Antenna arrangement and module including the arrangement

• US 20050237251A1
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Boyle, Kevin R., Massey, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,187,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/770
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/106 Microstrip slot antennas patch antenna elements H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/16 Folded slot antennas
• 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 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence

Abstract

An antenna arrangement comprises a ground conductor (302) incorporating two slots (304a,304b) having an electrically small separation and means (308a,308b) for coupling a transceiver to each slot to enable the ground conductor to function as two substantially independent antennas. Such a device enables efficient diversity performance to be obtained from a significantly smaller volume than known antenna arrangements. In one embodiment the ground conductor, slots and transceiver are integrated in a module (206) adapted for connection to a further ground conductor which provides the majority of the antenna area. The further conductor would typically be a printed circuit board ground plane or mobile phone handset. Matching and broadbanding circuitry may conveniently be incorporated in the module. By varying the area of the connections between the module and the further ground conductor, the resonant frequencies of the slots can be modified.

Claims

1. An antenna arrangement comprising a ground conductor (302) incorporating two slots (304a, 304b) having an electrically small separation and means (308a, 308b) for coupling a transceiver to each slot, thereby enabling the ground conductor to function as two substantially independent antennas.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that one end of each slot (304a, 304b) is open and in that portions of each slot which are a similar distance from their respective open ends are substantially orthogonal.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that capacitive loading is applied to the slots.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that means are provided for applying a different phase shift between the transceiver and each slot.

5. An arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a planar inverted-F antenna, characterised in that the polarisations of the ground conductor and the planar antenna are significantly different.

6. A radio module (206) comprising a ground conductor (302) incorporating two slots (304a, 304b) having an electrically small separation, a transceiver, means (308a, 308b) for coupling the transceiver to each slot and means for coupling the ground conductor to a further ground conductor, thereby enabling the combination of the ground conductor and the further ground conductor to function as two substantially independent antennas.

7. A module as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that means are provided for varying the connection area between the ground conductor and further ground conductor, thereby altering the operational frequency of the module.

8. A module as claimed in claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the transceiver is adapted for dual-band use and in that the means (308a, 308b) for coupling the transceiver to each slot comprises first and second connections to each slot, the first connection for use in a first frequency band and the second for use in a second frequency band.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the further ground conductor is a printed circuit board ground plane.

10. An arrangement as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the further ground conductor is a handset case.