Antenna component and methods

• US 20080007459A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cantor Fitzgerald Securities (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Finland Oy (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuronen, Vesa, Koskiniemi, Kimmo
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• 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 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence

Abstract

An antenna component suited for small-sized radio devices for forming a dielectric antenna. A small auxiliary circuit board (210) is used for the matching of the antenna, the matching being based on a conductor pattern on it. A substrate chip (220), on the surface of which the radiator is, and the auxiliary board are fastened to each other, whereby the radiator is electrically connected to said conductor pattern. The radiator, its substrate and the auxiliary board form a unitary, solid antenna component (200), which is mounted on the circuit board (PWB) of the radio device. The antenna with its feed and matching circuits can be designed and tested as a whole of its own, in which case the reproducibility is good. In the design of the circuit board of the radio device, the antenna needs to be taken into account only by reserving a space for the antenna component on the circuit board.

Claims

1. An antenna component for forming a dielectric antenna, which component comprises at least one radiation piece with a dielectric substrate and an antenna radiator on its surface;

wherein the antenna component further comprises an auxiliary board with a conductor pattern to feed the radiator and to match the antenna, the conductor pattern comprising an antenna feed conductor and at least one ground conductor disposed substantially alongside it to be connected to signal ground; and

wherein the radiation piece is permanently fastened to the auxiliary board, the radiator then being electrically coupled to said conductor pattern.

2. An antenna component according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary board comprises a single layer circuit board.

3. An antenna component according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary board comprises a multilayer circuit board.

4. An antenna component according to claim 2, the number of said at least one ground conductor being two, one on each side of the feed conductor on the same level.

5. An antenna component according to claim 3, the number of said at least one ground conductor being two, one above the feed conductor and the other below the feed conductor.

6. An antenna component according to claim 1, a majority portion of the radiator being on a front surface of the radiation piece, and the radiator is galvanically connected both to the feed conductor and at least one ground conductor.

7. An antenna component according to claim 6, wherein the radiator also extends to an upper surface of the radiation piece.

8. An antenna component according to claim 1, wherein at least one discrete component is located on the auxiliary board to influence the characteristics of the antenna.

9. An antenna component according to claim 8, wherein said discrete component comprises a switch coupled electrically between the radiator and the signal ground.

10. An antenna component according to claim 1, wherein there are at least two radiation pieces on the auxiliary board.

11. An antenna component according to claim 10, the number of radiation pieces being two, and their radiators are located symmetrically to each other, their resonance frequencies being equal.

12. An antenna component according to claim 10, the resonance frequencies of the radiators being unequal in order to widen an operating band of the antenna or to form separate operating bands.

13. An antenna component according to claim 1, a majority portion of the radiator being on an upper surface of the radiation piece, and a ground plane is disposed on the auxiliary board below the radiation piece, the antenna component forming a planar antenna.

14. An antenna component according to claim 1, the radiation piece having been fastened to the auxiliary board by soldering.

15. An antenna component according to claim 14, the radiation piece further having been fastened to the auxiliary board by glueing.

16. An antenna component according to claim 1, the radiation piece having been fastened to the auxiliary board by laminating.

17. An antenna component according to claim 1, wherein said dielectric substrate comprises at least some ceramic material.

18. An antenna component according to claim 1, further comprising conductor pads on a lower surface of the antenna component to fasten it by soldering.

31. An antenna component according to claim 1, wherein a majority portion of the radiator is disposed substantially on an upper surface of the radiation element, and a ground plane is formed on the auxiliary board substantially below the radiation element.

19. An antenna component useful as part of a dielectric antenna, the component comprising:

at least one radiation element having a dielectric substrate and an antenna radiator; and

an auxiliary board comprising a conductor pattern adapted to feed the radiator and to match the antenna, the conductor pattern comprising an antenna feed conductor and at least one ground conductor disposed substantially proximate said feed conductor for connection to a signal ground;

wherein the radiation element is fastened to the auxiliary board, the radiator being electrically coupled to said conductor pattern.

20. An antenna component according to claim 19, wherein said auxiliary board comprises a single layer circuit board.

21. An antenna component according to claim 19, wherein said auxiliary board comprises a multilayer circuit board.

22. An antenna component according to claim 20, wherein said at least one ground conductor comprises two conductors, one on each side of the feed conductor and at substantially the same level therewith.

23. An antenna component according to claim 21, wherein said at least one ground conductor comprises two conductors, one disposed at least partly above the feed conductor, and the other disposed at least partly below the feed conductor.

