US 11,888,223 B2
Steerable beam antenna
Vladimir A Manasson, Irvine, CA (US); and Lev S. Sadovnik, Irvine, CA (US)
Assigned to Sierra Nevada Corporation, Sparks, NV (US)
Appl. No. 17/442,540
Filed by SIERRA NEVADA CORPORATION, Sparks, NV (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 31, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/025968
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 23, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/002904, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/827,512, filed on Apr. 1, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0190481 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
Int. Cl. H01Q 3/24 (2006.01); H01Q 3/34 (2006.01); H01Q 13/20 (2006.01)
CPC H01Q 13/20 (2013.01) [H01Q 3/247 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electronically controlled steerable beam antenna, comprising;
a base having a planar surface;
a plurality of semiconductor antenna chips mounted on the planar surface of the base along a longitudinal axis X, each of the antenna chips defining an upper surface;
a ground plane on the upper surface of each of the antenna chips;
an array of semiconductor switches arranged longitudinally in each of the antenna chips, each of the semiconductor switches comprising a ground electrode, a central electrode, and a control electrode, the control electrode being configured for electrical connection to a control circuit;
an array of conductive scattering elements on each of the plurality of antenna chips, wherein each of the conductive scattering elements comprises a first leg connected to the ground plane, a second leg connected to the central electrode of an associated one of the semiconductor switches, and a main portion extending between the first leg and the second leg, wherein at least the main portion is surrounded by air;
a metal spacer disposed on the ground plane, wherein the spacer extends laterally along the ground plane; and
a linear dielectric element mounted on the spacer and the plurality of antenna chips along the longitudinal axis X above the conductive scattering elements, and spaced by an air gap from the conductive scattering elements.