Scanning antenna with electronically reconfigurable signal feed
First Claim
1. A scanning antenna system, comprising:
- a feed line having first and second ends;
a scanning antenna element disposed with respect to the feed line so that an electromagnetic signal input to one of the first and second ends of the feed line is evanescently coupled to the scanning antenna element, whereby the scanning antenna element is configured to radiate or receive the electromagnetic signal as a shaped beam through an angular scanning field having a stop band, a negative scanning space on a first side of the stop band, and a positive scanning space on a second side of the stop band; and
a switching network operatively coupled to the feed line and configured to switch the electromagnetic signal input to or from the feed line between the first end of the feed line and the second end of the feed line in a controlled sequence, whereby the shaped beam radiated or received by the scanning antenna element is scanned in the negative scanning space, the stop band, and the positive scanning space.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A scanning antenna system includes a feed line having first and second ends, and a scanning antenna element disposed with respect to the feed line so that, in the transmit mode, a signal input to one of the first and second ends of the feed line is evanescently coupled to the antenna element, whereby the antenna element radiates the signal as a shaped beam through an angular scanning field having a negative angular scanning space and a positive angular scanning space on either side of the stop band near 0°. A switching network, operatively coupled to the feed line, switches the signal input between the first and second ends of the feed line in a controlled sequence, whereby the shaped beam radiated by the antenna element is scanned in the negative scanning space, the stop band, and the positive scanning space. The antenna system performs reciprocally in the receive mode.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A scanning antenna system, comprising:
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a feed line having first and second ends; a scanning antenna element disposed with respect to the feed line so that an electromagnetic signal input to one of the first and second ends of the feed line is evanescently coupled to the scanning antenna element, whereby the scanning antenna element is configured to radiate or receive the electromagnetic signal as a shaped beam through an angular scanning field having a stop band, a negative scanning space on a first side of the stop band, and a positive scanning space on a second side of the stop band; and a switching network operatively coupled to the feed line and configured to switch the electromagnetic signal input to or from the feed line between the first end of the feed line and the second end of the feed line in a controlled sequence, whereby the shaped beam radiated or received by the scanning antenna element is scanned in the negative scanning space, the stop band, and the positive scanning space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of operating a scanning antenna system including a scanning antenna element evanescently coupled to a feed line having first and second opposed ends, wherein the antenna element is configured to radiate or receive an electromagnetic beam across an angular scanning field having a first angular scanning space, a second angular scanning space, and a stop band between the first and second field angular scanning spaces, wherein the method comprises:
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using a switching network operatively connected to the feed line to; direct a signal solely to the first end of the feed line while the antenna element scans from the first scanning space to the stop band; direct equal parts of the signal simultaneously to the first and second ends of the feed line while the antenna element scans through the stop band; and direct the signal solely to the second end of the feed line while the antenna element scans from the stop band through the second scanning space. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification