ELECTROMECHANICALLY RECONFIGURABLE COHERENT BEAMFORMING
According to various embodiments, systems and methods for beamforming feed waves. An apparatus can include a reconfigurable arrangement of a first beamforming component and a second beamforming component. The first beamforming component can be configured to convert feed waves from a feed source into one or more intermediate beam patterns. The second beamforming component can be configured to convert the one or more intermediate beam patterns received at the second beamforming component from the first beamforming component into one or more output beam patterns based on one or more beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement.
1 . An apparatus for beamforming feed waves comprising:
a reconfigurable arrangement of a first beamforming component and a second beamforming component, wherein:
the first beamforming component is configured to convert the feed waves received at the first beamforming component from a feed source into one or more intermediate beam patterns; and
the second beamforming component is configured to convert the one or more intermediate beam patterns received at the second beamforming component from the first beamforming component into one or more output beam patterns based on one or more beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different second beamforming component configuration states that are pre-defined beamforming component configuration states for converting the one or more intermediate beam patterns into specific output beam patterns.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second beamforming component configuration states correspond to a plurality of wave holograms physically embedded in the second beamforming component and the second beamforming component is reconfigurable according to a wave hologram of the wave holograms to select a specific output beam pattern of the specific output beam patterns by exciting a specific wave hologram stored within the second beamforming component.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein an intermediate beam created by the first beamforming component serves as a reconstruction beam for a wave hologram physically embedded in the second beamforming component.
5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different first beamforming component configuration states according to the wave holograms to select a specific output beam pattern of the specific output beam patterns by exciting a specific wave hologram stored within the second beamforming component.
6 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different first beamforming component configuration states according to the wave holograms to select a specific intermediate beam pattern of variable intermediate beam patterns in order to select the specific output beam pattern of the specific output beam patterns.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second beamforming component remains static in a second beamforming component configuration state and the specific intermediate beam pattern of the variable intermediate beam patterns is selected to retrieve a specific wave hologram of the wave holograms for the second beamforming component to select the specific output beam pattern of the specific output beam patterns.
8 - 31 . (canceled)
32 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein either or both the first beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different first beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement to convert the feed waves received at the first beamforming component into the one or more intermediate beam patterns based on the different first beamforming component configuration states and the second beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different second beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement to convert the one or more intermediate beam patterns into the one or more output beam patterns based on the different second beamforming component configuration states and further wherein each first beamforming component configuration state corresponds to a frequency-domain mode for the first beamforming component and each second beamforming component configuration state corresponds to a frequency-domain mode for the second beamforming component of one or more frequencies of the feed waves.
33 - 39 . (canceled)
40 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the feed waves are acoustic waves.
41 - 43 . (canceled)
44 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different second beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement to convert the intermediate beam patterns received at the second beamforming component into the one or more output beam patterns based on the different second beamforming component configuration states.
45 . The apparatus of claim 44 , wherein the second beamforming component is mechanically reconfigurable to achieve the different second beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement.
46 - 52 . (canceled)
53 . The apparatus of claim 44 , wherein the second beamforming component is electrically reconfigurable to achieve the different second beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement.
54 - 56 . (canceled)
57 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different first beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement to convert the feed waves received at the first beamforming component into the one or more intermediate beam patterns based on the different first beamforming component configuration states.
58 . The apparatus of claim 57 , wherein the first beamforming component is mechanically reconfigurable to achieve the different first beamforming component configuration states.
59 - 65 . (canceled)
66 . The apparatus of claim 57 , wherein the first beamforming component is electrically reconfigurable to achieve the different first beamforming component configuration states.
67 - 69 . (canceled)
70 . The apparatus of claim 57 , wherein the first beamforming component configuration states are pre-defined beamforming component configuration states for converting the feed waves into specific intermediate beam patterns.
71 . The apparatus of claim 70 , wherein the first beamforming component configuration states are stored as wave holograms for the first beamforming component and the first beamforming component is reconfigured according to the wave holograms to select a specific intermediate beam pattern of the specific intermediate beam patterns.
72 - 94 . (canceled)
95 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid disposed between the first beamforming component and the second beamforming component.
96 - 99 . (canceled)
100 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a third beamforming component reconfigurable to achieve different third beamforming component configuration states to convert the one or more output beam patterns received at the third beamforming component from the second beamforming component into one or more beam patterns based on the different third beamforming component configuration states.
101 . The apparatus of claim 100 , wherein the third beamforming component is mechanically reconfigurable to achieve the different third beamforming component configuration states.
102 - 108 . (canceled)
109 . The apparatus of claim 100 , wherein the third beamforming component is electrically reconfigurable to achieve the different third beamforming component configuration states.
