Dynamically configured antenna for multiple frequencies and bandwidths

• US 20070225034A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gallitzin Allegheny LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Dominik
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0457 electromagnetically coupled to the feed line
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/14 Length of element or elements adjustable telescopic elements H01Q1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving

Abstract

A wireless communication device includes a reconfigurable antenna and one or more wireless transceivers coupled to the antenna. The reconfigurable antenna can be dynamically configured to transmit and receive wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies and bandwidths. A processor core is coupled to the reconfigurable antenna and the wireless transceivers. The processor core dynamically controls the configurations of the reconfigurable antenna and processes the wireless signals transmitted and received at the plurality of frequencies.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an active antenna portion including at least a first member and a second member, wherein the first member and the second member are to be coupled or decoupled by a first switch;

a passive antenna portion; and

a shield coupled between the active antenna portion and the passive antenna portion to shield energy from the passive antenna portion from radiating into the active antenna portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member correspond to a primary body and a plurality of secondary bodies, respectively.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first switch comprises a first micro-electromechanical switch and wherein each of the secondary bodies are to be coupled or decoupled by one of a plurality of second switches.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shield comprises a ground plane coupled between a first substrate and a second substrate, the first substrate including the active antenna portion and the second substrate including the passive antenna portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the passive antenna portion comprises a plurality of passive antennas each corresponding to a frequency matching stub, each having a length of approximately a quarter of a wavelength at a corresponding resonance frequency.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the plurality of frequency matching stubs are located radially about a stub junction at a termination of a transmission line portion of the passive antenna portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first switch comprises an input line formed on a substrate, an output line formed on the substrate, an electrode formed on the substrate between the input line and the output line, and an armature extending from the output line and configured to be controllably coupled to the input line under control of the electrode.

8. A method comprising:

controllably electrically connecting or disconnecting a primary antenna body of an active antenna portion with a first one of a plurality of secondary antenna bodies of the active antenna portion;

coupling a signal received by the active antenna portion to a transmission line of a passive antenna portion coupled to the active antenna portion; and

outputting the signal from the transmission line to a transceiver coupled thereto.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising controllably connecting at least one of a plurality of frequency stubs to the transmission line.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising passing the signal from a first substrate including the active antenna portion to a second substrate including the passive antenna portion via a conductive layer located therebetween.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing control signals from a processor of a mobile station to the active antenna portion and the passive antenna portion.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling a plurality of switches in the active antenna portion via the control signals from the processor.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a first substrate including a plurality of antenna bodies to be controllably electrically connected or disconnected;

a second substrate including a transmission line and a plurality of passive antennas to resonate at fixed frequencies; and

a conductive layer located between the first and second substrates.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the conductive layer comprises an aperture to connect the first substrate and the second substrate.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the aperture is sized to be half of a largest frequency of wireless signals to be transmitted or received by the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the conductive layer comprises a ground plane.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of antenna bodies comprises a primary body and at least one secondary body.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of passive antennas comprise frequency matching stubs, each having a length of approximately a quarter of the wavelength at a corresponding resonance frequency.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of frequency matching stubs are located radially about a stub junction at a termination of the transmission line.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second substrate includes a configurable filter having a plurality of filter stubs to be electrically connected to the transmission line.