Method and apparatus for frequency selective beam forming

A method for directing an antenna beam, comprising:

• providing plural antenna elements arranged in an antenna array;
• selectively coupling signals at a first subset of the antenna elements, the first subset being active antenna elements;
• and
• weighting the signals at a second subset of the antenna elements, the second subset being passive antenna elements, the first and second subsets of antenna elements coupled by a space fed power distribution system to produce independently steerable beams having spectrally separated signals.

A directive antenna, comprising:

• plural antenna elements arranged in an antenna array;
• means for selectively coupling signals at a first subset of the antenna elements, the first subset being active antenna elements;
• and
• means for weighting the signals at a second subset of the antenna elements, the second subset being passive antenna elements, the first and second subsets of the antenna elements coupled by a space fed power distribution system to produce independently steerable beams having spectrally separated signals.

A directive antenna, comprising:

• plural antenna elements arranged in an antenna array;
• frequency selective components each coupled to a respective antenna element in a first subset of antenna elements, the first subset being active antenna elements;
• at least two first weighting structures coupled to each of the frequency selective components to produce independently steerable beams having spectrally separated signals;
• and
• second weighting structures coupled to a second subset of the antenna elements, the second subset being passive antenna elements, the first and second subsets of antenna elements coupled by a space-fed power distribution system to further steer the independently steerable beams having spectrally separated signals.

A method for producing independently steerable beams, comprising:

• weighting a first signal at a first frequency received by or to be transmitted by plural first elements arranged in a first antenna array having frequency selective components each coupled to a respective antenna element to produce a first steerable beam, the first elements being active elements;
• weighting a second signal spectrally separated from the first signal to produce a second and independently steerable beam received by or to be transmitted by the first antenna array;
• and
• weighting plural second elements arranged in a second antenna array, the second elements being passive elements, the first and second elements being coupled by a space-fed power distribution system to steer further the independently steerable beams having spectrally separated signals.

An apparatus for beam forming, comprising:

• means for phase shifting a first signal at a first frequency received by or to be transmitted by plural first antenna elements arranged in a first antenna array, having frequency selective components each coupled to a respective antenna element, to produce a first steerable beam, the first antenna elements being active antenna elements;
• means for phase shifting a second signal spectrally separated from the first signal to produce a second and independently steerable beam received by or to be transmitted by the same first antenna array;
• and
• means for further phase shifting the first and second signals by second antenna elements, being passive antenna elements, coupled to the first antenna elements via a space-fed power distribution system to steer further the independently steerable beams having spectrally separated signals.

A directive antenna, comprising:

• plural antenna elements arranged in an antenna array;
• frequency selective components coupled to a first subset of the antenna elements;
• and
• weighting structures coupled to a second subset of the antenna elements, the first and second subsets of antenna elements coupled by a space-fed power distribution system to produce independently steerable beams having spectrally separated signals, at least one of the weighting structures including at least one variable gain amplifying component associated antenna element corresponding to the number of spectrally separated beams being independently optimized in shape.

A method for directing an antenna beam, comprising:

• providing plural antenna elements arranged in an antenna array;
• selectively coupling signals at a first subset of the antenna elements;
• and
• weighting the signals at a second subset of the antenna elements, the first and second subsets of antenna elements coupled by a space-fed power distribution system to produce independently steerable beams having spectrally separated signals, weighting the signal including selectively amplifying the signal as a function of the number of spectrally separated beams being independently optimized in shape.