A NOVEL 2.45 GHz SWITCHABLE BEAM TEXTILE ANTENNA (SBTA) FOR OUTDOOR WIRELESS BODY AREA NETWORK (WBAN) APPLICATIONS

A novel switchable beam textile antenna (SBTA) for wireless body area network (WBAN) applications is proposed. The SBTA is centrally-fed by a coaxial probe and the power distributed over four circular radiating elements. Four RF switches are integrated through which the SBTA is able to generate beam steering in four directions: 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, and 270 degrees, with a maximum directivity of 6.8 dBi at 0 degrees. Its small size (88 mm x 88 mm) and flexibility enables the structure to be easily integrated into safety jackets, rain coats, etc., for tracking, and search and rescue communication purposes. The structure successfully integrates reconfigurability into a wearable textile antenna.