| 摘要 |
<p>A beam forming network is disclosed interconnecting one of a plurality of input terminals with a corresponding number or a different number of antenna elements of an antenna array. The beam forming network may be used in conjunction with such an antenna array to receive waves and to provide outputs corresponding thereto, or to radiate waves in response to a selected input signal properly applied. More specifically, each of the plurality of terminals which serve as output ports when receiving and input ports when transmitting, is coupled by a plurality of delay lines to each of the antenna elements. In a radiating system, a signal is applied to one of the input terminals which is coupled to each of the antenna elements through such delay elements that the waves radiated from each of the antenna elements are delayed by specified amounts which cause the direction of the composite wave or beam formed by the waves derived from all antenna elements to be directed along a line disposed at a particular angle with respect to the axis of the antenna array. In one embodiment of this invention, the antenna elements may be disposed in a linear array, which allows selection of beam directions in a plane containing the line of radiating elements, whereas in other embodiments of this invention, the antenna elements may be disposed in two or three-dimensional arrays, which allows selection of beam directions representing various combinations of azimuth and elevation angles relative to the array axis.</p> |
