Reconfigurable contoured beam antenna using fixed sub-beam forming networks

A concept has been developed combining features of systems with hybrid and switchable reconfigurability. The building blocks of this novel concept are fixed BFNs (beam-forming networks). The fixed BFNs are connected to input ports by use of VPDs (variable power dividers) or switches. Compared to other concepts, only a very small number of variable or switching components is needed. The crux of the design is the optimization of the feed excitations of each fixed sub-BFN. Each fixed sub-BFN is switched to the input port directly to generate an individual contoured beam. The same BFN is combined with another fixed BFN to generate a different footprint, the sum of the individual beams. This requires simultaneous optimization of each sub-BFN for multiple coverages. The concept has potential for a highly reconfigurable antenna. The number of theoretically available beams increases much faster than the increase of overall system complexity represented by the required variable/switchable BFN components.<>