Antenna unit and digital television receiver

• US 6,362,784 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsuda Electric Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Tosiro, Ikeda, Toyokazu, Majima, Hideto, Nomura, Noboru, Kane, Joji, Yosida, Takasi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US09/424,115
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/700.MS, 343/711, 343/713, 343/750, 343/725, 343/752, 343/794, 343/744, 343/806, 343/810, 343/812, 343/815, 343/853, 343/860, 343/895
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/32 Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• 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 5/371 Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/378 Combination of fed elements with parasitic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/50 Feeding or matching arrangements for broad-band or multi-band operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/14 Length of element or elements adjustable telescopic elements H01Q1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides an antenna device comprising a conductive substrate and an antenna element located in the proximity of the conductive substrate, in which a portion of the antenna element is formed of a coil or zigzag conductor and an end of the antenna element is connected to the conductive substrate for grounding. In addition, the coil or zigzag conductor is formed at an end of the antenna element and the coil or zigzag conductor and the other end of the antenna element are connected together on an insulator provided on the conductive substrate.

Claims

1. An antenna device comprising a conductive substrate, two or more antenna elements of different lengths located in a proximity of said conductive substrate, and a coil or zigzag conductor connected to a common connection at an end of each of said antenna elements, wherein the other end of said coil or zigzag conductor is connected to said conductive substrate for grounding.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein said coil or zigzag conductor and another portion of each of said antenna elements are connected together on an insulator provided on said conductive substrate.

3. The antenna device according to claim 2, wherein said coil or zigzag conductor is divided into two pieces, said two pieces are connected together on an insulator provided on said conductive substrate, and a feeding section is also connected at where said two pieces are connected.

4. An antenna device comprising a conductive substrate, an antenna element located in a proximity of said conductive substrate, and a conductive case provided between said antenna element and said conductive substrate and having a through-hole in a certain place, wherein

an end of said antenna element is connected to said conductive case for grounding, a feeding section is connected to one of a plurality of insulators provided on said conductive substrate within said conductive case by using said through-hole, and circuit components are connected between said plurality of insulators.

5. An antenna device comprising

a planar antenna having at least one bend or curve and an end connected to a conductive substrate and

a cylindrical antenna located in a proximity of said planar antenna, wherein

an end of said planar antenna is connected to said conductive substrate at a side of said planar antenna farther from said cylindrical antenna, and wherein a feeding section for said planar antenna and a feeding section for said cylindrical antenna are coupled to a single feeding section through a mixer.

6. The antenna device according to claim 5, wherein said planar antenna has a plurality of antenna elements and said plurality of antenna elements are connected to a single feeding section.

7. The antenna device according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of antenna elements are corresponding to a plurality of bands obtained by dividing a target frequency band, respectively, and said antenna elements realize a desired band.

8. The antenna device according to claim 7, wherein said cylindrical antenna is supported on said conductive substrate so that it can turn to two directions orthogonal to each other and is capable of expanding and contracting in a longitudinal direction.

9. An antenna device comprising

a planar antenna having at least one antenna element having at least one bend or curve and an end connected to a conductive substrate and

a printed antenna located in a proximity of said planar antenna and having a zigzag conductive pattern formed on a printed circuit board, wherein said planar antenna and said printed antenna exist substantially on the same plane, and wherein said printed antenna is formed into a three-dimensional shape through one or more bends or curves.

10. The antenna device according to claim 9, wherein

said printed antenna is formed into a cylindrical shape which surrounds a cylindrical support member.

11. The antenna device according to claim 10, wherein

said printed antenna is supported on said conductive substrate so that it can turn to two directions orthogonal to each other.

12. The antenna device according to claim 11, wherein

said conductive substrate is divided into a substrate portion for said planar antenna and a substrate portion for said printed antenna.

13. The antenna device according to claim 10,

wherein said planar antenna is provided between said printed antenna and said conductive substrate.

14. The antenna device according to claim 9, wherein said planar antenna is formed on a board other than a board for said printed antenna.

15. The antenna device according to claim 9, wherein said planar antenna is formed on the board for said printed antenna.

16. The antenna device according to claim 9, wherein

a portion of the board for said printed antenna is formed into a planar shape and said planar antenna is formed on the planar shaped board portion.

17. The antenna device according to claim 16, wherein said board portion on which said printed antenna is formed is coupled to the board portion on which said planar antenna is formed so that it can turn to a direction perpendicular to the board plane.

18. The antenna device according to claim 9, wherein said planar antenna has a plurality of antenna elements and said plurality of antenna elements are connected to a single feeding section.

19. The antenna device according to claim 18, wherein said plurality of antenna elements are corresponding to a plurality of bands obtained by dividing a target frequency band, respectively, and said antenna elements realize a desired band.

20. A digital television broadcasting receiving device comprising

an input means which is an antenna device according to claim 18,

a delay means for receiving a signal from said input means and delaying it,

a synthesis means for synthesizing a signal from said delay means and a signal from said input means,

a reception means for performing frequency conversion on a signal from said synthesis means, and

a demodulation means for converting a signal from said reception means into a baseband signal, wherein the delay time used in said delay means and the synthesis ratio used in said synthesis means can be established arbitrarily.

21. A digital television proadcasting receiving device according to claim 20, wherein

said device has a plurality of antenna elements and each antenna element is installed so that it can have the maximum gain for a wave of a different polarization plane.

