Three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna and applications thereof

• US 9,041,618 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexopoulos, Nicolaos G., Yoon, Seunghwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Application Number:
  US13/720,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20130249752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 343/895, 343/745, 343/796
• US Class Current: 343/895
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/362 for broadside radiating helical antennas
• 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 21/20 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path slotted waveguide arrays H01Q21/005; circularly or helically slotted waveguides H01Q21/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/27 Spiral antennas

Abstract

A three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna includes a substrate, a plurality of spiral antenna sections, and a feed point module. The substrate has a three-dimensional shaped region and each spiral antenna section is supported by a corresponding section of the three-dimensional shaped region and conforms to the corresponding section of the three-dimensional shaped region such that, collectively, the spiral antenna sections have an overall shape approximating a three-dimensional shape. The feed point module is coupled to a connection point of at least one of the spiral antenna sections.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna comprises:

a substrate having a three-dimensional shaped region;

a plurality of spiral antenna sections, wherein each spiral antenna section of the plurality of spiral antenna sections is supported by a corresponding section of the three-dimensional shaped region and conforms to the corresponding section of the three-dimensional shaped region such that, collectively, the plurality of spiral antenna sections has an overall shape approximating a three-dimensional shape;

a feed point module; and

a common coupling circuit that couples connection points of the plurality of spiral antenna sections to the feed point module, wherein a higher end of a frequency band of the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna is based on an inner radius of the common coupling circuit.

2. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 1, wherein a spiral antenna section of the plurality of spiral antenna section comprises:

a spiral antenna element having an Archimedean symmetric spiral shape, an Archimedean eccentric spiral shape, an equiangular symmetric spiral shape, or an equiangular eccentric spiral shape.

3. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 2, wherein the spiral antenna element comprises one of:

a substantially solid conducive material with a multiple turn spiral slot; and

a conductive wire formed as a multiple turn spiral, wherein a lower end of a frequency band of the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna is based on a radius of the plurality of spiral antenna sections having the overall shape approximating the three-dimensional shape.

4. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 2, wherein the spiral antenna section further comprises:

a second spiral antenna element interwoven with the spiral antenna element, wherein the second spiral antenna element has the Archimedean symmetric spiral shape, the Archimedean eccentric spiral shape, the equiangular symmetric spiral shape, or the equiangular eccentric spiral shape.

5. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 1, wherein the feed point module comprises:

a plurality of feed points coupled to connection points of the plurality of spiral antenna sections, wherein a higher end of a frequency band of the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna is based on a radius of each of the plurality of feed points.

6. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises one of:

one or more printed circuit boards;

one or more integrated circuit package substrates; and

an non-conductive fabricated antenna backing structure, wherein the three-dimensional shaped region includes one of;

a cup shape;

a conical shape;

a cylindrical shape;

a pyramid shape;

a box shape;

a spherical shape;

a parabolic shape; and

a hyperbolic shape.

7. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spiral antenna sections are configured to service one of a cellular RF signal, a Wireless Local Area Network signal, a Wireless Personal Area Network signal, or a millimeter wave signal.

8. A three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna array comprises:

a substrate having a three-dimensional shaped region;

a plurality of spiral antenna sections, wherein each spiral dipole antenna section of the plurality of spiral antenna sections includes a first spiral antenna element interwoven with a second spiral antenna element, is supported by a corresponding section of the three-dimensional shaped region, and conforms to the corresponding section of the three-dimensional shaped region such that, collectively, the plurality of spiral antenna sections has an overall shape approximating a three-dimensional shape;

a feed point module; and

at least one of;

a common coupling circuit that couples connection points of each of the plurality of spiral antenna sections to the feed point module, wherein a higher end of a frequency band of the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna is based on an inner radius of the common coupling circuit;

or

a plurality of feed points coupled to connection points of the plurality of spiral antenna sections, wherein the higher end of a frequency band of the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna is based on a radius of each of the plurality of feed points.

9. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second spiral antenna elements comprises one of:

an Archimedean spiral shape; and

an equiangular spiral shape, wherein gain of the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna has a spiral gain component and a three-dimensional gain component.

10. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second spiral antenna elements comprises one of:

a symmetric spiral pattern; and

an eccentric spiral pattern.

11. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 8, wherein the substrate comprises one of:

one or more printed circuit boards;

one or more integrated circuit package substrates; and

a non-conductive fabricated antenna backing structure.

12. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second spiral antenna elements comprises at least one of:

a substantially solid conducive material, wherein a multiple turn spiral slot separates the first and second spiral antenna elements; and

a conductive wire formed as a multiple turn spiral, wherein a lower end of a frequency band of the three-dimensional spiral antenna is based on a radius of the interwoven first and second spiral antenna elements.

13. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 8, wherein the three-dimensional shaped region comprises one of:

a cup shape;

a conical shape;

a cylindrical shape;

a pyramid shape;

a box shape;

a spherical shape;

a parabolic shape; and

a hyperbolic shape.

14. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna array of claim 8, wherein the plurality of spiral antenna sections are configured to service one of a cellular RF signal, a Wireless Local Area Network signal, a Wireless Personal Area Network signal, or a millimeter wave signal.

15. A radio frequency (RF) front-end module comprises:

a three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna operable to transceive an inbound RF signal and an outbound RF signal, the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna includes;

a substrate having a three-dimensional shaped region;

a plurality of spiral antenna sections, wherein each spiral antenna section of the plurality of spiral antenna sections is supported by a corresponding section of the three-dimensional shaped region and conforms to the corresponding section of the three-dimensional shaped region such that, collectively, the plurality of spiral antenna sections has an overall shape approximating a three-dimensional shape;

a feed point module; and

a common coupling circuit that couples connection points of the plurality of spiral antenna sections to the feed point module, wherein a higher end of a frequency band of the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna is based on an inner radius of the common coupling circuit;

a receive-transmit isolation module operably coupled to the three-dimensional spiral antenna, wherein the receive-transmit isolation module is operable to isolate the inbound RF signal and the outbound RF signal; and

a tuning module operable to tune the receive-transmit isolation module.

16. The RF front-end module of claim 15, wherein a spiral antenna section of the plurality of spiral antenna section comprises at least one of:

a spiral antenna element having an Archimedean symmetric spiral shape, an Archimedean eccentric spiral shape, an equiangular symmetric spiral shape, or an equiangular eccentric spiral shape;

an interwoven pair of spiral antenna elements having the Archimedean symmetric spiral shape, the Archimedean eccentric spiral shape, the equiangular symmetric spiral shape, or the equiangular eccentric spiral shape.

17. The RF front-end module of claim 15, wherein a spiral antenna section of the plurality of spiral antenna section comprises:

at least one spiral antenna element that includes at least one of;

a substantially solid conducive material with a multiple turn spiral slot; and

a conductive wire formed as a multiple turn spiral, wherein a lower end of a frequency band of the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna is based on a radius of the plurality of spiral antenna sections having the overall shape approximating the three-dimensional shape.

18. The RF front-end module of claim 15, wherein the feed point module comprises:

a plurality of feed points coupled to connection points of the plurality of spiral antenna sections, wherein a higher end of a frequency band of the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna is based on a radius of each of the plurality of feed points.

19. The RF front-end module of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises one of:

one or more printed circuit boards;

one or more integrated circuit package substrates; and

an non-conductive fabricated antenna backing structure, wherein the three-dimensional shaped region includes one of;

a cup shape;

a conical shape;

a cylindrical shape;

a pyramid shape;

a box shape;

a spherical shape;

a parabolic shape; and

a hyperbolic shape.

20. The RF front-end module of claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna is configured to service one of a cellular RF signal, a Wireless Local Area Network signal, a Wireless Personal Area Network signal, or a millimeter wave signal.