Orientation-independent antenna (ORIAN)

1. An orientation-independent antenna which presents a circular polarization characteristic to incoming signals such that the signals are detected regardless of polarization and angle of arrival, comprising:

a pair of vertical loops positioned orthogonal one to the other;

a horizontal loop; and,

a phasing module for driving said vertical loops with a 90 degree phase shift therebetween and for driving said horizontal loop with signals that are offset 90 degrees from those driving said vertical loops, such that said antenna presents said circular polarization characteristic in all directions simultaneously.

2. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein each of said loops has four legs and wherein said phasing module drives each of the legs in each loop with a phase angle of 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees and 270 degrees.

3. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein said loops include a number of elements, with said elements driven so as to achieve said circular polarization characteristic.

4. The antenna of claim 3 , wherein said elements are triangular plates.

5. The antenna of claim 4 , wherein said loops are formed by said elements arranged on the surface of a cube.

6. The antenna of claim 5 , wherein each face of said cube includes four of said triangular elements having bases extending to the edges of the cube face and having apexes pointed towards the center of the respective cube face.

7. The antenna of claim 6 , wherein said phasing module feeds pairs of said triangular elements at the opposed apexes thereof.

8. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein said phasing module includes six hybrids.

9. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein said antenna is in the form of a cube having triangular shaped elements on each face of the cube.

10. The antenna of claim 9 , wherein said hybrids drive selected pairs of triangular shaped elements on a face of said cube.

11. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein said antenna is given a right hand circular polarization characteristic.

12. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein said antenna is given a left hand circular polarization characteristic.

13. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein said loops are driven such that said antenna is given both a right hand circular polarization characteristic and a left hand circular polarization characteristic available in separate channels, thereby to double the data rate associated with said antenna.

14. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein said loops are formed by multiple pairs of elements and where the said pairs of elements are mounted on a sphere, whereby the quality of said circular polarization characteristic is maximally achieved.

15. A method for generating an orientation-independent circular polarization antenna, comprising the steps of:

provide crossed vertical loops;

providing a horizontal loop orthogonal to the crossed vertical loops; and, driving said loops such that they are phased with respect to each other to provide the circular polarization characteristic, with the horizontal loop filling in the circular polarization as the vertical polarization degrades as one moves from the vertical to the horizontal, such that the antenna presents a circular polarization characteristic in all directions simultaneously, each of said loops having four sides, the sides being phased from 0 degrees, to 90 degrees, to 180 degrees and to 270 degrees, said vertical crossed loops being driven with a 90 degree phase shift, the horizontal loop being driven with a 90 degree phase shift with respect to the vertical crossed loops.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the loops are implemented on a cubic substrate.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the loops are implemented on a spherical substrate.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein said loops are driven to give them a right hand circular polarization and a left hand circular polarization, whereby double the data rate is achievable.

19. An orientation-independent antenna which presents a circular polarization characteristic to incoming signals such that the signals are detected regardless of polarization and angle of arrival, comprising:

a pair of rectilinear vertical loops positioned orthogonal one to the other, each leg of a rectilinear loop corresponding to a side of said rectilinear loop and having a pair of feedpoints, such that each loop has four pairs of feedpoints;

a rectilinear horizontal loop, each leg of said rectilinear horizontal loop corresponding to a side of said horizontal rectilinear loop and having a pair of feedpoints such that said rectilinear horizontal loop has four pairs of feedpoints; and,

a phasing module for driving said four pairs of feedpoints for said vertical loops to establish a 90 degree phase shift therebetween and for driving said four pairs of feedpoints for said horizontal loop with signals that are offset 90 degrees from those driving said vertical loops, such that said antenna presents said circular polarization characteristic in all directions simultaneously.

20. The antenna of claim 19 , wherein said phasing module drives each of the legs in each loop with a phase angle of 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees and 270 degrees.

21. An orientation-independent antenna which presents a circular polarization characteristic to incoming signals such that the signals are detected regardless of polarization and angle of arrival, comprising:

a pair of rectilinear vertical loops positioned orthogonal one to the other, each leg of a rectilinear loop corresponding to a side of said rectilinear loop and having a pair of feedpoints, such that each loop has four pairs of feedpoints;

a rectilinear horizontal loop, each leg of said rectilinear horizontal loop corresponding to a side of said horizontal rectilinear loop and having a pair of feedpoints such that said rectilinear horizontal loop has four pairs of feedpoints; and,

a phasing module for driving said four pairs of feedpoints for said vertical loops to establish a 90 degree phase shift therebetween and for driving said four pairs of feedpoints for said horizontal loop with signals that are offset 90 degrees from those driving said vertical loops, such that said antenna presents said circular polarization characteristic in all directions simutaneously, said loops including a number of elements, said elements being driven so as to achieve said circular polarization characteristic, said elements being triangular in shape, said loops formed by said elements arranged on the surface of a cube, each face of said cube including four of said triangular elements having bases extending to the edges of the cube face and having apexes pointed towards the center of the respective cube face, said phasing module feeding pairs of said triangular elements at the opposed apexes thereof.