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:
Feb. 06, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 26, 1999
Deborah Sue Dendy, Tempe, AZ (US);
David Warren Corman, Gilbert, AZ (US);
Stephen Chih-hung Ma, Mesa, AZ (US);
Archer David Munger, Mesa, AZ (US);
Keith Vaclav Warble, Chandler, AZ (US);
Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US);
Abstract
A planar array antenna for use with an earth-based subscriber unit generates receive or transmit communications beams through the use of digital beamforming networks (,) which provide beam steering in a first dimension. In another dimension, the communications beams are synthesized by way of a waveguide structure (,, FIG.,) which is repeated for each row of the antenna array. The waveguide outputs are weighted due to the positioning of coupling slots (,) or coupling probes (,) which transfer carrier signals to and from each waveguide. The slots or coupling probes from the waveguides are coupled to a group of barium strontium titanate (BST) (,, FIG.,) or micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) switch (,, FIG.,) phase shift elements which are under the control of a control network (,, FIG.,). The resulting signals are radiated by the antenna elements of the planar antenna array (,, FIG.,) to form a communications beam.