Multiband flat panel antenna providing automatic routing between a plurality of antenna elements and an input/output port

A method of providing a diplexing antenna that is operable at two different frequencies, comprising the steps of:

• providing an input port for selectively receiving energy at one or both of said two frequencies;
• providing two output ports that are physically spaced each other and from said input port;
• providing two antenna elements that are individually operable at one of said two frequencies;
• providing a transmission line diplexer that is selected from the group stripline diplexer and microstrip diplexer connecting said input port to each of said two output ports;
• said transmission line diplexer providing a matched impedance path to a first of said two antenna elements when a first frequency is applied to said input port, and
• said transmission line diplexer concomitantly providing a mismatched impedance path to a second of said two antenna elements.

A transmit/receive assembly operable to transmit or receive at one or more of a plurality N of different frequencies, comprising:

• one input/output port;
• a plurality N of antenna ports;
• a planar transmission line diplexer/multiplexer selected from the group microstrip diplexer/multiplexer and stripline diplexer/multiplexer connecting said input/output port to each of said plurality of antenna ports;
• each of said N antenna ports for transmitting/receiving a unique matching frequency that corresponds to a unique one of said N different frequencies;
• said transmission line diplexer/multiplexer including a plurality of microstrip/stripline elements having physical dimensions selected such that said transmission line diplexer/multiplexer provides a matched impedance path between a given antenna port and said input/output port when a matching frequency corresponding to said given antenna port is received by said given antenna port, or when a matching frequency corresponding to said given antenna port is applied to said input/output port;
• and
• said transmission line diplexer/multiplexer concomitantly providing a mismatched impedance path between all others of said antenna ports and said input/output port.

An antenna operable at any or all of N different frequencies, comprising:

• an input port for transmitting/receiving any or all of said N different frequencies;
• N output ports, each of said output ports for operation at a different one of said N different frequencies;
• a transmission line network interconnecting said input port and said N output ports;
• said transmission line network having a plurality of interconnected transmission line elements whose individual physical dimensions are selected to provide a matched impedance path between a given output port and said input port when one of said N different frequencies for which said given output port is operable applied to said input port;
• and
• said transmission line network concomitantly providing a mismatched impedance path between all others of said output ports and said input port when said one of said frequencies for which said given output port is operable is applied to said input port.

A method of providing an antenna that is operable at N different frequencies, comprising the steps of:

• providing an input port for selectively receiving energy at said N different frequencies;
• providing N output ports;
• providing N antenna elements, each antenna element being operable at a different one of said N different frequencies;
• connecting one of said N antenna elements to each of said N output ports to thereby define each output port as an output port that is operable at a corresponding one of said N different frequencies;
• providing a transmission line network connecting said input port to each of said N output ports;
• said transmission line network providing a matched impedance path to one of said N output ports when a frequency is applied to said input port corresponding to said one output port;
• and
• said transmission line network concomitantly providing a mismatched impedance path to all others of said output ports.