Ring resonator and antenna

• US 6,600,451 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• 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: Makimoto, Mitsuo, Mimura, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US10/017,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20020089461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q 1.112, 343/741, 343/742, 343/743, 343/744, 343/748, 343/788, 343/866, 343/867
• US Class Current: 343/741
• 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 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/265 Open ring dipoles; Circular dipoles

Abstract

Two conducting lines are arranged in a ring form in a TEM-mode transmission line. The end of one of the lines is connected to the end of the other line with opposite polarity, thus forming a resonator for resonation in a half-wavelength mode. This structure, free of line discontinuity which lowers the Q value, can provide a resonator having a high Q value equivalent to that of the one-wavelength resonator. Moreover, it is satisfactory to provide a half of a length of the one-wavelength resonator. Accordingly, the structure of the resonator has reduced size but little Q-value deterioration.

Claims

1. A ring resonator comprising:

a first TEM transmission line formed on a first side of a dielectric substrate; and

a second TEM transmission line formed on a second side of said dielectric substrate opposite said first transmission line,

a first end of said first transmission line, having opposite polarity of, and being coupled to, a second end of said second transmission line, and

a second end of said first transmission line, having opposite polarity of, and being coupled to, a first end of said second transmission line.

2. A ring resonator according to claim 1, further comprising a first coupling capacitor connected at an intermediate point between the first end of the first transmission line and the second end of the second transmission line to supply an input signal, and a second coupling capacitor connected at an intermediate point between the second end of the first transmission line and the first end of the second transmission line to extract an output signal.

3. A ring resonator according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a dielectric substrate, the dielectric substrate having a first metal line formed in one surface thereof and a second metal line formed in the other surface to structure a first transmission line and a second transmission line, the first and second metal lines being connected together by a via-hole.

4. A ring resonator according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a dielectric substrate, the dielectric substrate having a first metal line formed in one surface thereof and a second metal line formed in the other surface to structure a first transmission line and a second transmission line, the first and the second metal lines being formed respectively with extended portions at both ends thereof to form capacitance elements.

5. A ring antenna comprising:

a ring shaped TEM transmission line arranged on a dielectric substrate, said ring shaped TEM transmission line including,

a first transmission line having a terminal a and a terminal c;

a second transmission line having a terminal b and a terminal d; and

a balun having a first balanced terminal and a second balanced terminal,

said terminal b being coupled to said terminal c, said first balanced terminal being coupled to said terminal a, said second balanced terminal being coupled to said terminal d, and an unbalanced terminal of said balun being provided as a feeder terminal to said ring antenna.

6. A ring antenna according to claim 5, further comprising a capacitance element connected between the terminal c and the terminal b.

7. A ring antenna according to claim 5, further comprising a capacitance element and a voltage-variable capacitance element that are connected between the terminal c and the terminal b, the voltage-variable capacitance element control voltage input lead being connected to said capacitance element, a control voltage source being connected at an intermediate point between the capacitance element and the voltage-variable capacitance element.

8. A ring antenna according to claim 5, wherein the first and second transmission lines are each divided into two, and respective divided ends are connected through capacitance elements.

9. A ring antenna according to claim 5, wherein the first and second transmission lines are structured by first and second metal lines formed in opposite surfaces of a dielectric substrate, the connection of the terminal c and the terminal b is made by connecting ends of the first and second metal lines through a via-hole.

10. A ring antenna according to claim 5, wherein the first and second transmission lines are structured by first and second metal lines formed in opposite surfaces of a dielectric substrate, the terminal c and the terminal b respectively having extended portions to form a capacitance element.

11. A ring antenna according to claim 5, wherein the first and second transmission lines are structured by first and second metal lines formed in opposite surfaces of a dielectric substrate, the first and second transmission lines are each divided into two, the gaps thereby created forming capacitance elements.

12. A ring antenna comprising:

a ring shaped TEM transmission line arranged on a dielectric substrate, said ring shaped TEM transmission line including a first transmission line and a second transmission line,

a first end of said first transmission line, having opposite polarity of, and being coupled to, a second end of said second transmission line, and

a second end of said first transmission line, having opposite polarity of, and being coupled to, a first end of said second transmission line.