ADAPTABLE ANTENNA SYSTEM

• US 20080106476A1
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Breit, Gregory Alan, Tran, Allen Minh-Triet, Ozaki, Ernest T., Jenwatanavet, Jatupum
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/145 by varying the electrical length

Abstract

The invention utilizes small, narrow-band and frequency adaptable antennas to provide coverage to a wide range of wireless modes and frequency bands on a host wireless device. The antennas have narrow pass-band characteristics, require minimal space on the host device, and allow for smaller form factor. The frequency tunability further allows for a fewer number of antennas to be used. The operation of the antennas may also be adaptably relocated from unused modes to in-use modes to maximize performance. These features of the antennas result in cost and size reductions. In another aspect, the antennas may be broadband antennas.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a first antenna having a first tunable element for changing a first transmit or receive frequency band associated with a first communication mode to a different transmit or receive frequency band or for changing the first communication mode to a second communication mode; and

a second antenna having a second tunable element for changing a second transmit or receive frequency band associated with the first communication mode to a different transmit or receive frequency band or for changing the first communication mode to the second communication mode.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a third antenna having a third tunable element for providing transmit or receive diversity.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third antennas are narrow pass-band and frequency adaptable antennas.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first, second and third antennas'"'"' narrow pass frequency bands are substantially isolated from each other.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third antennas are broadband antennas.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the frequency bands comprise at least two of:

WWAN for serving 1x EVDO Revs. A/B/C, 1x-RTT, Extended Global System for Mobile communications (EGSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Global Positioning System (GPS),

WLAN for serving Bluetooth-IEEE 802.11a/b/g and MMDS band IEEE 802.11n,

DVB-H,

FLO, and

UWB.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device includes a portable phone, a PDA, a laptop, a body-worn sensor, an entertainment component, a wireless router or a tracking device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second communication modes comprise at least two of CDMA, GSM, Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Time-Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and WiMAX.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second antennas may operate in the same frequency bands simultaneously.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first antenna may be used for transmitting and the second antenna may be used for receiving and vice versa.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second antennas may operate in different frequency bands simultaneously.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the first antenna may be used for transmitting and the second antenna may be used for receiving and vice versa.

13. The device of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third antennas are orthogonally positioned to one another.

14. The device of claim 2, wherein the communication modes are allocated to the antennas to provide for at least one of simultaneous operation, least coupling and in response to changing RF environment and body loading.

15. The device of claim 2, wherein the antennas allow for a higher order of multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) and diversity processing.

16. The device of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first, second and third antennas is used to suppress interference within the device.

17. The device of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third tunable elements comprise voltage-variable micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS), voltage-variable Ferro-Electric capacitors, varactor, varactor diodes or other frequency adjusting elements.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the operating frequencies and communication modes of the antennas may be adaptable to where resource and performance are needed most in the device based on a preset criteria or user preference and selectivity.

39. The device of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third tunable elements are attached to an SPnT switch for n fixed capacitors.

40. The device of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third tunable elements are attached to an SPIT on/off switch for each of the n fixed capacitors.

41. The device of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first, second and third antennas is used to mitigate body or external effects.

19. A wireless communication device comprising:

a first transceiving means having a first tuning means for changing a first transmit or receive frequency band associated with a first communication mode to a different transmit or receive frequency band or for changing the first communication mode to a second communication mode; and

a second transceiving means having a second tuning means for changing a second transmit or receive frequency band associated with the first communication mode to a different transmit or receive frequency band or for changing the first communication mode to the second communication mode.

20. A wireless communication device comprising:

a first antenna having a first tunable element for changing a first transmit or receive frequency set of channels associated with a first communication mode to a different transmit or receive frequency set of channels or for changing the first communication mode to a second communication mode; and

a second antenna having a second tunable element for changing a second transmit or receive frequency set of channels associated with the first communication mode to a different transmit or receive frequency set of channels or for changing the first communication mode to the second communication mode.

21. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

transmitting or receiving signals with a first antenna using a first frequency range and transmitting or receiving signals with a second antenna using a second frequency range associated with a first communication mode;

tuning the first antenna having a first tunable element for changing the first transmit or receive frequency range associated with the first communication mode to a different transmit or receive frequency range or for changing the first communication mode to a second communication mode;

tuning the second antenna having a second tunable element for changing the second transmit or receive frequency range associated with the first communication mode to a different transmit or receive frequency range or for changing the first communication mode to the second communication mode; and

transmitting or receiving signals with at least one of the first and second antennas using at least one of the different transmit or receive frequency ranges and with the second communication mode.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining whether the second communication mode provides better communication than the first communication mode.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

transmitting or receiving signals with a third antenna using a third frequency range; and

tuning the third antenna having third first tunable element for providing transmit or receive diversity.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first, second and third antennas are narrow pass-band and frequency adaptable antennas.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first, second and third antennas'"'"' narrow pass frequency bands are substantially isolated from each other.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the first, second and third antennas are orthogonally positioned to one another.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the frequency ranges comprise at least two of:

WWAN for serving 1x EVDO Revs. A/B/C, 1x-RTT, Extended Global System for Mobile communications (EGSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS-) and Global Positioning System (GPS),

WLAN for serving Bluetooth-IEEE 802.11a/b/g and MMDS band IEEE 802.11n,

DVB-H,

FLO, and

UWB.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the first and second communication modes comprise at least two of CDMA, GSM, Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Time-Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and WiMAX.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the first and second antennas may operate in the same frequency ranges simultaneously.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first antenna may be used for transmitting and the second antenna may be used for receiving and vice versa.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the first and second antennas may operate in different frequency ranges simultaneously.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first antenna may be used for transmitting and the second antenna may be used for receiving and vice versa.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the communication modes are allocated to the antennas to provide for at least one of simultaneous operation, least coupling and in response to changing RF environment and body loading.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein the antennas allow for a higher order of multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) and diversity processing.

35. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first, second and third antennas is used to suppress interference within the device.

36. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

transmitting or receiving signals with a first antenna using a first frequency range and transmitting or receiving signals with a second antenna using a second frequency range associated with a first communication mode;

changing the first transmit or receive frequency range associated with the first communication mode to a different transmit or receive frequency range or changing the first communication mode to a second communication mode;

changing the second transmit or receive frequency range associated with the first communication mode to a different transmit or receive frequency range or changing the first communication mode to the second communication mode; and

transmitting or receiving signals with at least one of the first and second antennas using at least one of the different transmit or receive frequency ranges and with the second communication mode.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the first and second antennas are broadband antennas.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

transmitting or receiving signals with a third antenna using a third frequency range,

wherein the third antenna provides transmit or receive diversity.