Compact dual band GNSS antenna design

• US 9,425,516 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ohio State University
• Original Assignee: Ohio State University
• Inventors: Chen, Chi-Chih, Chen, Ming, Liu, Chia-wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, HAI V
• Application Number:
  US13/936,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20140210678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 343/725, 343/700.MS, 343/702
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/364 Creating multiple current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0435 using two feed points
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0457 electromagnetically coupled to the feed line

Abstract

An antenna structure comprising a dielectric substrate layer and a patch layer laminated on top of the dielectric substrate layer, wherein the antenna structure is adapted to provide dual band coverage by combining a patch mode and a slot mode configuration.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a dielectric substrate layer;

a patch layer comprising a conductive patch, said patch layer on top of said substrate layer;

a 0°

-90°

hybrid chip;

a proximity probe located on an external side of said antenna such that said proximity probe is not in contact with said conductive patch of said patch layer; and

at least one additional external proximity probe located on said external side of said antenna such that said at least one additional proximity probe is not in contact with said conductive patch of said patch layer;

wherein each said probe is vertical, comprised of conductive material, and in communication with said hybrid chip; and

wherein said antenna is adapted to provide dual band coverage with a patch mode and a slot mode via said proximity probe.

2. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said antenna has a diameter of about 25.4 mm.

3. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said antenna has a diameter less than about one inch.

4. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said antenna has height of about 11.27 mm.

5. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said patch layer has a height of about 1.27 mm.

6. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said dielectric substrate layer has a height of about 10 mm.

7. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said antenna has a dimension of about λ

/10 at an L2 band.

8. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said antenna is adapted to provide said patch mode at an L2 band and said slot mode at an L1 band.

9. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said patch layer is comprised of PCB.

10. The antenna of claim 9 wherein said patch layer further comprises a meandering slot defined by said conductive patch on top of said PCB.

11. The antenna of claim 10 wherein said conductive patch further defines a circular hole such that said dielectric substrate, said meandering slot, and said circular hole are adapted to facilitate an L2 mode resonance.

12. The antenna of claim 10 wherein resonant field distribution is adapted to occupy substantially the entire dielectric substrate in an L2 mode and be mostly concentrated around the meandered slot in an L1 mode.

13. The antenna of claim 10 further comprising a tuning slot stub extending within said meandering slot and adapted to be used for fine tuning a resonant frequency of an L1 mode without affecting an L2 mode.

14. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said dielectric substrate layer has a dielectric constant of about 45.

15. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said dielectric substrate layer is adhered to said patch layer by a dielectric paste.

16. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said antenna is adapted to provide sufficient bandwidth for an L1 band and an L2 band with RHCP and LHCP isolation of greater than about 15 dB.

17. The antenna of claim 1 wherein each said additional proximity probe is adapted to provide said patch mode and said slot mode.

18. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said antenna is adapted to provide RHCP by combining two orthogonal modes via said hybrid chip.

19. An antenna system comprising:

a plurality of antennas, each said antenna comprising;

a dielectric substrate layer;

a patch layer comprising a conductive patch, said patch layer on top of said substrate layer; and

a plurality of proximity probes located on an external side of said antenna such that each said proximity probe is not in contact with said conductive patch of said patch layer; and

a 90°

hybrid coupler in communication with at least one of said antennas;

wherein each said probe is vertical, comprised of conductive material, and in communication with said hybrid coupler; and

wherein said antenna is adapted to provide dual band coverage with a patch mode and a slot mode via each said proximity probe.

20. The antenna system of claim 19 comprising four said antennas.

21. The antenna system of claim 19 wherein said antenna system is adapted to provide a reflection coefficient less than about −

20 dB and a transmission coefficient of about −

3.2 dB at a predetermined frequency.

22. The antenna system of claim 19 wherein said antenna system is adapted to provide a phase difference of about 90°

in both L1 and L2 bands.