Patent ID: 7342549

Claim:
A configurable multiband, far-field antenna for broadcasting or receiving an electromagnetic wireless signal comprising: at least two arrays of variable conductive elements arranged in a spaced apart stack of array layers, each array having at least a pair of switchable, powered, variable conductive elements selected from the group consisting of plasma-containing elements, semiconductor elements and photonic bandgap crystals and each array being arranged at a distance from the antenna and each array being operative to selectively define a desired direction in which the antenna receives or transmits the electromagnetic wireless signal; wherein the variable conductive elements are not operative to interpret the electromagnetic wireless signal, and wherein the variable conductive elements of each array are shaped as one of dipoles, circular dipoles, helicals, circular or square or other spirals, biconicals, hexagons, tripods, Jerusalem crosses, plus-sign crosses, annular rings, gang buster type antennas, tripole elements, anchor elements, star or spoked elements, alpha elements, gamma elements, and combinations thereof.