Compact multiple-band antenna arrangement

• US 20050068239A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Fischer, Georg, Pivit, Florian
• Granted Patent: US 7,034,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/770
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0081 using suspended striplines
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/42 using two or more imbricated arrays H01Q5/49 takes precedence

Abstract

An antenna element is provided which responsive in multiple frequency bands, has symmetric beam patterns, and is easily and cheaply fabricated. The antenna element includes at least three conductive plates arranged in a stack At least one pair of adjacent plates contain apertures that are mutually aligned relative to the stacking direction. The antenna element further includes at least one air stripline arranged to create radiative electromagnetic excitations of the apertures when the stripline or striplines are energized by a suitable radiofrequency voltage source or sources.

Claims

1. An antenna element which comprises:

at least three substantially parallel electrically conductive plates, at least two of which are mutually adjacent and contain respective, mutually aligned apertures; and

one or more stripline conductors arranged to create radiative electromagnetic excitations of the apertures when said stripline conductor or conductors are energized by one or more suitable radiofrequency voltage sources.

2. The antenna element of claim 1, wherein:

all of said plates, except for an endmost plate, contain respective, mutually aligned apertures; and

the endmost plate is arranged to reflect electromagnetic energy radiated by at least one of the apertures.

3. The antenna element of claim 2, wherein the apertures in respective plates are geometrically similar to each other, at least two of said apertures are unequal in size, and given any pair of apertures of unequal sizes, the larger aperture is situated farther from the reflective endmost plate.

4. The antenna element of claim 3, wherein the apertures are circular, and each aperture has a radius selected for resonance at a particular frequency, the radius and resonant frequency being different for at least one pair of apertures.

5. The antenna element of claim 1, wherein each aperture is provided with its own corresponding stripline conductor.

6. The antenna element of claim 1, wherein at least one adjacent pair of apertures shares a common stripline conductor.

7. The antenna element of claim 1, wherein at least one aperture is provided with a pair of mutually perpendicular stripline conductors arranged to create two mutually orthogonal excitations of said aperture when said conductor pair is suitably energized.

8. The antenna element of claim 1, further comprising a vertical radiator centrally aligned with the apertures and arranged to support, when suitably energized, an electromagnetic excitation orthogonal to the aperture excitations.

9. The antenna element of claim 1, wherein:

at least one plate contains two or more apertures; and

each of said two or more apertures is provided with a respective stripline conductor arranged to create a radiative electromagnetic excitation of the corresponding aperture when suitably energized.

10. A system, comprising the antenna element of claim 1, and further comprising a radiofrequency voltage source, wherein:

the source is arranged to energize at least one stripline conductor; and

the source is selectable between at least two distinct carrier frequencies.