Multi-Band Antenna Technology

ThinKom, with > 10 years experience developing and producing lightweight, low-cost and high-efficiency antennas using Continuous Transverse Stub (CTS) antenna technology and two years of commercial antenna technology development, including an innovativeantenna technology called WAVETRAP offering wideband, beam shaping and beam steering capabilities and a variant of CTS called Dual Band VICTS, will investigate and recommend Multi-Band Antenna Technology and designs spanning 400 MHz to 1.5-3 GHz (usingWAVETRAP) and 17 to 31 GHz (using Dual Band VICTS). Recommended low band antennas will exhibit these features: 1) total radiation efficiency > 70% (< 0.2dB ohmic loss between amplifiers (LNA & SSPA) and free space), 2) offer low (approximately 10 ohms)match to amplifiers to achieve high power added efficiency and low noise figure, 3) be physically low profile (< 1 inch thick), small (about 6-12 inches in diameter) and lightweight (< 1 lb), 4) allow ease in shaping the elevation beam, 5) provide ease indynamically selecting azimuth coverage to maximize gain (G/T & EIRP) over a desired region, 6) be of robust physical construction to withstand both airborne and ground vehicle environments, and 7) use low cost commercial materials and processes to achieveaffordability. An antenna exhibiting all the low band features described in the technical abstract, plus supporting a wide operating bandwidth (which WAVETRAP does), would also have many applications for mobile high data rate communications, such asMobile WLANs and SATCOM. When the operating bandwidth spans from 0.5 to 6 GHz (which WAVETRAP can), then the antenna can support multiple terrestrial and satellite communication functions. The automotive and telecommunication industries are seekingmulti-band and wideband, low profile, high efficiency (high data rate) antennas that support multiple functions (such as wireless communication, WLAN, satellite navigation and communication).Mobile WLAN concepts are being pursued for commercial applications under the umbrella of Intelligent Transportation Systems (Department of Transportation sponsored investigations) as well as under the broader category of Telematics for cars, trucks, etc.In addition, the telecommunication industry, as part of the development of 3G and associated mobile wireless data communications, have been investigating how to seamlessly integrate mobile wireless networks (cellular and PCS networks) with the existing andgrowing number of WLAN (802.11 based)