Three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna and applications thereof

• US 9,407,002 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2015
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• 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:
  US14/720,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20160020508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of substantially planar layers and a three-dimensional shaped region formed thereon;

a plurality of circuit components residing upon at least two differing substantially planar layers of the plurality of substantially planar layers;

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 the three-dimensional shaped region;

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.

2. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spiral antenna sections comprise at least three spiral antenna sections.

3. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 2, wherein the plurality of spiral antenna sections are radial spaced apart about the feed point module.

4. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 1, wherein the feed point module is supported by and conforms to the three-dimensional shaped region.

5. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 1, wherein:

the three-dimensional shaped region comprises a non-conductive region formed upon the substrate; and

the plurality of spiral antenna sections comprise conductors formed upon the non-conductive region.

6. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 5, wherein the non-conductive region comprises:

a hyperbolic shaped region;

a conical shaped region

a cup shaped region;

a cylindrical shaped region;

a pyramid shaped region;

a box shaped region;

a hemispherical shaped region;

or

a parabolic shaped region.

7. 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;

a spiral antenna element having an Archimedean eccentric spiral shape;

a spiral antenna element having an equiangular symmetric spiral shape;

or

a spiral antenna element having an equiangular eccentric spiral shape.

8. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 1, 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.

9. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 1, 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.

10. A three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of substantially planar layers and a three-dimensional shaped region formed therein;

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 the three-dimensional shaped region;

a feed point module supported by the three-dimensional shaped region; and

a common coupling circuit that couples connection points of the plurality of spiral antenna sections to the feed point module.

11. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 10, wherein the plurality of spiral antenna sections comprise at least three spiral antenna sections.

12. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 11, wherein the plurality of spiral antenna sections are radial spaced apart about the feed point module.

13. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of circuit components residing upon at least two differing substantially planar layers of the plurality of substantially planar layers.

14. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 10, wherein the feed point module is supported by and conforms to the three-dimensional shaped region.

15. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 14, wherein the three-dimensional shaped region comprises:

a conical shaped region

a cup shaped region;

a pyramid shaped region;

a box shaped region;

a hemispherical shaped region;

a cylindrical shaped region;

or

a parabolic shaped region.

16. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 10, wherein a spiral antenna section of the plurality of spiral antenna section comprises:

a spiral antenna element having an Archimedean symmetric spiral shape;

a spiral antenna element having an Archimedean eccentric spiral shape;

a spiral antenna element having an equiangular symmetric spiral shape;

or

a spiral antenna element having an equiangular eccentric spiral shape.

17. A three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of substantially planar layers and a three-dimensional shaped region formed thereon;

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 the three-dimensional shaped region;

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.

18. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 17, wherein the plurality of spiral antenna sections comprise at least three spiral antenna sections that are radial spaced apart about the feed point module.

19. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 17, wherein:

the three-dimensional shaped region comprises a non-conductive region formed upon the substrate;

the plurality of spiral antenna sections comprise conductors formed upon the non-conductive region; and

the feed point module is formed upon the non-conductive region.

20. The three-dimensional multiple spiral antenna of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of circuit components residing upon at least two differing substantially planar layers of the plurality of substantially planar layers.