Voltage controlled variable power divider

Claim 2

An electronically controlled radio frequency power divider having an input port and two output ports comprising: means connected to said input port for splitting applied radio frequency energy into two branches, means including a 90* hybrid coupler for combining energy in said two branches, said combining means having two outputs connected to said two output ports the relative magnitudes of which are responsive to the relative phase of said energy in said two branches, phase shifting means in each of said two branches responsive to electronic control, said phase shifting means including at least one four-terminal 90* hybrid coupler having two terminals connected in series in said branch and having electronically variable reactances connected to the remaining two terminals, and electronic control means, connected to bias said variable reactances, for differentially varying said phase shifting means continuously to vary the input power division between said two output ports.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein said variable reactances comprise reverse biased semi-conductor diodes connected to said coupler to provide said phase shifting in said branch and biased by said electronic control means.

Claim 4

An electronically controlled radio frequency power divider having an input port into which radio frequency energy may be introduced and, under the control of differentially applied control signals, divided differentially between two output ports in such manner that the sum of the powers available from said two output ports is not substantially less than the power introduced at said input port, and the phase difference between the radio frequency energies derived from said output ports remains small over the operating range of said power divider, said power divider comprising: means connected to said input port for splitting said introduced radio frequency energy and applying it in equal phase to two branch circuits, a first four-terminal 90* hybrid coupler having two terminals connected in one of said branch circuits and the other two terminals connected to a first plurality of semiconductor diodes for introducing, under the electrical control of a first phase control signal, a phase shift of the radio frequency energy therein, said control signal continuously varying the reverse bias on said first plurality of semiconductor diodes, a second four-terminal 90* hybrid coupler having two terminals connected in the other of said branch circuits and the other two terminals connected to a second plurality of semiconductor diodes for introducing, under the electrical control of a second phase control signal, a phase shift in said other branch, said second phase control signal continuously varying the reverse bias on said second plurality of semiconductor diodes and being differentially related to said first phase control signal, said two branches having equal phase shifts when said first and said second phase control signals are equal, and a third four terminal 90* hybrid coupler having: one input terminal connected to receive radio frequency energy from said first four terminal 90* hybrid coupler, a second input terminal connected to receive radio frequency energy from said second four terminal 90* hybrid coupler, one output terminal connected to one of said output ports, and a second output terminal connected to the other of said output ports; said third four terminal 90* hybrid coupler being so constructed and arranged that equal outputs are supplied to said output ports when the radio frequency energies applied to said input terminals are of the same phase, power division between said ports being continuously varied as the phase difference between the energies applied to said hybrid coupler is varied.

Claim 5

An electronically controlled radio frequency power divider having an input port into which radio frequency energy may be introduced and, under the control of differentially applied control signals, divided differentially between two output ports in such manner that the sum of the powers available from said two output ports is not substantially less than the power introduced at said input port, and the phase difference between the radio frequency energies derived from said output ports remains small over the operating range of said power divider, said power divider comprising: means connected to said input port for splitting said introduced radio frequency energy and applying it in equal phase to two branch circuits, a first four-terminal 90* hybrid coupler having two terminals connected in one of said branch circuits and the other two terminals connected to a first plurality of semiconductor diodes for introducing, under the electrical control of a first phase control signal, a phase shift of the radio frequency energy therein, said control signal continuously varying the reverse bias on said first plurality of semiconductor diodes, a second four-terminal 90* hybrid coupler having two terminals connected in the other of said branch circuits and the other two terminals connected to a second plurality of semiconductor diodes for introducing, under the electrical control of a second phase control signal, a phase shift in said other branch, said second phase control signal continuously varying the reverse bias on said second plurality of semiconductor diodes and being differentially related to said first phase control signal, said two branches having equal phase shifts when said first and said second phase control signals are equal, and a third four terminal 90* hybrid coupler having: one input terminal connected to receive radio frequency energy from said first four terminal 90* hybrid coupler, a second input terminal connected to receive radio frequency energy from said second four terminal 90* hybrid coupler, one output terminal connected to one of said output ports, and a second output terminal connected to the other of said output ports; said third four terminal 90* hybrid coupler being so constructed and arranged that equal outputs are supplied to said output ports when the radio frequency energies applied to said input terminals are of the same phase, power division between said ports being continuously varied as the phase difference between the energies applied to said hybrid coupler is varied.