Patent ID: 7116275

Claim:
A reconfigurable array comprising: a plurality of imaging layers each comprising an array of software addressable pixels; a conductive/non-conductive layer comprising a material that is selectively conductive and positioned with respect to corresponding ones of said pixels such that said addressing said corresponding ones of said pixels causes corresponding portions of said conductive/non-conductive layer to be conductive; a radiator layer comprising a plurality of elements suitable for actively transmitting or receiving signals in a first mode and being passive in a second mode, said radiator layer being positioned with respect to corresponding ones of said pixels such that addressing said corresponding ones of said pixels causes said elements to define at least one radiator array comprising elements in said first mode separated by elements in said second mode; a switching and summing layer comprising a plurality of elements suitable for selectively switching and summing said signals, said switching and summing layer being positioned with respect to corresponding ones of said pixels such that addressing said corresponding ones of said pixels causes corresponding portions of switching and summing layer to switch and sum said signals; and, a plurality of inputs coupled to said imaging layers and being under software control to selectively activate said pixels.