Patent ID: 8405548

Claim:
An antenna apparatus comprising: a first support structure; a plurality of stacked antenna assemblies coupled to the first support structure, each antenna assembly in the stack comprising: a first antenna array comprising a plurality of first antenna elements formed adjacent to a first edge of a second support structure and oriented in a first boresight direction, such that and aperture of the first antenna array is aligned along the first edge; a second antenna array comprising a plurality of second antenna elements formed adjacent to a second edge of the second support structure and oriented in a second boresight direction that is different from the first boresight direction, such that an aperture of the second antenna array is aligned along the second edge; a plurality of signal channels that are each coupled to each of the plurality of first antenna elements and the plurality of second antenna elements through a switching circuit, such that the plurality of signal channels are shared by the plurality of first antenna elements and the plurality of second antenna elements; a signal distribution circuit that is coupled, via the switching circuit, to at least one of the plurality of first antenna elements and the plurality of second antenna elements, such that the signal distribution circuit is shred by the plurality of first antenna elements and the plurality of second antenna elements; wherein the support structure and the plurality of stacked antenna assemblies are constructed and arranged such that each respective first antenna array in the stack is oriented to the first boresight direction and each respective second antenna array in the stack is oriented to the second boresight direction.