Antenna system for GSM/WLAN radio operation

• US 20030124982A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vaisanen, Ari, Puupponen, Marko, Saari, Timo
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0805 with single receiver and antenna switching H04B7/0822 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0868 Hybrid systems, i.e. switching and combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity

Abstract

An antenna system with two antennas provides the possibility to operate at least two different radio communication systems with one radio communication system operating on one single antenna of the antenna system and another radio communication system operating on both antennas of the antenna system wherein the antenna system serves as a diversity antenna system. This kind of antenna system is designed to be employed particularly in small devices with restricted measurements. Especially, an implementation of an antenna system for dual use of GSM/E-GSM/DCS operation and WLAN operation is presented.

Claims

1. A transceiving antenna system which comprises a first antenna (101), a second antenna (102) and a controlling circuit (500) to operate a first transceiving unit (120) and a second transceiving unit (110), wherein

said first antenna (101) is operated in combination with said second antenna (102) in a first operational mode to serve as a diversity transceiving antenna system (101, 102) for said first transceiving unit (120),

said first antenna (101) is operated in a second operational mode to serve as a single transceiving antenna (101) for said second transceiving unit (110);

wherein said controlling circuit (500) selectively connects

said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) to said first transceiving unit (120) operating in said first operational mode,

only said first antenna (101) with said second transceiving unit (110) in said second operational mode,

and wherein a testing interface (180) is provided for operating testing modes, wherein said controlling circuit (500) selectively connects

said testing interface (180) to said first transceiving unit (120) in a first testing mode and

said testing interface (180) to said second transceiving unit (110) in a second testing mode.

2. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein said controlling circuit (500) comprises a first switching unit (105), a second switching unit (106) and a third switching unit (107) wherein

said first switching unit (105) is connected to said first transceiving unit (120), said second antenna (102) and said second switching unit (106),

said second switching unit (106) is connected to said second transceiving unit (110), said first switching unit (105) and said third switching unit (107),

said third switching unit (107) is connected to said second switching unit (106), said testing interface (180) and said first antenna (101).

3. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein a diplex filtering unit (103) is interconnected between said first antenna (101), said first transceiver (121) and said second transceiver (121).

4. The antenna system according to claim 3, wherein said controlling circuit (501) comprises a first switching unit (105), a second switching unit (107) and a diplex filtering unit (103) wherein

said diplex filtering unit (103) is connected to said second transceiving unit (110), said first switching unit (105) and said second switching unit (107),

said first switching unit (105) is connected to said first transceiving unit (120), said second antenna (102) and said diplex filtering unit (103),

said second switching unit (107) is connected to said diplex filtering unit (103), said testing interface (180) and said first antenna (101).

5. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein said controlling circuit (502) comprises a first switching unit (303), a second switching unit (302), a third switching unit (301) and a diplex filter (305), wherein said first transceiving unit (122) comprises a transmitting subunit (350) and a receiving subunit (340), wherein

said first switching unit (303) is connected to said receiving subunit (340),

said second switching unit (302) and said second antenna (102),

said second switching unit (302) is connected to said first switching unit (303), said transmitting subunit (350) and said diplex filtering unit (305), said diplex filtering unit (305) is connected to said second switching unit (302), said second transceiving unit (112) and said third switching unit (301) and

said third switching unit (301) is connected to said diplex filtering unit (305), said testing interface (180) and said first antenna (101).

6. A transceiving antenna system which comprises a first antenna (101), a second antenna (102) and a controlling circuit (501) to operate a first transceiving unit (121) and a second transceiving unit (111), wherein

said first antenna (101) is operated in combination with said second antenna (102) in a first operational mode to serve as a diversity transceiving antenna system (101, 102) for said first transceiving unit (121),

said first antenna (101) is operated in a second operational mode to serve as a single transceiving antenna (101) for said second transceiving unit (111),

wherein said controlling circuit (501) selectively connects

said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) to said first transceiving unit (121) operating in said first operational mode,

only said first antenna (101) with said second transceiving unit (111) in said second operational mode,

and wherein a diplex filtering unit (103) is provided which is interconnected between said first antenna (101) and said first transceiving unit (121) and said second transceiving unit (111).

7. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) are operated in a mixed mode, wherein said first antenna (101) is operated to serve as a single transceiving antenna (101) for said second transceiving unit (111) and said second antenna (102) is operated as a single receiving antenna (102) for said first transceiving unit (121),

8. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein said controlling circuit (501) comprises a first switching unit (105) and a diplex filtering unit (103) wherein

said diplex filtering unit (103) is connected to said second transceiving unit (111), said first switching unit (105) and said first antenna (101),

said first switching unit (105) is connected to said first transceiving unit (121), said second antenna (102) and said diplex filtering unit (103).

9. The antenna system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said switching units is a single pole double throw (SPDT) switch.

10. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein a feed point (207) of said first antenna (101) is placed in such a way that one portion (201) of said first antenna (101) serves as a radiating element used for said first transceiving unit (121) and another portion (202) of said first antenna (101) serves as a radiating element used for operating said second transceiving unit (111).

11. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) of said antenna system are spatially spaced to serve as a spatially separated diversity antenna system.

12. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) of said antenna system are arranged substantially perpendicularly to each other.

13. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) of said antenna system are arranged on a printed wired board.

14. The antenna system according to claim 13, wherein said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) of said antenna system are arranged substantially close to edges of said printed wired board (210).

15. The antenna system according to claim 14, wherein said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) of said antenna system are arranged on a same side of said printed wired board (210).

16. The antenna system according to claim 13, wherein said printed wired board (210) is made of dielectric substrate material.

17. The antenna system of claim 16, wherein said dielectric substrate material is a dielectric FR4 substrate material.

18. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein one of said transceiving units operates in a radio communication system for operating a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio system employing both said first antenna and said second antenna as a diversity antenna system and wherein both antennas of said antenna system are adapted to a resonant frequency relating to said WLAN standard at 2.4 GHz.

19. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein one of said transceiving units operates in a radio communication system for operation of mobile communication according to the global system for mobile communication (GSM) standard and/or enhanced global system for mobile communication (E-GSM) standard and/or global digital system for mobile communication (DCS) standard wherein one antenna of said antenna system is employed for radio operation working at respective resonant frequencies of 900 MHz (E-GSM/GSM) and/or 1.8 GHz (E-GSM/GSM) and/or 1.9 GHz (DCS).

20. Method for operation of an antenna system comprising a first antenna (101), a second antenna (102), a controlling circuit (500), a first transceiving unit (120), a second transceiving unit (110) and a testing interface (180), comprising the steps of:

operating said first antenna (101) in combination with said second antenna (102) in a first operational mode to serve as a diversity transceiving antenna system (101, 102) for said first transceiving unit (120),

operating said first antenna (101) in a second operational mode to serve as a single transceiving antenna (101) for said second transceiving unit (110);

selectively connecting said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) to said first transceiving unit (120) operating in said first operational mode,

selectively connecting only said first antenna (101) with said second transceiving unit (110) in said second operational mode, and further

comprising a testing step for operating testing modes, wherein said controlling circuit (500) selectively connects

said testing interface (180) to said first transceiving unit (120) in a first testing mode and

said testing interface (180) to said second transceiving unit (110) in a second testing mode.

21. Method according to claim 20, wherein said controlling circuit (500) comprises a first switching unit (105), a second switching unit (106) and a third switching unit (107), further comprising the steps of:

connecting said first switching unit (105) to said first transceiving unit (120), said second antenna (102) and said second switching unit (106),

connecting said second switching unit (106) to said second transceiving unit (110), said first switching unit (105) and said third switching unit (107), and

connecting said third switching unit (107) to said second switching unit (106), said testing interface (180) and said first antenna (101).

22. Method according to claim 20, comprising the step of interconnecting a diplex filtering unit (103) between said first antenna (101), said first transceiving unit (121) and said second transceiving unit (111).

25. Method according to claim 22, wherein said controlling circuit (501) comprises a first switching unit (105), a second switching unit (107) and said diplex filtering unit (103), further comprising the steps of:

connecting said diplex filtering unit (103) to said second transceiving unit (111), said first switching unit (105) and said second switching unit (107),

connecting said first switching unit (105) to said first transceiving unit (121), said second antenna (102) and said diplex filtering unit (103), and

connecting said second switching unit (107) to said diplex filtering unit (103), said testing interface (180) and said first antenna (101).

26. Method according to claim 22, wherein said controlling circuit (502) comprises a first switching unit (303), a second switching unit (302), a third switching unit (301) and a diplex filter (305), wherein said first transceiving unit (122) comprises a transmitting subunit (350) and a receiving subunit (340), further comprising the steps of:

connecting said first switching unit (303) to said receiving subunit (340), said second switching unit (302) and said second antenna (102),

connecting said second switching unit (302) to said first switching unit (303), said transmitting subunit (350) and said diplex filtering unit (305),

connecting said diplex filtering unit (305) to said second switching unit (302), said second transceiving unit (112) and said third switching unit (301) and

connecting said third switching unit (301) to said diplex filtering unit (305), said testing interface (180) and said first antenna (101).

23. Method for operating an antenna system comprising a first antenna (101), a second antenna (102) and a controlling circuit (501) to operate a first transceiving unit (121) and a second transceiving unit (111), comprising the steps of:

operating said first antenna (101) in combination with said second antenna (102) in a first operational mode to serve as a diversity transceiving antenna system (101, 102) for said first transceiving unit (121),

operating said first antenna (101) in a second operational mode to serve as a single transceiving antenna (101) for said second transceiving unit (111),

selectively connecting said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) to said first transceiving unit (121) operating in said first operational mode,

selectively connecting only said first antenna (101) with said second transceiving unit (111) in said second operational mode, and further

comprising the step of interconnecting a diplex filtering unit (103) between said first antenna (101), said first transceiver (121) and said second transceiver (111).

24. Method according to claim 23, comprising the step of operating said first antenna (101) and said second antenna (102) in a mixed mode, wherein said first antenna (101) is operated to serve as a single transceiving antenna (101) for said second transceiving unit (110) and said second antenna (102) is operated as a single receiving antenna (102) for said first transceiving unit (120).