Dual band wideband adjustable antenna assembly

• US 6,362,789 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Logistics AG (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: RangeStar Wireless Inc.
• Inventors: Kuck, Dick, Harris, John E., Trumbull, Thomas, Fine, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG V
• Application Number:
  US09/747,092
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/846, 343/848, 343/853
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 Branching current paths
• 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 9/0442 with particular tuning means

Abstract

A dual frequency wideband antenna assembly for use in a wireless communication device. The antenna assembly having a first resonator element disposed away from the ground plane element, said first resonator element being operatively coupled at a first location to the ground plane and being operatively coupled at a second location to the RF signal port; a second resonator element disposed away from the ground plane. The first and second resonator elements are coupled via a bridge conductor and a capacitive tuning network. The capacitive tuning network may include a discrete capacitor or an adjustable capacitor which varies in response to a signal.

Claims

1. A wideband adjustable antenna assembly for use in a wireless communications device, said device having an input/output RF signal port and a ground plane, said antenna assembly comprising:

a first resonator element disposed away from the ground plane element, said first resonator element being operatively coupled at a first location to the ground plane and being operatively coupled at a second location to the RF signal port;

a second resonator element disposed away from the ground plane;

a bridge conductor conductively coupling the first and second resonating elements; and

a capacitive tuning network operatively coupled to the first and second resonating elements, said capacitive tuning network capacitively coupling the first resonating element to the second resonating element.

2. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the capacitive tuning network is a discrete capacitor having a preselected capacitance value selected with reference to one or more frequency bands of operation.

3. The antenna assembly of claim 2, wherein the capacitive tuning network defines a plurality of capacitance values associated within one or more frequency bands of operation.

4. The antenna assembly of claim 3, wherein the capacitive tuning network includes a manual operated switch to select a preferred capacitance value.

5. The antenna assembly of claim 4, wherein the capacitive tuning network includes a PIN diode switch device.

6. The antenna assembly of claim 3, wherein the capacitive tuning network includes an electrically adjustable capacitor.

7. The antenna assembly of claim 6, wherein the electrically adjustable capacitor is a varactor.

8. The antenna assembly of claim 6, wherein the electrically adjustable capacitor is varied in response to a signal.

9. The antenna assembly of claim 8, wherein the signal is an external signal associated with a particular wireless communications protocol and received by the wireless communications device.

10. The antenna assembly of claim 8, wherein the signal is an internal signal associated with an internal program of a microprocessor.

11. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second resonator elements are substantially coplanar.

12. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second resonator elements and the bridge conductor are substantially coplanar.