ANTENNA

• US 20130285879A1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: WHEELER, Theodore J.
• Application Number:
  US13/460,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285879A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/893
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

An antenna includes an active antenna layer, a ground layer, and a dielectric layer sandwiched between the active antenna and the ground layers. The antenna is bendable to conform to a contour of a surface on which the antenna is positioned.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

an active antenna layer;

a ground layer; and

a dielectric layer sandwiched between the active antenna and the ground layers,

wherein the antenna is bendable to conform to a contour of a surface on which the antenna is positioned.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the active antenna layer and the ground layer are formed of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of brass and copper mylar.

3. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the active antenna layer includes at least one of a fractal pattern and an interleaved pattern formed thereon.

4. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is formed of a material selected from the group essentially consisting of an air-filled low dielectric-constant low-loss plastic foam, a glass, an aerogel, and a flexible specialty glass dielectric.

5. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the active antenna layer and the ground layer are attached to the active antenna layer.

6. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising an aesthetic layer disposed on an exposed surface of the antenna, wherein the aesthetic layer is formed of a transparent material.

7. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the active antenna layer and the dielectric layer comprise at least one of a combination layer formed of a metal-impregnated material and metallic paint.

8. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the active antenna layer is to operate at a plurality of frequency bands.

9. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the active antenna layer includes a plurality of multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) chains.

10. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the active antenna layer includes a plurality of single-input and single-output (SISO) antennas.

11. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate layer including a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) chain, a single-input and single-output (SISO) antenna or a frequency band antenna element, wherein the immediate layer is positioned between the active antenna layer and the ground layer.

12. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the active antenna layer forms a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) chain, a single-input and single-output (SISO) antenna or a frequency band antenna element, and wherein the MIMO chain and SISO antenna are of different sizes, and the frequency band antenna element is to operate at a plurality of frequency bands.

13. The antenna of claim 12, further comprising gaps of different lengths between the MIMO chains or SISO antennas.

14. An antenna comprising:

an active antenna layer forming a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) chain, a single-input and single-output (SISO) antenna or a frequency band antenna element;

a ground layer; and

a dielectric layer sandwiched between the active antenna and the ground layers.

15. A method of fabricating a flexible antenna, said method comprising:

providing a flexible bottom layer;

flexibly attaching a flexible dielectric layer onto the flexible bottom layer;

flexibly attaching a flexible active layer over the flexible dielectric layer;

forming an antenna pattern on the flexible active layer; and

flexibly attaching a film layer over the flexible active layer.