Control of radiation patterns of antennas mounted on complex platforms by using the characteristic basis functions (CBFs)

Abstract

A novel straightforward approach for controlling the radiation patterns of antenna systems located on a complex platform is proposed in this paper. The proposed technique is based on the use of Characteristic Basis Functions (CBFs). The CBFs are initially generated from the solutions for the current distributions on the platform derived by exciting a number of antenna elements, typically specified by the user, and placed at “allowable” locations on the platform. A singular value decomposition (SVD) is then performed to remove the redundancy of the CBFs. Next, the Characteristic Basis Function Patterns (CBFPs) are derived from the CBFs, and are used as the basis functions in the pattern space to realize the desired pattern. Rather than using a non-linear optimization procedure to realize the desired pattern, the pattern design process is transformed into an eigenvalue problem — which is numerical considerably more efficient to solve — to find the best-fit solution that maximizes the energy radiated in the desired angular range, while minimizing the undesired radiation outside of this range, e.g., along the sidelobe or backlobe directions.