Antenna System with Small Multi-Band Antennas

• US 20130207870A1
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aereo Incorporated
• Inventors: Lipowski, Joseph Thaddeus, Bingham, James Alan
• Granted Patent: US 9,923,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/852
• 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 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/335 at the feed, e.g. for impedance matching

Abstract

Multi-band antennae used for television reception of at least two different frequency bands enable multi-band reception with an electrically small antenna. The designs are applicable to individual antenna elements, two dimensional arrays, three dimensional arrays, and arrays constructed for high volumetric efficiency. By using the multi-band element, greater frequency reception is achieved with greater density possible in the antenna arrays.

Claims

1. An antenna system comprising:

a circuit board having an antenna section and a tuner/demodulator section;

an array of antennas installed on the antenna section that is controlled by and provides antenna feeds to tuners and demodulators in the tuner/demodulator section; and

tuning feed networks for the antennas that connect the antennas to corresponding tuners and demodulators.

2. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the tuning feed networks are connected to the antennas with high pass filters.

3. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the tuning feed networks are connected to the antennas with diplexers and/or multiplexers.

4. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the tuning feed networks include a radio frequency coupling and direct current injection section and a tuning section.

5. The antenna system according to claim 4, wherein components of the tuning feed networks are located adjacent to corresponding antennas in the antenna section of the circuit board.

6. The antenna system according to claim 4, wherein the radio frequency coupling and direct current injection section is located in the tuner/demodulator section of the circuit board.

7. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the tuning feed networks connect to the tuners and demodulators in the tuner/demodulator section via feed lines.

8. The antenna system according to claim 7, wherein a tuning voltage is superimposed on at least one of the feed lines by an analog control line to enable tuning of the tuning feed networks.

9. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the tuning feed networks include direct current blocks to filter out direct current.

10. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the tuners include Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) tuners.

11. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the antennas are balanced fed antennas.

12. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the antennas are unbalanced fed antennas.

13. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the array of antennas are offset to create a staggered matrix of antennas.

14. An antenna system for receiving television signals comprising:

an antenna element having a partial perimeter length of less than 4.3 centimeters; and

a tuning feed network for the antenna element.

15. The antenna system according to claim 14, wherein the at antenna element is a loop antenna.

16. The antenna system according to claim 15, wherein the loop antenna is circular or rectangular shaped.

17. The antenna system according to claim 14, wherein the antenna element is a tunable antenna element.

18. The antenna system according to claim 14, wherein the antenna element is a fixed frequency antenna element.

19. The antenna system according to claim 14, wherein the antenna element and tuning feed network are mounted on a circuit board.

20. The antenna system according to claim 14, wherein feed lines of the tuning feed network are shared by multiple antenna elements.

21. An antenna system for receiving television signals comprising:

an antenna that includes at least a pair of antenna elements connected to a common pair of feed lines; and

a frequency tuning section for each antenna element of the antenna that receives tuning voltage via at least one of the feed lines.

22. The antenna system according to claim 21, wherein one of the antenna elements receives very high frequency television signals and the other one of the antenna elements receives ultra high frequency television signals.

23. The antenna system according to claim 21, further comprising a tuning feed network for the antenna that connects the antenna elements to a corresponding tuner and demodulator.

24. The antenna system according to claim 23, wherein the tuning feed networks are connected to the antenna elements with high pass filters.

25. The antenna system according to claim 23, wherein the tuning feed networks are connected to the antenna elements with diplexers and/or multiplexers.