Broadband capacitively-loaded tunable antenna

• US 9,537,217 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Ali, Shirook M., Wang, Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): Purvis, Sue A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holecek, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US14/038,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20150091766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/314 using frequency dependent circuits or components, e.g. trap circuits or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/392 the parasitic elements having dual-band or multi-band characteristics

Abstract

A broadband capacitively-loaded tunable antenna, and device there for is provided. The device comprises: an antenna feed; a first radiating arm connected to the antenna feed; a second radiating arm capacitively coupled to the first radiating arm; an adjustable reactance device connecting the second radiating arm to one or more of a ground and a third radiating arm; and, a processor in communication with the adjustable reactance device, the processor configured to adjust a reactance of the adjustable reactance device to tune a resonance frequency of a combination of the second radiating arm, the adjustable reactance device, and, when present, the third radiating arm.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an antenna feed;

a frequency filtering circuit;

a first radiating arm coupled to the antenna feed using the frequency filtering circuit;

a second radiating arm capacitively coupled to the first radiating arm;

an adjustable reactance device connecting the second radiating arm to a third radiating arm;

a bias voltage device in communication with the adjustable reactance device;

a fourth radiating arm coupled to the antenna feed using the frequency filtering circuit, the fourth radiating arm configured to resonate at a frequency different from the first radiating arm and a combination of the second radiating arm, the adjustable reactance device and the third radiating arm, the frequency filtering circuit coupling each of the first radiating arm and a fourth radiating arm to the antenna feed, the frequency filtering circuit configured to electrically isolate the first radiating arm from the fourth radiating arm at each respective operating resonance frequency range; and

,

a processor in communication with the bias voltage device and the adjustable reactance device, the processor configured to adjust a reactance of the adjustable reactance device to tune a resonance frequency of the combination of the second radiating arm, the adjustable reactance device, and the third radiating arm by adjusting the bias voltage device to a given voltage, the given voltage in turn applied to the adjustable reactance device by the bias voltage device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjustable reactance device is adjustable using one or more of:

a bias voltage, a direct current bias voltage, at least one switch, and/or at least one microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjustable reactance device comprises a passive tunable integrated circuit.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the bias voltage device applies the given voltage to the passive tunable integrated circuit.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the reactance of the adjustable reactance device by adjusting a capacitance of the passive tunable integrated circuit.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first radiating arm is configured to resonate in a first frequency range from about 1700 MHz to about 2100 MHz.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the combination of the second radiating arm, the adjustable reactance device, and the third radiating arm is configured to resonate in a first frequency range from about 740 MHz to about 960 MHz, wherein a position of resonance is tunable based on a reactance of the adjustable reactance device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the fourth radiating arm is configured to resonate in a first frequency range from about 2500 MHz to about 2700 MHz.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the second radiating arm is connected to a ground at an end opposite the adjustable reactance device.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising at least a fifth radiating arm and at least a second adjustable reactance device connecting the third radiating arm to the fifth radiating arm, the processor further configured to adjust a respective reactance of the second adjustable reactance device to tune a respective resonance frequency of a combination of the second radiating arm, the adjustable reactance device, the third radiating arm, the second adjustable reactance device and the fifth radiating arm.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein one or more of the second radiating arm and the third radiating arm comprises a three-dimensional structure incorporated onto on internal structure the device.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a matching circuit connecting the antenna feed to the first radiating arm.