Multiple port hybrid circuit

Claim 2

A hybrid circuit of unitary construction having at least three ports of a first set and a like number of ports of a second set symmetrically arranged with respect to said first-set ports for transmitting electromagnetic waves between one of said firstset ports and at least three of said second-set ports, comprising first conductors for said waves, each interconnecting one of said first-set ports and the corresponding one of said second-set ports, and at least two second conductors for said waves, each of said first conductors crossing said at least two second conductors to form junctions which can transmit said waves, the electric lengths of said first and said second conductors between the adjacent junctions being substantially equal to positive integral multiples of a quarter wavelength of said waves as propagated along said conductors, said positive integral multiple including one times said quarter wavelength.

Claim 3

A hybrid circuit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first conductors and said second conductors comprise a unitary structure of intersecting coaxial cable means.

Claim 4

A hybrid circuit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first conductors and said second conductors comprise a unitary structure of intersecting rectangular waveguide means.

Claim 5

A hybrid circuit in accordance with claim 3 wherein said rectangular waveguide means are disposed such that the longitudinal axes of said rectangular waveguide means determine a plane.

Claim 6

A hybrid circuit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first conductors and said second conductors comprise a unitary structure of intersecting strip conducting means.

Claim 7

A hybrid circuit in accordance with claim 5 wherein said intersecting strip conducting means comprises: a plate of conducting material disposed in a first plane; dielectric material mounted on said plate of conducting material; first strips of conducting material corresponding to said respective first conductors and mounted on said dielectric material in a second plane parallel to said first plane; and second strips of conducting material corresponding to said respective second conductors and mounted on said dielectric material in said second plane; said second strips of conducting material intersecting said first strips of conducting material in perpendicular relation.

Claim 8

A hybrid circuit, comprising: n spaced conducting means, where n is an integer greater than two; n input ports coupled to corresponding ones of said n spaced conducting means; m spaced conducting means, where m is an integer greater than one; each of said m spaced conducting means being disposed to intersect each of said n spaced conducting means to form discrete junctions; the total number of discrete junctions formed by the intersections of said m spaced conducting means and said n spaced conducting means being equal to the product of n and m; said discrete junctions forming an array such that the effective length of the portion of each of said n spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of a supplied electromagnetic wave and the effective length of the portion of each of said m spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of said electromagnetic wave; and the characteristic admittance of said portion of each of said n spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to Square Root 3 times the characteristic admittance of said portion of each of said m spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions; and n output ports coupled to corresponding ones of said n spaced conducting means for providing said electromagnetic wave having an equal amplitude at each of said output ports in response to said electromagnetic wave supplied to one of said input ports and for providing said electromagnetic wave at said one input port with an amplitude equal to the sum of the equal amplitudes of said electromagnetic wave provided at each of said output ports.

Claim 9

A hybrid circuit, comprising: n spaced conducting means, where n is an integer greater than two; n input ports coupled to corresponding ones of said n spaced conducting means; m spaced conducting means, where m is an integer greater than one; each of said m spaced conducting means being disposed to intersect each of said n spaced conducting means to form discrete junctions; the total number of discrete junctions formed by the intersections of said m spaced conducting means and said n spaced conducting means being equal to the product of n and m; said discrete junctions forming an array such that the effective length of the portion of each of said n spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of a supplied electromagnetic wave and the effective length of the portion of each of said m spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of said electromagnetic wave; and the characteristic admittance of said portion of each of said n spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to Square Root 3 times the characteristic admittance of said portion of each of said m spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions; and n output ports coupled to corresponding ones of said n spaced conducting means for providing said electromagnetic wave having an equal amplitude at each of said output ports in response to said electromagnetic wave supplied to one of said input ports and for providing said electromagnetic wave at said one input port with an amplitude equal to the sum of the equal amplitudes of said electromagnetic wave provided at each of said output ports.

Claim 10

A hybrid circuit, comprising: n spaced conducting means, where n is an integer greater than tWo; n input ports coupled to corresponding ones of said n spaced conducting means; m spaced conducting means, where m is an integer greater than one; each of said m spaced conducting means being disposed to intersect each of said n spaced conducting means to form discrete junctions, the total number of discrete junctions formed by the intersections of said m spaced conducting means and said n spaced conducting means being equal to the product of n and m; said discrete junctions forming an array such that the effective length of the portion of each of said n spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of a supplied electromagnetic wave and the effective length of the portion of each of said m spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of said electromagnetic wave; n output ports coupled to corresponding ones of said n spaced conducting means; first quarter wavelength matching circuit means coupled between an input port of at least one of said n spaced conducting means and one of said junctions nearest to said last-mentioned port; and second quarter wavelength matching circuit means coupled between an output port of said one of said n spaced conducting means and an additional one of said junctions nearest to said last-mentioned port; said first and second circuit means inhibiting said electromagnetic wave supplied to one of said input ports and received at all said output ports from appearing at any other input ports.

Claim 11

A hybrid circuit, comprising: n spaced conducting means, where n is an integer greater than tWo; n input ports coupled to corresponding ones of said n spaced conducting means; m spaced conducting means, where m is an integer greater than one; each of said m spaced conducting means being disposed to intersect each of said n spaced conducting means to form discrete junctions, the total number of discrete junctions formed by the intersections of said m spaced conducting means and said n spaced conducting means being equal to the product of n and m; said discrete junctions forming an array such that the effective length of the portion of each of said n spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of a supplied electromagnetic wave and the effective length of the portion of each of said m spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of said electromagnetic wave; n output ports coupled to corresponding ones of said n spaced conducting means; first quarter wavelength matching circuit means coupled between an input port of at least one of said n spaced conducting means and one of said junctions nearest to said last-mentioned port; and second quarter wavelength matching circuit means coupled between an output port of said one of said n spaced conducting means and an additional one of said junctions nearest to said last-mentioned port; said first and second circuit means inhibiting said electromagnetic wave supplied to one of said input ports and received at all said output ports from appearing at any other input ports.

