Patent ID: 8253629

Claim:
An antenna array including a first antenna group and a second antenna group, each antenna group including a rod antenna comprising: a two-dimensional patch for radiating and/or receiving an electromagnetic wave, said patch extending along a plane defined by two coordinate axes orthogonal to each other; a feeding line coupled to the patch for transferring signal energy to and/or from the patch; a dielectric rod for radiating and/or receiving said electromagnetic wave, said rod extending longitudinally from the patch in a direction of a third coordinate axis which is outside of the plane defined by the first two coordinate axes, and said rod being tilted away from an orthogonal direction which is orthogonal to said plane; and a metal holder coupled to the patch and to the rod for transferring said electromagnetic wave between the patch and the rod, wherein said rods of said first and second groups are tilted away from said orthogonal direction in different directions so that said rod of said first group has a different beaming direction than said rod of said second group, and said first and second groups are configured to be alternatively selected so as to change a beaming direction of said antenna array.