24. An antenna component according to claim 19, wherein a majority portion of the radiator is disposed on a front surface of the radiation element, and the radiator is galvanically connected both to the feed conductor and the at least one ground conductor.

25. An antenna component according to claim 24, wherein the radiator also extends to an upper surface of the radiation element.

26. An antenna component according to claim 19, wherein at least one discrete component is located on the auxiliary board and influences at least one characteristic of the antenna.

27. An antenna component according to claim 26, wherein said discrete component comprises a switch coupled electrically between the radiator and the signal ground.

28. An antenna component according to claim 19, wherein said at least one radiation element comprises at least two radiation elements disposed substantially on the auxiliary board.

29. An antenna component according to claim 19, wherein said at least one radiation element comprises two radiation elements each having radiators located symmetrically to one other, their resonance frequencies being substantially equal.

30. An antenna component according to claim 19, wherein said at least one radiation element comprises at least two radiation elements each having radiators, the resonance frequencies of the radiators being unequal to one another so as to provide at least one of:

(i) a widened operating band of the antenna, and (ii) separate operating bands associated with respective ones of the radiators.

32. An antenna component according to claim 19, wherein the radiation element is fastened to the auxiliary board by at least soldering.

33. An antenna component according to claim 32, wherein the radiation element is further fastened to the auxiliary board by an adhesive.

34. An antenna component according to claim 19, wherein the radiation element is fastened to the auxiliary board by at least lamination.

35. An antenna component according to claim 19, wherein said dielectric substrate comprises at least some ceramic material.

36. An antenna component according to claim 19, further comprising conductor pads on a lower surface of the antenna component, said pads being adapted to permit fastening of said component by soldering.

37. A dielectric antenna, comprising:

at least one radiation element having a dielectric substrate and an antenna radiator;

a signal ground; and

a substrate element comprising a conductor pattern adapted to feed the antenna radiator and to match the antenna, the conductor pattern comprising an antenna feed conductor and at least one ground conductor disposed substantially proximate said feed conductor for connection to said signal ground;

wherein the radiation element is fastened to the substrate element, the antenna radiator being electrically coupled to said conductor pattern.

38. A mobile telephony device, comprising:

telephony apparatus; and

a dielectric antenna in signal communication with said telephony apparatus, the antenna comprising;

at least one radiation element having a dielectric substrate and an antenna radiator;

a signal ground; and

a substrate element comprising a conductor pattern adapted to feed the antenna radiator and to match the antenna, the conductor pattern comprising an antenna feed conductor and at least one ground conductor disposed substantially proximate said feed conductor for connection to said signal ground;

wherein the radiation element is fastened to the substrate element, the antenna radiator being electrically coupled to said conductor pattern.

39. The mobile telephony device of claim 38, further comprising a cover;

and

wherein said dielectric antenna comprises a substantially planar antenna disposed within said cover.

40. For use in a mobile device having a circuit board, a dielectric antenna, comprising:

a substrate having a conductor pattern disposed thereon;

a radiator element;

a substrate chip fastened to said substrate, said radiator element being disposed substantially on the surface of said chip;

wherein the radiator element is electrically coupled to said conductor pattern.

41. The antenna of claim 40, wherein the substrate is used for the matching of the dielectric antenna, the matching based at least in part on said conductor pattern.

42. The antenna of claim 41, wherein the radiator element, said substrate chip, and the substrate form a substantially unitary antenna component which is mounted on said circuit board.

43. For use in a mobile device, a dielectric antenna assembled according to the method comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a conductor pattern on said substrate;

providing a radiator element;

providing a substrate chip;

fastening said chip to said substrate;

disposing said radiator element substantially on the surface of said chip; and

electrically coupling the radiator element to said conductor pattern.

44. For use in a mobile device, a dielectric antenna matched according to the method comprising:

providing a substrate having a conductor pattern formed thereon;

providing a substrate chip with a radiator element disposed thereon;

fastening said chip to said substrate;

electrically coupling the radiator element to said conductor pattern; and

matching the antenna based at least in part on said conductor pattern.

45. For use in a mobile device, a dielectric antenna, comprising:

a substrate having a conductor pattern disposed thereon;

a radiator element;

a substrate chip fastened to said substrate, said radiator element being disposed substantially on the surface of said chip;

wherein the radiator element is electrically coupled to said conductor pattern; and

wherein the radiator element, said substrate chip, and the substrate form a substantially unitary antenna component which can be designed and tested substantially as a unit.