internet and communications

Benefits/Advantages

• Compact radome design with three antennas
• Gain and beam width are unaffected by the other antennas