Antenna and wireless communication device

• US 7,375,695 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Ishizuka, Kenichi, Kawahata, Kazunari
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US11/829,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 343/745, 343/702, 343/700.MS, 343/744, 343/750, 340/572.7, 340/572.8
• US Class Current: 343/745
• 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 9/0442 with particular tuning means

Abstract

An antenna and a wireless communication device are adapted to have a plurality of resonant frequencies changed simultaneously by a desired range at a low voltage. The antenna includes a first antenna section and a second antenna section. The first antenna section includes a feeding electrode, a frequency-changing circuit, and a radiating electrode, and the second antenna section includes the feeding electrode, a first reactance circuit, and an additional radiating electrode. The frequency-changing circuit has a circuit configuration in which the first reactance circuit and the second reactance circuit are connected. When a control voltage Vc is applied to a node P, the reactances of the first and second reactance circuits change in accordance with the magnitude of the control voltage Vc, so that a resonant frequency f1 of the first antenna section and a resonant frequency f2 of the second antenna section change simultaneously.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a first antenna section in which a radiating electrode having an open distal end is connected to a feeding electrode via a frequency-changing circuit; and

a second antenna section including an additional radiating electrode and the feeding electrode, the additional radiating electrode having an open distal end and being connected to a middle portion of the frequency-changing circuit;

wherein

the frequency-changing circuit includes a first reactance circuit and a second reactance circuit connected to each other, the first reactance circuit being connected to the feeding electrode and having a reactance that is variable according to a direct-current control voltage, and the second reactance circuit being connected to the radiating electrode of the first antenna section; and

the additional radiating electrode of the second antenna section branches from a node defined between the first and second reactance circuits.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the second reactance circuit has a reactance that is variable according to the control voltage.

3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the second reactance circuit has a reactance that is fixed.

4. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein the first reactance circuit is a series circuit including a variable capacitor or a parallel circuit including a variable capacitor;

and the second reactance circuit is a series circuit including a variable capacitor or a parallel circuit including a variable capacitor; and

terminals of the variable capacitors of the first and second reactance circuits, the terminals having the same polarity, are connected to each other to define a node between the first and second reactance circuits, and the control voltage is applied to the node to control capacitances of the variable capacitors.

5. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein the first reactance circuit is a series circuit including a variable capacitor or a parallel circuit including a variable capacitor;

the second reactance circuit is a series circuit including a fixed capacitor or a parallel circuit including a fixed capacitor; and

the variable capacitor of the first reactance circuit is connected to the second reactance circuit to define a node between the first and second reactance circuits, and the control voltage is applied to the node to control a capacitance of the variable capacitor.

6. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein an inductor is connected in parallel to the first reactance circuit and the second reactance circuit across the first and second reactance circuits.

7. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the additional radiating electrode branches from the node via an inductor arranged to control a resonant frequency.

8. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein one or more additional radiating electrodes that are separate from the additional radiating electrode are arranged to branch from the node.

9. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein each of the one or more separate additional radiating electrodes branches from the node via another reactance circuit having the same configuration as the first reactance circuit, and another control voltage for controlling a capacitance of a variable capacitor of the another reactance circuit is applied to the another reactance circuit.

10. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein an additional radiating electrode that is separate from the additional radiating electrode is connected to a middle portion of the radiating electrode.

11. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein the separate additional radiating electrode is connected to the radiating electrode via an inductor.

12. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna section has a shape of a loop in which the feeding electrode and the open distal end of the radiating electrode are opposed via a gap.

13. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the feeding electrode, the frequency-changing circuit, the radiating electrode, and the additional radiating electrode are disposed on a dielectric base.

14. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein in one or more of the radiating electrode of the first antenna section, the additional radiating electrode of the second antenna section, and the one or more separate additional radiating electrodes, a middle portion or an open distal end of the electrode is connected to a ground via an inductor or a reactance circuit.

15. The antenna according to claim 14, wherein the reactance circuit is a series resonance circuit or a parallel resonance circuit, or a composite circuit including a series resonance circuit and a parallel resonance circuit.

16. The antenna according to claim 14, wherein the antenna is configured to allow reception of FM electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves in the VHF band, and electromagnetic waves in the UHF band.

17. A wireless communication device comprising the antenna according to claim 1.