Patent · US Expired

Multimode array antenna

US4376281A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
9References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 23, 1980
Grant dateMar 8, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 23, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01Q25/02
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An array antenna having a plurality of radiating elements positioned in a planar configuration is divided into four separate quadrants. The array antenna is capable of being switched between two modes, a narrow pencil beam mode and a cosec.sup.2 .theta.cos.theta. mode, through the use of a single switch and a pair of phase shifters. In the pencil beam mode, the transmitted energy is symmetrically divided between the four quadrants of the antenna. By changing the switch to its second position the power is diverted to only the upper half of the antenna and a pair of phase shifters introduces a phase shift to the radiating elements along the lower half of the upper portion of the antenna. This causes an asymmetric radiation pattern from the antenna creating the cosec.sup.2 .theta.cos.theta. beam which is well suited for ground mapping.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.