Protable radio terminal testing apparatus using single self-complementary antenna

• US 20040012529A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anritsu Corporation
• Original Assignee: Anritsu Corporation
• Inventors: Otonari, Nobutoshi, Teshirogi, Tasuku
• Granted Patent: US 6,839,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0821 rooms and test sites therefor, e.g. anechoic chambers, open field sites or TEM cells for testing antennas G01R29/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0871 Complete apparatus or systems; circuits, e.g. receivers or amplifiers G01R29/0878, G01R29/0892 take precedence; dosimeters, warning devices G01R29/0857
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0878 Sensors; antennas; probes; detectors wave guide measuring sections G01R1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• 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 11/10 Logperiodic antennas H01Q11/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/27 Spiral antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers

Abstract

A portable radio terminal testing apparatus has an antenna coupler 20, a connecting member 16, and a measuring device 15. The antenna coupler 20 has a placement member 35, a coupling antenna 25, a pair of through-connection portions, and an impedance transformer 31. The placement member 35 accepts a portable radio terminal 1, which is a testing object, in an unrestricted state. The coupling antenna 25 is disposed so as to be electromagnetically coupled with an antenna 19 of the portable radio terminal 1, and has a pair of antenna elements which are formed at one face side of a dielectric substrate 26 and which have a planar antenna structure of a predetermined shape, and a pair of feeding points, and is formed from a self-complementary antenna having a predetermined impedance within an operating frequency range including at least 800 MHz to 2.5 GHz order.

Claims

1. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus comprising an antenna coupler, connecting means, and a measuring device, wherein

the antenna coupler comprises:

a placement member which places a portable radio terminal wherein, which is a testing object, in an unrestricted state such that the portable radio terminal can be set in an arbitrary posture;

a coupling antenna which is disposed so as to be electromagnetically coupled to an antenna of the portable radio terminal, which is the testing object, placed in an arbitrary posture on the placement member,

the coupling antenna comprises;

first and second conductor patterns and first and second void patterns formed on one face side of a dielectric substrate so as to have a shape in which, when they are respectively rotated by a predetermined angle around a predetermined point or are respectively folded back with respect to a predetermined line, portions of the conductor patterns and portions of the void patterns can be replaced by one another, and

first and second antenna elements having planar antenna structures in which first and second feeding points are formed so as to face respective base end portions of the first and second conductor patterns, so that the coupling antenna is formed as a self-complementary antenna having a predetermined impedance which is substantially constant from a lowest usable frequency to a highest usable frequency determined in accordance with sizes of the first and second antenna elements;

first and second through-connection portions which connect through the first and second feeding point portions of the coupling antenna formed at one face side of the dielectric substrate to opposing portions of another face side portion of the dielectric substrate; and

an impedance transformer mounted at the other face side of the dielectric substrate in a state in which one end side thereof is connected to the first and second through-connection portions, wherein

the connecting means has a predetermined impedance and is configured to be able to connect the other end side of the impedance transformer of the antenna coupler and the measuring device,

the impedance transformer is configured to be able to carry out impedance conversion for matching the predetermined impedance of the coupling antenna and the predetermined impedance of the connecting means under predetermined conditions, and

the measuring device is configured such that predetermined tests including calling, incoming, and sensitivity for the portable radio terminal which is the testing object can be carried out via an antenna of the portable radio terminal which is the testing object electromagnetically coupled to the coupling antenna, within an arbitrary operating frequency range from a lowest usable frequency to a highest usable frequency which is determined, as an operating frequency range of the coupling antenna, in accordance with the sizes of the first and second antenna elements and limitations on feeding via the impedance transformer.

2. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operating frequency range of the coupling antenna includes 800 MHz to 2.5 GHz order.

3. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coupling antenna is a linearly polarized type.

4. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coupling antenna is a circularly polarized type.

5. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portions of the first and second conductor patterns of the first and second antenna elements and the portions of the first and second void patterns are formed in spiral-shaped patterns.

6. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus comprising a shield box, an antenna coupler accommodated in the shield box, a measuring device provided at an exterior of the shield box, and connecting means for connecting the antenna coupler and the measuring device, wherein

the antenna coupler comprises:

a placement member which places, within the shield box, a portable radio terminal thereon, which is a testing object, in an unrestricted state such that the portable radio terminal can be set at an arbitrary posture;

a coupling antenna which is disposed, within the shield box, so as to be electromagnetically coupled with an antenna of the portable radio terminal, which is the testing object, placed in an arbitrary posture on the placement member,

the coupling antenna comprises;

first and second conductor patterns and first and second void patterns formed on one face side of a dielectric substrate so as to have a shape in which, when they are respectively rotated by a predetermined angle around a predetermined point or are respectively folded back with respect to a predetermined line, portions of the conductor patterns and portions of the void patterns can be replaced by one another; and

first and second antenna elements having planar antenna structures in which first and second feeding points are formed so as to face respective base end portions of the first and second conductor patterns,

