Multi-band antenna with patch and slot structures

• US 7,283,097 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Jarmuszewski, Perry, Wen, Geyi, Stevenson, Adam D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Tan
• Application Number:
  US11/456,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/767, 343/770
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• 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 5/10 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/307 Individual or coupled radiating elements, each element being fed in an unspecified way
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0414 in a stacked or folded configuration
• 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: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A multiple-band antenna having first and second operating frequency bands is provided. The antenna includes a first patch structure associated primarily with the first operating frequency band, a second patch structure electrically coupled to the first patch structure and associated primarily with the second operating frequency band, a first slot structure disposed between a first portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure and associated primarily with the first operating frequency band, and a second slot structure disposed between a second portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure and associated primarily with the second operating frequency band. A mounting structure for the multiple-band antenna is also provided. The mounting structure includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to and overlapping the first surface. The first and second patch structures are mounted to the first surface, and a feeding point and ground point, respectively connected to the first and second patch structures, are mounted to the second surface.

Claims

1. A multiple-band antenna comprising:

a first patch structure comprising spaced apart first and second end portions;

a second patch structure electrically coupled to the first patch structure between the first and second end portions thereof;

a first triangularly-shaped slot structure disposed between the first end portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure; and

a second triangularly-shaped slot structure disposed between the second end portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure.

2. The multiple-band antenna of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second triangularly-shaped slot structures has a respective apex portion opening outwardly from the first and second patch structures and a respective base portion opposite the respective apex portion.

3. The multiple-band antenna of claim 1, wherein dimensions of the first patch structure and the first triangularly-shaped slot structure primarily determine a first operating frequency band, gain of the multiple-band antenna in the first operating frequency band, and impedance of the multiple-band antenna in the first operating frequency band;

and wherein dimensions of the second patch structure and the second triangularly-shaped slot structure primarily determine the second operating frequency band, gain of the multiple-band antenna in the second operating frequency band, and impedance of the multiple-band antenna in the second operating frequency band.

4. The multiple-band antenna of claim 3, wherein the first operating frequency band comprises a transmit sub-band of 880-915 MHz and a receive sub-band of 925-960 MHz;

and wherein the second frequency band comprises a transmit sub-band of 1850-1910 MHz and a receive sub-band of 1930-1990 MHz.

5. The multiple-band antenna of claim 1, wherein the first patch structure further comprises an adjoining portion coupling the first and second end portions to define a substantially C-shaped structure;

and wherein the second patch structure is electrically coupled to the adjoining portion.

6. The multiple-band antenna of claim 1, further comprising:

a feeding point electrically coupled to the second end portion and positioned to overlap the second end portion; and

a ground point electrically coupled to the second patch structure and positioned to overlap the second patch structure.

7. The multiple-band antenna of claim 6, wherein the first patch structure further comprises a bent portion electrically coupling the feeding point to the second end portion;

and wherein the second patch structure comprises a bent portion electrically coupling the ground point to the second patch structure.

8. The multiple-band antenna of claim 1, further comprising:

a fine tuning tab connected to the second portion of the first patch structure;

a pair of fine tuning tabs connected to the first portion of the first patch structure; and

a tuning slot disposed between the pair of fine tuning tabs in the first portion of the first patch structure.

9. A wireless mobile communication device comprising:

a housing;

at least one wireless transceiver carried by the housing; and

a multiple-band antenna carried by the housing and connected to the at least one wireless transceiver, the multiple-band antenna comprising

a first patch structure comprising spaced apart first and second end portions,

a second patch structure electrically coupled to the first patch structure between the first and second end portions thereof,

a first triangularly-shaped slot structure disposed between the first end portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure, and

a second triangularly-shaped slot structure disposed between the second end portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure.

10. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein each of the first and second triangularly-shaped slot structures has a respective apex portion opening outwardly from the first and second patch structures and a respective base portion opposite the respective apex portion.

11. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein dimensions of the first patch structure and the first triangularly-shaped slot structure primarily determine a first operating frequency band, gain of the multiple-band antenna in the first operating frequency band, and impedance of the multiple-band antenna in the first operating frequency band;

and wherein dimensions of the second patch structure and the second triangularly-shaped slot structure primarily determine the second operating frequency band, gain of the multiple-band antenna in the second operating frequency band, and impedance of the multiple-band antenna in the second operating frequency band.

12. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the first frequency band comprises a transmit sub-band of 880-915 MHz and a receive sub-band of 925-960 MHz;

and wherein the second frequency band comprises a transmit sub-band of 1850-1910 MHz and a receive sub-band of 1930-1990 MHz,.

13. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the first patch structure further comprises an adjoining portion coupling the first and second end portions to define a substantially C-shaped structure;

and wherein the second patch structure is electrically coupled to the adjoining portion.

14. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, further comprising:

a feeding point electrically coupled to the second end portion and positioned to overlap the second end portion; and

a ground point electrically coupled to the second patch structure and positioned to overlap the second patch structure.

15. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 14, wherein the first patch structure further comprises a bent portion electrically coupling the feeding point to the second end portion;

and wherein the second patch structure comprises a bent portion electrically coupling the ground point to the second patch structure.

16. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the multiple-band antenna is mounted in the housing adjacent top and rear surfaces thereof.

17. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, further comprising at least one of a keyboard, a display, a speaker, and a microphone carried by the housing on a front surface thereof.

18. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, further comprising:

a fine timing tab connected to the second portion of the first patch structure,

a pair of fine tuning tabs connected to the first portion of the first patch structure; and

a tuning slot disposed between the pair of fine tuning tabs in the first portion of the first patch structure.

19. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver is for at least one of data and voice operation.

20. A method for making a multiple-band antenna comprising:

forming a first patch structure comprising spaced apart first and second end portions;

forming a second patch structure electrically coupled to the first patch structure between the first and second end portions thereof;

forming a first triangularly-shaped slot structure disposed between the first end portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure; and

forming a second triangularly-shaped slot structure disposed between the second end portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein each of the first and second triangularly-shaped slot structures has a respective apex portion opening outwardly from the first and second patch structures and a respective base portion opposite the respective apex portion.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein dimensions of the first patch structure and the first triangularly-shaped slot structure primarily determine a first operating frequency band, gain of the multiple-band antenna in the first operating frequency band, and impedance of the multiple-band antenna in the first operating frequency band;

and wherein dimensions of the second patch structure and the second triangularly-shaped slot structure primarily determine the second operating frequency band, gain of the multiple-band antenna in the second operating frequency band, and impedance of the multiple-band antenna in the second operating frequency band.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first operating frequency band comprises a transmit sub-band of 880-915 MHz and a receive sub-band of 925-960 MHz;

and wherein the second frequency band comprises a transmit sub-band of 1850-1910 MHz and a receive sub-band of 1930-1990 MHz.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the first patch structure further comprises forming an adjoining portion coupling the first and second end portions to define a substantially C-shaped structure;

and wherein the second patch structure is electrically coupled to the adjoining portion.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

forming a feeding point electrically coupled to the second end portion and positioned to overlap the second end portion; and

forming a ground point electrically coupled to the second patch structure and positioned to overlap the second patch structure.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein forming the first patch structure further comprises forming a bent portion electrically coupling the feeding point to the second end portion;

and wherein forming the second patch structure comprises forming a bent portion electrically coupling the ground point to the second patch structure.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

forming a fine tuning tab connected to the second portion of the first patch structure;

forming a pair of fine tuning tabs connected to the first portion of the first patch structure; and

forming a tuning slot disposed between the pair of fine tuning tabs in the first portion of the first patch structure.