Reconfigurable stacked patch antenna with beamsteering capabilities

Antennas with beamsteering capabilities can increase the SNR of a system by steering the beam of the antenna away from noise sources. They have also been shown to increase the capacity of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) network. However, phased arrays, the traditional structure used for achieving beamsteering, are expensive and bulky. The antenna discussed in this paper offers a degree of beamsteering that is achieved inexpensively and compactly with a static impedance response. The final embodiment of this antenna will use switches rather than costly phase shifters. Beamsteering is accomplished through changes in the structure of a parasitic element. Altering the structure of a parasitic element instead of a driven one normally results in more static input impedance over the frequency band of interest.