Controllable Directional Antenna Apparatus And Method
First Claim
1. A Yagi antenna array, comprising:
- a first driven element disposed on a first substrate;
a first reflector disposed on said first substrate on one side of the first driven element, said first reflector being bent such that an unbent length of the first reflector is longer than a length of the first driven element, but a bent length of the first reflector is shorter than the length of the first driven element;
a plurality of first directors disposed on said first substrate on a side of said first driven element which is opposite a side on which the first reflector is disposed;
a second driven element disposed on said first substrate and (i) co-planar but (ii) non-linear, with respect to the first driven element;
a second reflector disposed on said first substrate on one side of the second driven element, said second reflector being bent such that an unbent length of the second reflector is longer than a length of the second driven element, but a bent length of the second reflector is shorter than the length of the second driven element; and
a plurality of second directors disposed on said first substrate on a side of said second driven element which is opposite a side on which the second reflector is disposed.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Controllable directional antenna apparatus and method preferably includes structure and/or steps whereby a Yagi antenna array has a first driven element, a first reflector, and plurality of first directors disposed on a common substrate. The first reflector is bent such that (i) an unbent length thereof is longer than a length of the first driven element, but (ii) a bent length thereof is shorter than the length of the first driven element. A second driven element is also disposed on the common substrate but is angled with respect to the first driven element. A second reflector and a plurality of second directors are also disposed on the common substrate. The second reflector is bent like the first reflector, to reduce the footprint of the array on the substrate. Preferably, the Yagi antenna elements are printed on a printed circuit board.
23 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A Yagi antenna array, comprising:
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a first driven element disposed on a first substrate; a first reflector disposed on said first substrate on one side of the first driven element, said first reflector being bent such that an unbent length of the first reflector is longer than a length of the first driven element, but a bent length of the first reflector is shorter than the length of the first driven element; a plurality of first directors disposed on said first substrate on a side of said first driven element which is opposite a side on which the first reflector is disposed; a second driven element disposed on said first substrate and (i) co-planar but (ii) non-linear, with respect to the first driven element; a second reflector disposed on said first substrate on one side of the second driven element, said second reflector being bent such that an unbent length of the second reflector is longer than a length of the second driven element, but a bent length of the second reflector is shorter than the length of the second driven element; and a plurality of second directors disposed on said first substrate on a side of said second driven element which is opposite a side on which the second reflector is disposed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A printed Yagi antenna array comprising
a horizontal printed circuit board substrate; - and
first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth Yagi antennas printed on the horizontal substrate, each Yagi antenna oriented with respect to its neighboring Yagi antennas such that their respective beams diverge in a range of about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees, each Yagi antenna including; a driven element; a reflector disposed on one side of the driven element, the reflector being bent such that an unbent length of the reflector is longer than a length of the driven element, but a bent length of the reflector is shorter than the length of the driven element; and a plurality of directors disposed on a side of the driven element which is opposite a side on which the reflector is disposed. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A Yagi antenna, comprising:
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a driven element; a director disposed on a side of the driven element; a reflector disposed on a side of said driven element which is opposite a side on which the director is disposed, said reflector being bent such that an unbent length of the reflector is longer than a length of the driven element, but a bent length of the reflector is shorter than the length of the driven element; and a strand-mounted housing enclosing said Yagi antenna.
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20. A Yagi antenna array, comprising:
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a substrate; a first Yagi antenna including; a first driven element disposed on said substrate; a first director disposed on said substrate on a side of the first driven element; and a first reflector disposed on said substrate on a side of said first driven element which is opposite a side on which the director is disposed; and a second Yagi antenna including; a second driven element disposed on said substrate; a second director disposed on said substrate on another side of the second driven element; and a second reflector disposed on said substrate on a side of said second driven element which is opposite a side on which the second director is disposed, wherein the beam of the first Yagi antenna is directed along a different azimuth than the beam of the second Yagi antenna. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method of switching antenna beams in a circularly-oriented, six Yagi antenna array disposed on a printed circuit board, each Yagi antenna having a driven element, a reflector, and plural directors, comprising the steps of:
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operating a control circuit so as to activate a first driven element to cause a first beam to be (i) reflected by a first reflector having an unbent length which is longer than a length of the first driven element, but a bent length of which is shorter than the length of the first driven element, and (ii) directed by plural first directors in a first direction; and operating the control circuit so as to inactivate the first driven element; operating the control circuit so as to activate a second driven element to cause a second beam to be (i) reflected by a second reflector having an unbent length which is longer than a length of the second driven element, but a bent length of which is shorter than the length of the second driven element, and (ii) directed by plural second directors in a second direction which is at least 30 degrees divergent from the first direction.
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Specification