Dual-band antenna for a wireless local area network device

• US 7,358,902 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Erkocevic, Nedim
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso; Huedung
• Application Number:
  US11/279,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20060181464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/700.MS, 343/846, 343/848
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• 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 5/371 Branching current paths
• 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 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

A dual-band antenna, a method of manufacturing the same and a wireless networking card incorporating the antenna. In one embodiment, the antenna includes: (1) a substrate, (2) an inverted F antenna printed circuit supported by the substrate and tuned to resonate in a first frequency band, wherein the inverted F antenna has a ground plane and a radiator located on one plane of the substrate and (3) a monopole antenna printed circuit supported by the substrate and located on a different plane than the ground plane, wherein the monopole antenna printed circuit is tuned to resonate in a second frequency band.

Claims

1. A dual-band antenna, comprising:

a substrate;

an inverted F antenna printed circuit supported by said substrate and tuned to resonate in a first frequency band, said inverted F antenna having a ground plane and a radiator located on one plane of said substrate; and

a monopole antenna printed circuit supported by said substrate and located on a different plane than said ground plane, said monopole antenna printed circuit tuned to resonate in a second frequency band.

2. The antenna as recited in claim 1 further comprising a feed line located on an other plane of said substrate from said radiator.

3. The antenna as recited in claim 2 further comprising a conductive interconnection coupling said feed line to said radiator.

4. The antenna as recited in claim 1 wherein said radiator has multiple portions with a first portion located on said one plane and a second portion located on a different plane from said one plane.

5. The antenna as recited in claim 1 wherein said ground plane is coupled to and spaced apart from said radiator of said inverted F antenna printed circuit and said monopole antenna printed circuit.

6. The antenna as recited in claim 1 wherein said monopole antenna printed circuit comprises first and second traces tuned to differing resonance in said second frequency band.

7. The antenna as recited in claim 5 wherein a footprint of a radiator of said inverted F antenna printed circuit lies between footprints of said first and second traces.

8. A wireless networking card, comprising:

wireless networking circuitry;

a dual-band transceiver coupled to said wireless networking circuitry; and

a dual-band antenna coupled to said dual-band transceiver and including;

a substrate;

an inverted F antenna printed circuit supported by said substrate and tuned to resonate in a first frequency band, said inverted F antenna having a ground plane and a radiator located on one plane of said substrate; and

a monopole antenna printed circuit supported by said substrate and located on a different plane than said ground plane, said monopole antenna printed circuit tuned to resonate in a second frequency band.

9. The wireless networking card as recited in claim 8 further comprising a feed line located on an other plane of said substrate from said radiator.

10. The wireless networking card as recited in claim 9 further comprising a conductive interconnection coupling said feed line to said radiator.

11. The wireless networking card as recited in claim 8 wherein said radiator has multiple portions with a first portion located on said one plane and a second portion located on a different plane from said one plane.

12. The wireless networking card as recited in claim 8 wherein said monopole antenna printed circuit comprises first and second traces tuned to differing resonance in said second frequency band.

13. The wireless networking card as recited in claim 12 wherein said first trace is directly coupled to said second trace.

14. The wireless networking card as recited in claim 12 wherein a footprint of said radiator lies between footprints of said first and second traces.

15. The wireless networking card as recited in claim 8 further comprising a second dual-band antenna coupled to said dual-band transceiver.

16. The wireless networking card as recited in claim 15 further comprising a switch that selectively connects one of said first dual-band antenna and said second dual-band antenna to said dual-band transceiver and connects another of said first dual-band antenna and said second dual-band antenna to ground.

17. A method of manufacturing a dual-band antenna, comprising:

forming an inverted F antenna printed circuit on a substrate, said inverted F antenna printed circuit tuned to resonate in a first frequency band and having a ground plane and a radiator located on one plane of said substrate; and

forming a monopole antenna printed circuit on said substrate and on a different plane than said ground plane, said monopole antenna printed circuit tuned to resonate in a second frequency band.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising forming a feed line on an other plane of said substrate from said radiator and coupling said monopole antenna printed circuit to said feed line.

19. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising forming a feed line on an other plane of said substrate and forming a conductive interconnection to couple said feed line to said radiator.

20. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein said radiator has multiple portions with a first portion formed on said one plane and a second portion formed on a different plane from said one plane.