22. A digital television broadcasting receiving device comprising

an input means which is an antenna device according to claim 18,

a delay means for receiving a signal from said input means and delaying it,

a synthesis means for synthesizing a signal from said delay means and a signal from said input means,

a reception means for performing frequency conversion on a signal from said synthesis means,

a demodulation means for converting a signal from said reception means into a baseband signal,

a delayed wave estimation means for receiving a signal indicating the demodulation conditions from said demodulation means and estimating a delayed wave contained in a signal from said input means, and

a synthesis control means for controlling said synthesis means and said delay means in accordance with a signal from said delayed wave estimation means, wherein either the signal synthesis ratio used in said synthesis means or the delay time used in said delay means can be controlled in accordance with a signal from said synthesis control means.

23. A digital television broadcasting receiving device according to claim 22, wherein

said device has a plurality of antenna elements and each antenna element is installed so that it can have the maximum gain for a wave of a different polarization plane.

24. A digital television broadcasting receiving device comprising

an input means which is an antenna device according to claim 18,

a reception means for performing frequency conversion on a signal from said input means,

a delay means for receiving a signal from said reception means and delaying it, a synthesis means for synthesizing a signal from said delay means and a signal from said reception means, and

a demodulation means for converting a signal from said synthesis means into a baseband signal, wherein

the delay time used in said delay means and the synthesis ratio used in said synthesis means can be established arbitrarily.

25. A digital television broadcasting receiving device according to claim 24, wherein

said device has a plurality of antenna elements and each antenna element is installed so that it can have the maximum gain for a wave of a different polarization plane.

26. A digital television broadcasting receiving device comprising

an input means which is an antenna device according to claim 18,

a reception means for performing frequency conversion on a signal from said input means,

a delay means for receiving a signal from said reception means and delaying it,

a synthesis means for synthesizing a signal from said delay means and a signal from said reception means,

a demodulation means for converting a signal from said synthesis means into a baseband signal,

a delayed wave estimation means for receiving a signal indicating the demodulation conditions from said demodulation means and estimating a delayed wave contained in a signal from said input means, and

a synthesis control means for controlling said synthesis means and said delay means in accordance with a signal from said delayed wave estimation means, wherein either the signal synthesis ratio used in said synthesis means or the delay time used in said delay means can be controlled in accordance with a signal from said synthesis control means.

27. A digital television broadcasting receiving device according to claim 26, wherein

said device has a plurality of antenna elements and each antenna element is installed so that it can have the maximum gain for a wave of a different polarization plane.

28. A digital television broadcasting receiving device comprising

an input means which is an antenna device according to claim 18,

a reception means for performing frequency conversion on a signal from said input means,

a demodulation means for converting a signal from said reception means into a baseband signal,

a delayed wave estimation means for receiving information on the demodulation conditions from said demodulation means and estimating a delayed wave contained in a signal from said input means, and

a demodulation control means for controlling said demodulation means based on delayed wave information from said delayed wave estimation means, wherein a transfer function to be handled by said demodulation means is controlled based on a control signal from said demodulation control means.

29. A digital television broadcasting receiving device according to claim 28, wherein

said device has a plurality of antenna elements and each antenna element is installed so that it can have the maximum gain for a wave of a different polarization plane.

30. An antenna device comprising

a conductive substrate and an antenna element located in a proximity of said conductive substrate,

wherein a portion of said antenna element is formed of a coil or zigzag conductor and an end of said antenna element is connected to said conductive substrate for grounding,

wherein said coil or zigzag conductor is formed at said end of said antenna element and said coil or zigzag conductor and another portion of said antenna element are connected together on an insulator provided on said conductive substrate, and

wherein said coil or zigzag conductor is divided into two pieces, said two pieces are connected together on an insulator provided on said conductive substrate, and a feeding section is also connected at where said two pieces are connected.

31. An antenna device comprising

a planar antenna having at least one antenna element having at least one bend or curve and an end connected to a conductive substrate, and

a cylindrical antenna located in a proximity of said planar antenna, wherein

an end of said planar antenna is connected to said conductive substrate at a side of said planar antenna closer to said cylindrical antenna, and wherein a feeding section for said planar antenna and a feeding section for said cylindrical antenna are coupled to a single feeding section through a mixer.

32. An antenna device comprising

a cylindrical antenna provided in a proximity of a conductive substrate and a planar antenna provided between said cylindrical antenna and said conductive substrate and having at least one antenna element with at least one bend or curve and an end connected to a conductive substrate, wherein a feeding section for said planar antenna and a feeding section for said cylindrical antenna are coupled to a single feeding section through a mixer.

33. An antenna device comprising

a planar antenna having at least one antenna element with at least one bend or curve and a printed antenna having a zigzag conductive pattern, both antennas being formed in a proximity of each other on the same board,

a conductive plate connected to an end of said antenna element and corresponding to said planar antenna, and

an insulation member which insulates said conductive plate from a conductive substrate which is larger than said planar antenna and said printed antenna, wherein said planar antenna, said printed antenna, and said conductive plate are capable to turn together to a direction perpendicular to the plane of said conductive substrate, wherein said planar antenna has a plurality of antenna elements and said plurality of antenna elements are connected to a single feeding section.