ANTENNA WITH ACTIVE ELEMENTS

• US 20090051611A1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera AVX Components Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ethertronics, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Shamblin, Jeff, Desclos, Laurent, Rowson, Sebastian, Jones, Rowland, Han, ChulMin
• Granted Patent: US 7,830,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/747
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/321 within a radiating element or between connected radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/385 Two or more parasitic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/392 the parasitic elements having dual-band or multi-band characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A multi-frequency antenna comprising an IMD element, active tuning elements and parasitic elements. The IMD element is used in combination with the active tuning and parasitic elements for enabling a variable frequency at which the antenna operates, wherein, when excited, the parasitic elements may couple with the IMD element to change an operating characteristic of the IMD element.

Claims

1. A multi-frequency antenna comprising;

an Isolated Magnetic Dipole™

(IMD) element;

one or more parasitic elements; and

one or more active tuning elements;

wherein the active elements are positioned off the IMD element.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the active tuning elements are adapted to vary the frequency response of the antenna.

3. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the one or more parasitic elements are located below the IMD element.

4. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the one or more parasitic elements are located separate from the IMD element.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the active tuning elements are positioned on one or more parasitic elements.

6. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the IMD element, active tuning elements and parasitic elements are positioned above a ground plane.

7. The antenna of claim 6 wherein a gap between the IMD element and the parasitic element provides a tunable frequency.

8. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the parasitic element has an active element at a region where one of the parasitic elements connects to a ground plane.

9. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the antenna contains multiple resonant elements.

10. The antenna of claim 9 wherein the each resonant element has an active tuning element.

11. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the antenna contains an external matching circuit that contains one or more active tuning elements.

12. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the active tuning elements are at least one of:

voltage controlled tunable capacitors, voltage controlled tunable phase shifters, FET'"'"'s, and switches.

13. A method for forming an antenna with variable frequency, comprising:

providing an IMD element above a ground plane;

positioning a parasitic element above the ground plane; and

positioning at least one active tuning element off the IMD element.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a parasitic element is positioned below the IMD antenna in order to resonate at lower frequencies.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the parasitic element is positioned off the IMD antenna in order to resonate at lower frequencies.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the parasitic element absorbs waves from the IMD element and couples them to the transmitted signal.

17. The method of claim 13 further providing a parasitic element which alters the radiation pattern.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the parasitic element couples to the IMD element.

19. An antenna arrangement for a wireless device, comprising;

an IMD element disposed on a substrate; and

one or more parasitic elements adapted to alter a field generated by the IMD element;

one or more active tuning elements located off the IMD element.

20. The antenna arrangement of claim 19 wherein the parasitic elements are utilized to vary the frequency of the IMD element.