Method and apparatus for insuring integrity of a connectorized antenna

• US 7,042,406 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atheros Communications Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: McFarland, William J., Green, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V.
• Application Number:
  US10/671,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20050174292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/846, 343/702, 343/906, 343/703, 343/718, 343/894, 343/850, 324/549, 324/612
• US Class Current: 343/703
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• 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 9/065 Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7039 the coupling part with coding means activating the switch to establish different circuits

Abstract

An antenna is provided with an electronic component or circuit that has a value corresponding to properties of the antenna. A read mechanism reads the value and sets an operational status of a transceiver based on the value. In one embodiment, electronic component is a resistor having a value that identifies the antenna properties. A table may be used to correlate resistor values to different types of antennas or sets of antenna properties. Alternatively, the circuit can be embodied in a microchip that provides a response to a challenge sent by the read mechanism. The response encodes the properties of the antenna. The encoding scheme includes values from the challenge. Alternatively, the response is a code that is indexed into a table of antenna properties. In one embodiment, the antenna is connectorized.

Claims

1. An antenna, comprising:

an RF input pin;

at least one antenna element connected to the RF input pin; and

at least one electronic component connected to the RF input pin, said electronic component having a value that identifies at least one property of the antenna.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one electronic component is a resistor having a value related to said at least one property of the antenna.

3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one electronic component is a circuit having a resonant frequency related to said at least one property of the antenna.

4. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one electronic component is a microchip configured to transmit a value related to antenna properties via the RF input pin.

5. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one electronic component is a microchip configured to send a challenge response in response to a challenge, said challenge response including a value related to said at least one property of the antenna.

6. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one electronic component is located in a location that it cannot be easily removed or modified.

7. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one electronic component is substantially surrounded by said at least one antenna element.

8. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one electronic component is embedded within a substrate holding said at least one antenna element.

9. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein said at least one electronic component is substantially surrounded by said at least one antenna element.

10. The antenna according to claim 1, further comprising:

a ground pin;

wherein;

said at least one antenna element comprises a first antenna element connected to said RF input pin and a second antenna element connected to said ground pin; and

said at least one electronic component is connected between said RF pin and said ground pin.

11. The antenna according to claim 10, further comprising:

a substrate having first and second surfaces, the first antenna element disposed on the first surface and the second antenna element is disposed on the second surface.

12. The antenna according to claim 11, wherein said at least one electronic component is disposed between the first antenna element and the second antenna element and within said substrate.

13. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein said antenna is a 5 GHz connectorized antenna.

14. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is a dual element planar antenna.

15. The antenna comprising:

a set of data pins and an RF input pin;

at least one antenna element connected to the RF input pin; and

a series of shorts and opens connected to a set of data pins;

wherein said antenna is a dual element planar antenna.

16. An antenna, comprising:

a set of input pins and an RF input pin;

at least one antenna element connected to the RF input pin; and

at least one electronic component connected to the set of input pins;

wherein said at least one electronic component has a value related to at least one property of the antenna.

17. The antenna according to claim 16, wherein said electronic component is a microchip configured to transmit at least a value related to at least one property of the antenna.

18. The antenna according to claim 16, wherein said at least one electronic component is a circuit having a resonant frequency that identifies at least one property of the antenna.

19. The antenna according to claim 16, wherein said at least one electronic component is a resistor having a resistance value that identifies at least one property of the antenna.

20. The antenna according to claim 16, wherein said at least one electronic component is an active circuit powered from a source connected to one of the input pins.

21. The antenna according to claim 16, wherein said antenna is a dual element planar antenna.

22. A method comprising the steps of:

preparing a substrate;

disposing at least one antenna element on the substrate;

attaching a connector to said at least one antenna element; and

inserting at least one electronic component on the substrate in a location where it is not easily removed or modified;

wherein said location is surrounded by said at least one antenna element.

23. A method comprising the steps of:

preparing a substrate;

disposing at least one antenna element on the substrate;

attaching a connector to said at least one antenna element; and

inserting at least one electronic component on the substrate in a location where it is not easily removed or modified;

wherein said electronic component is one of a resistor having a value selected to identify properties of the antenna, an resonant circuit having a resonant frequency that identifies properties of the antenna, and a microchip configured to transmit properties of the antenna.

24. A method comprising the steps of:

preparing a substrate;

disposing at least one antenna element on the substrate;

attaching a connector to said at least one antenna element; and

inserting at least one electronic component on the substrate in a location where it is not easily removed or modified;

wherein said antenna is a dual element planar antenna.

25. A method of manufacturing an antenna, comprising the steps of:

disposing at least one antenna element on a substrate;

attaching a connector to said at least one antenna element; and

inserting at least one electronic component on the substrate;

wherein the electronic component has a value related to at least one property of the antenna.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said antenna is a dual element planar antenna.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the location is surrounded by said at least one antenna element.

28. A method of manufacturing an antenna, comprising the steps of:

disposing at least one antenna element on a substrate;

attaching a connector to said at least one antenna element;

and inserting at least one electronic component on the substrate;

wherein the electronic component is configured to identify at least one property of the antenna.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the location is embedded in the substrate.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein:

the antenna comprises, a set of data pins and an RF input pin, at least one antenna element connected to the RF input pin, and a series of shorts and opens connected to a set of data pins.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said shorts comprise grounded pins and said opens comprise pins which are not grounded.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein said shorts comprise grounded pins and said opens comprise pins connected to a voltage source.