Multiple beam forming antenna apparatus

Claim 1

AN ANTENNA SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING MULTIPLE BEAMS, SAID ANTENNA SYSTEM COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SPACED COEXTENSIVE PARALLEL CONDUCTIVE CIRCULAR PLATES FOR PROVIDING A RADIAL TRANSMISSION LINE; MEANS FOR PROVIDING A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF EQUALLY SPACED PICK-UP PROBES BETWEEN THE PARALLEL CONDUCTIVE CIRCULAR PLATES ABOUT THE CIRCUMFERENCE THEREOF; A LINEAR ARRAY OF RADIATING ELEMENTS; MEANS FOR CONNECTING SUCCESSIVE RADIATING ELEMENTS COMMENCING FROM ONE EXTREMITY OF SAID LINEAR ARRAY THROUGH RESPECTIVE EQUAL LENGTH TRANSMISSION LINES TO SUCCESSIVE UNIFORMLY SPACED PICK-UP PROBES OF SAID PREDETERMINED NUMBER THEREOF; AND MEANS COUPLED THROUGH THE CENTER PORTION OF NO LESS THAN ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PARALLEL CONDUCTIVE CIRCULAR PLATES FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY EXCITING A FUNDAMENTAL MODE AND NO LESS THAN ONE ADDITIONAL HIGHER ORDER CIRCUMFERENTIAL MODE THEREBETWEEN TO PROVIDE A CORRESPONDING NUMBER OF BEAMS FROM SAID LINER ARRAY, EACH OF SAID BEAMS HAVING A UNIQUE DIRECTION IN SPACE.