Electronically steerable sector antenna

A method for controlling a direction in which a steerable antenna is used for transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal, comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving an indication from a destination device that a transmission signal transmitted by the steerable antenna is greatest when the signal is transmitted to a determined position;
• (b) selectively activating one of a plurality of substantially planar antenna panels that comprise the steerable antenna, wherein the planar antenna panels face in substantially different directions, each panel including a plurality of discrete microstrip antennas that comprise a phased array antenna including a left panel antenna, a center panel antenna, and a right panel antenna and which are used for one of radiating an RF signal generally outwardly from the outer surface and receiving an RF signal that is directed toward the outer surface of the panel, so that a specific panel of the plurality of panels that faces generally in the preferred direction is selectively activated to transmit the RF signal;
• (c) splitting the RF signal into separate first, second and third instances of the RF signal;
• and
• (d) steering the focus of the phased array antenna using a delay selector switch in the direction of the strongest detected signal strength according to the indication received by the omni-directional antenna, the first instance of the RF signal being routed through longer delay that is longer than a reference delay, the second instance of the RF signal being routed through the reference delay, the third instance of the RF signal being routed through a shorter delay that is shorter than the reference delay, each of the first, second, and third instances of the RF signal being routed simultaneously through the corresponding longer, reference, and shorter delays, respectively, such that, as a result of the different delays, each of the first, second and third instances of the RF signal is transmitted at a different time from a different panel antenna, but each of the first, second, and third instances of the RF signal arrive at the destination device at substantially the same time, thereby strengthening the transmitted signal.

A steerable antenna that is selectively controllable in regard to a direction in which the antenna is usable for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of panels that are coupled together along edges of the panels, each panel being substantially flat and oriented so that an outwardly facing surface of the panel faces in a substantially different direction from outwardly facing surfaces of other of the plurality of panels, each panel including a plurality of discrete microstrip antennas that comprise a phased array antenna including a left panel antenna, a center panel antenna, and a right panel antenna for receiving an RF signal in a direction outwardly from the face of the panel;
• (b) an omni-directional antenna configured to receive an indication from a destination device that the signal is greatest when the signal is received from a determined position;
• (c) a panel selector switch circuit that is controllable in response to a selector signal to selectively activate one of the plurality of panels for receiving an RF signal, the panel selector switch circuit being coupled to an antenna terminal on each panel;
• (d) a signal splitter configured to split the RF signal into separate first, second, and third instances of the RF signal;
• and
• (e) a delay selector switch circuit configured to electronically steer the focus of the phased array antenna in the direction of the strongest detected signal strength according to the indication received by the omni-directional antenna, the first instance of the RF signal being routed through a longer delay that is longer than a reference delay, the second instance of the RF signal being routed through the reference delay, the third instance of the RF signal being routed through a shorter delay that is shorter than the reference delay, each of the first, second, and third instances of the RF signal being routed simultaneously through the corresponding longer, reference, and shorter delays, respectively, such that, as a result of the different delays, each of the first, second and third instances of the RF signal is received at a different time from a different panel antenna, but each of the first, second, and third instances of the RF signal arrive at a signal processor of the steerable antenna at substantially the same time, thereby strengthening the received signal.