US Patent 7109928 Conformal microstrip leaky wave antenna

A microwave radio frequency bidirectional energy flow-capable antenna method and related antenna of the physically conformal microstrip transmission line, traveling wave and leaky wave characterizations; the antenna is especially suited to vehicle mounting. The disclosed antenna operates in an EH1 or other above dominant mode energy wave propagation configuration, a configuration at least partially achieved by an array of selected-location radiating element shortings to an antenna-underlying transmission line ground plane element. Comparisons of the disclosed antenna with characteristics of a similarly classified antenna of somewhat lesser desirable but know characteristics are included.