Patent ID: 8212739

Claim:
A tuneable impedance surface capable of steering a multiband radio frequency beam in at least two different, independently band-wise controllable directions, the tunable surface comprising: (a) a ground plane; (b) a plurality of first conductive elements disposed in a first array a first distance from the ground plane, the first distance being less than a wavelength of a lower frequency band of said multiband radio frequency beam; (c) a first capacitor arrangement for controllably varying capacitance between at least selected ones of the first conductive elements in said first array for steering a first radio frequency beam in said lower frequency band in a first direction; (d) a plurality of second conductive elements disposed in a second array a second distance from the plurality of first conductive elements disposed in the first array, the second distance being less than a wavelength of a higher frequency band of said multiband radio frequency beam, the plurality of second conductive elements disposed in the second array being spaced farther from said ground plane than said first distance, the plurality of first conductive elements disposed in the first array serving as a ground plane for the plurality of second conductive elements disposed in the second array; and (e) a second capacitor arrangement for controllably varying capacitance between at least selected ones of the second conductive elements in said second array for steering a second radio frequency beam in said higher frequency band in a second direction independently of said first direction.