APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING SIGNAL COUPLING BETWEEN A SIGNAL LINE AND AN ANTENNA STRUCTURE

• US 20020175877A1
• Filed: 07/24/2001
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humatics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Schantz, Hans Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 6,512,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/850
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/005 for radiating non-sinusoidal waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 Element having extended radiating surface
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/6908 using time hopping

Abstract

An apparatus for coupling a signal supply with an antenna including first and second elements. The signal supply delivers a signal to the antenna at a connection locus. The first element has a first edge and the second element has a second edge; the connection locus includes part of the first and second edges. The apparatus includes a first and second feed structure. The first feed structure extends a feed distance from the signal supply to the second edge and divides the first element into two lands in spaced relation with the first feed structure to establish a separation distance intermediate the first feed structure and the two lands. The second feed structure couples the signal supply with the first proximal edge. The separation distance establishes a signal transmission structure between the two lands and the first feed structure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for coupling a balanced antenna with a signal line;

said signal line having at least two signal line coupling loci for delivering a signal having at least two unbalanced signal components;

said antenna having at least two antenna coupling loci for receiving signals;

the apparatus comprising;

(a) a first feed element;

said first feed element being coupled with a first signal line coupling locus of said at least two signal line coupling loci;

said first feed element conveying a first signal component of said at least two signal components along a first feed element length to a first antenna coupling locus of said at least two antenna coupling loci; and

(b) a second feed element;

said second feed element being coupled with a second signal line coupling locus of said at least two signal line coupling loci;

said second feed element conveying a second signal component of said at least two signal components along a second feed element length to a second antenna coupling locus of said at least two antenna coupling loci;

said first signal component and said second signal component differing in at least one parameter by an imbalance;

said first feed element and said second feed element being separated by a dielectric gap;

said first feed element and said second feed element being mutually asymmetric;

said mutual asymmetry being configured to reduce said imbalance as said first signal component and said second signal component traverse the apparatus intermediate said signal line and said antenna.

2. An apparatus for coupling a balanced antenna with a signal line as recited in claim 1 wherein said first feed element and said second feed element are each substantially planar quadrilateral lands;

said first feed element having a first signal coupling width neighboring said first signal line coupling locus and having a first antenna coupling width neighboring said first antenna coupling locus;

said second feed element having a second signal coupling width neighboring said second signal line coupling locus and having a second antenna coupling width neighboring said second antenna coupling locus;

said first signal coupling width and said second signal coupling width being unequal by a signal coupling width difference.

3. An apparatus for coupling a balanced antenna with a signal line as recited in claim 1 wherein said first feed element and said second feed element are each substantially planar quadrilateral lands;

said first feed element having a first signal coupling width neighboring said first signal line coupling locus and having a first antenna coupling width neighboring said first antenna coupling locus;

said second feed element having a second signal coupling width neighboring said second signal line coupling locus and having a second antenna coupling width neighboring said second antenna coupling locus;

said first antenna coupling width and said second antenna coupling width being unequal by an antenna coupling width difference.

4. An apparatus for coupling a balanced antenna with a signal line as recited in claim 1 wherein said first feed element and said second feed element are each substantially planar quadrilateral lands;

said first feed element having a first signal coupling width neighboring said first signal line coupling locus and having a first antenna coupling width neighboring said first antenna coupling locus;

said second feed element having a second signal coupling width neighboring said second signal line coupling locus and having a second antenna coupling width neighboring said second antenna coupling locus;

said first signal coupling width and said second signal coupling width being unequal by a signal coupling width difference;

said first antenna coupling width and said second antenna coupling width being unequal by an antenna coupling width difference.

5. An apparatus for coupling a balanced antenna with a signal line as recited in claims 2 through 4 wherein said first feed element and said second feed element are substantially coplanar and wherein said dielectric gap is an air gap intermediate said first feed element and said second feed element.

6. An apparatus for coupling a balanced antenna with a signal line as recited in claims 2 through 4 wherein said first feed element is situated on a first side of a dielectric substrate and wherein said second feed element is situated on a second side of said dielectric substrate;

said dielectric substrate having a thickness separating said first side and said second side;

said thickness establishing said dielectric gap.

7. An apparatus for coupling a balanced antenna with a signal line as recited in claim 2 wherein said mutual asymmetry is configured to reduce said imbalance by said signal coupling width difference.

8. An apparatus for coupling a balanced antenna with a signal line as recited in claim 3 wherein said mutual asymmetry is configured to reduce said imbalance by said antenna coupling width difference.

