The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 16, 1978
Filed:
Apr. 02, 1976
Donald H Archer, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Raytheon Company, Lexington, MA (US);
Abstract
A radio frequency beam forming network is disclosed wherein a plurality of antenna feed elements arranged in the focal plane of a radio frequency lens is coupled to corresponding input ports of a radio frequency energy distributing means. Output ports of such radio frequency energy distributing means are coupled to a receiver/transmitter through different paths. Disposed in the different paths are active elements, including variable phase shifters and attenuators. The active elements, in response to control signals, provide proper attenuation and phase shift to the signals passing therethrough thereby to form a desired antenna beam. Such antenna beam is comprised of one or more 'spot' beams. With such arrangements failure of a single one of the active elements will only slightly degrade system performance without resulting in a complete loss of any one of the 'spot' beams.