Patent ID: 6037908
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: H01Q

Abstract:
A microwave antenna having a movable feed, said microwave antenna comprising:a thin layer radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section having:1) a conductive first plate;2) a dielectric slab disposed on said conductive first plate and having a convex edge, positioned such that the convex edge functions as a microwave lens with respect to incident microwave radiation;3) a conductive radiating-receiving second plate defining a radiating-receiving area, disposed on said dielectric slab, said second plate comprising a plurality of spaced apertures, said plurality of spaced apertures defining a spacing chosen to produce or define microwave beams having directions into or out of said second plate determined by directions of propagation of microwave radiation within said radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section, andwherein the feed propagates microwave radiation into, or receives microwave radiation from, an air cavity formed by said first and second conductive plates, andwherein wavefronts of the microwave radiation incident on said convex edge of the dielectric slab are made substantially parallel to each other, andwherein the horizontal direction of microwave radiation radiated from the dielectric slab is controlled by corresponding horizontal movement of the feed.