Antenna structures

• US 8,604,982 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Services GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Services GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Achour, Maha, Gummalla, Ajay, Stoytchev, Marin
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US12/914,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20110039501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/767, 343/770, 343/729, 343/846, 343/756, 343/90
• US Class Current: 343/700.MS
• 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 15/0086 said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

Antenna structure having a ground electrode formed outside a footprint of a conductive patch, wherein the conductive patch is a radiating element of the antenna structure. The antenna structure in one embodiment is a composite left and right handed (CRLH) based structure. Antennas and antenna arrays based on enhanced CRLH metamaterial structures are configured to provide broadband resonances for various multi-band wireless communications.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus, comprising:

a ground electrode formed on a first layer;

a conductive patch formed on a second, outer, layer, the conductive patch configured to radiate an electromagnetic wave;

a feed structure electromagnetically coupled to the conductive patch; and

a conductive via conductively coupled to the conductive patch;

a strip line conductively coupled to the conductive via and the ground electrode, the strip line conductively coupling the conductive patch to the ground electrode using the conductive via;

wherein the ground electrode is formed entirely outside a footprint of the conductive patch projected on the first layer so as to reduce a shunt capacitance therebetween, and

wherein a configuration of the conductive patch, the feed structure and the strip line forms a Composite Right and Left Handed (CRLH) structure.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the strip line forms a shunt inductance between the conductive via and the ground electrode.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the feed structure is capacitively coupled to the conductive patch through a gap and forms a series capacitance.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a first end of the strip line is connected to the conductive via and a second end of the strip line is connected to the ground electrode.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the feed structure includes a conductive launch pad formed near the conductive patch and connected to a feed line, the launch pad electromagnetically coupled to the conductive patch.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the CRLH based structure forms a two-dimensional array.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the CRLH based structure supports two modes at two different frequencies.

8. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein two modes are comprised of a left-handed (LH) mode and a right-handed (RH) mode, wherein each of the two modes has a resonant frequency.

9. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the CRLH based structure is structured to resonate at least two different wavelengths.

10. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the configuration is impedance matched to an impedance at an edge of the CRLH radiating structure.

11. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the configuration is matched to a 50Ω

(Ohm) impedance.

12. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is part of a wireless communication device to transmit and receive a signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the feed structure is formed on the second layer;

and at least a portion of the strip line is formed on the first layer.

14. An antenna apparatus, comprising:

a truncated ground electrode formed on a first layer;

a conductive patch formed on a second, outer, layer, the conductive patch configured to radiate an electromagnetic wave;

a feed structure capacitively coupled to the conductive patch;

an inductive tuned element coupling the conductive patch to the truncated ground electrode; and

at least one parasitic element configured to provide and increase in a gain of radiation from the conductive patch in one or more directions;

wherein the ground electrode is formed entirely outside a footprint of the conductive patch projected on the first layer so as to reduce a shunt capacitance therebetween, and

wherein a configuration of the conductive patch, the feed structure and the inductive tuned element forms a Composite Right and Left Handed (CRLH) structure.

15. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the inductive tuned element is isolated from the feed structure.

16. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the feed structure further comprises:

a feed line coupled to a launch pad, wherein the launch pad is proximate the conductive cell patch so as to form the series capacitance, C_L.

17. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the CRLH structure is structured to resonate at a plurality of different wavelengths.

18. A device, comprising

a plurality of conductive cell patches having a cell patch area, the plurality of conductive cell patches formed on a second, outer, layer, and the plurality of conductive cell patches configured to radiate an electromagnetic wave;

a ground electrode formed on a first layer, wherein the ground electrode is formed entirely outside a projection of a footprint of the cell patch area on the first layer;

a feed structure capacitively coupled to the plurality of conductive cell patches to form a series capacitance;

a plurality of conductive vias respectively conductively coupled to respective conductive Cell patches; and

a plurality of ground electrode stripe lines respectively conductively coupled to Respective conductive vias and the ground electrode, the plurality of ground electrode stripe lines Respectively conductively coupling each of the conductive cell patches to the ground electrode using respective conductive vias to form shunt inductances.

19. The device as in claim 18, further comprising:

a transceiver coupled to the feed structure, wherein the transceiver provides signals to be radiated by the plurality of conductive cell patches.

20. The device as in claim 19, wherein the transceiver receives signals from the conductive cell patches, wherein an over the air signal is received at the conductive cell patches.