Compact radio frequency transmitting and receiving antenna and control device employing same

• US 7,548,216 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Sinha, Siddharth P., Thompson, Stephen S., Felegy, Edward M. Jr., Webb, Spencer L., DeJonge, Stuart, Altonen, Gregory S.
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TRINH VO
• Application Number:
  US11/874,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 343/867
• US Class Current: 343/866
• 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 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna

Abstract

An antenna operable to transmit or receive radio frequency signals at a specified frequency, the antenna comprising a first printed circuit board comprising a first loop of conductive material having a capacitance and an inductance, the capacitance and the inductance forming a circuit being resonant at the specified frequency; and a second printed circuit board comprising a second loop of conductive material having two ends adapted to be electrically coupled to an electronic circuit, the second loop being substantially only magnetically coupled to the first loop and electrically insulated from the first loop; the antenna for use with a device for controlling the power delivered to an electrical load, further wherein the first loop of the conductive material comprises a break and the capacitance includes a capacitor bridging the break; wherein the first printed circuit board is disposed in a first plane, and the first loop is disposed in the plane perpendicular to the first plane whereby electrical current flows in the first loop in a plane perpendicular to the first plane.

Claims

1. An antenna operable to transmit or receive radio frequency signals at a specified frequency, the antenna comprising:

a first printed circuit board comprising a first loop of conductive material having a capacitance and an inductance, the capacitance and the inductance forming a circuit being resonant at the specified frequency; and

a second printed circuit board comprising a second loop of conductive material having two ends adapted to be electrically coupled to an electronic circuit, the second loop being substantially only magnetically coupled to said first loop and electrically insulated from the first loop;

said antenna for use with a device for controlling the power delivered to an electrical load, further wherein the first loop of the conductive material comprises a break and the capacitance includes a capacitor bridging the break;

wherein the first printed circuit board is disposed in a first plane, the first printed circuit board having first and second opposed surfaces, the conductive material being disposed on said first and second surfaces, at least one electrically conductive path being provided between the first and second surfaces to form the first loop, whereby the first loop is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the first plane and electrical current flows in the first loop in the plane perpendicular to the first plane.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the first printed circuit board is fixed to a mounting yoke of a lighting control device, the yoke adapted to mount the lighting control device in an electrical box, and wherein the first printed circuit board is disposed parallel to a plane of the yoke.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first printed circuit board is attached to the yoke by at least one fastener disposed along an edge portion of the first printed circuit board.

4. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first printed circuit board has a slot therein, sized to receive a dimension of the second printed circuit board, the second printed circuit board being received in the slot, and wherein the first printed circuit board is attached to the yoke by at least one fastener disposed adjacent the slot.

5. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first printed circuit board is attached to the yoke by at least one fastener disposed in a portion of the loop having a minimal current density.

6. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first loop has a main loop axis that is parallel to the plane of the yoke.

7. The antenna of claim 2, further comprising shielding material covering a portion of said second loop below the plane of said yoke.

8. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first loop is insulated from said yoke.

9. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first loop is electrically connected to said yoke.

10. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the second printed circuit board is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the first printed circuit board.

11. The antenna of claim 10, wherein the first printed circuit board has a slot therein, sized to receive a dimension of the second printed circuit board, the second printed circuit board being received in the slot.

12. An antenna operable to transmit or receive radio frequency signals at a specified frequency, the antenna for use with a device for controlling the power delivered to an electrical load, the antenna comprising:

a first printed circuit board comprising a first radiating loop of conductive material having a capacitance and an inductance, the conductive material comprising a break and the capacitance including a capacitor bridging the break, the capacitance and the inductance forming a circuit being resonant at the specified frequency;

wherein the first printed circuit board is disposed in a first plane, the first printed circuit board having first and second opposed surfaces, the conductive material being disposed on said first and second surfaces, at least one electrically conductive path being provided between the first and second surfaces to form the first radiating loop, whereby the first radiating loop is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the first plane and electrical current flows in the first radiating loop in the plane perpendicular to the first plane; and

a second printed circuit board comprising a second feed loop of conductive material having two ends adapted to be electrically coupled to an electronic circuit, the second feed loop located in relation to the first radiating loop so as to be substantially only magnetically coupled to said first radiating loop and electrically insulated from the first radiating loop.