Configurable antenna for mixed wireless networks

• US 20080238794A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Limited
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Tsai, James, Golden, Stuart A., Pan, Helen Kankan
• Granted Patent: US 7,551,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/767
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to reconfigure an antenna for use with mixed wireless networks are described. In one embodiment, a switch is coupled between a first portion and a second portion of an antenna to cause the antenna to tune to a plurality of radio frequency bands. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an antenna having a first portion and a second portion;

a switch coupled between the first portion and the second portion to cause the antenna to tune to a plurality of radio frequency bands and

a diversity switch network coupled to the antenna to route a radio signal from a radio module to the antenna.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diversity switch network is to operate in accordance with an identity matrix transformation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises one or more of:

a pin diode, a field effect transistor, or a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processor to cause the switch to modify its state.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion or the second portion are constructed with a material comprising one or more of:

Aluminum, Copper, Gold, or combinations thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switching control unit to control a state of the switch.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a substrate to mechanically support the antenna and switch.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna is one of:

a monopole antenna, a planar inverted F antenna (PIFA), a slot antenna, a micro-strip patch antenna, or a fractal antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more of a processor, a memory, or a transceiver that are coupled to the antenna.

10. A method comprising:

determining whether an antenna is to be reconfigured; and

modifying a state of one or more switches to cause the antenna to be tuned to a select radio frequency band.

11. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating one or more signals to control the state of the one or more switches.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein modifying the state of the one or more switches comprises electrically coupling a plurality of portions of the antenna via the one or more switches.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein modifying the state of the one or more switches comprises electrically decoupling a plurality of portions of the antenna via the one or more switches.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing one or more instructions on computer-readable to cause performance of one or more of the determining or the modifying operations.