Composite Intelligent Surface Beam Steering With Varactor Phase Control

The patent replaces conventional mechanical/electronic beam steering systems (active antenna elements and amplifiers) with a reconfigurable intelligent surface that uses programmable phase gradients to achieve beam steering. This substitution eliminates the need for bulky active components while maintaining beam steering functionality through electromagnetic field manipulation at the surface level.

The patent changes the operational parameters of the surface by programming different phase gradient values across the RIS elements. By dynamically adjusting phase gradients rather than using physical movement or active amplification, the system achieves beam steering with a compact, static surface structure that consumes less space.

The patent divides the RIS into multiple independently controllable elements or clusters, each capable of being programmed with specific phase gradients. This segmentation allows the complex beamforming task to be distributed across simpler individual elements, managed through a controller that programs phase gradients, thereby achieving real-time beamforming without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.

The patent implements dynamic beamforming by enabling real-time reconfiguration of phase gradients across the RIS elements. The system can adapt beam directions and shapes dynamically through electronic control of phase gradients, providing communication efficiency comparable to complex active systems while maintaining simpler passive surface structures.