Antenna apparatus and a portable wireless communication apparatus

• US 6,452,558 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2000
• 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: Nishikido, Tomoaki, Saitou, Yutaka, Haruki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US09/768,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/725, 343/729, 343/829, 343/846, 343/872, 343/895, 343/900, 343/893
• US Class Current: 343/725
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/362 for broadside radiating helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• 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 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

A microstrip antenna (MSA) above a ground plane, having a size corresponding to an operation frequency, at a junction point thereof, electrically connected to one end of a monopole antenna having a size corresponding to the operation frequency to operate as a complex antenna. A distance between the feed point of MSA and the junction point determines the input impedance for matching. A microstrip line or an (planer) inverted-F antenna may provide the MSA. The monopole element may be a monopole antenna or helical antenna. A portable wireless communication apparatus includes the antenna apparatus having a housing. The monopole antenna is connected to the MSA when the monopole antenna is extended from the housing. A switch may be provided between the monopole antenna and the MSA for diversity operation. The antenna apparatus may be formed on a Printed circuit board and folded.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a microstrip antenna above a ground plane, having a size predetermined by an operation frequency of said antenna apparatus; and

a monopole element having a length predetermined by said operation frequency, one end of said monopole element being electrically connected to a point of said microstrip antenna, said microstrip antenna having a feed point at a predetermined distance from said point, wherein said point is for operating said microstrip antenna as a matching circuit for said monopole element and as a portion of an emission element to form a complex antenna of said microstrip antenna and said monopole element.

2. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said microstrip antenna comprises an inverted-F antenna including a short conductor for grounding at a distance from said feed point substantially at a corner diagonally opposite said point.

3. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monopole element comprises a monopole antenna.

4. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

slidingly supporting means for slidingly supporting said monopole antenna;

switch means; and

a housing having a through hole and containing said inverted-F antenna, said monopole antenna, said switch means and said slidingly supporting means, wherein said switch means is for electrically connecting said one end to said point when said monopole antenna is extended from said housing through said through connects said one end to said point when said monopole antenna is hole by slidingly supporting means and electrically disconnecting said one end from said point when said monopole antenna is substantially retracted into said housing by said slidingly supporting means.

5. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising slidingly supporting means for slidingly supporting said monopole antenna;

switch means; and

a housing having a through hole and containing said inverted-F antenna, said monopole antenna, said switch means and said slidingly supporting means, wherein said switch means is for electrically connecting said one end to said point when said monopole antenna is extended from said housing through said through hole by said slidingly supporting means and electrically connecting the other end of said monopole antenna when said monopole antenna is substantially retracted into said housing by said slidingly supporting means.

6. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

switch means for electrically connecting and disconnecting said one end to and from said point to provide diversity operation between said inverted-F antenna and a complex antenna including said inverted-F antenna and the monopole antenna in response to a switch control signal.

7. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising communication condition detection means for detecting a communication condition using said antenna apparatus for generating said switch control signal in accordance with said communication condition.

8. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a printed circuit board having a printed pattern for coupling said point to said one end.

9. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least a tip of said monopole antenna is located along a straight edge of said ground plane at a predetermined distance from said ground plane.

10. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a printed circuit board, said printed circuit board having said monopole antenna thereon.

11. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said monopole element comprises a helical antenna.

12. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a housing having a substantially parallelepiped shape for containing said inverted-F antenna and said helical antenna, wherein said helical antenna is located along the shortest side of said parallelepiped shape.

13. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said microstrip antenna comprises a planer inverted-F antenna including a short conductor for grounding at a distance from said feed point substantially at a corner diagonally opposite said point.

14. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said monopole element comprises a monopole antenna.

15. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

slidingly supporting means for slidingly supporting said monopole antenna;

switch means; and

a housing having a through hole and containing said inverted-F antenna, said monopole antenna, said switch means and said slidingly supporting means, wherein said switch means is for electrically connecting said one end to said point when said monopole antenna is extended from said housing through said through hole by said slidingly supporting means and electrically disconnecting said one end from said point when said monopole antenna is substantially retracted into said housing by said slidingly supporting means.

16. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

slidingly supporting means for slidingly supporting said monopole antenna;

switch means; and

a housing having a through hole and containing said inverted-F antenna, said monopole antenna, said switch means and said slidingly supporting means, wherein said switch means is for electrically connecting said one end to said point when said monopole antenna is extended from said housing through said through hole by said slidingly supporting means and electrically connecting the other end of said monopole antenna when said monopole antenna is substantially retracted into said housing by said slidingly supporting means.

17. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising switch means for electrically connecting and disconnecting said one end to and from said point to provide diversity operation between said planar inverted-F antenna and a complex antenna including said planar inverted-F antenna and the monopole antenna in response to a switch control signal.

18. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising communication condition detection means for detecting a communication condition using said antenna apparatus for generating said switch control signal in accordance with said communication condition.

19. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a printed circuit board having a printed pattern for coupling said point to said one end.

20. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least a tip of said monopole antenna is located along a straight edge of said ground plane at a predetermined distance from said ground plane.

21. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein said monopole antenna is formed on said printed circuit board.

22. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said monopole element comprises a helical antenna.

23. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising a housing having a substantially parallelepiped shape for containing said planer inverted-F antenna and said helical antenna, wherein said helical antenna is located along the shortest side of said parallelepiped shape.

24. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said size is a half wavelength.

25. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said monopole element comprises a monopole antenna.

26. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

slidingly supporting means for slidingly supporting said monopole antenna;

switch means; and

a housing having a through hole and containing said microstrip antenna, said monopole antenna, said switch means and said slidingly supporting means, wherein said switch means is for electrically connecting said one end to said point when said monopole antenna is extended from said housing through said through hole by said slidingly supporting means and electrically disconnecting said one end from said point when said monopole antenna is substantially retracted into said housing by said slidingly supporting means.

27. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

slidingly supporting means for slidingly supporting said monopole antenna;

switch means; and

a housing having a through hole and containing said microstrip antenna, said monopole antenna, said switch means and said slidingly supporting means, wherein said switch means is for electrically connecting said one end to said point when said monopole antenna is extended from said housing through said through hole by said slidingly supporting means and electrically disconnecting said one end from said point when said monopole antenna is substantially retracted into said housing by said slidingly supporting means.

28. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising switch means for electrically connecting and disconnecting said one end to and from said point to provide diversity operation between said planar inverted-F antenna and the monopole antenna in response to a switch control signal.

29. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 28, further comprising communication condition detection means for detecting a communication condition using said antenna apparatus for generating said switch control signal in accordance with said communication condition.

30. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a printed circuit board having a printed pattern for coupling said point to said one end.

31. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said monopole element comprises a helical antenna.

32. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 31, further comprising a housing having a substantially parallelepiped shape for containing said planar inverted-F antenna and said helical antenna, wherein said helical antenna is located along the shortest side of said parallelepiped shape.

33. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a position of said feed point is defined by a distance from a zero voltage point at the microstrip antenna.

34. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said point substantially corresponds to a highest impedance of said microstrip antenna.

35. A portable wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a receiving and transmitting circuit;

an antenna apparatus including;

a microstrip antenna above a ground plane, having a size corresponding to an operation frequency of said antenna apparatus;

a monopole element having a length corresponding to said operation frequency, one end of said monopole element being electrically connected to a point of said microstrip antenna, said microstrip antenna having a feed point at a predetermined distance from said point;

receiving and transmission means for communicating with said antenna apparatus; and

a housing for containing said receiving and transmission circuit and said antenna apparatus, wherein said point is determined to operate said microstrip antenna as a matching circuit for said monopole element and as a portion of an emission element to form a complex antenna of said microstrip antenna and said monopole element.

36. The portable wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein said microstrip antenna comprises an inverted-F antenna including a short conductor for grounding at a distance from said feed point substantially at a corner diagonally opposite said point.

37. The portable wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein said microstrip antenna comprises a planar inverted-F antenna including a short conductor for grounding at a distance from said feed point substantially at a corner diagonally opposite said point.

38. The portable wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein said size is a half wavelength.

39. The portable wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein said monopole element comprises a monopole antenna.

40. The portable wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein said monopole element comprises a helical antenna.