Electronically-controlled-scanning directional antenna apparatus utilizing velocity modulation of a traveling wave tube

Claim 1

ELECTRONICALLY-CONTROLLED-SCANNING DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA APPARATUS COMPRISING SLOW WAVE CIRCUIT MEANS HAVING AN INPUT FOR INTRODUCTION OF AN ELEMTROMAGNETIC WAVE SIGNAL TO INITIATE EXCITATION OF TRAVELING WAVES THEREALONG AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED-APART OUTPUTS FOR TRANSMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC SIGNAL WAVES IN OUT-OF-PHASE RELATIONSHIP TO BE RADIATED INTO SPACE COMPOSITELY IN THE FORM OF A DIRECTIONAL BEAM OF SUCH WAVES, MEANS INCLUDING A DIRECT CURRENT SOURCE FOR PROJECTING AN ELECTRON BEAM ALONG THE PATH EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SLOW WAVE CIRCUIT MEANS FOR MODULATION BY THE SIGNAL INTRODUCED INTO SAID INPUT AND FOR ENERGY-TRANSFER EXCITATION OF SUCCESSIVE SECTIONS OF SAID SLOW WAVE CIRCUIT MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID OUTPUTS FOR DUPLICATION OF SUCH SIGNAL WAVE THEREIN, AND DIRECTIONALITY CONTROL MEANS COOPERABLE WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED MEANS TO VARY THE BIAS OF SAID DIRECT CURRENT SOURCE TO CONTROL THE AVERAGE VELOCITY OF SAID ELECTRON BEAM FOR VARYING THE PHASE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SIGNAL WAVES RESPECTIVE TO SAID OUTPUTS WHILE SAME REMAIN STATIONARY, WHEREBY THE DIRECTION OF RADIATION OF THE COMPOSITE BEAM OF WAVES IS CONTROLLED.