Systems and methods for providing a reconfigurable groundplane
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsClifton Quan, Mark Hauhe, Rohn Sauer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for providing a reconfigurable groundplane are provided. In one embodiment, the invention relates to an antenna assembly having a reconfigurable groundplane, the assembly including a radio frequency (RF) feed, a plurality of radiating elements, a plurality of interconnects, each coupling one of the plurality of radiating elements to the RF feed, a first groundplane positioned between the RF feed and the plurality of radiating elements, a second groundplane positioned between the RF feed and the plurality of radiating elements, the second groundplane including at least one cavity for enclosing a liquid metal.
Claims23
An antenna assembly having a reconfigurable groundplane, the assembly comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) feed;
- a plurality of radiating elements;
- a plurality of interconnects, each coupling one of the plurality of radiating elements to the RF feed;
- a first groundplane positioned between the RF feed and the plurality of radiating elements;
- a second groundplane positioned between the RF feed and the plurality of radiating elements, the second groundplane comprising at least one cavity for enclosing a liquid metal.
An antenna assembly having a reconfigurable groundplane, the assembly comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) feed;
- a plurality of radiating elements;
- and
- a plurality of interconnects, each coupling one of the plurality of radiating elements to the RF feed;
- and
- wherein the reconfigurable groundplane is positioned between the RF feed and the plurality of radiating elements, the reconfigurable groundplane comprising at least one cavity for enclosing a liquid metal.
A method for operating a reconfigurable groundplane of an antenna assembly comprising a radio frequency (RF) feed coupled by interconnects to a plurality of radiating elements, the method comprising:
- substantially filling, in a first mode, a cavity of the reconfigurable groundplane with a liquid metal, wherein the reconfigurable groundplane is positioned between the RF feed and the radiating elements;
- and
- substantially emptying, in a second mode, the cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.