Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for electronically controlling the radiation pattern of an antenna having one or more beams of variable width and/or direction

US5151706A · kind A · utility

69Cited by
16References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 29, 1992
Grant dateSep 29, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 29, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01Q3/40
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The apparatus comprises: an array of N radiating elements, subdivided into P subarrays of M elements each, each beam of a specified pattern using a plurality of elements selected from the elements of at least some of the subarrays; a common signal source; power divider means having one input and N outputs to distribute the signal delivered by the source; amplifier means for amplifying said signal; and means for selectively exciting at least some of the elements with the amplified signal at a controlled phase shift so as to obtain the radiation pattern specified for the antenna. According to the invention, the apparatus is provided, between the power divider means and the radiating elements, with: P groups of M phase shifter-and-amplifier modules placed at the output of the power divider means; and P couplers each having M inputs and M outputs, said M inputs being connected to the M corresponding outputs of the associated group of phase shifter-and-amplifier modules, and said M outputs being connected to the M elements of the associated subarray. The phase shifts of the phase shifter-and-amplifier modules are selected in such a manner as to direct the power delivered by the source t…

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