Antenna for mobile communications device

• US 5,929,813 A
• Filed: 01/09/1998
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Eggleston, Steve W
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoanganh
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US09/005,103
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/700 MS, 343/767, 343/795
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/106 Microstrip slot antennas patch antenna elements H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

A new category of mobile communications antenna is implemented in a single layer of conducting material. Wire-slot sections, including wire-tabs defining slots in the material, partially extend around the perimeter of at least one patch-tab section of the antenna. The perimeter of the at least one patch-tab section forms one edge of each slot, and the wire-tab of a wire-slot section forms a second edge of the slot. The wire-tabs of the wire-slot sections are separated from the patch-tab section by the slots and merge into the patch-tab section at a desired point. The length of each of the wire-slot sections may vary. A portion of each of a pair of the wire-tabs of the wire-slot sections functions as an input feed. The patch-tab section may be implemented as a single tab or as a plurality of tabs separated from one another by a slot. By varying the relative geometries of the patch-tab, wire-slots and tabs of the wire-slots, the electrical properties of the antenna, including the input impedance, can be adjusted.

Claims

1. An antenna for use in a mobile communications device, said antenna comprising:

at least one patch-tab section each of said at least one patch-tab section formed of a separate sheet of conducting material and having a perimeter;

a plurality of wire-tab sections, each of said plurality of wire-tab sections having a first and a second end and at least a first and a second edge and formed contiguously with and merging into, at said first end, the sheet of conducting material of a selected patch-tab section of said at least one patch-tab section, and each of said plurality of wire-tab sections extending outward from and partially around the perimeter of said selected patch-tab section, defining a slot between the perimeter of said selected patch-tab section and said first edge, wherein said second at least one edge of each of said plurality of wire-tab sections defines a portion of an outer edge of said antenna; and

a first and second terminal formed on the second end of a first and second wire-tab section, respectively, of said plurality of wire-tab sections, wherein said first and second terminals each provide a separate feed point to said antenna.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said at least one patch-tab section comprises a single patch-tab section, and said plurality of wire-tab sections comprises a first wire-tab section and a second wire-tab section, and wherein the first edge of said first wire-tab section and the first edge of said second wire-tab section define a first and second slot, respectively, in said antenna.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein said antenna operates in a first frequency range and, further, wherein said patch-tab section includes a third slot, said third slot extending inward from the perimeter of said patch-tab section and allowing operation of said antenna in a second frequency range.

4. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said separate sheet of conducting material has a nonsymmetrical configuration.

5. An antenna for use in a mobile communications device, said antenna comprising:

a patch-tab section, said patch-tab section formed of a sheet of conducting material and comprising a first, second and third edge;

a first and second wire-tab section, each formed contiguous to said sheet of conducting material with said patch-tab section and extending outward from and partially around the perimeter of said patch-tab section, said first and second wire-tab sections defining a first and second slot, respectively, in said antenna, wherein said first wire-tab section includes at least one edge, and wherein said first slot is defined by said at least one edge of said first wire-tab section and said first, second and third edges of said patch-tab section; and

a first terminal and a second terminal formed on said first wire-tab section and said second wire-tab section, respectively.

6. The antenna of claim 5, wherein said second wire-tab section includes at least one edge and said perimeter of said patch-tab section further comprises a fourth edge, and said second slot is defined by said at least one edge of said second wire-tab section and said fourth edge of said patch-tab section, and wherein said first wire-tab section extends outward from said patch-tab section and around said first, second and third edges toward said fourth edge, and said second wire-tab section extends outward from said patch-tab section and along said fourth edge toward said third edge, so that said first and second terminals are provided adjacent to one another.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein said first and second terminals extend from said sheet of conducting material.

8. An antenna for use in a mobile communications device, wherein said antenna comprises conducting material in sheet form having a configuration comprising at least one patch-tab having an edge, and a plurality of wire-tabs, each of said plurality of wire-tabs having an edge, and a first and second end and each attached to a selected patch-tab of said at least one patch-tab at said first end, wherein the edge of each of said plurality of wire-tabs and the edge of said selected patch-tab of said at least one patch-tab form at least one of a plurality of slots in said antenna, and wherein said second end of each of said plurality of wire-tabs provides one of a plurality of feed points for said antenna.

9. The antenna of claim 8, wherein said configuration of said conducting material is nonsymmetrical.

10. The antenna of claim 9, wherein said second end of each of said plurality of wire-tabs includes a terminal.

11. The antenna of claim 10, wherein said plurality of wire-tabs comprises a first and second wire-tab and said antenna further comprises a ground plane, and further wherein said terminal included on said second end of said first wire-tab feeds a signal to and from said antenna, and said terminal included on said second end of said second wire-tab includes a terminal connected to said ground plane.

12. The antenna of claim 11, wherein each of said first and second wire-tabs extends partially around the edge of said selected at least one patch-tab section, and wherein the second ends of each of said first and second wire-tabs extend toward one another.

13. The antenna of claim 10, wherein said at least one patch-tab section comprises a first and second patch-tab and said plurality of wire-tabs comprises a first and second wire-tab, said first wire-tab forming a slot in combination with said first patch-tab and said second wire-tab forming a slot with said second patch-tab.

14. The antenna of claim 10, wherein said plurality of slots comprises a plurality of perimeter slots and wherein each said at least one patch-tab includes an inner slot, said inner slot extending into said at least one patch-tab from said edge of said at least one patch-tab.

15. A mobile phone, said mobile phone including an antenna, comprising conducting material in sheet form having a configuration comprising at least one patch-tab having an edge, and a plurality of wire-tabs, each of said plurality of wire-tabs having an edge and a first and second end and each attached to a selected patch-tab of said at least one patch-tab at said first end, wherein the edge of each of said plurality of wire-tabs and the edge of said selected patch-tab of said at least one patch-tab form at least one of a plurality of slots in said antenna, and wherein said second end of each of said plurality of wire-tabs provides one of a plurality of feed points for said antenna.

16. The mobile phone of claim 15, wherein said configuration of said conducting material is nonsymmetrical.

17. The mobile phone of claim 16, wherein said plurality of wire-tabs comprises a first and second wire-tab and said antenna further comprises a ground plane, and further wherein said second end of said first wire-tab includes a terminal for feeding a signal to and from said antenna, and said second end of said second wire-tab includes a terminal connected to said ground plane.

18. The mobile phone of claim 15, wherein said antenna is formed from a first contiguous sheet of conducting material, and wherein said antenna further includes a ground plane, said ground plane formed from a second contiguous sheet of conducting material, and wherein said first and second contiguous sheets of conducting material are positioned substantially parallel to one another within said mobile phone.