Cavity-Backed Patch Shared Aperture Antenna Array Approach for Mobile DBS Applications

Relatively low profile antennas can be implemented by sharing more than one aperture in order to realize a specified overall antenna gain. However, the overall radiation pattern of these combined apertures could have unacceptable side-lobe levels. In the case of mobile DBS antennas that require wide-angle steering capability, sharing could degrade the overall performance unless the system is carefully designed. The number of shared apertures is typically limited by the amount of insertion loss caused by the interconnecting feed structure and its mechanical flexibility, as required in the case of mechanical steering. Hence, overall system performance and interconnecting hardware details need to be optimized to minimize such degradation while achieving the greatest practical height reduction.