Low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna with controllable high permittivity phase shifters

A low-cost corporate feed suitable for use in a phased array antenna comprising:

• a plurality of phase shift transmission lines;
• a high-permittivity dielectric planar layer overlying said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed, said high-permittivity dielectric planar layer including a high-permittivity dielectric material, said high-permittivity dielectric planar layer is a self supporting layer;
• and
• a controller for controlling the interaction of the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric element with the plurality of phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed by positioning said high-permittivity dielectric planar layer with respect to said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed by moving said high-permittivity dielectric planar layer toward and away from said plurality of phase shift transmission lines.

A low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna comprising:

• a dielectric sheet;
• a plurality of antenna elements located on a surface of said dielectric sheet;
• a corporate feed located on a surface of said dielectric sheet and connected to said antenna elements, said corporate feed including a plurality of phase shift transmission lines, said plurality of antenna elements and said corporate feed located on the same surface of said dielectric sheet;
• a high-permittivity dielectric element overlying said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed;
• a controller for controlling the interaction of the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric element with the plurality of phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed;
• a second plurality of antenna elements and a second corporate feed located on the other surface of said dielectric sheet, said second corporate feed connected to said second plurality of antenna elements, said second corporate feed including a plurality of phase shift transmission lines;
• and
• a second high-permittivity dielectric element overlying said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said second corporate feed, said controller controlling the interaction of the permittivity of said second high-permittivity dielectric element with said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said second corporate feed.

A low-cost corporate feed suitable for use in a phased array antenna comprising:

• a plurality of phase shift transmission lines;
• a high-permittivity dielectric element layer overlying said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed, said high-permittivity dielectric element is a cylinder that includes a high-permittivity dielectric material;
• and
• a controller including an electromechanical system for controlling the interaction of the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric element with the plurality of phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed by controlling the position of said cylinder with respect to said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed by rotating said cylinder along an axis offset from the axis of said cylinder.

A low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna comprising:

• a plurality of antenna elements;
• a corporate feed connected to said antenna elements, said corporate feed including a plurality of phase shift transmission lines;
• a high-permittivity dielectric planar layer overlying said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed, said high-permittivity dielectric planar layer including a high-permittivity dielectric material, said high-permittivity dielectric planar layer is a self supporting;
• and
• a controller including an electromechanical system for controlling the interaction of the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric element with the plurality of phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed by controlling the position of said high-permittivity dielectric planar layer with respect to said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed by moving said high-permittivity dielectric planer layer toward and away from said plurality of phase shift transmission lines.

A low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna comprising:

• a plurality of antenna elements;
• a corporate feed connected to said antenna elements, said corporate feed including a plurality of phase shift transmission lines;
• a high permittivity dielectric element layer overlying said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed, said high-permittivity dielectric element is a cylinder that includes a high-permittivity dielectric material;
• and
• a controller including an electromechanical system for controlling the interaction of the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric element with the plurality of phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed by controlling the position of said cylinder with respect to said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed by rotating said cylinder along an axis offset from the axis of said cylinder.

A low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna comprising:

• eight antenna elements;
• a corporate feed connected to said antenna elements, said corporate feed including a plurality of phase shift transmission lines, said plurality of phase shift transmission lines including a long phase shift transmission line, two intermediate length phase shift transmissions lines, and four short transmission lines;
• a high-permittivity dielectric element overlying said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed;
• and
• a controller for controlling the interaction of the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric element with the plurality of phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed.

A low-cost, steerable, 360° phased array antenna comprising:

• a) an L-shaped housing;
• b) four linear phased array antennas, two of said antennas mounted in each leg of said L-shaped housing so as to point in opposite directions, each of said linear phased array antennas comprising:
• i) a dielectric sheet;
• ii) a plurality of antenna elements located on a surface of said dielectric sheet;
• iii) a corporate feed connected to said antenna elements, said corporate feed located on a surface of said dielectric sheet, said corporate feed including a plurality of phase shift transmission lines;
• and
• iv) a high-permittivity dielectric element overlying said plurality of phase shift transmission lines of said corporate feed;
• and
• c) a controller for controlling the interaction of the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric elements with the plurality of phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed that the high-permittivity dielectric elements overlie.