MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE INCLUDING A FOLDED MONOPOLE MULTI-BAND ANTENNA AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20090058734A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: ALI, Shirook, Wen, Geyi
• Granted Patent: US 7,859,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• 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 5/357 using a single feed point
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a printed circuit board (PCB) carried within the portable housing, and wireless communications circuitry carried by the PCB within the portable housing. The device may also include a folded monopole antenna assembly coupled to the wireless communications circuitry. The folded monopole antenna assembly may include a dielectric body adjacent the PCB and having a generally rectangular shape defining opposing top and bottom faces, opposing first and second end faces, and opposing first and second side faces. The antenna may also include a conductive trace coupled to the wireless communications circuitry and having a first end section extending along the first end face, a second end section extending along the second end face, and an intermediate section extending along the top, bottom, first side and second side faces.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a portable housing;

a printed circuit board (PCB) carried within said portable housing;

wireless communications circuitry carried by said PCB within said portable housing; and

a folded monopole antenna assembly comprising

a dielectric body adjacent said PCB and having a generally rectangular shape defining opposing top and bottom faces, opposing first and second end faces, and opposing first and second side faces, and

a conductive trace coupled to said wireless communications circuitry an having a first end section extending along the first end face, a second end section extending along the second end face, and an intermediate section extending along the top, bottom, first side and second side faces.

2. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said conductive trace further comprises at least one conductive impedance matching patch coupled to said intermediate section.

3. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 2 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch comprises a plurality of spaced-apart impedance matching patches.

4. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 2 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch extends along the top face.

5. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 2 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch extends along at least one of the first and second end faces.

6. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 2 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch extends along at least one of the first and second side faces.

7. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said first end section defines a feed point for said conductive trace.

8. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said first and second side faces have greater widths than said first and second end faces.

9. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said wireless communications circuitry comprises a cellular transceiver.

10. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said folded monopole antenna operates over a plurality of radio frequency (RF) communications bands.

11. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a portable housing;

a printed circuit board (PCB) carried within said portable housing;

wireless communications circuitry carried by said PCB within said portable housing; and

a folded monopole antenna assembly, comprising

a dielectric body adjacent said PCB and having a generally rectangular shape defining opposing top and bottom faces, opposing first and second end faces, and opposing first and second side faces, and

a conductive trace coupled to said wireless communications circuitry and operable over a plurality of radio frequency (RF) communications bands, said conductive trace having a first end section extending along the first end face, a second end section extending along the second end face, and an intermediate section extending along the top, bottom, first side and second side faces,

said conductive trace further comprising at least one conductive impedance matching patch coupled to said intermediate section.

12. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch comprises a plurality of spaced-apart impedance matching patches.

13. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch extends along the top face.

14. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch extends along at least one of the first and second end faces.

15. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch extends along at least one of the first and second side faces.

16. A folded monopole antenna assembly for a mobile wireless communications device comprising a portable housing, a printed circuit board (PCB) carried within the portable housing, and wireless communications circuitry carried by the PCB within the portable housing, the folded monopole antenna comprising:

a dielectric body adjacent said PCB and having a generally rectangular shape defining opposing top and bottom faces, opposing first and second end faces, and opposing first and second side faces; and

a conductive trace to be coupled to the wireless communications circuitry and having a first end section extending along the first end face, a second end section extending along the second end face, and an intermediate section extending along the top, bottom, first side and second side faces.

17. The folded monopole antenna of claim 16 wherein said conductive trace further comprises at least one conductive impedance matching patch coupled to said intermediate section.

18. The folded monopole antenna of claim 17 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch comprises a plurality of spaced-apart impedance matching patches.

19. The folded monopole antenna of claim 17 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch extends along the top face.

20. The folded monopole antenna of claim 17 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch extends along at least one of the first and second end faces.

21. The folded monopole antenna of claim 17 wherein said at least one conductive impedance matching patch extends along at least one of the first and second side faces.

22. A method for making a folded monopole antenna assembly for a mobile wireless communications device comprising:

forming a dielectric body having a generally rectangular shape defining opposing top and bottom faces, opposing first and second end faces, and opposing first and second side faces; and

forming a conductive trace on the dielectric body having a first end section extending along the first end face, a second end section extending along the second end face, and an intermediate section extending along the top, bottom, first side and second side faces.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein forming the conductive trace further comprises forming at least one conductive impedance matching patch coupled to the intermediate section.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein forming the at least one conductive impedance matching patch comprises forming a plurality of spaced-apart impedance matching patches.