Patent ID: 8482479

Claim:
A system comprising: a) an array of dipole antenna elements; b) a control circuit for steering the dipole antenna elements over a first range of elevation angles and a second range of azimuth angles; c) at least one wired substrate arranged adjacent to the array of dipole antenna elements such that each of the dipole antenna elements has a substantially isotropic radiation characteristic; and d) for each of the dipole antenna elements of the array, a power coupling module adapted to match a resistance of the dipole antenna element to a source resistance of a signal source, as a function of a current elevation angle, but independent of a current azimuth angle, wherein the at least one wired substrate has a height h and is spaced from the array of dipole antenna elements with a spacing s which is much less than the height h, and wherein the height h of the at least one wired substrate is approximately one quarter of a free-space wavelength of radiation provided by the array of dipole elements.