Multiple mode RF transceiver and antenna structure

• US 7,761,115 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza), De Flaviis, Franco, Castaneda, Jesus Alfonso
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/443,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20070279287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66.1, 455/562.1, 455/561, 455/447, 455/69, 455/277.1, 455/135, 455/63.4, 455/575.7, 330/301, 343/895, 343/702, 343/821, 375/346
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• 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 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system

Abstract

An antenna structure includes first and second antennas. The first antenna has a first geometry corresponding to a first frequency. The second antenna has a second geometry corresponding to a second frequency. The second antenna is proximal to the first antenna and utilizes electrical-magnetic properties of the first antenna to transceive signals at the second frequency.

Claims

1. An antenna structure comprises:

a first antenna having a first geometry corresponding to a first frequency;

a second antenna having a second geometry corresponding to a second frequency, wherein the second antenna is proximal to the first antenna, and wherein the second antenna utilizes electrical-magnetic properties of the first antenna to transceive signals at the second frequency;

a third antenna having a third geometry corresponding to a third frequency, wherein the third antenna is proximal to the first antenna, and wherein the third antenna utilizes electrical-magnetic properties of the first antenna to transceive signals at the third frequency; and

a fourth antenna having the second geometry corresponding to the second frequency, wherein the fourth antenna is proximal to the first antenna and has a different polarization than the second antenna, and wherein the fourth antenna utilizes the electrical-magnetic properties of the first antenna to transceive the signals at the second frequency.

2. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the second antenna utilizes the first antenna as a ground plane.

3. The antenna structure of claim 1 further comprises:

a ground plane capacitively coupled to the first antenna, wherein the ground plane and the first antenna function as an extended ground plane for the second antenna.

4. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein:

the first geometry includes a coil; and

the second geometry includes at least one of;

an inverted F metal assembly, a meandering trace with an inductive tuning stub, meandering line, and a printed inverted F pattern.

5. The antenna structure of claim 1 further comprises:

an antenna input/output connection;

a high pass filter operably coupled between the antenna input/output connection and the second antenna; and

a low pass filter operably coupled between the antenna input/output connection and the first antenna.

6. The antenna structure of claim 1 further comprises:

an radio frequency (RF) feed trace operable to transceive RF signals at the first and second frequencies;

a capacitor coupling the RF feed trace to the second antenna;

a tuning inductor coupling the second antenna to the first antenna; and

a choke inductor coupling the RF feed trace to the first antenna.

7. The antenna structure of claim 1 further comprises:

a fifth antenna having the third geometry corresponding to the third frequency, wherein the fifth antenna is proximal to the first antenna and has a different polarization than the third antenna, and wherein the fifth antenna utilizes electrical-magnetic properties of the first antenna to transceive the signals at the third frequency.

8. A multiple mode radio frequency (RF) transceiver comprises:

a shared processing module operably coupled to transceived first data and second data;

a first baseband processing module operably coupled to convert first inbound baseband signals into first inbound data of the first data and to convert first outbound data of the first data into first outbound baseband signals;

a second baseband processing module operably coupled to convert second inbound baseband signals into second inbound data of the second data and to convert second outbound data of the second data into second outbound baseband signals;

a first RF transceiving module operably coupled to convert the first outbound baseband signals into first outbound RF signals and to convert first inbound RF signals into the first inbound baseband signals;

a second RF transceiving module operably coupled to convert the second outbound baseband signals into second outbound RF signals and to convert second inbound RF signals into the second inbound baseband signals; and

an antenna structure that includes a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna has a first geometry for receiving the first inbound RF signals and for transmitting the first outbound RF signals and the second antenna has a second geometry for receiving the second inbound RF signals and for transmitting the second outbound RF signals, wherein the second antenna is proximal to the first antenna, and wherein the second antenna utilizes electrical-magnetic properties of the first antenna to transceive the first inbound and outbound RF signals.

9. The multiple mode RF transceiver of claim 8, wherein the second antenna utilizes the first antenna as a ground plane.

10. The multiple mode RF transceiver of claim 8, wherein:

the first geometry includes a coil; and

the second geometry includes at least one of;

an inverted F metal assembly, a meandering trace with an inductive tuning stub, meandering line, and a printed inverted F pattern.

11. The multiple mode RF transceiver of claim 8, wherein the antenna structure further comprises:

an antenna input/output connection;

a high pass filter operably coupled between the antenna input/output connection and the second antenna; and

a low pass filter operably coupled between the antenna input/output connection and the first antenna.

12. The multiple mode RF transceiver of claim 8, wherein the antenna structure further comprises:

an radio frequency (RF) feed trace operable to transceive the first and second inbound and outbound RF signals;

a capacitor coupling the RF feed trace to the second antenna;

a tuning inductor coupling the second antenna to the first antenna; and

a choke inductor coupling the RF feed trace to the first antenna.

13. The multiple mode RF transceiver of claim 8, wherein the antenna structure further comprises:

a third antenna having the second geometry for receiving the first inbound RF signals and for transmitting the first outbound RF signals, wherein the third antenna is proximal to the first antenna and has a different polarization than the second antenna, and wherein the third antenna utilizes electrical-magnetic properties of the first antenna to transceive the first inbound and outbound RF signals.

14. An antenna structure comprises:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna coil,

a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio frequency (RF) antenna, wherein the WLAN RF antenna utilizes the RFID antenna as ground plane; and

a second WLAN RF antenna operably coupled to transceive WLAN RF signals at a different frequency than the WLAN RF antenna, wherein the second WLAN RF antenna utilizes the RFID antenna as ground plane;

a third WLAN RF antenna that utilizes the RFID antenna as the ground plane and has a different polarization than the WLAN RF antenna; and

a fourth WLAN RF antenna operably coupled to transceive the WLAN RF signals at the different frequency than the WLAN RF antenna and the second WLAN RF antenna, wherein the fourth WLAN RF antenna utilizes the RFID antenna as ground plane and has a different polarization than the second WLAN RF antenna.

15. The antenna structure of claim 14 further comprises:

an antenna input/output connection;

a high pass filter operably coupled between the antenna input/output connection and the WLAN RF antenna; and

a low pass filter operably coupled between the antenna input/output connection and the RFID antenna.

16. The antenna structure of claim 14 further comprises:

an radio frequency (RF) feed trace;

a capacitor coupling the RF feed trace to the WLAN RF antenna;

a tuning inductor coupling the WLAN RF antenna to the RFID antenna; and

a choke inductor coupling the RF feed trace to the RFID antenna.

17. The antenna structure of claim 14 further comprises:

a second WLAN RF antenna that utilizes the RFID antenna as the ground plane and has a different polarization than the WLAN RF antenna.