Patent ID: 8405561

Claim:
A multifunctional load-bearing antenna structure comprising at least two arbitrarily shaped load-bearing plies, wherein: a first arbitrarily shaped load-bearing ply comprises a first non-preformed antenna system component formed directly on a first surface of the first arbitrarily shaped load-bearing ply by being directly deposited or patterned onto the first surface of the first arbitrarily shaped load-bearing ply using one or more of conventional lithographic techniques and direct write fabrication techniques; and a second arbitrarily shaped load-bearing ply is connected to the first surface of the first arbitrarily shaped load-bearing ply, wherein at least a portion of the first non-preformed antenna system component is embedded below the second arbitrarily shaped load-bearing ply, wherein the second arbitrarily shaped load-bearing ply further comprises a second non-preformed antenna system component formed directly on a second surface, wherein the second surface of the second arbitrarily shaped load-bearing ply faces the first surface of the first arbitrarily shaped load-bearing ply.