Patent ID: 8253636

Claim:
A traveling-wave series-fed antenna array comprising: a set of radiating elements electromagnetically coupled to a transmission line; which transmission line comprises a live conductor and a return conductor, the live conductor extending between a feed operable to receive an input signal; and a termination, which termination is a direct connection of the live conductor to the return conductor, such that a portion of the input signal is reflected at the termination to form a reflected signal, wherein the live conductor is supported by the termination and the feed, wherein the return conductor includes a first conducting layer and a second conducting layer, and the live conductor is formed in an intermediate conducting layer sandwiched between and spaced-apart from the upper return conductor and the lower return conductor, the return conductor thereby forming an enclosure at least partially surrounding the live conductor, wherein each radiating element comprises a pair of slots, the first slot being offset to one side of the return conductor center line, the second slot being offset to the other side of the return conductor center line, wherein the first slot and the second slot are separated by a predetermined factor of a wavelength, and wherein the pair of slots are arranged perpendicular or transverse to the return conductor center line, wherein the live conductor includes meanders and is configured such that the length of the live conductor between radiating elements is generally equal to a predetermined factor of a wavelength, and wherein the antenna array is configured such that the input signal and the reflected signal superimpose to produce a predetermined far-field radiation pattern.