Electrically-controllable back-fed antenna and method for using same

US6067047A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Motorola, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Dean Lawrence Cook · Mesa, US
• Kenneth V. Buer · Gilbert, US
• Deborah Sue Dendy · Tempe, US
• David W. Corman · Gilbert, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 28, 1997
• Grant date: May 23, 2000
• Expiry date: Nov 28, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01Q21/065
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A user terminal (110) which comprises an electrically-controllable back-fed antenna (300, FIG. 3) is used for the formation of single and multiple beams. The electrically-controllable back-fed antenna comprises an RF power distribution/combination network (310), electrically-controllable phase-shifting elements (320), a control network (440, FIG. 4) and radiating/receiving elements (360). The control network is coupled to the electrically-controllable phase-shifting elements and is used for controlling the dielectric constant of dielectric material contained within the electrically-controllable phase-shifting elements. In a preferred embodiment, phase-shifting elements comprise waveguide sections containing at least one dielectric material, and the dielectric material includes a ferroelectric material, preferably comprising Barium Strontium Titanate (BST).