ANTENNA UNIT, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20110227803A1
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: TANI, Kazuya, NAKANO, Kazuya, NISHIKAWA, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,816,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/834
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/005 Patch antenna using one or more coplanar parasitic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/22 using a secondary device in the form of a single substantially straight conductive element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

A GPS antenna is provided with a reflective conductor portion. Thereby, an electromagnetic wave radiated from an antenna conductor portion in a predetermined direction can be grounded electrically, and thus radiation of the electromagnetic wave in a direction (arbitrary direction) opposite to the predetermined direction can be enhanced. As a result, the directivity of the electromagnetic wave in the arbitrary direction can be enhanced to improve the positioning accuracy.

Claims

1. An antenna unit comprising:

a substrate;

a grounding conductor portion formed on one main face of the substrate;

an antenna conductor portion formed on the main face of the substrate; and

a reflective conductor portion connected electrically to the grounding conductor portion,

wherein the antenna conductor portion and the reflective conductor portion are spaced from each other.

2. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the reflective conductor portion is formed on a. rear face as the other main face of the substrate, and a transmission line is formed on the main face oppositely the reflective conductor portion.

3. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing having a conductor portion; and

an antenna unit fixed to the housing and connected electrically to the conductor portion,

the antenna unit comprising;

a substrate;

a grounding conductor portion formed on the substrate;

an inverted-F antenna conductor portion formed on one main face of the substrate; and

a reflective conductor portion connected electrically to the grounding conductor portion,

wherein the antenna conductor portion and the reflective conductor portion are spaced from each other.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the housing is composed of a first housing and a second housing supported rotatably to the first housing, and

the antenna unit is fixed to the second housing so that the reflective conductor portion is positioned vertically below the antenna conductor portion when the first housing and the second housing are located at a distance from each other.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the first housing comprises an electric circuit board;

the second housing comprises a display panel; and

the substrate of the antenna unit is fixed to the second housing so that at least one of the main faces of the substrate is parallel to a display surface of the display panel.