Enhanced direct radiating array

摘要

An apparatus (800) and method (1000) for forming a shapeable and directable composite beam (305) from a plurality of pixel beams (302). The apparatus (800) includes a front-end unit (810) which communicates element signals through antenna array elements (808). The apparatus (800) also includes a back-end unit (850) which forms the composite beam from a set of pixel beams by converting between a composite signal and a set of corresponding pixel signals. The back-end unit (850) further adjusts the amplitude and phase of the set of pixel signals to form the composite beam. The apparatus (800) further includes an interconnecting beamforming network (820) interposed between the back-end unit (850) and the front-end unit (810) which couples the back-end unit (850) to the front-end unit (810) by converting between the pixel signals of the back-end unit (850) and the element signals of the front-end unit (810). The method (1100) includes determining a desired shape and direction for the composite beam (1110). The method (1100) then selects a set of pixel beams (1120) with which to form the composite beam. The method (1100) converts between the composite signal and a set of pixel signals corresponding to the set of pixel beams (1140). The method forms the composite beam (1150) by adjusting the amplitude and phase of the set of pixel signals.