A Wideband Dual-Beam Patch Array Antenna With Compact Size and High Efficiency for Dual-Target Wireless Communications

In this letter, a wideband dual-beam patch antenna and its array with compact size and high efficiency are proposed, analyzed, and measured. The antenna geometry and operational principle based on pattern multiplication theory are first introduced. A two-element dual-beam antenna is then designed, followed by the development of a 2 × 1 dual-beam antenna array to achieve higher gain and narrower beamwidth. Two prototypes are manufactured to validate the design concept. The measured results confirm that the peak gains of the proposed element and its 2 × 1 antenna array are 6.1 dBi and 9.7 dBi, and their bandwidths are 43.7% and 55.9%, respectively. Besides, the total radiation efficiencies of both prototypes exceed 90%. The proposed antennas possess the advantages of low cost, wideband and high efficiency, thereby providing a promising candidate for advanced dual-target wireless communication systems.