Patent ID: 7129892

Claim:
A planar antenna ( 30 ) comprising: a plurality of antennas ( 33 , 41 , 49 ) positioned relative to each other in a predetermined orientation, antenna ( 33 ) comprising patches ( 34 , 36 and 38 ) wherein at least two of which are hard-wired and permanently connected together, antenna ( 41 ) comprising patches ( 42 , 44 and 46 ) wherein at least two of which are hard-wired and permanently connected together, and antenna ( 49 ) comprising patches ( 40 , 48 and 50 ) wherein at least two of which are hard-wired and permanently connected together, each of said antennas ( 33 , 41 , 49 ) being selectively electrically connectable to one or more of the other antennas, a plurality of switches ( 56 , 57 ) electrically connecting said plurality of antennas so that closing one of said switches causes two antennas to be electrically connected, an antenna array ( 30 ) defined by said plurality of switches ( 56 , 57 ) in combination with said plurality of antennas ( 33 , 41 , 49 ), characterized in that said antennas ( 33 , 41 , 49 ) are positioned on a planar substrate ( 31 ) in such a way that at least two different lobes ( 70 , 72 ) are provided by connecting different antennas ( 33 , 41 , 49 ).