RECONFIGURABLE TUNABLE BROADBAND ANTENNA COMPONENTS
An antenna component may include a first circuit comprising a first selector coupled in series to a first memory cell, a second circuit comprising a second selector coupled in series to a second memory cell, a first antenna element coupled to the first circuit, a second antenna element coupled to the second circuit, and control circuitry coupled to the first circuit and the second circuit, wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the first circuit to select the first antenna element and use the second circuit to select the second antenna element.
1 . An antenna component, comprising:
a first circuit comprising a first selector coupled in series to a first memory cell;
a second circuit comprising a second selector coupled in series to a second memory cell;
a first antenna element coupled to the first circuit;
a second antenna element coupled to the second circuit; and
control circuitry coupled to the first circuit and the second circuit, wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the first circuit to select the first antenna element and use the second circuit to select the second antenna element.
2 . The antenna component recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first memory cell or the second memory cell is nonvolatile.
3 . The antenna component recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first wire coupled to a first terminal of the first circuit, to a first terminal of the second circuit, and to the control circuitry;
a second wire coupled to a second terminal of the first circuit and to the control circuitry; and
a third wire coupled to a second terminal of the second circuit and to the control circuitry,
and wherein the control circuitry is configured to access the first circuit using the first wire and the second wire, and to access the second circuit using the first wire and the third wire.
4 . The antenna component recited in claim 3 , further comprising:
a reference plane; and
a capacitor coupling at least one of the first wire, the second wire, the third wire, the first circuit, or the second circuit to the reference plane.
5 . The antenna component recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a reference plane; and
a capacitor coupling at least one the first circuit or the second circuit to the reference plane.
6 . The antenna component recited in claim 1 , wherein the first antenna element is connected to the first memory cell of the first circuit and the second antenna element is connected to the second memory cell of the second circuit.
7 . An antenna component, comprising:
a switching fabric comprising:
a plurality of wires, and
a plurality of selector-switch circuits, each of the plurality of selector-switch circuits being addressable by a respective unique pair of wires of the plurality of wires; and
a plurality of antenna elements, wherein each antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements is coupled to the switching fabric to substantially prevent direct current on any of the plurality of wires from flowing through the plurality of antenna elements and to substantially prevent radio-frequency signals fed to or flowing through any of the plurality of antenna elements from flowing through the plurality of wires.
8 . The antenna component recited in claim 7 , wherein each selector-switch circuit of the plurality of selector-switch circuits comprises a respective selector coupled in series to a respective memory cell.
9 . The antenna component recited in claim 8 , wherein the respective memory cell is nonvolatile.
10 . The antenna component recited in claim 7 , wherein each selector-switch circuit of the plurality of selector-switch circuits comprises:
a respective first outer terminal coupled to a first wire of the respective unique pair of two wires; and
a respective second outer terminal coupled to a second wire of the respective unique pair of two wires.
11 . The antenna component recited in claim 10 , wherein each selector-switch circuit of the plurality of selector-switch circuits further comprises:
a respective inner terminal coupled to a respective antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements.
12 . The antenna component recited in claim 11 , wherein each selector-switch circuit of the plurality of selector-switch circuits comprises a respective memory cell, and wherein the respective inner terminal couples the respective antenna element to the respective memory cell.
13 . The antenna component recited in claim 7 , further comprising a phase shifter coupled to the plurality of antenna elements.
14 . The antenna component recited in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of antenna elements is arranged in a non-planar configuration.
15 . The antenna component recited in claim 7 , further comprising one or more hardware elements coupled to the switching fabric and/or the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the one or more hardware elements are configured to substantially prevent the direct current on any of the plurality of wires from flowing through the plurality of antenna elements and/or to substantially prevent the radio-frequency signals fed to or flowing through any of the plurality of antenna elements from flowing through the plurality of wires.
16 . The antenna component recited in claim 15 , wherein the one or more hardware elements comprise at least one of: a capacitor, an inductor, a split-ring resonator, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, a band-pass filter, a hybrid, a directional coupler, a band-stop filter, a notch filter, a splitter, a transformer, a waveguide filter, a stub, or a resistor.
17 . The antenna component recited in claim 7 , further comprising:
control circuitry coupled to the switching fabric and configured to use the plurality of wires to configure the plurality of selector-switch circuits to configure the plurality of antenna elements.
18 . A method of using the antenna component recited in claim 17 , comprising:
the control circuitry configuring the antenna component using the plurality of wires to configure the plurality of selector-switch circuits.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
before the control circuitry configuring the antenna component using the plurality of wires to configure the plurality of selector-switch circuits, performing a calculation to determine a configuration of the plurality of selector-switch circuits.
20 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
before the control circuitry configuring the antenna component using the plurality of wires to configure the plurality of selector-switch circuits, retrieving a configuration of the plurality of selector-switch circuits from a database.
21 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
adjusting a configuration of the antenna component.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein adjusting the configuration of the antenna component is based at least in part on a signal strength, a radiated power, a suppression of interference, or a suppression of jamming.
23 . An antenna component, comprising:
a switching fabric comprising:
a plurality of wires, and
a plurality of selector-switch circuits, each of the plurality of selector-switch circuits being addressable by a respective unique pair of two wires of the plurality of wires; and
a plurality of antenna elements coupled to the switching fabric; and
at least one hardware element coupled to the plurality of selector-switch circuits and configured to (a) suppress a direct current path through the plurality of antenna elements, (b) substantially prevent radio-frequency signals fed to or flowing through any of the plurality of antenna elements from flowing through the plurality of wires, or (c) both (a) and (b).
24 . The antenna component recited in claim 23 , wherein the at least one hardware element comprises at least one of: a capacitor, a split-ring resonator, an inductor, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, a band-pass filter, a hybrid, a directional coupler, a band-stop filter, a notch filter, a splitter, a transformer, a waveguide filter, a stub, or a resistor.
25 . The antenna component recited in claim 23 , wherein the plurality of wires and the plurality of selector-switch circuits are situated in a cross-point architecture structure.