Multi-band dielectric resonator antenna

• US 7,710,325 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Dajun
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TRINH VO
• Application Number:
  US11/464,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0485 Dielectric resonator antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

Provided is an antenna comprising a first dielectric resonator antenna operative within a first frequency band, a second dielectric resonator antenna operative within a second frequency band, and a feeding structure electrically coupled to the first and second dielectric resonator antennas to receive and transmit signals at the first and second frequency bands through the first and second dielectric resonator antennas.

Claims

1. An antenna, comprising:

a first dielectric resonator antenna operative within a first frequency band;

a second dielectric resonator antenna operative within a second frequency band;

a first and second feeding structures electrically coupled to the first and second dielectric resonator antennas, respectively, to receive and transmit signals at the first and second frequency bands through the first and second dielectric resonator antennas;

a first dummy structure structurally identical to the first feeding structure but not coupled to a feeding signal; and

a second dummy structure structurally identical to the second feeding structure but not coupled to a feeding signal.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the first and second feeding structures are implemented in at least one feeding line electrically coupled to the first and second dielectric resonator antennas.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first feeding structure further comprises a first coupling slot to couple the first dielectric resonator antenna to the at least one feeding line and wherein the first feeding structure further comprises a second coupling slot to couple the second dielectric resonator antenna to the at least one feeding line.

4. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the at least one feeding line comprises a single feeding line in which the first and second feeding structures are implemented to which the first and second dielectric resonator antennas are electrically coupled.

5. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the at least one feeding line comprises a first feeding line to which the first dielectric resonator antenna is electrically coupled and a second feeding line to which the second dielectric resonator antenna is electrically coupled, wherein the first feeding structure comprises the first feeding line and wherein the second feeding structure comprises the second feeding line.

6. The antenna of claim 2, wherein a single coupling slot couples the first and second dielectric resonator antennas to the at least one feeding line.

7. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the first and second feeding structures comprise different feeding structure technologies.

8. The antenna of claim 1, where each of the first and second feeding structures have a horizontal polarization structure coupled to the associated first or second dielectric resonator antenna to transmit a portion of the signal having a horizontal polarization orientation and a vertical polarization structure coupled to the associated first or second dielectric resonator antenna to transmit a portion of the signal having a vertical polarization orientation.

9. The antenna of claim 1, where each of the first and second feeding structures have:

a feeding port;

a first and second feeding paths extending from the feeding port, wherein there is a gap between ends of the first and second feeding paths coupled to the associated first or second dielectric resonator antenna, wherein the first and second feeding paths have a phase difference.

10. The antenna of claim 1, where each of the first and second feeding structures have:

a first feeding port;

a second feeding port;

a first and second feeding paths extending from the first and second feeding ports, respectively, wherein there is a gap between ends of the first and second feeding paths coupled to the associated first or second dielectric resonator antenna, wherein the first and second feeding paths have a phase difference.

11. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the feeding and dummy structures comprise a structure that is a member of a set of structures comprising a probe, a slot, and a feeding line.

12. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising:

a third dielectric resonator antenna operative within a third frequency band; and

a third feeding structure coupled to the third dielectric resonator antenna to further receive and transmit signals at the third frequency band through the third dielectric resonator antenna.

13. The antenna of claim 12, wherein the first dielectric resonator antenna comprises a disk, wherein the second dielectric resonator antenna comprises a first ring surrounding the first dielectric resonator antenna and wherein the third dielectric resonator antenna comprises a second ring surrounding the first ring.

14. The antenna of claim 12, wherein the antennas have a circular, square, elliptical or polygonal shape.

15. The antenna of claim 12, wherein at least two of the feeding structure structures employ different feeding structure technology.

16. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the second dielectric resonator surrounds the first dielectric resonator antenna.

17. An antenna, comprising:

a first dielectric resonator antenna operative within a first frequency band;

a second dielectric resonator antenna operative within a second frequency band;

a first feeding structure electrically coupled to the first dielectric resonator antenna to receive and transmit signals at the first frequency band through the first dielectric resonator antenna comprising;

a first coupling structure coupled to the first dielectric resonator antenna for a horizontal polarization orientation;

a second coupling structure coupled to the first dielectric resonator antenna for a vertical polarization orientation; and

a first dummy structure identical to the first feeding structure but not coupled to a feeding signal;

a second feeding structure electrically coupled to the second dielectric resonator antenna to receive and transmit signals at the second frequency band through the second dielectric resonator antenna comprising;

a third coupling structure coupled to the second dielectric resonator antenna for a horizontal polarization orientation; and

a fourth coupling structure coupled to the second dielectric resonator antenna for a vertical polarization orientation; and

a second dummy structure identical to the second feeding structure but not coupled to a feeding signal.

