Low profile dielectrically loaded meanderline antenna

• US 20030052826A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyCross Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SkyCross, Inc.
• Inventors: Hendler, Jason M., Kralovec, Jay A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,741,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/700MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• 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 11/14 with parts bent, folded, shaped or screened or with phasing impedances, to obtain desired phase relation of radiation from selected sections of the antenna or to obtain desired polarisation effect H01Q11/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/20 Non-resonant leaky-waveguide or transmission-line antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• 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 9/36 with top loading

Abstract

An antenna having a plurality of conductive layers formed on a dielectric substrate. A ground plate and a feed plate are oriented in substantially parallel relation on two opposing sides of the dielectric substrate. A top plate, which is electrically connected to the ground plate and electrically insulated from the feed plate, is disposed on a third surface of the dielectric substrate perpendicular to the first and the second surfaces. One or more conductive layers are also disposed within the interior of the dielectric substrate parallel to the first and the second surfaces. One or more conductive vias extend between the feed plate and the ground plate through the interior of the dielectric substrate. In various embodiments these conductive vias are connected to one or more of the feed plate, the ground plate, and the interior conductive surfaces.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a dielectric substrate;

a first patterned conductive layer disposed on one or more surfaces of the dielectric substrate for radiating electromagnetic energy when the antenna operates in a transmitting mode and for receiving electromagnetic energy when the antenna operates in a receiving mode; and

a second patterned conductive layer disposed within the dielectric substrate.

2. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the first patterned conductive layer is selected from among one or more of, a feed plate disposed on a first surface of the dielectric substrate, a ground plate disposed on a second surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the first surface is in opposing relation to the second surface, and a top plate disposed on a third surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the third surface is perpendicular to both the first and the second surfaces.

3. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the first patterned conductive layer is disposed on a first surface of the dielectric substrate and in substantially parallel relation to the second patterned conductive layer.

4. The antenna of claim 3 wherein the antenna further comprises a third patterned conductive layer in spaced-apart substantially parallel relation to the first patterned conductive layer and disposed on a second surface of the dielectric substrate.

5. The antenna of claim 4 further comprising a first conductive via extending through the dielectric substrate and electrically connected to the first and the second patterned conductive layers.

6. The antenna of claim 5 wherein the first conductive via extends to the third patterned conductive layer and is insulated therefrom by a region of the dielectric substrate.

7. The antenna of claim 5 further comprising a fourth patterned conductive layer in spaced-apart substantially parallel relation to the second patterned conductive layer and disposed within the dielectric substrate.

8. The antenna of claim 7 further comprising a second conductive via extending through the dielectric substrate and electrically connected to the third and the fourth patterned conductive layers.

9. The antenna of claim 8 wherein the second conductive via extends to the first patterned conductive layer and is insulated therefrom by a region of the dielectric substrate.

10. The antenna of claim 9 further comprising a fifth patterned conductive layer disposed on a third surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the third surface is substantially perpendicular to the first and the second surfaces.

11. The antenna of claim 10 wherein the fifth patterned conductive layer is electrically connected to the third patterned conductive layer.

12. The antenna of claim 10 wherein the fifth patterned conductive layer is electrically connected to the second and the fourth patterned conductive layers.

13. The antenna of claim 10 wherein the first patterned conductive element is spaced apart from the fifth patterned conductive element such that the first and the fifth patterned conductive elements are not in electrical contact.

14. The antenna of claim 10 wherein a surface of the dielectric substrate opposite the fifth patterned conductive layer comprises at least one conductive pad in electrical contact with the first patterned conductive layer and a second conductive pad in electrical contact with the third patterned conductive layer.

15. The antenna of claim 10 wherein the fifth patterned conductive layer is disposed over substantially the entire third surface of the dielectric substrate.

16. The antenna of claim 10 wherein the third patterned conductive layer is disposed over substantially the entire second surface of the dielectric substrate.

17. The antenna of claim 10 wherein the first patterned conductive layer is patterned in the shape of a triangle with the apex of the triangle pointed in a direction away from the third surface.

18. The antenna of claim 10 wherein the first patterned conductive layer comprises a feed plate responsive to signals to be transmitted from the antenna in the transmitting mode and providing signals received by the antenna in the receiving mode, and wherein the third patterned conductive layer comprises a ground plate, and wherein the fifth patterned conductive layer comprises a top plate.

19. The antenna of claim 10 wherein the second and the fourth patterned conductive layers each comprises a conductive strip disposed on an edge thereof and in electrical contact with the fifth patterned conductive layer.

20. The antenna of claim 19 wherein the second and the fourth patterned conductive layers each further comprises a closed curve of conductive material and in electrical contact with the conductive strip.

