Fabrication method and apparatus for antenna structures in wireless communications devices
First Claim
1. An antenna comprising:
- a non-conducting substrate in the shape of a polyhedron comprising a plurality of faces;
a plurality of radiating/receiving pads disposed on one or more of said plurality of faces;
a plurality of feed pads equal in number to said plurality of radiating/receiving pads and disposed on one or more of said plurality of faces, wherein signals to be transmitted by the antenna are supplied to one or more of said plurality of feed pads and signals received by the antenna are supplied from one or more of said plurality of feed pads;
a plurality of meanderline elements equal in number to said plurality of radiating/receiving pads, wherein each one of said plurality of meanderline elements is electrically interposed between one of said plurality of radiating/receiving pads and one of said plurality of feed pads, and wherein each one of said plurality of meanderline elements is disposed on a different face from said plurality of radiating/receiving pads and said plurality of feed pads; and
wherein each one of said plurality of meanderline elements has an effective electrical length greater than the physical length thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed a meanderline loaded antenna formed by applying a conductive ink or other conductive material to a flexible substrate. The substrate is then shaped by removing regions and folding other regions along perforated or scored lines to fit the antenna within the available space of a wireless device. In lieu of folding regions of a planar substrate to form a three-dimensional structure, the substrate can be vacuum formed over a mandrel after the antenna elements have been formed thereon. The antenna can also be formed by printing on existing enclosure surfaces of a wireless device or on the surfaces of components within the device. Thus the advantages offered by a meanderline antenna where the effective electrical length is greater than the actual physical length are achieved in conjunction with a space-saving physical structure for the antenna.
86 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An antenna comprising:
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a non-conducting substrate in the shape of a polyhedron comprising a plurality of faces;
a plurality of radiating/receiving pads disposed on one or more of said plurality of faces;
a plurality of feed pads equal in number to said plurality of radiating/receiving pads and disposed on one or more of said plurality of faces, wherein signals to be transmitted by the antenna are supplied to one or more of said plurality of feed pads and signals received by the antenna are supplied from one or more of said plurality of feed pads;
a plurality of meanderline elements equal in number to said plurality of radiating/receiving pads, wherein each one of said plurality of meanderline elements is electrically interposed between one of said plurality of radiating/receiving pads and one of said plurality of feed pads, and wherein each one of said plurality of meanderline elements is disposed on a different face from said plurality of radiating/receiving pads and said plurality of feed pads; and
wherein each one of said plurality of meanderline elements has an effective electrical length greater than the physical length thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An antenna having a polyhedron shape having a plurality of surfaces, comprising:
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a non-conducting substrate in the polyhedron shape;
a plurality of meanderline elements disposed on at least one surface of said substrate;
a like plurality of radiating/receiving elements disposed on one at least one surface of said substrate, wherein each one of said plurality of radiating/receiving elements is connected to one of said plurality of meanderline elements;
a like plurality of feed elements formed on at least one surface of said substrate, wherein each one of the plurality of feed elements is responsive to a different input signal for transmitting by the antenna, and wherein said plurality of meanderline elements are disposed on one surface of said substrate and at least one of said plurality of radiating/receiving elements and said plurality of feed elements are disposed on another surface of said substrate;
wherein each one of the plurality of meanderline elements is connected between one of the plurality of radiating/receiving elements and one of the plurality of feed elements. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. An antenna having a three dimensional shape having a plurality of surfaces, comprising:
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a non-conducting substrate in the three dimensional shape;
a plurality of meanderline elements disposed on at least one surface of said substrate;
a like plurality of radiating/receiving elements disposed on one at least one surface of said substrate, wherein each one of said plurality of radiating/receiving elements is connected to one of said plurality of meanderline elements;
a like plurality of feed elements formed on at least one surface of said substrate, wherein each one of the plurality of feed elements is responsive to a different input signal for transmitting by the antenna;
wherein each one of the plurality of meanderline elements is connected between one of the plurality of radiating/receiving elements and one of the plurality of feed elements, wherein the substrate is in the shape of a cube, and wherein the plurality of meanderline elements comprises four meanderline elements disposed on a top surface of the cube, and wherein the plurality of radiating/receiving elements comprises four radiating/receiving dements, and wherein each one of the four radiating/receiving elements is disposed on a side surface of the cube, and wherein the plurality of feed elements comprises four feed elements, and wherein each one of the four feed elements is disposed on a side surface of the cube.
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19. An antenna having a three dimensional shape having a plurality of surfaces, comprising:
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a non-conducting substrate in the three dimensional shape;
a plurality of meanderline elements disposed on at least one surface of said substrate;
a like plurality of radiating/receiving elements disposed on one at least one surface of said substrate, wherein each one of said plurality of radiating/receiving elements is connected to one of said plurality of meanderline elements;
a like plurality of feed elements formed on at least one surface of said substrate, wherein each one of the plurality of feed elements is responsive to a different input signal for transmitting by the antenna;
wherein each one of the plurality of meanderline elements is connected between one of the plurality of radiating/receiving elements and one of the plurality of feed elements, wherein the substrate is in the shape of a cube, and wherein die plurality of meanderline elements comprises four meanderline elements disposed on a top surface of the cube, and wherein the plurality of radiating/receiving elements comprises four radiating/receiving elements, and wherein each one of the four radiating/receiving elements is disposed on a side surface of the cube, and wherein the plurality of feed elements comprises four feed elements, and wherein each one of the four feed elements is disposed on a side surface of the cube wherein the four radiating/receiving elements, the four feed elements and the four meanderline elements are formed on the substrate when the substrate is in a substantially planar configuration, and wherein the four corner regions of the substrate are removed and the substrate is then folded into said cube.
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20. An antenna comprising:
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a non-conducting substrate having first and second surfaces;
at least two spiral-shaped meanderline elements disposed on the first surface of said substrate;
a radiating/receiving element disposed on the second surface of said substrate and having first and second terminals;
wherein an inner terminal of at least a first one of said at least two meanderline elements is electrically connected to said first terminal of said radiating/receiving element by a first conductive plug passing through said substrate; and
wherein an inner terminal of at least a second one of said at least two meanderline elements is electrically connected to said second terminal of said radiating/receiving element by a second conductive plug passing through said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification