Low cost trombone line beamformer
US6831602B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 21, 2002 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 21, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01Q21/065
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A microstrip trombone delay line is used to provide a low cost true time delay device. An array of printed trombone lines arranged in a network is used to implement a linear beamformer. The beamformer forms an array that scans signals in one or more dimensions. Each microstrip trombone delay line includes printed traces on a fixed substrate and a printed trombone line on a movable superstrate. The microstrip trombone delay line may have different dimensions to vary the characteristic impendence at either end for impedance matching purposes. Beamformers using microstrip trombone delay lines and scanning in multiple principal planes require few movable parts and only linear actuators.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.