Multilevel antennae

• US 8,154,462 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fractus SA
• Original Assignee: Fractus SA
• Inventors: Puente Baliarda, Carles, Borja Borau, Carmen, Anguera Pros, Jaume, Soler Castany, Jordi
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, David G
• Application Number:
  US13/036,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20110175777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/829, 343/846
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• 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 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/10 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/20 characterised by the operating wavebands
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/307 Individual or coupled radiating elements, each element being fed in an unspecified way
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/357 using a single feed point
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/50 Feeding or matching arrangements for broad-band or multi-band operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 Element having extended radiating surface

Abstract

An apparatus including a wireless communications device has an internal antenna system located within the wireless communications device. The internal antenna system includes a passive antenna set comprising at least one antenna element having at least one multilevel structure, a feeding point to the at least one antenna element and a ground plane. The feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for said passive antenna set. The passive antenna set provides a similar impedance level and radiation pattern at two or more frequency bands such that the passive antenna set is capable of both transmitting and receiving wireless signals on selected channels. The selected channels are selectable from a plurality of channels throughout an entire frequency range within each of said two or more frequency bands.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless communications device having an internal antenna system located within the wireless communications device;

wherein said internal antenna system includes a passive antenna set that operates in two or more frequency bands;

wherein said passive antenna set comprises at least one antenna element, a feeding point to said antenna element, and a ground plane;

wherein said at least one antenna element comprises a structure including at least two levels of detail;

a first level of detail for an overall structure defined by a plurality of generally identifiable geometric elements and

a second level of detail defined by a subset of the plurality of geometric elements forming said overall structure;

wherein said structure does not define a self-similar fractal structure;

wherein at least one of either a perimeter of contact or an area of overlap between said geometric elements is only a fraction of a total perimeter or a total area of the geometric elements, respectively, for a majority of said geometric elements such that it is possible to generally identify the majority of said plurality of geometric elements within said structure;

wherein said plurality of generally identifiable geometric elements are electromagnetically coupled to each other such that said at least one antenna element is not composed of a plurality of substantially isolated single band antenna elements, each of said single band antenna elements operating in one of said two or more frequency bands;

wherein said feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for said passive antenna set and said passive antenna set provides a similar impedance level and radiation pattern at said two or more frequency bands such that the passive antenna set transmits and receives wireless signals on selected channels, the selected channels selectable from a plurality of channels throughout an entire frequency range within each of said two or more frequency bands;

wherein said wireless communications device is a handset;

wherein said internal antenna system includes an interconnection circuit that links the antenna element to the input/output port, and which is used to incorporate adaptation networks for impedances; and

wherein said wireless communication device operates at multiple frequency bands, and wherein at least one of said frequency bands is operating within the 800 MHz-3600 MHz frequency range.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal antenna system operates at three or more frequency bands and the internal antenna system is shared by three or more cellular services.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least one antenna element is mounted in a monopole configuration.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least one antenna element is mounted substantially parallel to the ground plane in a patch antenna configuration.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of generally identifiable geometric elements are four-sided geometric elements.

6. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 5 further including at least one dielectric spacer for separating the at least one antenna element from the ground plane, wherein at least a portion of said dielectric spacer overlaps a dielectric substrate layer placed over the ground plane.

7. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said wireless communications device provides at least one cellular service across an entire 1850-1990 MHz frequency range.

8. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the internal antenna system provides at least three frequency bands having similar impedance levels and radiation patterns and further wherein the internal antenna system transmits and receives wireless signals throughout an entire frequency range within each of said at least three frequency bands.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said at least one antenna element is mounted in a monopole configuration.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said at least one antenna element is mounted substantially parallel to the ground plane in a patch antenna configuration.

11. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the internal antenna system provides at least four frequency bands having similar impedance levels and radiation patterns and further wherein the internal antenna system transmits and receives wireless signals throughout an entire frequency range within each of said at least four frequency bands.

12. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said wireless communications device provides at least one cellular service in across an entire 1850-1990 MHz frequency range.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said at least one antenna element is mounted in a monopole configuration.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said at least one antenna element is mounted substantially parallel to the ground plane in a patch antenna configuration.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless communications device having an internal antenna system located within the wireless communications device;

wherein said internal antenna system includes a passive antenna set that operates in two or more frequency bands;

wherein said passive antenna set comprises at least one conductive radiating antenna element, a feeding point to said at least one conductive antenna element, and a ground plane;

wherein said feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for said passive antenna set;

wherein the at least one conductive radiating antenna element includes at least one structure comprising a plurality of electromagnetically coupled geometric elements grouped into at least a first portion and a second portion in which the second portion is located within the first portion, said first and second portions defining empty spaces in an overall structure of the at least one conductive radiating antenna element to provide at least two current paths through said antenna element, such that the passive antenna set transmits and receives wireless signals on selected channels, the selected channels selectable from a plurality of channels throughout an entire frequency range within each of said two or more frequency bands;

wherein said at least one structure does not define a self-similar fractal structure;

wherein at least one of a perimeter of contact or an area of overlap between each of said geometric elements is only a fraction of a total perimeter or a total area of each of said geometric elements, respectively, for a majority of said plurality of geometric elements such that said internal antenna system is physically smaller than a multiband antenna operating in said two or more frequency bands obtained by grouping a plurality of substantially isolated single band antenna elements;

wherein said wireless communications device is a handset;

wherein the level of impedance and radiation pattern of said passive antenna set are similar in said two or more frequency bands so that the passive antenna set maintains basically the same radio-electric characteristics and functionality in said two or more bands to allow it to operate simultaneously in said two or more frequency bands and thereby be able to be shared by several communication services; and

wherein said wireless communications device provides at least one cellular service across an entire 1850-1990 MHz frequency range.

16. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the internal antenna system further includes a matching network connected to said input/output port.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the internal antenna system operates at three or more frequency bands and the internal antenna system is shared by three or more cellular services.

18. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the internal antenna system provides operation over at least three frequency bands having similar impedance levels and radiation patterns and further wherein the internal antenna system transmits and receives wireless signals throughout an entire frequency range within each of said at least three frequency bands.

19. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 15, wherein a number of said plurality of geometric elements is fourteen or more.

20. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 19, wherein the internal antenna system further includes a matching network connected to said input/output port.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the internal antenna system operates at three or more frequency bands and the internal antenna system is shared by three or more cellular services.

22. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the internal antenna system provides operation at least four frequency bands having similar impedance levels and radiation patterns and further wherein the internal antenna system transmits and receives wireless signals throughout an entire frequency range within each of said at least four frequency bands.

23. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 22, wherein the internal antenna system further includes a matching network connected to said input/output port.

24. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 22 further including at least one dielectric spacer for separating the at least one conductive radiating antenna element from the ground plane, wherein at least a portion of said dielectric spacer overlaps a dielectric substrate layer placed over the ground plane.