ANTENNA WITH SELECTABLE ELEMENTS FOR USE IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110095960A1
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ruckus IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shtrom, Victor, Kish, William S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,837,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/893
• 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 21/062 using dipole aerials; H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/26 Turnstile or like antennas comprising arrangements of three or more elongated elements disposed radially and symmetrically in a horizontal plane about a common centre
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

A system and method for a wireless link to a remote receiver includes a communication device for generating RF and a planar antenna apparatus for transmitting the RF. The planar antenna apparatus includes selectable antenna elements, each of which has gain and a directional radiation pattern. The directional radiation pattern is substantially in the plane of the antenna apparatus. Switching different antenna elements results in a configurable radiation pattern. Alternatively, selecting all or substantially all elements results in an omnidirectional radiation pattern. One or more directors and/or one or more reflectors may be included to constrict the directional radiation pattern. The antenna apparatus may be conformally mounted to a housing containing the communication device and the antenna apparatus.

Claims

1. A network peripheral device comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

at least a single wireless module that is operable with the plurality of antennas, the single wireless module including,

a single baseband operable with the plurality of antennas;

an antenna selector control module operable with the baseband; and

a processor;

a plurality of electronically controllable visual indicators; and

circuitry that activates and deactivates selected indicators from the plurality of indicators, the activation and deactivation corresponding to selection and deselection of respective antennas from among the plurality of antennas by the single wireless module as the single wireless module continues to operate.

2. The device of claim 1, including networking electronics.

3. The device of claim 1, including router functionality.

4. The device of claim 1, including a modem.

5. The device of claim 1, including a base band processor.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual indicators comprise light emitting diodes (LEDs).

7. The device of claim 1, wherein each visual indicator corresponds to a particular antenna among the plurality of antennas.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein each visual indicator is arranged in a pattern corresponding to an arrangement of antennas in the plurality of antennas.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual indicators are arranged in a substantially circular pattern.