Methods of encapsulating an antenna

• US 9,368,872 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corelis Incorporated (Electronic Warfare Associates Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Warfare Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Garman, Christopher J., Shrewsberry, Douglas W., Kaplin, David B., Bell, Jason A., Bonazza, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/793,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20160006124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing waveguides or resonators, lines, or other devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/06 with core of ferromagnetic material H01Q7/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

Methods relating to providing a tuned miniature antenna and/or encapsulating such antenna inside the energy storage device.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an energy storage device for electronic equipment, wherein the energy storage device includes a power supply component, circuitry and a communication component having a transmitter or transceiver and an antenna, the method comprising:

(a) setting desired air frequency (F_{air_goal}) and desired core frequency (F_{core_goal}) for a coil to be a design frequency (F_design);

(b) adjusting coil windings around an air core until its resonant frequency in air (F_{air_actual}) equals the desired air frequency;

(c) inserting a ferromagnetic core inside the coil;

(d) identifying a target voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) value by adjusting position of the ferromagnetic core until a minimum (VSWR) is reached, wherein the minimum VSWR corresponds to an actual core frequency (F_{core_actual}) of the coil;

(e) determining if the desired core frequency is equal to the actual core frequency and, if not, repeating steps (b)-(d) with a revised desired air frequency given by F_{air_goal}=F_design×

F_{air_goal}/F_{air_actual} until the desired core frequency is equal to the actual core frequency;

(f) encapsulating the coil to yield an antenna;

(g) measuring a resonant frequency of the encapsulated coil (F_potted);

(h) determining if the resonant frequency of the encapsulated coil is equal to the design frequency and, if not, repeating steps (b)-(f) using a revised core frequency F_{core_goal}=F_design×

F_{core_actual}/F_potted as well as revised air frequency given by F_{air_goal}=F_{core_goal}×

F_{air_goal}/F_{core_actual} until the potted frequency equals the desired design frequency;

(i) fabricating the antenna using the design parameters that achieved the potted frequency being equal to the design frequency;

(j) encapsulating the processor and the communication component in an epoxy resin via a low temperature and low pressure process; and

(k) integrating the encapsulated circuitry with a power supply component into a unitary energy storage device structure that has an external appearance of a conventional battery.

2. A method of providing an encapsulated, tuned miniature antenna, the method comprising:

(a) setting desired air frequency (F_{core_air}) and desired core frequency (F_{core_goal}) for a coil to be a design frequency (F_design);

(b) adjusting coil windings around an air core until its resonant frequency in air (F_{air_actual}) equals the desired air frequency;

(c) inserting a ferromagnetic core inside the coil;

(d) identifying a target voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) value by adjusting position of the ferromagnetic core until a minimum (VSWR) is reached, wherein the minimum VSWR corresponds to an actual core frequency (F_{core_actual}) of the coil;

(e) determining if the desired core frequency is equal to the actual core frequency and, if not, repeating steps (b)-(d) with a revised desired air frequency given by F_{air_goal}=F_design×

F_{air_goal}/F_{air_actual} until the desired core frequency is equal to the actual core frequency;

(f) encapsulating the coil to yield an antenna;

(g) measuring a resonant frequency of the encapsulated coil (F_potted);

(h) determining if the resonant frequency of the encapsulated coil is equal to the design frequency and, if not, repeating steps (b)-(f) using a revised core frequency given by F_{core_goal}=F_design×

F_{core_actual}/F_potted as well as revised air frequency given by F_{air_goal}=F_{core_goal}×

F_{air_goal}/F_{core_actual} until the potted frequency equals the desired design frequency; and

(i) fabricating the antenna using the design parameters that achieved the potted frequency being equal to the design frequency.