Patent ID: 6313804
Filing Date: 2001-11-06
Classification: H01Q

Abstract:
A method for obtaining a continuous aperture scanning reflector antenna comprising the steps of:arranging a reflector element in the form of a plate of a material presenting ferroelectric properties;arranging a first grid of resistive wires onto a first side of the plate of material presenting ferroelectric properties, the wires of said first grid being connected in parallel by a first and a second highly conducting wire, each being electrically connected at respective ends of said resistive wires along said first and second highly conducting wire;arranging a second grid of resistive wires onto a second side of the plate of material presenting ferroelectric properties, said second grid of wires running perpendicular to said first grid of wires and the wires of said second grid being connected in parallel by a third and a fourth highly conducting wire, each being electrically connected at respective ends of the resistive wires along said third and fourth highly conducting wires;connecting a first variable voltage source U.sub.y across said first grid of resistive wires and a second variable voltage source U.sub.x across said second grid of resistive wires for creating a controllable variable electric potential perpendicularly along the wires of each grid forming a static E-field across said plate;providing the plate on said second side with a layer of highly conducting wires forming a third grid of wires, said third grid of wires running parallel to said second grid of resistive wires;illuminating the first side of the plate of material presenting ferroelectric properties with a linearly polarized microwave field, the E vector of which being parallel with said third grid of highly conducting wires;controlling the dielectric constant across the surface of the reflecting element by controlling the voltage of the first and the second voltage sources to thereby control the direction of an antenna lobe generated by the reflected microwave power by means of the reflecting element of the scanning aperture antenna device.