Antenna apparatus

• US 6,337,668 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2000
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Hideo, Enoki, Takashi, Kojima, Suguru
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/514,274
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q 1.900, H01/Q 1.910, 343/833, 343/834, 343/836, 343/837, 343/876, 343/893
• US Class Current: 343/833
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/28 using a secondary device in the form of two or more substantially straight conductive elements log- periodic antennas H01Q11/10; constituting a reflecting surface H01Q19/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/446 the radiating element being at the centre of one or more rings of auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/36 with top loading
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

The antenna apparatus of the present invention places antenna element 302 that transmits or receives electromagnetic waves on basic plate 301, places parasitic antenna elements 303 to 306 on basic plate 301 evenly spaced concentrically centered on antenna element 302, places switch elements 307 to 310 and capacitances 311 to 314 in parallel between one end of each of antenna elements 303 to 306 and said basic plate and disconnects one of switch elements 307 to 310 and connects all the others. In this way, the present invention provides a small and high-gain antenna apparatus with directivity switching capability.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a first antenna element installed on a base plate for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves;

a parasitic second antenna element installed on said base plate;

a first capacitor provided between an end of said second antenna element and said base plate; and

a switch circuit provided between, in parallel with said first capacitor, said end of said second antenna element and said base plate, for turning on to cause said second antenna element to act as a reflector and for turning off to cause said second antenna element to act as a director.

2. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises two said second antenna elements and switching circuits disposed symmetrically with respect to the first antenna element.

3. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an even number of said second antenna elements and said switching circuits evenly spaced concentrically centered on the first antenna element.

4. The antenna element according to claim 1, wherein a length of said second antenna element when acting as a reflector is set by electrically turning on said second antenna element with said base plate when said switch circuit is turned on, while when said switch circuit is turned off, said first capacitance is set so that an impedance phase due to said second antenna element and said first capacitance lags behind said first antenna element, so as to cause said second antenna to act as a director.

5. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first capacitance is formed with two linear or microstrip-configured wires having one end open.

6. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of said switch circuits placed in parallel.

7. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuit is a field-effect transistor.

8. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuit comprises an LC circuit, including an inductor and, a second capacitor placed in series, placed in parallel with the switch circuit.

9. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna element is a folded antenna formed with an antenna element folded at a length of approximately ¼

wavelength from the power supply point with its one end shorted to the base plate.

10. The antenna apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the folded antenna includes two antenna elements having different wire diameters.

11. The antenna apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the folded antenna includes two antenna elements and a reactance is inserted between the two antenna elements forming the folded antenna.

12. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a groove section of approximately ¼

wavelength and whose one end is shorted is provided on the outer circumference of the base plate.

13. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a dielectric material is filled between the first antenna element and the second antenna element.

14. A communication terminal apparatus with an antenna apparatus, said antenna apparatus comprising:

a first antenna element installed on a base plate for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves;

a parasitic second antenna element installed on said base plate;

a first capacitor provided between an end of said second antenna element and said base plate; and

a switch circuit provided between, in parallel with said first capacitor, said end of said second antenna element and said base plate, for turning on to cause said second antenna element to act as a reflector and for turning off to cause said second antenna element to act as a director.

15. A communication terminal apparatus with an antenna apparatus, said antenna apparatus comprising:

a first antenna element installed on a base plate for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves;

a parasitic second antenna element installed on said base plate;

an inductor provided between an end of said second antenna element and said base plate; and

a switch circuit provided between, in parallel with said inductor, said end of said second antenna element and said base plate, for turning on to cause said second antenna element to act as a reflector and for turning off to cause said second antenna element to act as a director.

16. An antenna directivity switching method, comprising:

placing a first antenna element for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves and a parasitic second antenna element on a base plate,

placing a switch circuit and capacitor in parallel between one end of said second antenna element and said base plate, and

turning on said switch circuit to cause said second antenna element to act as a reflector and turning off said switch circuit to cause said second antenna element to act as a director.

17. An antenna directivity switching method, comprising:

placing a first antenna element for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves on a base plate,

placing a first parasitic second antenna element and a second parasitic second antenna element on the base plate symmetrically with respect to said first antenna element,

placing a first switch circuit and a first capacitor in parallel between one end of said first parasitic second antenna element and said base plate and placing a second switch circuit and a second capacitor in parallel between one end of said second parasitic second antenna element and said base plate,

turning on said first switch circuit to cause said first parasitic second antenna element to act as a reflector and turning off said first switch circuit to cause said first parasitic second antenna element to act as a director and turning on said second switch circuit to cause said second parasitic second antenna element to act as a reflector and turning off said second switch circuit to cause said second parasitic second antenna element to act as a director, wherein when said first switch circuit is turned on, said second switch circuit is turned off and when said first switch circuit is turned off, said second switch circuit is turned on.