18. An antenna, comprising:

a first dielectric resonator antenna operative within a first frequency band;

a second dielectric resonator antenna operative within a second frequency band;

a shared feeding structure electrically coupled to the first and second dielectric resonator antennas to receive and transmit signals at the first and second frequency bands through the first and second dielectric resonator antennas; and

a shared dummy structure identical to the shared feeding structure coupled to the first and second dielectric antennas and not coupled to a feeding signal.

19. A communication device, comprising:

an antenna, comprising;

a first dielectric resonator antenna operative within a first frequency band;

a second dielectric resonator antenna operative within a second frequency band;

a first and second feeding structures electrically coupled to the first and second dielectric resonator antennas, respectively, to receive and transmit signals at the first and second frequency bands through the first and second dielectric resonator antennas;

a first dummy structure structurally identical to the first feeding structure but not coupled to a feeding signal;

a second dummy structure structurally identical to the second feeding structure but not coupled to a feeding signal; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the first and second feeding structures to receive and transmit the signals within the first and second frequency bands.

20. The communication device of claim 19, wherein the antenna further includes a third dielectric resonator antenna operative within a third frequency band and a third feeding structure coupled to the third dielectric resonator antenna to further receive and transmit signals at the third frequency band through the third dielectric resonator antenna.

21. The antenna of claim 19, wherein the second dielectric resonator surrounds the first dielectric resonator antenna.

22. The communication device of claim 19, wherein the first and second feeding structures are implemented in at least one feeding line electrically coupled to the first and second dielectric resonator antennas.

23. The communication device of claim 22, wherein the first feeding structure further comprises a first coupling slot to couple the first dielectric resonator antenna to the at least one feeding line and wherein the first feeding structure further comprises a second coupling slot to couple the second dielectric resonator antenna to the at least one feeding line.

24. The communication device of claim 22, wherein the at least one feeding line comprises a single feeding line in which the first and second feeding structures are implemented to which the first and second dielectric resonator antennas are electrically coupled.

25. The communication device of claim 22, wherein the at least one feeding line comprises a first feeding line to which the first dielectric resonator antenna is electrically coupled and a second feeding line to which the second dielectric resonator antenna is electrically coupled, wherein the first feeding structure comprises the first feeding line and wherein the second feeding structure comprises the second feeding line.

26. The communication device of claim 22, wherein a single coupling slot couples the first and second dielectric resonator antennas to the at least one feeding line.

27. A method, comprising:

operating a first dielectric resonator antenna operative within a first frequency band;

operating a second dielectric resonator antenna operative within a second frequency band;

transferring signals from and to the first and second dielectric resonator antennas through a feeding structure electrically coupled to the first and second dielectric resonator antennas to receive and transmit signals at the first and second frequency bands through the first and second dielectric resonator antennas;

transferring signals through a first coupling structure coupled to the associated first or second dielectric resonator antenna; and

using a dummy coupling structure identical to the first coupling structure but not coupled to a feeding signal to improve symmetry of the electromagnetic field distribution associated with the signal and polarization purity.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein transferring the signals through the feeding structure further comprises transferring the signals through at least one feeding line electrically coupled to the first and second dielectric resonator antennas.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first coupling structure comprises at least one coupling slot to couple the first and second dielectric resonator antennas to the at least one feeding line.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein transferring the signals through the feeding structure further comprises:

transferring signals associated with the first dielectric resonator antenna through a first feeding structure; and

transferring signals associated with the second dielectric resonator antenna through a second feeding structure, wherein the first and second feeding structures comprise different feeding structure technologies.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein transferring the signals through the feeding structure further comprises transferring the signals for the associated first and second dielectric resonator antennas by:

transferring a signal having a horizontal polarization through the first coupling structure coupled to the associated first or second dielectric resonator antenna; and

transferring a signal having a vertical polarization through a second coupling structure coupled to the associated first or second dielectric resonator antenna.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein transferring the signals through the feeding structure further comprises transferring the signals for the associated first and second dielectric resonator antennas by:

transferring the signals through multiple paths to at least one feeding port.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

operating a third dielectric resonator antenna operative within a third frequency band; and

transferring signals from the third dielectric resonator antennas through the feeding structure electrically coupled to the third dielectric resonator antenna to receive and transmit signals at the third frequency band through the third dielectric resonator antenna.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the second dielectric resonator antenna surrounds the first dielectric resonator antenna.