초록 ▼

The present invention makes it possible to provide a guided wave antenna having a radiation pattern which can be controlled electronically, by control signals derived from a computer or any other suitable source. In this way, the directional characteristics of the antenna can be adjusted and/or scan

The present invention makes it possible to provide a guided wave antenna having a radiation pattern which can be controlled electronically, by control signals derived from a computer or any other suitable source. In this way, the directional characteristics of the antenna can be adjusted and/or scanned rapidly, without any mechanical manipulation of the antenna. In one embodiment, a guided radio wave is launched along an antenna surface having an array of elements which provide variable non-uniform surface impedance adapted to be controlled by electronic signals. For example, each variable impedance element may comprise a wave guide section having one end leading from the antenna surface. Each wave guide section may include a solid-state electronic reflection amplifier having charcteristics which can be varied by supplying control signals to the amplifier, to vary the magnitude and phase angle of the wave reflected from the reflection amplifier. By changing the control signals supplied to any particular reflection amplifier, it is possible to cause attenuation or amplification and phase shift of the guided wave as it passes across the particular wave guide section. A wide variety of solid-state electronic control elements may be provided along one or more surfaces of the antenna. In another embodiment, a wave traveling in a closed subsurface wave guide is coupled into the guided wave open surface structure, using an array of wave guide elements containing electronically controllable amplifiers and phase shifters.

대표청구항 ▼

An electronically variable guided wave antenna, comprising antenna surface means capable of supporting a radio frequency guided wave along said surface means, launching means directed along and generally parallel with said antenna surface means for launching a radio frequency guided wave along said

An electronically variable guided wave antenna, comprising antenna surface means capable of supporting a radio frequency guided wave along said surface means, launching means directed along and generally parallel with said antenna surface means for launching a radio frequency guided wave along said antenna surface means, said antenna surface means comprising electronically controllable surface impedance means distributed over said surface means and including first control signal responsive means for varying the real magnitude component of the surface impedance presented to said guided wave over said surface means in a non-uniform manner, said surface impedance means also including second control signal responsive means for separately varying the phase angle of the surface impedance presented to said guided wave over said surface means in a non-uniform manner, and control means for supplying individual control signals to said first and second control signal responsive means to vary the propagation characteristics and the directional radiation pattern of said guided wave antenna, said electronically controllable surface impedance means comprising an array of closely spaced discrete electronically controllable surface impedance elements distributed over said surface means, said array of discrete electronically controllable surface impedance elements comprising an array of wave guide elements leading from said surface means and including electronically variable means incorporating said first and second control signal responsive means, said electronically variable means including a reflection amplifier having a single port connected to the corresponding wave guide element, said amplifier comprising said first control signal responsive means operative to vary the amplification characteristics of said amplifier and said second control signal responsive means operative to vary the phase characteristics of said amplifier.