so that the coupling antenna is formed as a self-complementary antenna having a predetermined impedance which is substantially constant from a lowest usable frequency to a highest usable frequency determined in accordance with sizes of the first and second antenna elements;

first and second through-connection portions which connect through the first and second feeding point portions of the coupling antenna formed at one face side of the dielectric substrate to opposing portions of another face side portion of the dielectric substrate; and

an impedance transformer mounted at the other face side of the dielectric substrate in a state in which one end side thereof is connected to the first and second through-connection portions, wherein

the connecting means has a predetermined impedance, and is configured to be able to pass through the shield box and connect another end side of the impedance transformer of the antenna coupler and the measuring device,

the shield box forms therein a space electromagnetically shielded from an exterior, and is configured to have an opening and closing portion for the portable radio terminal which is the testing object to be placed in and removed from the interior,

the placement member is configured such that the portable radio terminal can be placed on a surface which is separated by a predetermined distance from the coupling antenna in the interior of the space of the shield box,

the impedance transformer is configured to be able to carry out impedance conversion for matching the predetermined impedance of the coupling antenna and the predetermined impedance of the connecting means under predetermined conditions within the shield box, and

the measuring device is configured such that predetermined tests including calling, incoming, and sensitivity for the portable radio terminal which is the testing object can be carried out outside the shield box via an antenna of the portable radio terminal which is the testing object electromagnetically coupled to the coupling antenna within the shield box, within an arbitrary operating frequency range from a lowest usable frequency to a highest usable frequency which is determined, as an operating frequency range of the coupling antenna, in accordance with the sizes of the first and second antenna elements and limitations on feeding via the impedance transformer.

7. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the operating frequency range of the coupling antenna includes 800 MHz to 2.5 GHz order.

8. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the coupling antenna is a linearly polarized type.

9. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the coupling antenna is a circularly polarized type.

10. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the portions of the first and second conductor patterns of the first and second antenna elements and the portions of the first and second void patterns are formed in spiral-shaped patterns.

11. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus comprising a shield room, and an antenna coupler, connecting means, and a measuring device which are respectively accommodated in the shield room, wherein

the antenna coupler comprises:

a placement member which places, within the shield room, a portable radio terminal thereon, which is a testing object, in an unrestricted state such that the portable radio terminal can be set at an arbitrary posture;

a coupling antenna which is disposed, within the shield room, so as to be electromagnetically coupled with an antenna of the portable radio terminal, which is the testing object, placed in an arbitrary posture on the placement member,

the coupling antenna comprises;

which is formed on one face side of a dielectric substrate so as to have a shape in which, when they are respectively rotated by a predetermined angle around a predetermined point or are respectively folded back with respect to a predetermined line, portions of the conductor patterns and portions of the void patterns can be replaced by one another, and

first and second antenna elements having planar antenna structures in which first and second feeding points are formed so as to face respective base end portions of the first and second conductor patterns,

so that the coupling antenna is formed as a self-complementary antenna having a predetermined impedance which is substantially constant from a lowest usable frequency to a highest usable frequency determined in accordance with sizes of the first and second antenna elements;

first and second through-connection portions which connect through the first and second feeding point portions of the coupling antenna formed at one face side of the dielectric substrate to opposing portions of another face side portion of the dielectric substrate; and

an impedance transformer mounted at the other face side of the dielectric substrate in a state in which one end side thereof is connected to the first and second through-connection portions, wherein

the connecting means has a predetermined impedance, and is configured to be able to connect another end side of the impedance transformer of the antenna coupler and the measuring device within the shield room,

the shield room forms therein a space electromagnetically shielded from an exterior, and is configured to have an opening and closing portion for the portable radio terminal which is the testing object to be placed in and removed from the interior,

the placement member is configured such that the portable radio terminal can be placed on a surface which is separated by a predetermined distance from the coupling antenna in the interior of the space of the shield room,

the impedance transformer is configured to be able to carry out impedance conversion for matching the predetermined impedance of the coupling antenna and the predetermined impedance of the connecting means under predetermined conditions within the shield room, and

the measuring device is configured such that predetermined tests including calling, incoming, and sensitivity for the portable radio terminal which is the testing object can be carried out in the shield room via an antenna of the portable radio terminal which is the testing object electromagnetically coupled to the coupling antenna within the shield room, within an arbitrary operating frequency range from a lowest usable frequency to a highest usable frequency which is determined, as an operating frequency range of the coupling antenna, in accordance with the sizes of the first and second antenna elements and limitations on feeding via the impedance transformer.

12. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the operating frequency range of the coupling antenna includes 800 MHz to 2.5 GHz order.

13. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the coupling antenna is a linearly polarized type.

14. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the coupling antenna is a circularly polarized type.

15. A portable radio terminal testing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the portions of the first and second conductor patterns of the first and second antenna elements and the portions of the first and second void patterns are formed in spiral-shaped patterns.