Patent ID: 7427967

Claim:
A phased array antenna comprising a first array element and a second array element and a dielectric separator, the dielectric separator taking the form of a wall and being interposed between the first and second array elements within a path of an IMC signal between the first and second array elements, and wherein: the dielectric separator has a combination of dielectric constant, profile and/or width that is determined in order to reduce the effect of mutual coupling between the first and second array elements; the dielectric separator is arranged to increase or decrease the electrical path length between the first and second array elements; the dielectric separator is arranged to control the phase component of the IMC signal so as to influence embedded radiation patterns of the first and second array elements; wherein the dielectric separator is any one or combination of the following: a plain flat wall, an annular wall, a plurality of conjoined plane flat walls, profiled wall, a plurality of conjoined profiled walls; and wherein the array comprises at least one of a two-dimensional array, a linear array of array elements and a conformal array of array elements, and wherein: all of the array elements are substantially in a single plane; at least one of the first and second array elements is completely surrounded by a dielectric separator; and differing portions of the dielectric separator have different thicknesses and/or relative permitivitties.