Wide angle antenna system

Claim 2

A microwave antenna comprising, a parallel plate waveguide with a parallel plate flared feed horn, said feed horn having outwardly diverging edge walls to said parallel plate waveguide, said waveguide and feed horn having a curved shape with said waveguide being open at one end forming a curved ring source aperture, and a plurality of separate phase shifters positioned in said waveguide adjacent said feed horn and arranged around the curved volume for dividing the power of the received electromagnetic waves and controlling the phase of the electromagnetic waves tHrough each phase shifter.

Claim 3

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said waveguide and said feed horn being curved to cylindrical shape.

Claim 4

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein, said phase shifters being positioned in equal spaced locations across the entire aperture.

Claim 5

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 3, wherein, said phase shifters are positioned in parallel.

Claim 6

A microwave antenna as claimd in claim 2 wherein, each of said phase shifters being positioned with equal distant spacing across the aperture of said waveguide, and said phase shifters are positioned in a curved arrangement relative to said aperture for providing a substantially uniform radiating beam distribution that is not substantially affected by changes in frequency.

Claim 7

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 5 wherein, said flared feed horn has a neck portion, said neck portion being connected to said flared feed horn at a first location, and said phase shifters being arranged in a circular orientation relative to said first position.

Claim 8

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 5 wherein, said waveguide and said feed horn are positioned in side by side parallel relationship with the horn aperture being connected to the waveguide by a 180* waveguide bend, and said phase shifters being positioned adjacent said bend.

Claim 9

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 7 wherein, said interconnecting bend having a substantially circular lower end configuration across the width of said waveguide and horn aperture, whereby said phase shifters are thereby positioned in a circular configuration relative to the waveguide aperture.

Claim 10

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein, said waveguide and said feed horn have a cylindrical configuration with said feed horn being concentric inside of said waveguide.

Claim 11

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 9 wherein, said waveguide aperture having a 90* bend for radiating the beam at right angles to the parallel plate waveguide.

Claim 12

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein, said aperture of said waveguide having a 90* bend to radiate a beam at right angles to said parallel plate waveguide.

Claim 13

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 2 including, means for spreading and guiding the energy in said horn to the phase shifters for providing a collimated beam in a direction broadside to the antenna when the radiating elements are set at 0*.

Claim 14

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 12 wherein, the edge walls of said parallel plate flared feed horn being curved inwardly to provide a uniform distribution for frequency shifts of the energy to said radiating elements.

Claim 15

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 10 wherein, said flared feed horn being an E-plane sectoral horn in which the energy is distributed with uniform phase and amplitude over the horn aperture and guided to the phase shifters, and said phase shifters being arranged in a circular configuration relative to the energy input to said horn.

Claim 16

A microwave antenna system comprising, a parallel plate waveguide with a flared feed horn, said feed horn having outwardly diverging edge walls to said parallel plate waveguide, said waveguide and feed horn having a cylindrical curved shape with said waveguide being open at one end forming a circular ring source aperture, a plurality of separate phase shifters positioned in said waveguide adjacent said feed horn and arranged around the cylindrical volume for feeding said circular aperture, means for supplying energy to said feed horn that distributes over a wide region and is guided to the phase shifters, circuit means for electronically controlling the phase shifters to provide a collimated beam to emanate from the ring aperture, and said circuit means including means for introducing a phase gradient along the radiating Elements to move the beam around the periphery of the ring aperture.

Claim 17

A microwave antenna system comprising, a parallel plate waveguide with a flared feed horn, said feed horn having outwardly diverging edge walls to said parallel plate waveguide, said waveguide and feed horn having a cylindrical curved shape with said waveguide being open at one end forming a circular ring source aperture, a plurality of separate phase shifters positioned in said waveguide adjacent said feed horn and arranged around the cylindrical volume for feeding said circular aperture, means for supplying energy to said feed horn that distributes over a wide region and is guided to the phase shifters, circuit means for electronically controlling the phase shifters to provide a collimated beam to emanate from the ring aperture, and said circuit means including means for introducing a phase gradient along the radiating Elements to move the beam around the periphery of the ring aperture.

Claim 18

A microwave antenna as claimed in claim 15 wherein, said flared feed horn having means forming a power divider horn that provides energy to said phase shifters causing said beam to be steered over a 180* sector with relatively minor variations in individual phase shifter settings as a function of frequency.