An electronically steerable passive array antenna and method for using the array
antenna to steer the radiation beams and nulls of a radio signal are described
herein. The array antenna includes a radiating antenna element capable of transmitting
and receiving radio signals and one or more parasitic antenna elements that are
incapable of transmitting or receiving radio signals. Each parasitic antenna element
is located on a circumference of a predetermined circle around the radiating antenna
element. A voltage-tunable capacitor is connected to each parasitic antenna element.
A controller is used to apply a predetermined DC voltage to each one of the voltage-tunable
capacitors in order to change the capacitance of each voltage-tunable capacitor
and thus enable one to control the directions of the maximum radiation beams and
the minimum radiation beams (nulls) of a radio signal emitted from the array antenna.