Antenna apparatus and communication apparatus using the same

• US 6,911,942 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UBE Industries Limited (UBE Corporation)
• Original Assignee: UBE Industries Limited (UBE Corporation), Yokowo Company Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Mitsuhiro, Fukuda, Koichi, Ichikawa, Hiroshi, Horie, Ryo, Oyama, Ryuji, Kameda, Shozaburo
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US10/468,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20040066337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/873, 343/702, 343/767, 333/202, 333/204, 333/206, 333/222
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/213 combining or separating two or more different frequencies H01P1/215 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/2135 using strip line filters H01P1/2131 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• 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 13/10 Resonant slot 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 9/0442 with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2001/0085 Multilayer, e.g. LTCC, HTCC, green sheets
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/0115 comprising only inductors and capacitors H03H7/075, H03H7/09, H03H7/12, H03H7/13 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/1766 Parallel LC in series path H03H7/1783 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/1791 Combined LC in shunt or branch path
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/461 particularly adapted for use in common antenna systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/48 in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter H04B1/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/50 using different frequencies for the two directions of communication

Abstract

An approximately rectangular plate-shaped radiation member (2) is provided and support portions (4,6) are attached to lower surface end portions adjacent to a pair of parallel shorter sides of the radiation member (2). The support portion (4) is composed of a laminated circuit member including a laminated demultiplexer and a laminated band pass filter of the reception side and the transmission side respectively connected to the laminated demultiplexer. The radiation member (2) has a power supply terminal (2c) and a ground terminal (2d) at the end portion where the support portion (4) is mounted. The power supply terminal (2c) and the ground terminal (2d) are connected to an antenna terminal (4a) and the ground terminal (4b) of the laminated circuit, respectively. The radiation member (2) has a radiation electrode (2a) where a slot (2b) is formed. The shape of the slot is set so that the radiation electrode (2a) causes resonance in a plurality of frequency bands.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a radiation member having a flat plate shape; and

at least one support portion attached to an edge portion of a surface of the radiation member on one surface side,

wherein the at least one support portion comprises a laminated circuit member including a laminated circuit, the radiation member includes a power supply terminal at the edge portion of a surface to which the laminated circuit member is attached, and the power supply terminal is connected to an antenna terminal of the laminated circuit.

2. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the surface of the radiation member has an approximately rectangular outer shape, and two support portions are disposed at two edge portions located adjacent to a pair of mutually parallel sides of the surface of the radiation member.

3. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the surface of the radiation member has an approximately rectangular outer shape, four support portions are disposed at four edge portion located adjacent to four sides of the surface of the radiation member, and ends of the four support portions are connected to one another at positions located adjacent to four corners of the approximately rectangular outer shape to form a frame shape.

4. The antenna apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least two corner portions disposed so as to correspond to at least one end of a direction along a pair of mutually parallel sides of the radiation member are formed in non-concave and non-acute-angle shapes.

5. The antenna apparatus according to claim 4, herein the at least two corner portions of the non-concave and non-acute-angle shapes of the radiation member have a round shape or obliquely linear shape of 135-degrees.

6. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein for the laminated circuit member, conductive films each having an appropriate pattern are disposed between dielectric sheets disposed adjacent to each other in a plurality of laminated dielectric sheets, the conductive films are appropriately connected by via contact formed in the dielectric sheets to form the laminated circuit, and a shield conductive film is formed extending through at least one of the dielectric sheets in a sheet thickness direction.

7. The antenna apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the shield conductive film is positioned between circuit portions disposed adjacent to each other in a plurality of circuit portions constituting the laminated circuit.

8. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, therein the laminated circuit includes a laminated branching unit and two laminated dielectric filters connected to the laminated branching unit.

9. The antenna apparatus according to claim 8, wherein one of the two laminated dielectric filters is a reception-side band pass filter, and the other of the two laminated dielectric filters is a transmission-side band pass filter.

10. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laminated circuit includes at least one laminated branching unit and a laminated duplexer connected to the laminated branching unit, and the at least one laminated branching unit is connected to two laminated duplexers.

11. The antenna apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the laminated circuit includes a plurality of laminated branching units connected to one another in a plurality of stages.

12. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiation member includes a radiation electrode in which a slot is formed, and a shape of the slot is set so that the radiation electrode causes resonance in a plurality of frequency bands.

13. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a radiation electrode is formed in an outer surface of the laminated circuit member, and the radiation electrode is connected to the laminated circuit.

14. A communication apparatus comprising:

the antenna apparatus according to claim 1; and

a communication apparatus main body part including an electric circuit electrically connected to the laminated circuit of the antenna apparatus.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the communication apparatus main body part includes a mount substrate, and the support portion of the antenna apparatus is attached to the mount substrate.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the communication apparatus main body part includes a housing in which the antenna apparatus and the mount substrate are contained, and the mount substrate is fixed to the housing.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the support portion of the antenna apparatus is disposed on the mount substrate in a position distant from one end of the mount substrate.