Frequency and pattern reconfigurable antennas for community cellular applications

Abstract

Two reconfigurable antenna designs intended for maximizing the useful coverage of community cellular applications were investigated. The first is a pattern reconfigurable, 900 MHz antenna with an inverted-F driven element complemented by four reflective strips with variable grounding. The antenna was shown to be able to shift between omnidirectional and four directional modes with higher gain. The second design is a frequency and pattern reconfigurable dipole antenna employing limited but calculated pixelation on the driven and parasitic elements using PIN diodes. This was shown to be useable at 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2.1 GHz while also being able to shift between omnidirectional and two directional modes.