Multilevel antennae

• US 8,976,069 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2013
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• 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, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US13/732,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20130194152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 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 includes an internal, multiband antenna element concealed within a portable communication device. The antenna element operates in at least three frequency bands and includes geometric elements arranged to define empty spaces in the antenna element to provide at least three winding current paths through the antenna element which circumvent the empty spaces, the at least three winding current paths respectively corresponding to the at least three frequency bands to provide the antenna element with multi-band behavior, wherein each of two or more of the geometric elements is traversed by the at least three winding current paths. The apparatus further includes a ground plane, with the antenna element being electrically coupled to the ground plane. The geometric elements are arranged such that the antenna element does not comprise a group of single band antennas that respectively operate in the at least three frequency bands.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an internal antenna element having a multi-band behavior, the antenna element being concealed within a portable communication device and configured to operate in at least three frequency bands, the antenna element comprising a plurality of geometric elements arranged to define empty spaces in the antenna element to provide at least three winding current paths through the antenna element which circumvent the empty spaces, the at least three winding current paths respectively corresponding to the at least three frequency bands to provide the antenna element with the multi-band behavior, wherein each of two or more of the geometric elements is traversed by the at least three winding current paths; and

a ground plane, the antenna element being electrically coupled to the ground plane;

wherein the geometric elements are arranged such that the antenna element does not comprise a group of single band antennas that respectively operate in the at least three frequency bands.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna element comprises a feeding point, and the antenna element provides a substantially similar impedance level and radiation pattern in the at least three frequency bands.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least two of the at least three frequency bands are non-overlapping frequency bands.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for the antenna element, the apparatus further comprising:

an input/output connector, the input/output port being coupled to the input/output connector; and

a matching network coupled to the input/output connector.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least one of the at least three frequency bands is in a 800-960 MHz frequency range.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus provides at least one cellular service across a 1850-1990 MHz frequency range.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising the portable communication device, wherein the portable communication device is a handset.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least three frequency bands are non-overlapping frequency bands.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the antenna element is configured to operate in at least four frequency bands, at least two of the four frequency bands being in a 1710-2170 MHz frequency range and at least two of the four frequency bands being in a 800-960 MHz frequency range.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for the antenna element, the apparatus further comprising:

an input/output connector, the input/output port being coupled to the input/output connector; and

a matching network coupled to the input/output connector.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising the portable communication device, wherein the portable communication device is a handset.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the antenna element is positioned substantially parallel to the ground plane.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising the portable communication device, wherein the portable communication device is a handset.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the antenna element comprises twelve or more geometric elements.

15. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein all of the geometric elements have four sides and a perimeter of the antenna element has a different number of sides than each of the geometric elements.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the antenna element comprises four or more geometric elements.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the antenna element is positioned substantially parallel to the ground plane.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for the antenna element, the apparatus further comprising:

an input/output connector, the input/output port being coupled to the input/output connector; and

a matching network coupled to the input/output connector.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of the at least three frequency bands is in a 800-960 MHz frequency range.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus provides at least one cellular service across a 1850-1990 MHz frequency range.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for the antenna element, the apparatus further comprising:

an input/output connector, the input/output port being coupled to the input/output connector; and

a matching network coupled to the input/output connector.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising the portable communication device, wherein the portable communication device is a handset.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least three frequency bands are non-overlapping frequency bands.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna element is configured to operate simultaneously in the at least three frequency bands.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the geometric elements comprises a plurality of sides, wherein at least one of the plurality of sides of at least one of the geometric elements is curved.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna element extends beyond a single plane.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna element is not a fractal type antenna element.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna element does not incorporate a reactive element to achieve a multi-band behavior.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a matching network coupled to the antenna element.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna element is configured to operate in at least five frequency bands.

31. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least three frequency bands are cellular frequency bands, and the antenna element is configured to transmit and receive wireless signals over an entirety of the cellular frequency bands.

32. An apparatus comprising:

an internal antenna element having a multi-band behavior, the antenna element being concealed within a portable communication device and configured to operate in at least three frequency bands, the antenna element comprising a plurality of geometric elements arranged to provide at least three winding current paths that circumvent empty spaces in the antenna element, the at least three winding current paths respectively corresponding to the at least three frequency bands to provide the antenna element with the multi-band behavior, wherein portions of the at least three winding current paths extend along a plurality of common geometric elements; and

a ground plane, the antenna element being electrically coupled to the ground plane;

wherein the geometric elements are arranged such that the antenna element does not comprise substantially non-overlapping portions that serve as respective single band antennas.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the antenna element comprises a feeding point, and the antenna element provides a substantially similar impedance level and radiation pattern in the at least three frequency bands.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein at least two of the at least three frequency bands are non-overlapping frequency bands.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein at least one of the at least three frequency bands is in a 800-960 MHz frequency range.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the apparatus provides at least one cellular service across a 1850-1990 MHz frequency range.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for the antenna element, the apparatus further comprising:

an input/output connector, the input/output port being coupled to the input/output connector; and

a matching network coupled to the input/output connector.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising the portable communication device, wherein the portable communication device is a handset.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the antenna element comprises twelve or more geometric elements.

40. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the antenna element is configured to operate in at least four frequency bands, at least two of the four frequency bands being in a 1710-2170 MHz frequency range and at least two of the four frequency bands being in a 800-960 MHz frequency range.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for the antenna element, the apparatus further comprising:

an input/output connector, the input/output port being coupled to the input/output connector; and

a matching network coupled to the input/output connector.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising the portable communication device, wherein the portable communication device is a handset.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the antenna element is positioned substantially parallel to the ground plane.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising the portable communication device, wherein the portable communication device is a handset.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the antenna element is not a fractal type antenna element.

46. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein all of the geometric elements have four sides and a perimeter of the antenna element has a different number of sides than each of the geometric elements.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the antenna element comprises four or more geometric elements.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the antenna element is positioned substantially parallel to the ground plane.

49. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for the antenna element, the apparatus further comprising:

an input/output connector, the input/output port being coupled to the input/output connector; and

a matching network coupled to the input/output connector.

50. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein at least one of the at least three frequency bands is in a 800-960 MHz frequency range.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the apparatus provides at least one cellular service across a 1850-1990 MHz frequency range.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for the antenna element, the apparatus further comprising:

an input/output connector, the input/output port being coupled to the input/output connector; and

a matching network coupled to the input/output connector.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, further comprising the portable communication device, wherein the portable communication device is a handset.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the at least three frequency bands are non-overlapping frequency bands.

55. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the antenna element is configured to operate simultaneously in the at least three frequency bands.

56. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein each of the geometric elements comprises a plurality of sides, wherein at least one of the plurality of sides of at least one of the geometric elements is curved.

57. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the antenna element extends beyond a single plane.

58. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the antenna element is not a fractal type antenna element.

59. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the antenna element does not incorporate a reactive element to achieve a multi-band behavior.

60. The apparatus of claim 59, further comprising a matching network coupled to the antenna element.

61. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the antenna element is configured to operate in at least five frequency bands.

62. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the at least three frequency bands are cellular frequency bands, and the antenna element is configured to transmit and receive wireless signals over an entirety of the cellular frequency bands.