Ceiling tile antenna and method for constructing same

• US 6,563,465 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AWI Licensing LLC (Armstrong World Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AWI Licensing Company (Armstrong World Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frecska, Sandor A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Application Number:
  US09/867,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20020180642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/895, 343/907, 343/872, 343/873
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 9/04 comprising slabs, panels, sheets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

A ceiling tile antenna for use in wireless local area networks and voice networks. A patch style antenna is manufactured in which the dielectric substrate is the ceiling tile itself, and the radiating element and the ground plane are fixed to the face and back of the tile, respectively. Since the ceiling tile acts as the antenna, the back of the ceiling tile does not have to be routed out to create a cavity for an antenna pod. The sizes of the radiating element and the ground plane are not an issue; therefore no miniaturization of the elements is required. Compared to microstrip antennas, a ceiling tile antenna provides a wider bandwidth and higher gain due to the thicker dielectric substrate used for the ceiling tile construction. Therefore, it is easier to achieve multiple resonances. The ceiling tile used as an antenna can be made from mineral fiber, medium density fiber board, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride.

Claims

1. An antenna for use in indoor communications systems comprising a radiating element, a ground element and a dielectric element, wherein the dielectric element is a ceiling panel comprising a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiber board, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride.

2. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the radiating element and ground element are affixed to opposite surfaces of the dielectric element.

3. The antenna of claim 2 further comprising a second ceiling panel element mounted in a stack configuration with the first ceiling panel element to cover the radiating element.

4. The antenna of claim 3 wherein the second ceiling panel element comprises a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiberboard, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride.

5. The antenna of claim 2 further comprising a second ceiling panel element mounted in a stack configuration with the first ceiling panel element to cover the ground element.

6. The antenna of claim 5 wherein the second ceiling panel element comprises a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiberboard, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride.

7. The antenna of claim 2 further compromising a second ceiling panel element mounted in a stack configuration with the first ceiling panel element to cover the radiating element and a third ceiling panel element mounted in a stack configuration with the first ceiling panel element to cover the ground element.

8. The antenna of claim 7 wherein the second ceiling panel element and third ceiling panel element comprise a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiberboard, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride.

9. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the radiating element is affixed to the surface of the ceiling panel facing into a defined workplace area.

10. The antenna of claim 1 further comprising a conducting element fastened to the radiating element through a hole penetrating through the ceiling panel.

11. The antenna of claim 1 further comprising a facing element to cover the radiating element.

12. The antenna of claim 11 wherein the facing element is a scrim.

13. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the indoor communication systems operate in the radio frequency spectrum from 800 MHz to 5 GHz.

14. An antenna for use in indoor communications systems comprising a radiating element, a ground element and a dielectric element, the dielectric element comprising a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiber board, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride wherein the radiating element and ground element are affixed to opposite surfaces of a floor covering.

15. An antenna for use in indoor communications systems comprising a radiating element, a ground element and a dielectric element, the dielectric element comprising a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiber board, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride wherein the radiating element and ground element are affixed to opposite surfaces of a wall panel.

16. An antenna for use in indoor communications systems comprising a radiating element, a ground element and a dielectric element wherein the dielectric element is a ceiling panel.

17. The antenna of claim 16 wherein the dielectric element comprises a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiberboard, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride.

18. The antenna of claim 16 wherein the radiating element and ground element are affixed to opposite surfaces of the ceiling panel.

19. The antenna of claim 16 further comprising a conducting element fastened to the radiating element through a hole penetrating through the ceiling panel.

20. The antenna of claim 16 further comprising a scrim to cover the radiating element on a surface of the ceiling panel.

21. The antenna of claim 16 wherein the indoor communications system operates in the radio frequency spectrum from 800 MHz to 5 GHz.

22. A method for manufacturing a ceiling panel antenna for an indoor communications system, comprising the steps of:

determining a geometric shape for each of a radiating patch and a ground patch based on an operating bandwidth of the indoor communications system;

forming the determined geometric shapes from conductive sheets;

forming a small hole through a ceiling panel for passing a conductor of a coaxial cable through the ceiling panel to the radiating patch;

attaching the radiating patch to a front surface of the ceiling panel;

conductively fastening the conductor to the radiating patch;

attaching the ground patch to a back surface of the ceiling panel; and

conductively attaching a shielding of the coaxial cable to the ground patch.

23. The method for manufacturing a ceiling panel antenna of claim 22 wherein the ground patch is glued to the back surface of the ceiling panel.

24. The method for manufacturing a ceiling panel antenna of claim 22 wherein the radiating patch is glued to the front surface of the ceiling panel.

25. The method for manufacturing a ceiling panel antenna of claim 22 wherein the radiating patch is sprayed or printed on the front surface of the ceiling panel.

26. The method for manufacturing a ceiling panel antenna of claim 22 wherein the ground patch is sprayed or printed on the back surface of the ceiling panel.

27. The method for manufacturing a ceiling panel antenna of claim 22 wherein the ceiling panel comprises a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiber board, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride.

28. The method for manufacturing a ceiling panel antenna of claim 22 further comprising passing the coaxial cable through a hole in the ground patch.

29. An antenna for use in indoor communications systems comprising a radiating element, a ground element and a dielectric element, wherein the dielectric element is an acoustical ceiling panel comprising a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiber board, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride.

30. An antenna for use in indoor communications systems comprising a radiating element, a ground element and a dielectric element, wherein the dielectric element is an acoustical wall panel comprising a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiber board, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride.

31. An antenna for use in indoor communications systems comprising a radiating element, a ground element and dielectric element, wherein the dielectric element is an acoustical floor panel comprising a material selected from the group consisting of mineral fiber, medium density fiber board, fiberglass, drywall and polyvinyl chloride.