9. An apparatus for coupling a balanced antenna with a signal line as recited in claim 4 wherein said mutual asymmetry is configured to reduce said imbalance by at least one of said signal coupling width difference and said antenna coupling width difference.

10. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure;

said antenna structure including a first radiating element on a first side of a dielectric substrate and a second radiating element on a second side of said substrate;

said first radiating element having a first antenna coupling locus;

said second radiating element having a second antenna coupling locus;

said signal line having two signal line coupling loci for delivering a signal having two unbalanced signal components;

the apparatus comprising;

(a) a first feed element on said first side of said substrate;

said first feed element being a first substantially planar polygonal land and coupling said first antenna coupling locus with a first signal line coupling locus of said two signal line coupling loci;

said first feed element establishing a first antenna coupling width at said first antenna coupling locus and establishing a first signal coupling width at said first signal line coupling locus; and

(b) a second feed element on said second side of said substrate;

said second feed element being a second substantially planar polygonal land and coupling said second antenna coupling locus with a second signal line coupling locus of said two signal line coupling loci;

said second feed element establishing a second antenna coupling width at said second antenna coupling locus and establishing a second signal coupling width at said second signal line coupling locus;

said first antenna coupling width, said second antenna coupling width, said first signal coupling width and said second signal coupling width cooperating to establish an asymmetry between said first feed element and said second feed element;

said asymmetry operating to reduce imbalance between said two unbalanced signal components.

11. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure as recited in claim 10 wherein said asymmetry operates to modulate said two unbalanced signal components to present balanced signal components at said first antenna coupling locus and said second antenna coupling locus.

12. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure as recited in claim 10 wherein said substrate is substantially planar.

13. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure as recited in claim 11 wherein said substrate is substantially planar.

14. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure as recited in claim 12 wherein said substrate is substantially inflexible.

15. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure as recited in claim 13 wherein said substrate is substantially inflexible.

17. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure as recited in claim 16 wherein said separation distance is varied along said feed distance appropriately to establish a desired impedance in said signal coupling.

18. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure as recited in claim 16 wherein said first radiating element, said second radiating element and said first feed structure are substantially planar and are arrayed upon a substantially planar substrate.

19. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure as recited in claim 18 wherein said first radiating element, said second radiating element and said first feed structure are arrayed on a single side of said substrate.

20. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure as recited in claim 17 wherein said first radiating element, said second radiating element and said first feed structure are substantially planar and are arrayed upon a substantially planar substrate.

21. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between a signal line and an antenna structure as recited in claim 20 wherein said first radiating element, said second radiating element and said first feed structure are arrayed on a single side of said substrate.

16. An apparatus for establishing signal coupling between an unbalanced signal line and an antenna structure;

said antenna structure including a first radiating element and a second radiating element;

said unbalanced signal line including a first signal carrying element carrying a first signal component and a second signal carrying element carrying a second signal component;

said first signal component and said second signal component being unequal and establishing an unbalanced signal;

said first signal carrying element and said second signal carrying element cooperating to deliver said unbalanced signal to said antenna structure in an installed orientation at a connection locus;

said first radiating element having at least one first proximal edge and at least one first distal edge with respect to said signal line in said installed orientation;

said second radiating element having at least one second proximal edge and at least one second distal edge with respect to said signal line in said installed orientation;

said connection locus generally including a portion of said at least one first proximal edge and a portion of said at least one second proximal edge;

the apparatus comprising;

(a) a first feed structure;

said first feed structure extending a feed distance from said signal line in said installed orientation to said second proximal edge;

said first feed structure substantially dividing said first radiating element into at least two lands;

said at least two lands being electrically common in spaced relation with said first feed structure to establish a first separation distance intermediate said first feed structure and at least a first selected land of said at least two lands on a first side of said first feed structure substantially along said feed distance and to establish a second separation distance intermediate said first feed structure and at least a second selected land of said at least two lands on a second side of said first feed structure; and

(b) a second feed structure coupling said signal line with said first proximal edge;

said first separation distance and said second separation distance being dimensioned appropriately to establish a signal transmission structure between said at least two lands and said first feed structure;

said first signal component and said second signal component differing in at least one parameter by an imbalance;

said first feed element and said second feed element being mutually asymmetric;

said mutual asymmetry being configured to reduce said imbalance as said first signal component and said second signal component traverse the apparatus intermediate said signal line and said antenna structure.