Omni-directional dipole antenna with a self balancing feed arrangement

• US 6,018,324 A
• Filed: 10/29/1997
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitchener, Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US08/959,790
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 343/795, 343/793, 343/820, 343/821, 343/822, 343/702, 343/700 MS, 343/846
• US Class Current: 343/795
• 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 9/065 Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

The present invention relates to radio communications antennas. A wide band omnidirectional dipole antenna is described comprising a dipole antenna having first and second quarter wavelength dipole arms, a transmission line from input termination point having a ground and a central conductor; wherein the central conductor is connected to a centrally located feed point on the first dipole arm by the transmission line and the second dipole arm is connected to ground and acts as a ground plane for the transmission line. The present invention can be deployed in fixed and mobile wireless terminals and associated therewith. The antenna design can provide a cost effective solution to many applications.

Claims

1. An omnidirectional dipole antenna having a self balancing feed arrangement comprising first and second dipole arms, a dielectric substrate and a transmission line extending from an input termination point having a ground and a central conductor;

wherein the central conductor is connected by the transmission line to a feed point on the first dipole arm and only the second dipole arm is connected to the ground and wherein the second dipole arm acts as a ground plane for the transmission line and wherein the transmission line and the second dipole arm are placed on opposite sides of the dielectric substrate.

2. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the dipole arms are of the order of a quarter wavelength long.

3. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the termination point is a coaxial cable termination.

4. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the dipole arms are formed by metal deposition on a dielectric sheet.

5. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the dipole arms are formed by metal deposition on a printed circuit board material.

6. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the dipole arms are formed by metal deposition on a dielectric sheet and the dipole arms are printed on opposite sides of the dielectric sheet.

7. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the dipole arms are formed by metal deposition on a dielectric sheet and the dipole arms are printed on a first side of the dielectric sheet with the transmission line lying on an opposite side, with a via from the first side to the opposite side to connect the transmission line structure to the first dipole arm, at the feed point.

8. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the dielectric substrate has a high dielectric constant, in the range 1-8.

9. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the dielectric substrate has thickness of less than 2 mm.

10. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the antenna dipole arms have a width which is at least six times the width of the transmission line.

11. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the dipole arms are arranged in a non-overlapping relationship.

12. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the dipole arms have a tapered section on adjacent sides and overlap in the region of the tapered section.

13. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the input termination point has a matching network to connect with the transmission line.

14. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the input termination point has a matching network to connect with the transmission line and the matching network is a printed section.

15. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the input termination point has a matching network to connect with the transmission line and the matching network is formed with discrete components.

16. The dipole antenna according to claim 1 wherein the dipole arms have a tapered section along adjacent sides.