Abstract: An apparatus (800) and method (1000) for forming a shapeable and directable composite beam (305) from a plurality of pixel beams (302). The apparatus (800) includes a front-end unit (810) which communicates element signals through antenna array elements (808). The apparatus (800) also includes a back-end unit (850) which forms the composite beam from a set of pixel beams by converting between a composite signal and a set of corresponding pixel signals. The back-end unit (850) further adjusts the amplitude and phase of the set of pixel signals to form the composite beam. The apparatus (800) further includes an interconnecting beamforming network (820) interposed between the back-end unit (850) and the front-end unit (810) which couples the back-end unit (850) to the front-end unit (810) by converting between the pixel signals of the back-end unit (850) and the element signals of the front-end unit (810). The method (1100) includes determining a desired shape and direction for the composite beam (1110).

Abstract: A phased array antenna system producing multiple beams that can be rapidly and reliably scanned between desired angular beam locations without the need for highly complex hardware. The antenna system includes multiple antenna elements (30) coupled to frequency converters (34) that downconvert received signals to an intermediate frequency. Each frequency converter (34) receives a local oscillator (36) signal that passes through a phase shifting circuit (40). The phase shifting circuits are adjusted only in a calibration mode, to remove any phase errors, but are not used to select beam locations. In a receive mode, the downconverted received signals are input to a matrix network (44), such as a Butler Matrix, which transforms the antenna signals on its input lines (42) to an equivalent set of beam location signals on its outputs (46), of which there is one for each possible angular beam location of the antenna system.