FREQUENCY SELECTIVE MULTI-BAND ANTENNA FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20100231461A1
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tran, Allen Minh-Triet
• Application Number:
  US12/404,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231461A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/085 Flexible aerials; Whip aerials with a resilient base
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/20 Resilient mountings
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• 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: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

A multi-band antenna with improved antenna efficiency across a broad range of operative frequency bands with reduced physical size is described. The multi-band antenna includes a modified monopole element coupled to multiple antenna loading elements variably selectable to tune to one of a plurality of resonant frequencies. In one exemplary embodiment, the modified monopole element has a geometry other than that of a traditional monopole element and includes a switch array disposed between the modified monopole element and the multiple antenna loading elements and configured to couple a selected one or more of the antenna loading elements to the modified monopole element when tuning to a desired one of the plurality of resonant frequencies. The multi-band antenna resonant frequency is controlled by a wireless communication device selecting among the multiple antenna loading elements for tuning the multi-band antenna between operative frequency bands.

Claims

1. A multi-band antenna including a modified monopole element coupled to multiple antenna loading elements variably selectable to tune to one of a plurality of resonant frequencies.

2. The multi-band antenna of claim 1, wherein the modified monopole element has a geometry other than that of a traditional monopole element.

3. The multi-band antenna of claim 2, further comprising a switch array disposed between the modified monopole element and the multiple antenna loading elements) and configured to couple selected antenna loading elements) to the modified monopole element when tuning to a desired one of the plurality of resonant frequencies.

4. The multi-band antenna of claim 1, wherein the multi-band antenna is for use in a wireless communication device, the tuning to a plurality of resonant frequencies involves the wireless communication device selecting among the multiple antenna loading elements and tuning the multi-band antenna between operative frequency bands.

5. The multi-band antenna of claim 1, wherein the multi-band antenna includes matching elements.

6. The multi-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the multi-band antenna is printed on a flexible membrane.

7. The multi-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the multi-band antenna is formed as a stamped metal structure.

8. The multi-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the multi-band antenna is plated on a non-metal substrate.

9. The multi-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the multi-band antenna is etched on a non-metal substrate.

10. The multi-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the multi-band antenna is conductive ink deposited on a non-metal substrate.

11. The multi-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the multi-band antenna is part of a handheld wireless communication device.

12. The multi-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the multi-band antenna is part of a portable computer with an embedded wireless communication device.

13. The multi-band antenna of claim 3, wherein the switch array includes a single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switch.

14. The multi-band antenna of claim 13, wherein the single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switch is an integrated circuit.

15. The multi-band antenna of claim 6, wherein modified monopole element includes indents to enable changing of the physical dimensions of the multi-band antenna.

16. The multi-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the antenna loading elements comprise at least one of capacitors, voltage variable capacitors, inductors, LC circuits, and integrated LC circuits.

17. The multi-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the multi-band antenna is formed as a three dimensional metallized structure.

18. A multi-band antenna comprising:

a modified monopole element having a first radio frequency input, and a second radio frequency input for altering a resonant frequency;

a single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switch; and

an array of n antenna loading elements, one node of each antenna loading element connected to a corresponding one of n ports of the single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switch and the other node of each antenna loading element connected to a ground plane.

19. The multi-band antenna of claim 18, wherein the multi-band antenna is for use in a handheld wireless communication device and configured to operate in a plurality of resonant frequencies, the handheld wireless communication device selecting the position of the single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switch for tuning the multi-band antenna between operative frequency bands.

20. The multi-band antenna of claim 20, wherein the multi-band antenna is part of a handheld wireless communication device.

21. A multi-band antenna comprising:

a modified monopole element having a first radio frequency input, and m radio frequency inputs for altering a resonant frequency;

an array of m single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switches;

an array of m times n antenna loading elements, one node of each antenna loading element connected to one of the m times n ports of the array of m single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switches and the other node of each antenna loading element connected to a ground plane.

22. The multi-band antenna of claim 21, wherein the multi-band antenna is for use in a handheld wireless communication device and configured to operate in a plurality of resonant frequencies, the handheld wireless communication device selecting the position of the array of m single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switches for tuning the multi-band antenna between operative frequency bands.

23. The multi-band antenna of claim 21, wherein the multi-band antenna is printed on a flexible membrane.

24. The multi-band antenna of claim 21, wherein the modified monopole element is a folded modified monopole element including indents for changing the physical dimensions of the multi-band antenna.

25. A multi-band antenna, comprising:

a multi-band antenna with a modified monopole element;

multiple antenna loading elements coupled to the modified monopole element;

means for tuning to one of a plurality of resonant frequencies with the multiple antenna loading elements; and

means for controlling the multiple antenna loading elements between operative frequency bands.

26. A device including a multi-band antenna comprising:

a modified monopole element having a first radio frequency input, and m radio frequency inputs for altering a resonant frequency;

an array of m single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switches;

an array of m times n antenna loading elements, one node of each antenna loading element connected to one of the m times n ports of the array of m single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switches and the other node of each antenna loading element connected to a ground plane.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the multi-band antenna includes an array of m DC blocking capacitors to block DC voltage between the common port of each single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switch and the m radio frequency inputs of the modified monopole element.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the multi-band antenna is coupled to an external radio frequency port, and includes matching elements between the first radio frequency input and the external radio frequency port.

29. The device of claim 26, wherein a resonant frequency of the multi-band antenna is controlled by a wireless communication device selecting the position of each switch in the array of m single-pole single-pole n-throw (SPnT) switches for tuning the multi-band antenna between operative frequency bands.

30. The device of claim 26, wherein the device is at least one of a cellular phone and a portable computer comprising at least two multi-band antennas.