Mobile wireless communications device with polarization diversity wireless local area network (LAN) antenna and related methods

• US 20060040622A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Qi, Yihong, Jarmuszewski, Perry, Man, Ying Tong, Cooke, Adrian
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/101
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/28 Arrangements for establishing polarisation or beam width over two or more different wavebands
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A mobile wireless LAN communications device may include a portable, handheld housing, and a wireless LAN transceiver carried by the housing. A polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna may be included for cooperating with the wireless LAN transceiver to communicate over a wireless LAN. The polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna may include a first antenna element coupled to the wireless LAN transceiver having a first shape and a first polarization, and a second antenna element coupled to the wireless LAN transceiver having a second shape different from the first shape. The second antenna element may also have a second polarization different from the first polarization.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless local area network (LAN) communications device comprising:

a portable, handheld housing;

a wireless LAN transceiver carried by said portable, handheld housing; and

a polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna for cooperating with said wireless LAN transceiver to communicate over a wireless LAN, said polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna comprising

a first antenna element coupled to said wireless LAN transceiver having a first shape and a first polarization, and

a second antenna element coupled to said wireless LAN transceiver having a second shape different from the first shape and a second polarization different from the first polarization.

2. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 1 wherein said first and second antenna elements have different gain patterns, and wherein the different gain patterns have a substantially equal main lobe gain.

3. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 1 wherein the first and second polarizations are substantially orthogonal to one another.

4. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second antenna elements comprises:

a feed branch; and

a loop branch having a first end coupled to said feed branch, a second end adjacent said feed branch and separated therefrom by a gap, and a loop-back section extending between the first and second ends.

5. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 4 wherein said feed branch comprises first and second feed points, wherein the first end of said loop branch is coupled to the first feed point, and wherein the second end of said loop branch is adjacent the second feed point.

6. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 4 wherein said loop-back section of said loop branch comprises at least one arcuate portion.

7. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 1 further comprising:

a cellular transceiver carried by said portable, handheld housing; and

a cellular antenna for cooperating with said cellular transceiver to communicate over a cellular communications network.

8. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 1 further comprising a circuit board carried by said housing and having first and second opposing major surfaces;

and wherein said first and second antenna elements comprise planar conductive elements on the first major surface of said circuit board.

9. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 1 further comprising a matching network coupled between said wireless LAN transceiver and at least one of said first and second antenna elements.

10. A mobile wireless local area network (LAN) communications device comprising:

a portable, handheld housing;

a wireless LAN transceiver carried by said portable, handheld housing; and

a polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna for cooperating with said wireless LAN transceiver to communicate over a wireless LAN, said polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna comprising

a first antenna element coupled to said wireless LAN transceiver having a first shape and a first polarization, and

a second antenna element coupled to said wireless LAN transceiver having a second shape different from the first shape and a second polarization different from the first polarization, the first and second polarizations are substantially orthogonal to one another,

said first and second antenna elements having different gain patterns, and the different gain patterns having a substantially equal main lobe gain.

11. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 10 wherein at least one of said first and second antenna elements comprises:

a feed branch; and

a loop branch having a first end coupled to said feed branch, a second end adjacent said feed branch and separated therefrom by a gap, and a loop-back section extending between the first and second ends.

12. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 11 wherein said feed branch comprises first and second feed points, wherein the first end of said loop branch is coupled to the first feed point, and wherein the second end of said loop branch is adjacent the second feed point.

13. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 11 wherein said loop-back section of said loop branch comprises at least one arcuate portion.

14. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 10 wherein said second antenna comprises a monopole antenna.

15. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 10 further comprising:

a cellular transceiver carried by said portable, handheld housing; and

a cellular antenna for cooperating with said cellular transceiver to communicate over a cellular communications network.

16. The mobile wireless LAN communications device of claim 10 further comprising a circuit board carried by said housing and having first and second opposing major surfaces;

and wherein said first and second antenna elements comprise planar conductive elements on the first major surface of said circuit board.

17. A polarization diversity wireless local area network (LAN) antenna comprising:

a first antenna element having a first shape and a first polarization; and

a second antenna element coupled to said wireless LAN transceiver having a second shape different from the first shape and a second polarization different from the first polarization.

18. The polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna of claim 17 wherein said first and second antenna elements have different gain patterns, and wherein the different gain patterns have a substantially equal main lobe gain.

19. The polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna of claim 17 wherein the first and second polarizations are substantially orthogonal to one another.

20. The polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna of claim 17 wherein at least one of said first and second antenna elements comprises:

a feed branch; and

a loop branch having a first end coupled to said feed branch, a second end adjacent said feed branch and separated therefrom by a gap, and a loop-back section extending between the first and second ends.

21. The polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna of claim 20 wherein said feed branch comprises first and second feed points, wherein the first end of said loop branch is coupled to the first feed point, and wherein the second end of said loop branch is adjacent the second feed point.

22. The polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna of claim 20 wherein said loop-back section of said loop branch comprises at least one arcuate portion.

23. A wireless local area network (LAN) communications method comprising:

providing a polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna comprising a first antenna element having a first shape, and a second antenna element having a second shape different from the first shape; and

communicating signals over a wireless LAN via the first antenna element at a first polarization, and via the second antenna element at a second polarization different from the first polarization.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the first and second antenna elements have different gain patterns, and wherein the different gain patterns have a substantially equal main lobe gain.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the first and second polarizations are substantially orthogonal to one another.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein at least one of the first and second antenna elements comprises:

a feed branch; and

a loop branch having a first end coupled to the feed branch, a second end adjacent the feed branch and separated therefrom by a gap, and a loop-back section extending between the first and second ends.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the feed branch comprises first and second feed points, wherein the first end of the loop branch is coupled to the first feed point, and wherein the second end of the loop branch is adjacent the second feed point.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the loop-back section of the loop branch comprises at least one arcuate portion.