US 11,888,234 B2
Zig-zag antenna array and system for polarization control
Christopher Kidd Walker, Tucson, AZ (US); Juan Carlos Lopez-Tonazzi, Tucson, AZ (US); Stefan Neal O'Dougherty, Tucson, AZ (US); and Douglas Scott Stetson, Tucson, AZ (US)
Assigned to FreeFall Aerospace, Inc., Tucson, AZ (US)
Appl. No. 17/626,623
Filed by FreeFall Aerospace, Inc., Tucson, AZ (US)
PCT Filed Jul. 16, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/042279
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 12, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/011744, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 21, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/875,594, filed on Jul. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0263250 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. H01Q 21/24 (2006.01); H01Q 21/20 (2006.01)
CPC H01Q 21/205 (2013.01) [H01Q 21/24 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An antenna system comprising:
a zig-zag antenna array including:
a conductive disk stack of conductive disks;
at least one crossed zig-zag antenna extending through the conductive disk stack of conductive disks, the at least one crossed zig-zag antenna including:
an element pair that includes a plurality of crossed zig-zag antenna segment pairs between the conductive disk stack of conductive disks, wherein a respective crossed zig-zag antenna segment pair extends between a respective lower conductive disk and a respective upper conductive disk; and
a control circuit coupled to the element pair to switch the crossed zig-zag antenna segment pairs to drive the crossed zig-zag antenna segment pairs to transmit or receive radio frequency (RF) waves with polarization states that include vertical, horizontal, elliptical, and circular polarization.