Antenna apparatus and radio device using antenna apparatus

• US 6,346,916 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2000
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sekine, Syuichi, Odachi, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Chuc
• Application Number:
  US09/512,824
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/895, 343/793, 343/796, 343/820, 343/821, 343/822, 343/795, 343/846, 343/700.MS, 343/829, 343/830, 343/725, 343/785
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence

Abstract

Antenna apparatus is comprised of dipole antenna arranged proximate to a surface of metal housing including radio device circuit and having two quarter wavelength elements having opposite end portions being feed points, short-circuit element short-circuiting the quarter wavelength elements, and coaxial feed line having outer conductor and central conductor having one ends connected to the feed points, respectively, and connecting the feed points to radio device circuit. The coaxial feed line is arranged along part of the quarter wavelength element and part of the short-circuit element and branched from central portion of the short-circuit element. The outer conductor is electrically connected to part of the quarter wavelength element and part of the short-circuit element. Currents leaked onto the feed line and flowing through the two quarter wavelength elements are also divided to the short-circuit element. The currents are mixed at a position at which the coaxial feed line is branched and flow into the outer conductor of the coaxial feed line as a leak current from the dipole antenna. The currents branched from the two quarter wavelength elements to the short-circuit element are almost opposite in phase to each other. Thus, the currents cancel each other and the leak current becomes zero.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a dipole antenna having first and second quarter wavelength elements, end portions of the first and second quarter wavelength elements being first and second feed points;

a short-circuit element connected between the first and second quarter wavelength elements, thereby T-matching the dipole antenna; and

a feed line connected to the first and second feed points, said feed line being configured so that a first current flowing into said feed line from the first feed point through said first quarter wavelength element and a part of said short-circuit element and a second current flowing into the feed line from the second feed point through the second quarter wavelength element and a remaining part of the short-circuit element are almost opposite in phase.

2. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of said feed line is overlapped with a part of said short-circuit element.

3. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of said feed line is overlapped with one of said first and second quarter wavelength elements and a part of said short-circuit element and said feed line is branched at a central portion of said short-circuit element.

4. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first and second quarter wavelength elements are linearly provided and end portions opposite each other is the first and second feed points; and

said feed line is a coaxial feed line, an outer conductor of said feed line being connected to said first quarter wavelength element and said short-circuit element, a central conductor of said feed line being connected to the second feed point, and a tip end of said outer conductor being connected to said first feed point.

5. A radio device comprising:

the antenna apparatus according to claim 1;

a radio device circuit connected to said first and second feed points through said feed line; and

a metal housing for housing said radio device, said dipole antenna being arranged near a surface of said metal housing.

6. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a dipole antenna having first and second quarter wavelength elements;

a short-circuit element connected between said first and second quarter wavelength elements, said short-circuit element being divided into first and second segments, end portions of said first and second segments being first and second feed points, thereby T-matching the dipole antenna; and

a feed line connected to said first and second feed points, said feed line being configured so that a first current flowing into said feed line from said first feed point through said first segment of said short-circuit element and said first quarter wavelength element and a second current flowing into said feed line from said second feed point through said second segment of said short-circuit element and said second quarter wavelength element are almost opposite in phase.

7. The antenna apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a part of said feed line is overlapped with said first segment of said short-circuit element.

8. The antenna apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said feed line is overlapped with one of said first and second segments of said short-circuit element and one of said first and second quarter wavelength elements and said feed line is branched at a central portion of said first and second quarter wavelength elements.

9. The antenna apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said first and second quarter wavelength elements are provided linearly in proximity to a surface of a metal housing including a radio device circuit;

said feed line is a coaxial feed line, an outer conductor of said feed line being connected to said first quarter wavelength element and said first segment of said short-circuit element, a tip end of a central conductor of said feed line being connected to said second feed point, and a tip end of said outer conductor being connected to said first feed point.

10. A radio device comprising:

the antenna apparatus according to claim 6;

a radio device circuit connected to said first and second feed points through said feed line; and

a metal housing for housing said radio device circuit, said dipole antenna being arranged near a surface of said metal housing.

11. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a linear element having one end being a first feed point;

a helical element having one end near said first feed point of said linear element being a second feed point, an axial direction of the helical element crossing the linear element;

a half wavelength element connected to the other end of said helical element, a direction of the half wavelength element being coincident with the axial direction of the helical element; and

a coaxial feed line provided in parallel to said linear element and connecting the first and second feed points with a radio device circuit, an outer conductor of said coaxial feed line being connected to said first feed point, and a central conductor of said coaxial feed line being connected to said second feed point, wherein

said helical element comprises a portion through which current for canceling current flowing through said outer conductor of said coaxial feed line flows.

12. The antenna apparatus according to claim 11, wherein an angle between an initial winding portion of said helical element and said linear element is 0 to 90 degrees.

13. The antenna apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said helical element is configured so that a current having a phase almost opposite to a phase of a current flowing through a surface of said outer conductor, flows through said helical element.

14. The antenna apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said helical element is configured to form a radiation field canceling unnecessary radiation caused by a current flowing through a surface of said outer conductor.

15. A radio device comprising:

the antenna apparatus according to claim 11;

a radio device circuit connected to the first and second feed points through said feed line; and

a metal housing configured to house said radio device circuit, wherein said dipole antenna is arranged near a surface of said metal housing.

16. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a feed line having a feed point at one end;

a linear antenna having a length of a half wavelength; and

a quarter wavelength element connected between a proximal end of said linear antenna and the feed point, and having a portion through which current for canceling current flowing through the linear antenna flows.

17. The antenna apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a current flowing through said linear antenna is almost opposite in phase to a current flowing through said quarter wavelength element.

18. A radio device comprising:

the antenna apparatus according to claim 16;

a radio device circuit connected to the first and second feed points through said feed line; and

a metal housing configured to house said radio device circuit, wherein said dipole antenna is arranged near a surface of said metal housing.

19. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a metal housing;

a feed line housed in said housing and having a feed point at a surface of said housing;

a linear antenna outside of said housing and having a length of a half wavelength, a first end of the antenna being positioned higher than the feed point, and a second end of the antenna being positioned lower than the feed point; and

a quarter wavelength element connected between the second end of said linear antenna and the feed point.

20. The antenna according to claim 19, wherein said feed point is located at a top surface of said housing and the second end of said linear antenna is located below the top surface of said housing.