Patent ID: 6801160
Filing Date: 2004-10-05
Classification: H01Q,H04W

Abstract:
An apparatus for employment in an antenna system configured for beam scanning operation; the apparatus comprising:(a) a plurality of antenna elements; said plurality of antenna elements being arranged in a plurality of element sets arrayed in a plurality of columns; each respective column of said plurality of columns including at least one said element set of said plurality of element sets; each respective element set of said plurality of element sets including at least one respective antenna element of said plurality of antenna elements; (b) a plurality of beam forming network devices; each respective beam forming network device of said plurality of beam forming network devices being coupled with each said respective antenna element of at least one said respective element set in at least one said respective column; each said respective beam forming network including a plurality of voltage tunable dielectric phase shifter units; said plurality of voltage tunable dielectric phase shifter units being arranged in a matrix permitting contribution by each respective voltage tunable dielectric phase shifter of said plurality of voltage tunable dielectric phase shifters to affect signals traversing the apparatus; and (c) at least one control unit coupled with said plurality of beam forming network devices and with selected antenna elements of said plurality of antenna elements; said at least one control unit controlling operation of said plurality of beam forming network devices for configuring signals coupled with said respective antenna elements to effect said beam scanning operation; said at least one control unit monitoring received signals at said selected antenna elements to ascertain a signal-to-interference measure for said received signals; said at least one control unit effecting said configuring to substantially maximize said signal-to-interference measure.