18. An antenna directivity switching method, comprising:

placing a first antenna element for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves a base plate,

placing an even number of parasitic second antenna elements on the base plate evenly spaced concentrically centered on said first antenna element,

placing a switch circuit and capacitor in parallel between one end of each of said second antenna elements and said base plate, and

turning off one of said switch circuits to cause the one of said second antenna elements associated therewith to act as a director and turning on all other ones of said switch circuits to cause the ones of said second antenna elements associated therewith to act as reflectors.

19. An antenna directivity switching method, comprising:

placing a first antenna element for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves and a parasitic second antenna element on a base plate,

placing a switch circuit and inductor in parallel between one end of said second antenna element and said base plate, and

turning on said switch circuit to cause said second antenna element to act as a reflector and turning off said switch circuit to cause said second antenna element to act as a director.

20. An antenna directivity switching method, comprising:

placing a first antenna element for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves on a base plate,

placing a first parasitic second antenna element and a second parasitic second antenna element on the base plate symmetrically with respect to said first antenna element,

placing a first switch circuit and a first inductor in parallel between one end of said first parasitic second antenna element and said base plate and placing a second switch circuit and a second inductor in parallel between one end of said second parasitic second antenna element and said base plate,

performing control including turning on said first switch circuit to cause said first parasitic second antenna element to act as a reflector and turning off said first switch circuit to cause said first parasitic second antenna element to act as a director and turning on said second switch circuit to cause said second parasitic second antenna element to act as a reflector and turning off said second switch circuit to cause said second parasitic second antenna element to act as a director, wherein when said first switch circuit is turned on, said second switch circuit is turned off and when said first switch circuit is turned off, said second switch circuit is turned on.

21. An antenna directivity switching method, comprising:

placing a first antenna element for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves on a base plate,

placing an even number of parasitic second antenna elements on the base plate evenly spaced concentrically centered on said first antenna element,

placing a switch circuit and inductor in parallel between one end of each of said second antenna elements and said base plate, and

performing control including turning off one of said switch circuits to cause the one of said second antenna elements associated therewith to act as a director and turning on all other ones of said switch circuits to cause the ones of said second antenna elements associated therewith to act as reflectors.

22. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a first antenna element installed on a base plate for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves;

a parasitic second antenna element installed on said base plate;

a first inductor provided between an end of said second antenna element and said base plate; and

a switch circuit provided between, in parallel with said first inductor, said end of said second antenna element and said base plate, for turning on to cause said second antenna element to act as a reflector and for turning off to cause said second antenna element to act as a director.

23. The antenna apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the apparatus comprises two said second antenna elements and switching circuits disposed symmetrically with respect to the first antenna element.

24. The antenna apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the apparatus comprises an even number of said second antenna elements and said switching circuits evenly spaced concentrically centered on the first antenna element.

25. The antenna element according to claim 22, wherein a length of said second antenna element when acting as a reflector is set by electrically turning on said second antenna element with said base plate when said switch circuit is turned on, while when said switch circuit is turned off, said first inductor is equivalent, so as to cause said second antenna to act as a director.

26. The antenna apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the first capacitance is formed with two linear or microstrip-configured wires having one end open.

27. The antenna apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the switch circuit includes a second capacitor between the first inductor and the base plate and supplies a voltage for operating the switch circuit between the first inductor and the second capacitor.

28. The antenna apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of said switch circuits placed in parallel.

29. The antenna apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the switch circuit is a field-effect transistor.

30. The antenna apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the switch circuit comprises an LC circuit, including an inductor and a second capacitor placed in series, placed in parallel with the switch circuit.

31. The antenna apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the first antenna element is a folded antenna formed with an antenna element folded at a length of approximately ¼

wavelength from the power supply point with its one end shorted to the base plate.

32. The antenna apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the folded antenna includes two antenna elements having different wire diameters.

33. The antenna apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the folded antenna includes two antenna elements and a reactance is inserted between the two antenna elements forming the folded antenna.

34. The antenna apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a groove section of approximately ¼

wavelength and whose one end is shorted is provided on the outer circumference of the base plate.

35. The antenna apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a dielectric material is filled between the first antenna element and the second antenna element.