Claim 12

A hybrid circuit in accordance with claim 8 wherein n is equal to three and wherein non-adjacent ones of said three input ports are coupled to said first quarter wavelength matching circuit means, respectively, and non-adjacent ones of said three output ports are coupled to said second quarter wavelength matching circuit means, respectively.

Claim 13

A hybrid circuit, comprising: at least three spaced conducting means; at least three input ports coupled to corresponding ones of said three spaced conducting means; at least three output ports coupled to corresponding ones of said three spaced conducting means; said input and output ports associated in pairs as coupled to said respective three spaced conducting means; each of said three spaced conducting means serving as a conducting channel between said individual pairs of said input and output ports; and at least two spaced conducting means, each being disposed to intersect each of said three spaced conducting means to form discrete junctions in an array such that the effective length of the portion of each of said three spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of a supplied electromagnetic wave and the effective length of the portion of each of said two spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of said electromagnetic wave; and the characteristic admittance of said portion of each of said three spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions and the characteristic admittance of said portion of each said two spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions are equal such that said electromagnetic wave supplied to an input port of one of said pairs of input and output ports is inhibited from being transmitted to the output port of said one pair of input and output ports but is transmitted to input and output ports of the remaining pairs of said input and output ports.

Claim 14

A hybrid circuit, comprising: at least three spaced conducting means; at least three input ports coupled to corresponding ones of said three spaced conducting means; at least three output ports coupled to corresponding ones of said three spaced conducting means; said input and output ports associated in pairs as coupled to said respective three spaced conducting means; each of said three spaced conducting means serving as a conducting channel between said individual pairs of said input and output ports; and at least two spaced conducting means, each being disposed to intersect each of said three spaced conducting means to form discrete junctions in an array such that the effective length of the portion of each of said three spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of a supplied electromagnetic wave and the effective length of the portion of each of said two spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions is equal to an integral multiple of one fourth of the wavelength of said electromagnetic wave; and the characteristic admittance of said portion of each of said three spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions and the characteristic admittance of said portion of each said two spaced conducting means interposed between adjacent ones of said discrete junctions are equal such that said electromagnetic wave supplied to an input port of one of said pairs of input and output ports is inhibited from being transmitted to the output port of said one pair of input and output ports but is transmitted to input and output ports of the remaining pairs of said input and output ports.

Claim 15

A signal distribution network having a plurality of ports adapted to receive and transmit electromagnetic waves, comprising: thrEe electromagnetic wave transmission means, each of said electromagnetic wave transmission means serving as a conducting channel between individual pairs of said ports; and two electromagnetic wave transmission means disposed in intersecting relationship with said three electromagnetic wave transmission means such that each of said two electromagnetic wave transmission means intersects each of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means to form a discrete junction at each point of intersection; each of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means including a portion interposed between said two electromagnetic wave transmission means, said portion having a length equal to a multiple of a quarter wavelength of said electromagnetic waves; and each of said two electromagnetic wave transmission means including first and second portions, said first portion being interposed between a first and a second of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means and a second portion being interposed between a second and a third of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means, each of said first and second portions having a length equal to a multiple of a quarter wavelength of said electromagnetic waves; each said portion of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means and each said first and second portions of said two electromagnetic wave transmission means exhibit characteristic admittances admitting of the relation: 1 + 2A2 - BC 0 B C where A represents the characteristic admittance of said first portion and said second portion of each of said two electromagnetic wave transmission means, B represents the characteristic admittance of said portion of said first and third of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means, and C represents the characteristic admittance of said portion of said second of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means.

Claim 16

A signal distribution network having a plurality of ports adapted to receive and transmit electromagnetic waves, comprising: thrEe electromagnetic wave transmission means, each of said electromagnetic wave transmission means serving as a conducting channel between individual pairs of said ports; and two electromagnetic wave transmission means disposed in intersecting relationship with said three electromagnetic wave transmission means such that each of said two electromagnetic wave transmission means intersects each of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means to form a discrete junction at each point of intersection; each of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means including a portion interposed between said two electromagnetic wave transmission means, said portion having a length equal to a multiple of a quarter wavelength of said electromagnetic waves; and each of said two electromagnetic wave transmission means including first and second portions, said first portion being interposed between a first and a second of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means and a second portion being interposed between a second and a third of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means, each of said first and second portions having a length equal to a multiple of a quarter wavelength of said electromagnetic waves; each said portion of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means and each said first and second portions of said two electromagnetic wave transmission means exhibit characteristic admittances admitting of the relation: 1 + 2A2 - BC 0 B C where A represents the characteristic admittance of said first portion and said second portion of each of said two electromagnetic wave transmission means, B represents the characteristic admittance of said portion of said first and third of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means, and C represents the characteristic admittance of said portion of said second of said three electromagnetic wave transmission means.

Claim 17

A signal distribution network in accordance with claim 11 wherein the proportional value of the characteristic admittance of each portion of each electromagnetic wave transmission means is determinative of the respective amplitudes of the electromagnetic waves transmitted to said ports.