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:
Jul. 13, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 12, 1995
Timothy G Waterman, Eldersburg, MD (US);
William F Hoover, Davidsonville, MD (US);
Northrop Grumman Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A full coverage antenna module provides radiation in 360.degree. in a weight, space and cost effective manner. The antenna module includes two back-to-back electronically scanned (.+-.60.degree.) antenna arrays and an end-fire array mounted on at least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the module. The end-fire array is bi-directional, may be scanned by .+-.30.degree. in both of its directions, and serves as a gap filler to provide coverage not supplied by the side arrays. The end-fire array may include a plurality of rows of antenna elements, adjacent rows of which are separated by an offset width. Preferably, the antenna elements in the rows have a non-periodic inter-element spacing. The antenna elements in the end-fire array may be of different types, for example, both monopoles and dipoles may be used in the same end-fire array. If monopoles are used, they are preferably mounted on a corrugated ground plane.