Method for coupling a signal and an antenna structure

• US 6,498,586 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pankinaho, Ilkka
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/749,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20010007445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q.138, H01/Q.124, 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/846, 343/848, 343/725, 343/729
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in 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 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• 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 9/0428 radiating a circular polarised wave
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for coupling a signal to an antenna structure, as well as to an antenna structure, which comprises at least two antenna elements (101, 102), a ground plane (105) for grounding the antenna structure, a coupling line (106) for coupling a first antenna element and a second antenna element to each other, and a feeding line (107) for feeding the antenna structure through one feeding point. The first antenna element (101) is next to the ground plane and perpendicular to the ground plane (105). The second antenna element (102) is above the ground plane and parallel to the ground plane. The first antenna element is arranged to receive information on a reception band of a broadband radio system and the second antenna element is arranged to transmit information on a transmission band of said broadband radio system. By arranging the second antenna element to be adjustable and by adding antenna element to the antenna structure, the antenna structure according to the invention can be used, for example, in mobile stations of 2^nd and 3^rd generation mobile communication systems.

Claims

1. An antenna structure, which comprises

a first antenna element for receiving or transmitting information,

a second antenna element for receiving or transmitting information,

a ground plane for grounding the antenna structure,

a coupling line for coupling the first antenna element and the second antenna element to each other, and

a feeding line for feeding the antenna structure through one feeding point, wherein

the first antenna element is a microstrip antenna and is located next to the ground plane and perpendicular to the ground plane;

and

the second antenna element is a microstrip antenna and is located on the ground plane and parallel to the ground plane.

2. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna element is arranged to receive information on a reception band of a broadband radio system and the second antenna element is arranged to transmit information on a transmission band of said broadband radio system.

3. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the polarisation of the first antenna element differs from the polarisation of the second antenna element.

4. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna element and a coupling line form from the coupling line towards the first antenna element a capacitive load on a transmission band of a broadband radio system, as well as in the frequency range between the transmission and reception bands and also the second antenna element and the coupling line form from the coupling line towards the second antenna element a capacitive load on a reception band of a broadband radio system, as well as in the frequency range between the transmission and reception bands.

5. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the feeding line is coupled to the connection point of the coupling line and the second antenna element.

6. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the antenna structure comprises at least one grounding line for coupling the second antenna element to the ground plane.

7. The antenna structure according to claim 6, wherein the coupling line and the grounding line are dimensioned so that their common electric length is a quarter of a wavelength at the resonance frequency of the first antenna.

8. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna element comprises at least one first tuning slot for determining the resonance frequency of the first antenna element and for adapting the antenna structure.

9. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the second antenna element comprises at least one second tuning slot for determining the resonance frequency of the second antenna element and for adapting the antenna structure.

10. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the second antenna element is arranged to operate, in addition to a transmission band of a broadband radio system, on at least one frequency band of a second radio system.

11. The antenna structure according to claim 10, wherein the second antenna element is arranged by components, to further operate on at least one frequency band of a fourth radio system, which is below the frequency range of a broadband radio system.

12. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the antenna structure comprises at least one third antenna element, which is coupled to the feeding point and arranged to operate on at least one frequency band of a third radio system, which is below the frequency range of a broadband radio system.

13. The antenna structure according to claim 12, wherein the antenna structure comprises at least one fourth antenna element, which is coupled to the feeding point and arranged to operate on at least one frequency band of a fifth radio system, which is above the frequency range of a broadband radio system.

14. The antenna structure according to claim 13, wherein the third or fourth antenna element is adjustably arranged by components to further operate on at least one frequency band of a sixth radio system, which is above the frequency range of a broadband radio system.

15. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna element is a T-element.

16. A method for coupling a signal to an antenna structure, which comprises

a first antenna element for receiving or transmitting information, the first antenna element being a microstrip antenna, a second antenna element for receiving or transmitting information, the second antenna element being a microstrip antenna, a ground plane for grounding the antenna structure, a coupling line for coupling the first antenna element and the second antenna element to each other, a feeding line for feeding the antenna structure, and which method comprises

coupling transmitted and received signals to the antenna structure through one feeding point, wherein the method comprises

positioning the first antenna element next to the ground plane and perpendicular to the ground plane;

and

positioning the second antenna element above the ground plane parallel to the ground plane.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises receiving information on the reception band of a broadband radio system by the first antenna element and transmitting information on the transmission band of said broadband radio system by the second antenna element.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the polarisation of the first antenna element differs from the polarisation of the second antenna element.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein, when receiving signals on a reception band of a broadband radio system that the first antenna element and the coupling line form from the coupling line towards the first antenna element a capacitive load on a transmission band of the broadband radio system, as well as in the frequency range between the transmission and reception bands and also the second antenna element and the coupling line form from the coupling line towards the second antenna element a capacitive load on a reception band of the broadband radio system, as well as in the frequency range of the transmission and reception bands.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises feeding the antenna structure from the point of contact of the coupling line and the second antenna element.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises grounding the antenna structure by coupling the second antenna element to the ground plane in at least one place.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises determining the resonance frequency and adaptation of the first antenna element by at lest one first tuning slot arranged in the first antenna element.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises determining the resonance frequency and adaptation of the second antenna element by at least one second tuning slot arranged in the second antenna element.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises operating with the second antenna element on a transmission band of a broadband radio system and on at least one frequency band of a second radio system.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises operating with a third antenna element on at least one frequency band of a third radio system, which is below the frequency range of a broadband radio system.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the method comprises operating further on at least one frequency band of a fourth radio system, which is below the frequency range of a broadband radio system.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises operating with a fourth antenna element on at least one frequency band of a fifth radio system, which is above the frequency range of a broadband radio system.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the method comprises operating further on at least one frequency band of a sixth radio system, which is above the frequency range of a broadband radio system.

29. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises using a T-element as the first antenna element.

30. The method according to claim 16, wherein the intercoupling resonance between the first and second antenna elements at the reception or transmission band of a radio system is minimized by strong coupling between the first antenna element and a resonance of the ground plane, which coupling couples the energy stored in an intercoupling resonance arising between the first and second antenna elements to the ground plane resonance which has a better radiation efficiency than what the intercoupling resonance has.

31. An antenna unit, which comprises

an antenna structure, which antenna structure comprises a first antenna element for receiving or transmitting information, a second antenna element for receiving or transmitting information, a ground plane for grounding the antenna structure, a coupling line for coupling the first antenna element and the second antenna element to each other, and a feeding line for feeding the antenna structure through one feeding point, wherein the antenna structure is manufactured on an insulating material, which has a base, as well as at least one wall region, which wall region reaches in a direction deviating from the base and which shape of the antenna structure follows the shapes of the base and the wall region, and the first antenna element of the antenna structure is a microstrip antenna and is located next to the ground plane and perpendicular to the ground plane and the second antenna element is a microstrip antenna and is located above the ground plane and parallel to the ground plane.

32. A mobile station, which comprises

a first antenna element for receiving or transmitting information, a second antenna element for receiving or transmitting information, a ground plane for grounding the antenna structure, a coupling line four coupling the first antenna element and the second antenna element to each other, and a feeding line for feeding the first and second antenna elements through one feeding point, wherein the first antenna element is a microstrip antenna and is located next to the ground plane and perpendicular to the ground plane and the second antenna element is a microstrip antenna and is located above the ground plane and parallel to the ground plane.

33. The mobile station according to claim 32, wherein the ground plane is an elongated, plane-like element and the first antenna element is placed in the vicinity of one end of the ground plane and the second antenna element is place in the vicinity of the mid-point of the ground plane.