21. An antenna comprising:

a dielectric substrate including a first, a second, and a third layer;

a shaped conductive feed plate disposed on a first exterior surface of the dielectric substrate;

a shaped conductive ground plate disposed on a second exterior surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the first surface is in opposing substantially parallel relation to the second surface;

a shaped conductive top plate disposed on a third surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the third surface is substantially perpendicular to both the first and the second surfaces;

a first shaped conductive pattern disposed between said first and said second dielectric layers;

a second shaped conductive pattern disposed between said second and said third dielectric layers;

a first conductive via extending through the dielectric substrate, wherein said first conductive via is electrically insulated from said feed plate and in electrical contact with said ground plate and further in electrical contact with said first shaped conductive pattern; and

a second conductive via extending through said dielectric substrate, wherein said second conductive via is in electrical contact with said feed plate and electrically insulated from said ground plate and further in electrical contact with said second shaped conductive pattern.

22. The antenna of claim 21 wherein the dielectric constant of at least one of the first, second, and third dielectric layers differs form the dielectric constant of the other two dielectric layers.

23. An antenna comprising:

a dielectric substrate;

a shaped conductive layer disposed on at least two exterior surfaces of said dielectric substrate, wherein the at least two shaped conductive layers are in a substantially parallel relation;

a first interior shaped conductive layer disposed within said dielectric substrate and oriented substantially parallel to the at least two shaped conductive layers; and

at least one conductive via extending between said two shaped conductive layers and in electrical contact with at least of said two shaped conductive layers and further in electrical contact with said first interior shaped conductive layer.

24. The antenna of claim 23 further comprising a second interior shaped conductive layer disposed within said dielectric substrate and substantially parallel to the first interior shaped conductive layer, wherein the at least one conductive via is electrically insulated from said second interior shaped conductive layer.

25. An antenna comprising:

a dielectric substrate;

first, second and third shaped conductive layers on three faces of said dielectric substrate, wherein said first and said second conductive layers are in substantially parallel orientation, and wherein said third conductive layer is oriented substantially perpendicular to said first and said second conductive layers;

fourth and fifth shaped conductive layers disposed within said dielectric substrate and oriented parallel to said first and said second conductive layers; and

a first conductive via formed within said dielectric substrate and extending between said first and said second conductive layers, wherein said first conductive via is in electrical contact with one of said first and said second conductive layers and electrically insulated from the other of said first and said second conductive layers.

26. The antenna of claim 25 wherein the first and the second conductive layers are in electrical contact with the third conductive layer.

27. The antenna of claim 25 wherein the first and the second conductive layers are insulated from electrical contact with the third conductive layer.

28. The antenna of claim 25 wherein one of the first and the second conductive layers is in electrical contact with the third conductive layer and the other of the first and the second conductive layers is electrically insulated from the third conductive layer.

29. The antenna of claim 25 wherein the first conductive layer comprises a ground plate, and wherein the second conductive layer comprises a feed plate, and wherein the third conductive layer comprises a top plate.

30. The antenna of claim 29 wherein the ground plate comprises a first portion electrically connected to the top plate and a second portion below said first portion and electrically insulated from the first portion.

31. The antenna of claim 29 wherein the feed plate comprises a generally rectangular first portion and a relatively narrower second portion extending therefrom.

32. The antenna of claim 25 wherein the first conductive via is electrically insulated from the fourth shaped conductive layer and electrically connected to the fifth shaped conductive layer.

33. The antenna of claim 25 further comprising a second conductive via extending from the first to the second shaped conductive layer, wherein the first conductive via is in electrical contact with the first shaped conductive layer and electrically insulated from the second shaped conductive layer, and wherein said second conductive via is in electrical contact with the second shaped conductive layer and electrically insulated from the first shaped conductive layer.

34. A wireless device selectably operative in a receiving mode for receiving electromagnetic energy and operative in a transmitting mode for transmitting electromagnetic energy, comprising:

an antenna comprising;

a dielectric substrate;

at least one exterior patterned conductive layer disposed on a surface of said dielectric substrate

at least one interior patterned conductive layer disposed within said dielectric substrate and oriented substantially parallel to said at least one exterior patterned conductive laye; and

at least one conductive via formed within said dielectric substrate.

35. The wireless device of claim 34 wherein the at least one exterior patterned conductive layer comprises a first and a second exterior patterned conductive layer disposed on spaced-apart substantially parallel surfaces of the dielectric substrate.

36. The wireless device of claim 34 further comprising a signal source electrically connected to the first exterior patterned conductive layer and a ground plane electrically connected to the second exterior patterned conductive layer.

37. The wireless device of claim 35 further comprising a third patterned conductive layer disposed on a surface of the dielectric substrate substantially perpendicular to the first and the second exterior patterned conductive layers.

38. The wireless device of claim 35 wherein the at least one interior patterned conductive layer comprises a first and a second interior patterned conductive layer.

39. The wireless device of claim 38 wherein the at least one conductive via comprises a first and a second conductive vias.

40. The wireless device of claim 39 wherein the first conductive via is electrically connected to the first exterior patterned conductive layer and to the first interior patterned conductive layer, and wherein the second conductive via is electrically connected to the second exterior patterned conductive layer and to the second interior patterned conductive layer.