A study on the variable radiation pattern antenna using a parasitic slot

It is advantageous for cellular phones or WLAN-APs (wireless LAN access points) that their antennas have variable radiation patterns in certain cases, such when they are mounted on a wall or for the purpose of avoiding interference. Most conventional antennas, such as reactively controlled directive arrays, are composed of multiple elements of identical shape to resolve the above-mentioned issues. This work proposes a novel variable radiation pattern antenna consisting of an inverted-F antenna and a parasitic slot with an electrical switch, and shows its fundamental characteristics and the appropriateness of its parameter optimization with GA.