Multifunctional Switched-Beam Antenna Located on Solar Cell for Vehicular to Satellite Communication

In this article, a multifunctional beam forming architecture is studied in detail for intelligent transportation systems and advanced vehicular technologies. The proposed structure can radiate or receive multiple beams simultaneously. This system can significantly improve the scanning coverage and channel capacity based on a switched beam methodology. The antenna has eight distinct ports to propagate eight beams at 28 GHz. A solar panel layer is integrated with the designed architecture in order to provide a sustainable renewable energy source for the envisioned system. The proposed multifunctional antenna is oriented towards the space direction with sunlight energy harvesting capabilities and vehicular satellite communication ability, all at the same time. Furthermore, an automated antenna system based on the proposed multidisciplinary structure can be applied for highway-to-vehicle connections.