Dynamically configured antenna for multiple frequencies and bandwidths

• US 7,260,424 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gallitzin Allegheny LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Dominik J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson; Keith
• Application Number:
  US10/155,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20030219035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.7, 455/552.1, 455/550.1, 455/553.1, 455/575.1, 455/422.1, 455/403, 455/73, 455/78, 455/83, 455/500, 455/517, 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 455/88, 343/702, 343/703, 343/751, 343/700, 343/895, 379/433.01, 379/428.01, 379/429
• US Class Current: 455/575.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0457 electromagnetically coupled to the feed line
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/14 Length of element or elements adjustable telescopic elements H01Q1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving

Abstract

A wireless communication device includes a reconfigurable antenna and one or more wireless transceivers coupled to the antenna. The reconfigurable antenna can be dynamically configured to transmit and receive wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies and bandwidths. A processor core is coupled to the reconfigurable antenna and the wireless transceivers. The processor core dynamically controls the configurations of the reconfigurable antenna and processes the wireless signals transmitted and received at the plurality of frequencies.

Claims

1. A mobile station comprising:

a reconfigurable antenna to be dynamically configured to transmit and receive wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies, the reconfigurable antenna having a first substrate including a plurality of antenna bodies and a second substrate including a plurality of frequency matching stubs;

at least one wireless transceiver coupled to the reconfigurable antenna; and

a processor coupled to the reconfigurable antenna and the at least one wireless transceiver, the processor to dynamically control configuration of the reconfigurable antenna and processing of the wireless signals.

2. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the reconfigurable antenna is dynamically configurable via control of a plurality of switches, each coupled between two of the plurality of the antenna bodies.

3. The mobile station of claim 2, wherein the plurality of switches include micro-electro-mechanical (MEM) switches or semiconductor switches.

4. The mobile station of claim 1, further comprising a third substrate located between the first substrate and the second substrate, the third substrate having an aperture to couple the first substrate and the second substrate.

5. The mobile station of claim 4, wherein the aperture is sizdd to be half of a largest frequency of the wireless signals.

6. The mobile station of claim 4, wherein the third substrate comprises a ground plane.

7. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna bodies comprises a primary body and a plurality of secondary bodies.

8. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the second substrate further comprises a transmission line coupled to the plurality of frequency matching stubs.

9. The mobile station of claim 8, wherein the plurality of frequency matching stubs are located radially about a stub junction.

10. The mobile station of claim 8, further comprising a configurable filter on the second substrate.

11. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein the configurable filter comprises a plurality of filter stubs extending from the transmission line.

12. The mobile station of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of switches, each controllable to couple a corresponding filter stub to the transmission line.

13. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the processor includes a controller to dynamically control configuration of the reconfigurable antenna to enable the reconfigurable antenna to transmit and receive the wireless signals at the plurality of frequencies.

14. A portable computer system comprising:

a processor;

a program storage device coupled to the processor;

a wireless communication device coupled to the processor including;

a first substrate including a plurality of antenna bodies to be controllably electrically connected or disconnected;

a second substrate including a transmission line and a plurality of passive antennas to resonate at fixed frequencies; and

a ground plane located between the first and second substrates; and

a computer readable code embodied in the program storage device and coupled to the wireless communication device to receive and transmit data via the wireless communication device.

15. The portable computer system of claim 14, wherein the second substrate further comprises a plurality of fdter stubs coupled to the transmission line.

16. The portable computer system of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of switches each controllable to couple to the corresponding filter stub to the transmission line.