ANTENNA WITH DIVIDED GROUND PLANE

• US 20100295747A1
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Modu Limited (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Yohan, Zeltser, Sagiv
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/848
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence

Abstract

A transceiver, including a multi-layer printed circuit board including a layer that serves as a first ground plane, and an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio signals, a second ground plane, and at least one ground contact for connecting the first ground plane and the second ground plane, wherein the first ground plane is too short for the antenna to resonate at a desired frequency, but the first and second ground planes, when connected, provide a combined ground plane sufficient for the antenna to resonate at the desired frequency.

Claims

1. A transceiver, comprising:

a multi-layer printed circuit board comprising;

a layer that serves as a first ground plane; and

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio signals;

a second ground plane; and

at least one ground contact for connecting said first ground plane and said second ground plane,

wherein said first ground plane is too short for said antenna to resonate at a desired frequency, but said first and second ground planes, when connected, provide a combined ground plane sufficient for said antenna to resonate at the desired frequency.

2. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said at least one ground contact is embedded in at least one connector.

3. The transceiver of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication module housing said multi-layer printed circuit board; and

a removable jacket for said modular communicator, housing said second ground plane.

4. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said second ground plane, when connected with said first ground plane, is oriented such that the first and second ground planes form a dihedral angle of less than 180°

.

5. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said second ground plane, when connected with said first ground plane, is oriented such that the first and second ground planes are co-planar.

6. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said first ground plane is 20-100 mm long.

7. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein said second ground plane is 20-100 mm long.

8. The transceiver for claim 1 wherein each of said at least one ground contact has a length of approximately 6 mm and a width of 2-4 mm.

9. The transceiver of claim 8 wherein said at least one ground contact comprises a single ground contact.

10. The transceiver of claim 8 wherein said at least one ground contact comprises two ground contacts separated by a gap that is less than 15 mm.

11. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein the desired frequency is in the range 800 MHz-1 GHz.

12. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein the desired frequency is in the range 1.7 GHz-2.2 GHz.

13. The transceiver of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one additional ground plane, in addition to said first and second ground planes; and

at least one additional ground contact for connecting said at least one additional ground plane with said first or said second ground plane,

wherein said first and second and at least one additional ground planes, when connected, provide a combined ground plane sufficient for said antenna to resonate at the desired frequency.

14. A modular communicator comprising:

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a ground plane for said antenna;

a power amplifier to amplifying signals received by said antenna;

a modem for transmitting and receiving data via said antenna; and

at least one ground contact, for connecting said ground plane to an extended ground plane housed within a removable jacket for said modular communicator,

wherein said ground plane is too short for said antenna to resonate at a desired frequency, but said ground plane when connected with the extended ground plane, provides a combined ground plane sufficient for said antenna to resonate at the desired frequency.

15. The modular communicator of claim 14 wherein said antenna, said ground plane, and said modem are housed within a housing whose dimensions are at most 70 mm×

40 mm×

10 mm.

16. A removable jacket for a modular communicator, comprising:

an extended ground plane for an antenna; and

at least one ground contact, for connecting said extended ground plane to a ground plane for a communicator that houses the antenna, wherein the ground plane is too short for the antenna to resonate at a desired frequency, but the ground plane when connected with said extended ground plane, provides a combined ground plane sufficient for the antenna to resonate at the desired frequency.

17. The removable jacket of claim 16 further comprising:

at least one additional extended ground plane; and

at least one additional ground contact for connecting said at least one additional extended ground plane with said extended ground plane or with the ground plane,

wherein the ground plane, when connected with said extended ground plane and with said at least one additional extended ground plane, provides a combined ground plane sufficient for the antenna to resonate at the desired frequency.

18. A communication system, comprising:

a modular communicator, comprising;

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a ground plane for said antenna;

a power amplifier to amplifying signals received by said antenna;

a modem for transmitting and receiving data via said antenna; and

at least one ground contact, for connecting said ground plane to a jacket for the modular communicator; and

a removable jacket for said modular communicator, comprising an extended ground plane for said antenna,

wherein said ground plane is too short for said antenna to resonate at a desired frequency, but said ground plane and said extended ground plane, when said modular communicator and said removable jacket are connected, provide a combined ground plane sufficient for said antenna to resonate at the desired frequency.

19. The communication system of claim 18 wherein said removable jacket further comprises at least one additional extended ground plane, wherein said ground plane, said extended ground plane and said at least one additional extended ground plane, when said modular communicator and said removable jacket are connected, provide a combined ground plane sufficient for said antenna to resonate at the desired frequency.

20. A transceiver, comprising:

a multi-layer printed circuit board comprising;

a layer that serves as a first ground plane; and

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio signals;

a second ground plane; and

at least one ground contact for connecting said first ground plane and said second ground plane,

wherein said first ground plane is too short for said antenna to resonate efficiently, but said first and second ground planes, when connected, provide a combined ground plane that resonates with greater efficiency.

21. A modular communicator comprising:

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a ground plane for said antenna;

a power amplifier to amplifying signals received by said antenna;

a modem for transmitting and receiving data via said antenna; and

at least one ground contact, for connecting said ground plane to an extended ground plane housed within a removable jacket for said modular communicator,

wherein said ground plane is too short for said antenna to resonate efficiently, but said ground plane when connected with the extended ground plane, provides a combined ground plane that resonates with greater efficiency.

22. A removable jacket for a modular communicator, comprising:

an extended ground plane for an antenna; and

at least one ground contact, for connecting said extended ground plane to a ground plane for a communicator that houses the antenna, wherein the ground plane is too short for the antenna to resonate efficiently, but the ground plane when connected with said extended ground plane, provides a combined ground plane that resonates with greater efficiency.

23. A communication system, comprising:

a modular communicator, comprising;

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a ground plane for said antenna;

a power amplifier to amplifying signals received by said antenna;

a modem for transmitting and receiving data via said antenna; and

at least one ground contact, for connecting said ground plane to a jacket for the modular communicator; and

a removable jacket for said modular communicator, comprising an extended ground plane for said antenna,

wherein said ground plane is too short for said antenna to resonate efficiently, but said ground plane and said extended ground plane, when said modular communicator and said removable jacket are connected, provide a combined ground plane that resonates with greater efficiency.