Reconfigurable interleaved phased array antenna

A method of radiating and receiving RF energy with an antenna array having a shortest operating wavelength and a longest operating wavelength, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of non-resonant slot apertures;
• providing a plurality of switches, one or more of said switches being disposed in proximity to each non-resonant slot aperture, each of said switches having a first position coupling RF energy to the aperture in proximity to the switch and having a second position isolating RF energy from the aperture in proximity to the switch;
• switching a portion of the plurality of switches to the first position;
• switching the remaining switches to the second position;
• applying RF energy to the switches.

A beam-steered antenna array comprising:

• a plurality of non-resonant slot apertures, each non-resonant slot aperture having a first side and a second side and an opening between the first side and the second side;
• a plurality of groups of switches, each group of switches comprising a plurality of switches deployed immediately adjacent to the slot apertures, the switches controllable to selectively couple RF energy at different points across the opening of each non-resonant slot aperture;
• a plurality of beamformers, each beamformer connected to a separate group of switches in the plurality of groups of switches;
• and
• an RF switch selectively controllable to couple RF energy to a selected one of beamformers in the plurality of beamformers.

A method of antenna beamforming , comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of non-resonant slot apertures in an antenna array;
• providing a plurality of groups of switches, each group of switches comprising a plurality of switches deployed at different positions immediately adjacent the non-resonant slot apertures, each of said switches having a first position coupling RF energy to the aperture in proximity to the switch and having a second position isolating RF energy from the aperture in proximity to the switch;
• providing a plurality of beamformers, each beamformer connected to a separate group of switches in the plurality of groups of switches;
• coupling RF energy to a selected one of the beamformers in the group of beamformers;
• switching the switches in the group of switches connected to the selected beamformer to either the first position or the second position;
• and
• switching the remaining switches to the second position.

A phased array antenna system having a shortest operating wavelength and a longest operating wavelength, the phased array system supporting multiple transmit/receive functions, the phased array antenna system comprising:

• a plurality of transmit/receive modules, each transmit/receive module coupled to RF hardware providing one or more of the multiple transmit/receive functions, each transmit/receive module having one or more channels, each channel being coupled out of the transmit/receive module at one or more transmit/receive ports;
• one or more non-resonant slot apertures, each slot aperture having a first side and a second side and an opening between the first side and the second side;
• a plurality of antenna feeds, one or more antenna feeds of the plurality of antenna feeds located on a first side or a second side of a corresponding one of the slot apertures, each antenna feed coupled to one transmit/receive port of the one or more transmit/receive ports on one transmit/receive module of the plurality of transmit/receive modules;
• and
• a plurality of switches disposed immediately adjacent to the non-resonant slot apertures, each switch of the plurality of switches connected to one antenna feed and controllable to selectively couple RF energy from the antenna feed located on one side of the corresponding slot aperture across the opening of the corresponding non-resonant slot aperture to the other side of the corresponding slot aperture.