Meta-antenna

• US 10,230,169 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Daniel, George W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaude, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US15/669,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20190044247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 343700 MS, 343904, 343702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/006 Selective devices having photonic band gap materials or materials of which the material properties are frequency dependent, e.g. perforated substrates, high-impedance surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/005 Patch antenna using one or more coplanar parasitic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

A small, inexpensive, printable meta-antenna system is described. In addition to being smaller than existing antennas, the meta-antenna improves over them by being omni-directional, and having a broader gain function and better efficiency. Some embodiments include a main element with a shape of a loop and two parasitic elements enclosed by the main element. Each parasitic element may be shaped as a loop with an opening. The openings of the two parasitic elements may be positioned adjacent to opposing sides of the main element, respectively.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a main element with a shape of a loop; and

two parasitic elements enclosed by the main element, wherein each parasitic element is shaped as a loop with an opening, and wherein the openings of the two parasitic elements are positioned adjacent to opposing sides of the main element, respectively.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the main element has a substantially rectangular shape.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein a long edge of the main element is substantially equal to one-quarter of a desired transmission wavelength.

4. The antenna of claim 2, wherein a short edge of the main element is substantially equal to one-eighth of a desired transmission wavelength.

5. The antenna of claim 2:

wherein the main element comprises an opening that serves as a feed point; and

wherein the opening of the main element is positioned approximately at a midpoint of a long edge of the main element.

6. The resonant antenna of claim 1, wherein the antenna has a nominal impedance of approximately 100 Ohms.

7. The resonant antenna of claim 1, wherein the main element and parasitic elements comprise conductive ink printed on a surface.

8. The resonant antenna of claim 1, wherein the main element and parasitic elements comprise metal traces deposited on a substrate.

9. The resonant antenna of claim 1, wherein the main element is configured to be driven directly by a differential RF signal.

18. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the main element is configured to be driven directly by a differential RF signal.

10. An antenna system comprising a balanced transmission line coupled to an antenna, wherein the antenna comprises:

a main element with a shape of a loop; and

two parasitic elements enclosed by the main element, wherein each parasitic element is shaped as a loop with an opening, and wherein the openings of the two parasitic elements are positioned adjacent to opposing sides of the main element, respectively.

11. The antenna system of claim 10, wherein the main element has a substantially rectangular shape.

12. The antenna system of claim 11, wherein a long edge of the main element is substantially equal to one-quarter of a desired transmission wavelength.

13. The antenna system of claim 11, wherein a short edge of the main element is substantially equal to one-eighth of a desired transmission wavelength.

14. The antenna system of claim 11:

wherein the main element comprises an opening that serves as a feed point; and

wherein the opening of the main element is positioned approximately at a midpoint of a long edge of the main element.

15. The antenna system of claim 10, wherein the antenna has a nominal impedance of approximately 100 Ohms.

16. The antenna system of claim 10, wherein the main element and parasitic elements comprise conductive ink printed on a surface.

17. The antenna system of claim 10, wherein the main element and parasitic elements comprise metal traces deposited on a substrate.