Patent ID: 8514142

Claim:
An antenna, comprising: a radio frequency (RF) element; a plurality of reconfigurable elements which surround the RF element in a generally single circular pattern, each reconfigurable element of the plurality of reconfigurable elements including at least two discrete sub-elements connected by a switch, the switch configured to cause each reconfigurable element to operate in a reflective mode or a transmissive mode, the switch is conducting when the reconfigurable element is in the reflective mode, the switch is non-conducting when the reconfigurable element is transmissive, wherein the RF element and the plurality of reconfigurable elements are configured to provide an omni-directional beam when the plurality of elements are operating in the transmissive mode and a directional beam of at least 10 dBi when a portion of the plurality of elements are operating in the reflective mode, wherein the RF element and the plurality of reconfigurable elements are further configured to steer the directional beam of at least 10 dBi by controlling at least one or more switches to cause at least one or more reconfigurable elements to operate in the reflective mode.