| 摘要 |
The present invention provides an integrated antenna and phase shifter which has frequency-independent performance. In its preferred form, the antenna phase shifter of the present invention comprises first and second conductive spirals which are identical to and aligned with each other and which are separated from each other by a thin sheet of dielectric material. The first spiral has arms which are connected in a central region of the spiral to a first line of a balun or a balanced transmission line via electronic or optoelectronic switches. The second spiral has arms which are connected in the central region of the second spiral to a second line of the balun or balanced transmission line via electronic or optoelectronic switches. A switching circuit is used to turn them on and off. When any one of the RF switches is turned on, an RF link is established between the arm connected to the switch and the line of the balun connected to the switch. When one of the arms of one of the spirals is turned on, the associated arm in the adjacent spiral is RF coupled to the arm which is turned on due to the proximity effect. The RF switches are switched on and off by the switching circuit in such a manner that the spirals are in effect being electrically rotated. Frequency phase shifts in increments of 2 pi /N radians can be achieved, where N is the number of arms in each spiral. |
