MULTI-BAND ANTENNA ASSEMBLY

• US 20160013565A1
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ortiz, Jorge Isaac
• Application Number:
  US14/331,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20160013565A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• 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 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/18 Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components H05K1/0201, H05K1/023, H05K1/0243, and H05K1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09027 Non-rectangular flat PCB, e.g. circular
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas

Abstract

Antenna assemblies and methods of manufacturing antenna assemblies are provided. In one embodiment, an antenna assembly comprises a printed circuit board having a first surface and a second surface. The antenna assembly also includes a cellular antenna structure having a first section disposed on the first surface of the printed circuit board and a second section disposed on the second surface of the printed circuit board. The antenna assembly further includes a wireless local area antenna structure having a first section disposed on the first surface of the printed circuit board and a second section disposed on the second surface of the printed circuit board.

Claims

1. An antenna assembly comprising:

a printed circuit board having a first surface and a second surface;

a cellular antenna structure having a first section disposed on the first surface of the printed circuit board and a second section disposed on the second surface of the printed circuit board; and

a wireless local area antenna structure having a first section disposed on the first surface of the printed circuit board and a second section disposed on the second surface of the printed circuit board.

2. The antenna assembly of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) module, wherein the printed circuit board comprises an aperture configured to accommodate the GPS module.

3. The antenna assembly of claim 2, wherein two or more of the cellular antenna structure, wireless local area antenna structure, and GPS module are configured to operate simultaneously.

4. The antenna assembly of claim 2, further comprising a ground plane formed on the second surface of the printed circuit board, the ground plane configured to provide a ground potential for the GPS module.

5. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the cellular antenna structure is configured to operate within a frequency band ranging from 600 MHz to 6 GHz and the wireless local area antenna structure is configured to operate within a frequency band ranging from 2.0 GHz to 5.0 GHz.

6. The antenna assembly of claim 5, wherein a bandwidth of the cellular antenna structure is at least 400 MHz and a bandwidth of the wireless local area antenna structure is at least 200 MHz.

7. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the cellular antenna structure and wireless local area antenna structure are configured as omni-directional antennas.

8. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the cellular antenna structure and wireless local area antenna structure comprise copper traces.

9. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is configured to be mounted in a water distribution system.

10. The antenna assembly of claim 9, wherein the printed circuit board is configured to be mounted in a fire hydrant of the water distribution system.

11. The antenna assembly of claim 9, wherein the printed circuit board is configured to be mounted in a valve cover of the water distribution system, the valve cover located below ground level.

12. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is configured to be mounted on a vehicle.

13. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is substantially circular and has a diameter of less than five inches.

14. A method of manufacturing an antenna assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

fabricating a printed circuit board with a ground layer, a plurality of microstrip segments, and an aperture, the microstrip segments forming at least a first antenna and a second antenna;

installing a global positioning system (GPS) module in the aperture of the printed circuit board; and

coupling a terminal of the GPS module with the ground layer of the printed circuit board.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of fabricating the printed circuit board comprises forming the plurality of microstrip segments on a top surface and a bottom surface of the printed circuit board.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second antennas includes microstrip segments on both the top surface and bottom surface of the printed circuit board.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first antenna is configured to communicate in a cellular frequency band and the second antenna is configured to communicate in a wireless local area frequency band.

18. A printed circuit board comprising:

a first antenna structure configured to operate in a radio frequency (RF) band;

a second antenna structure configured to operate in a microwave frequency band, wherein the frequencies of the RF band are different from the frequencies of the microwave frequency band; and

an aperture configured to accommodate a global positioning system (GPS) module.

19. The printed circuit board of claim 18, further comprising a ground layer configured to ground the GPS module and minimize interference with the first and second antenna structures.

20. The printed circuit board of claim 18, further comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first antenna structure includes a first section disposed on the first surface and a second section disposed on the second surface, and wherein the second antenna structure includes a first section disposed on the first surface and a second section disposed on the second surface.

21. The printed circuit board of claim 18, wherein the first antenna structure operates in a cellular frequency band and the second antenna structure operates in a wireless local area frequency band.

22. The printed circuit board of claim 18, wherein the printed circuit board is substantially circular and has a diameter less than five inches.