ANTENNA STRUCTURE FOR A WIRELESS DEVICE WITH A GROUND PLANE SHAPED AS A LOOP

• US 20100302122A1
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carles Puente Baliarda, Jordi Soler Castany
• Original Assignee: Carles Puente Baliarda, Jordi Soler Castany
• Inventors: SOLER CASTANY, Jordi, Puente Baliarda, Carles
• Granted Patent: US 8,077,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/848
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

This invention refers to an antenna structure for a wireless device comprising a ground plane and an antenna element, wherein the ground plane has the shape of an open loop. The invention further refers to an antenna structure for a wireless device, such as alight switch or a wristsensor or wristwatch, comprising an open loop ground plane having a first end portion and a second end portion, the open loop ground plane defining an opening between the first end portion and the second end portion; and an antenna component positioned within the opening defined between the first end portion and the second end portion and overlapping at least one of the first end portion or the second end portion. Further the invention refers to a corresponding wireless device and to a method for integrating such an antenna structure in a wireless device.

Claims

1. An antenna structure for a wireless device comprising:

a ground plane (1) and

an antenna element (22)

characterized in that

the ground plane (1) has the shape of an open loop.

2. The antenna structure of claim 1, characterized in that the ground plane (1) has at least one end portion (3), in the proximity of which the antenna element (22) is located.

3. The antenna structure of claim 2, characterized in that the ground plane (1) has a second end portion (4) which is located in the proximity of the antenna element (22).

4. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the ground plane (1) has at least two overlapping portions.

5. The antenna structure of claim 4, characterized in that the antenna element (22) is located in proximity to the overlapping portions.

6. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the antenna element (22) is provided not further than a distance d and/or separation s from the ground plane (1) and/or any end portions thereof and/or any overlapping portions thereof wherein d and/or s may be 2.0, 1.75, 1.5, 1.25, 1.0, 0.75, 0.5, 0.25, 0.1, 0.05 times the largest extension or thickness of the antenna element (22) or of the ground plane (1).

7. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the antenna element (22) is substantially flat and is arranged substantially parallel to a portion of the ground plane (1) which is located closest to the antenna element (22).

8. The antenna structure of claim 7, characterized in that the antenna element (22) is provided such that in a projection of the antenna element (22) onto the portion of the ground plane (1) in the proximity of the antenna element (22) in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the antenna element (22) not more than a percentage x of the antenna element (22) is overlapping with the ground plane (1), wherein x is one of a group of percentages of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 95.

9. The antenna structure of claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the antenna element (22) is provided such that in a projection of the antenna element (22) onto the portion of the ground plane (1) in the proximity of the antenna element (22) in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the antenna element (22) not less than a percentage x of the antenna element (22) is overlapping with the ground plane (1), wherein x is one of a group of percentages of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 95.

10. The antenna element of any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the ground plane (1) has a first end portion (3) and a second end portion (4), the ground plane (1) defining an opening (2) between the first end portion (3) and the second end portion (4) and that the antenna element (22) is positioned within that opening (2) defined between the first end portion (3) and the second end portion (4) and overlaps with at least one end portion (3, 4).

11. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the ground plane (1) is provided on a circuit board (6).

12. The antenna structure of claim 11, characterized in that the ground plane (1) is provided at least in part at a portion or multiple portions of the edge of the circuit board (6).

13. The antenna structure of claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the circuit board (6) has at least one, two, three or more openings (24).

14. The antenna structure of claim 13, characterized in that at least one, two, three or more openings (24) are at least partially or entirely surrounded by the ground plane (1).

15. The antenna structure of any of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the ground plane (1) and the antenna element (22) are provided on the same and/or on opposite sides of the circuit board (6).

16. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the ground plane (1) is provided as a rigid or at least a partially rigid conductor.

17. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the ground plane (1) is provided as a flexible or at least partially flexible conducting material.

18. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the antenna element (22) is an antenna component such as a surface mount component.

19. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the ground plane (1) or at least a portion thereof is a multilevel structure, a space filling curve, a grid dimension curve or a contour curve.

20. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that a portion of the antenna element (22) or the entire antenna element is a multilevel structure, space filling curve, a grid dimension curve or a contour curve.

21. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the antenna structure operates in one, two, three or more of the following cellular standards and communication systems:

Bluetooth, UltraWideBand (UWB), WiFi (IEEE802.11a, b, g), WiMAX (IEEE802.16), PMG, digital radio and television devices (DAB, DBTV), satellite systems such as GPS, Galileo, SDARS, GSM900, GSM1800, PCS1900, Korean PCS (KPCS), CDMA, WCDMA, UMTS, 3G, GSM850, ZigBee (868 and/or

     915).

22. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the antenna element is selected from the group comprising monopole, IFA, patch, microstrip antenna and PIFA.

23. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that the antenna element comprises at least one contact point (23a) that connects the antenna element (22) to the ground plane (1) by direct electrical contact.

24. The antenna structure of any of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the antenna element comprises at least one contact point (23b) which is used to feed the antenna.

26. A wireless device comprising an antenna structure according to any of the preceding claims.

27. The wireless device of claim 26, characterized in that the wireless device is selected from the group of wireless devices comprising:

mini-PCI (e.g., notebook PC with integrated Wi-Fi module), compact flash wireless cards, wireless USB/UART dongles, PCMCIA wireless cards, headsets, pocket PC with integrated Wi-Fi, access points for hot-spots, wireless light switches, wireless wrist watches, wireless wrist sensors, a bracelet FM radio, an MP3 player, a radio frequency identification tag (RFID), a keyless remote entry system, a sensor such as an air pressure sensor in tires, radio controlled toys, a compact/wireless card, or any other wireless device.

25. An antenna structure for a wireless device, such as a light switch or a wristsensor or wristwatch, comprising:

an open loop ground plane (1) having a first end portion (3) and a second end portion (4), the open loop ground plane (1) defining an opening (2) between the first end portion (3) and the second end portion (4); and

an antenna component (22) positioned within the opening (2) defined between the first end portion (3) and the second end portion (4) and overlapping at least one of the first end portion (3) or the second end portion (4).

28. A method to integrate an antenna structure in a wireless device comprising the steps of:

Providing a ground plane (1) to said wireless device;

shaping said ground plane (2) as an open loop, so that it defines an opening;

and providing an antenna element (22) to said wireless device.

29. The method as of claim 28, characterized in that said antenna element is provided within said opening.

30. The method of claim 28 or 29, characterized in that the method is carried out such that the antenna structure fits in the wireless device while said wireless device keeps its size reduced.