Patent ID: 7965910

Claim:
A method for combining waves of electromagnetic energy comprising: outputting a plurality of first waves to a corresponding plurality of first transmission plates, each first transmission plate having an input surface at a first edge at which a corresponding one of the first waves enters the first transmission plate and an output surface at a second edge; outputting a plurality of second waves to a corresponding plurality of second transmission plates, each second transmission plate having an input surface at a first edge at which a corresponding one of the second waves enters the second transmission plate and an output surface at a second edge; and reflecting at least one of the plurality of first and second waves that enter the input surface of the at least one of the first plurality of transmission plates and the second plurality of transmission plates at a reflection discontinuity of at least one of the first plurality of transmission plates and the second plurality of transmission plates to the output surface of the at least one of first plurality of transmission plates and the second plurality of transmission plates, wherein the input surfaces of the plurality of first transmission plates lie along a first input plane and wherein the input surfaces of the second transmission plates lie along a second input plane, wherein the output surfaces of the plurality of first and second transmission plates lie along a common output plane, and wherein the input surfaces of at least one of the plurality of first and second pluralities of transmission plates include an integral lens structure for focusing incident electromagnetic energy to within the respective first and second pluralities of transmission plates.