Patent ID: 7319427

Claim:
An apparatus for electronically forming an antenna beam pattern, comprising: a waveform generator producing as an output a radio frequency (RF) signal; a power divider having at least one input and having a plurality of output branches, said input being connected to the output of said waveform generator so as to produce as an output of said power divider a plurality of RF signals; a transmit/receive module having a plurality of inputs and outputs and having a channel disposed between each of said plurality of corresponding inputs and outputs; wherein each of said plurality of inputs being connected correspondingly to each of said plurality of output branches of said power divider, and wherein said transmit/receive module further comprises means for: modulating the frequency, amplitude, and phase characteristics of at least one of said plurality of RF signals; modulating any of said characteristics independently of any of said other characteristics; and modulating any of said characteristics of any of said plurality of RF signals independently of any of other said plurality of RF signals; a waveform control subsystem having means for applying signals to said transmit/receive module so as to control said means for modulating said frequency, amplitude, and phase characteristics; and at least one RF radiating/receiving element being connected to at least one of said transmit/receive module outputs.