110 - 143 . (canceled)
144 . A method for beamforming feed waves comprising:
controlling a reconfigurable arrangement of a first beamforming component and a second beamforming component to form one or more output beam patterns from the feed waves based on one or more beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement, by controlling the first beamforming component to convert the feed waves received at the first beamforming component from a feed source into one or more intermediate beam patterns and controlling the second beamforming component to convert the one or more intermediate beam patterns received at the second beamforming component from the first beamforming component into the one or more output beam patterns based on the reconfigurable arrangement.
145 . The method of claim 144 , wherein the second beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different second beamforming component configuration states that are pre-defined beamforming component configuration states for converting the one or more intermediate beam patterns into specific output beam patterns.
146 . The method of claim 145 , wherein the second beamforming component configuration states correspond to a plurality of wave holograms physically embedded in the second beamforming component and the second beamforming component is reconfigurable according to a wave hologram of the wave holograms to select a specific output beam pattern of the specific output beam patterns by exciting a specific wave hologram stored within the second beamforming component.
147 . The method of claim 146 , wherein an intermediate beam created by the first beamforming component serves as a reconstruction beam for a wave hologram physically embedded in the second beamforming component.
148 . The method of claim 146 , wherein the first beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different first beamforming component configuration states according to the wave holograms to select a specific output beam pattern of the specific output beam patterns by exciting a specific wave hologram stored within the second beamforming component.
149 . The method of claim 146 , wherein the first beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different first beamforming component configuration states according to the wave holograms to select a specific intermediate beam pattern of variable intermediate beam patterns in order to select the specific output beam pattern of the specific output beam patterns.
150 . The method of claim 149 , wherein the second beamforming component remains static in a second beamforming component configuration state and the specific intermediate beam pattern of the variable intermediate beam patterns is selected to retrieve a specific wave hologram of the wave holograms for the second beamforming component to select the specific output beam pattern of the specific output beam patterns.
151 - 174 . (canceled)
175 . The method of claim 144 , wherein either or both the first beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different first beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement to convert the feed waves received at the first beamforming component into the one or more intermediate beam patterns based on the different first beamforming component configuration states and the second beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different second beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement to convert the one or more intermediate beam patterns into the one or more output beam patterns based on the different second beamforming component configuration states and further wherein each first beamforming component configuration state corresponds to a frequency-domain mode for the first beamforming component and each second beamforming component configuration state corresponds to a frequency-domain mode for the second beamforming component of one or more frequencies of the feed waves.
176 . The method of claim 144 , wherein the feed waves are electromagnetic waves.
177 - 182 . (canceled)
183 . The method of claim 144 , wherein the feed waves are acoustic waves.
184 - 186 . (canceled)
187 . The method of claim 144 , wherein the second beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different second beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement to convert the intermediate beam patterns received at the second beamforming component into the one or more output beam patterns based on the different second beamforming component configuration states.
188 . The method of claim 187 , wherein the second beamforming component is mechanically reconfigurable to achieve the different second beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement.
189 - 195 . (canceled)
196 . The method of claim 187 , wherein the second beamforming component is electrically reconfigurable to achieve the different second beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement.
197 - 199 . (canceled)
200 . The method of claim 144 , wherein the first beamforming component is reconfigurable to achieve different first beamforming component configuration states of the reconfigurable arrangement to convert the feed waves received at the first beamforming component into the one or more intermediate beam patterns based on the different first beamforming component configuration states.
201 . The method of claim 200 , wherein the first beamforming component is mechanically reconfigurable to achieve the different first beamforming component configuration states.
202 - 208 . (canceled).
209 . The method of claim 200 , wherein the first beamforming component is electrically reconfigurable to achieve the different first beamforming component configuration states.
210 - 212 . (canceled)
213 . The method of claim 200 , wherein the first beamforming component configuration states are pre-defined beamforming component configuration states for converting the feed waves into specific intermediate beam patterns.
214 . The method of claim 213 , wherein the first beamforming component configuration states are stored as wave holograms for the first beamforming component and the first beamforming component is reconfigured according to the wave holograms to select a specific intermediate beam pattern of the specific intermediate beam patterns.
215 - 242 . (canceled)
243 . The method of claim 144 , further comprising controlling a third beamforming component reconfigurable to achieve different third beamforming component configuration states to convert the one or more output beam patterns received at the third beamforming component from the second beamforming component into one or more beam patterns based on the different third beamforming component configuration states.
244 . The method of claim 243 , wherein the third beamforming component is mechanically reconfigurable to achieve the different third beamforming component configuration states.
245 - 251 . (canceled)
252 . The method of claim 243 , wherein the third beamforming component is electrically reconfigurable to achieve the different third beamforming component configuration states.
253 - 286 . (canceled)