Antenna using variable capacitance element and wireless communication apparatus using the same

• US 7,109,944 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Ikuta, Takanori, Sato, Akinori
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US11/040,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20050162324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/745, 343/850, 343/860, 343/861
• US Class Current: 343/860
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means

Abstract

An antenna is constituted in which a variable capacitance capacitor portion Ct is connected between an antenna element and a ground. In the variable capacitance capacitor, a plurality of variable capacitance elements using a thin film dielectric layer whose dielectric constant is changed by a voltage applied are connected in parallel with regard to direct current component and in series with regard to high frequency component between an antenna-element-side terminal and a ground-side terminal. The capacitance change ratio of the variable capacitance capacitor that depends on the bias signal can be utilized to the maximum so as to perform impedance matching so that the electrical length of the antenna element is changed, and thus, the operating frequency can be changed. In addition, the antenna having small waveform distortion and intermodulation distortion, high power handling capability and low loss at high frequencies can be realized.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

an antenna element; and

a variable capacitance capacitor connected between the antenna element and a ground, including an antenna-element-side terminal and a ground-side terminal,

wherein in the variable capacitance capacitor, a plurality of variable capacitance elements using a thin film dielectric layer whose dielectric constant is changed by a voltage applied are connected between the antenna-element-side terminal and the ground-side terminal, in parallel to each other with regard to direct current component and in series with each other with respect to high frequency component.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the variable capacitance capacitor has a bias supply circuit that is connected to electrodes of the plurality of variable capacitance elements and includes at least one of a resistance component and an inductor component.

3. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the thin film dielectric layer is a dielectric layer having high dielectric constant made of a perovskite oxide crystal containing at least Ba, Sr, and Ti.

4. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

the antenna of claim 1; and

at least one of a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit, the one being connected to the antenna.

5. An antenna comprising:

an antenna element having a feeding terminal; and

a variable matching circuit which is connected between the feeding terminal of the antenna element and a feeding power source and has a variable capacitance capacitor including an input terminal and an output terminal,

wherein in the variable capacitance capacitor, a plurality of variable capacitance elements using a thin film dielectric layer whose dielectric constant is changed by a voltage applied are connected between the input terminal and the output terminal, in parallel to each other with regard to direct current component and in series with each other with regard to high frequency component.

6. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the variable capacitance capacitor has a bias supply circuit that is connected to electrodes of the plurality of variable capacitance elements and includes at least one of a resistance component and an inductor component.

7. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the thin film dielectric layer is a dielectric layer having high dielectric constant made of a perovskite oxide crystal containing at least Ba, Sr, and Ti.

8. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

the antenna of claim 5; and

at least one af a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit, the one being connected to the antenna.