Combination antenna

• US 9,577,348 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Gomme, Liesbeth, Kerselaers, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): YOUNG, BRIAN K
• Application Number:
  US14/718,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 343/718, 343/702
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/08 Ferrite rod or like elongated core
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Disclosed is an antenna apparatus including a radio frequency (RF) antenna, a magnetic induction (MI) antenna disposed within the RF antenna, and electronic circuitry to receive and process audio received from at least one of the RF antenna and MI antenna.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) antenna comprising;

an antenna body;

a first conductor plate disposed at one end of the antenna body; and

a second conductor plate disposed at a second end of the antenna body; and

an electrically conductive filament arranged within the antenna body of the RF antenna to electrically couple the first plate with the second plate;

a magnetic induction (MI) antenna disposed within the RF antenna; and

electronic circuitry to receive and process audio received from at least one of the RF antenna and MI antenna.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RF antenna communicates over a first distance and the MI antenna communicates over a second distance different than the first distance.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first distance is far-field and the second distance is near-field.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RF antenna is cylindrical.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MI antenna is cylindrical.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a dielectric layer disposed between the MI antenna and the first conductor plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive filament is arranged within the antenna body in an unbalanced way.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a first connection port connected to the RF antenna and a second connection port connected to the MI antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit transmits audio through the MI antenna to a portion of a user'"'"'s body.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MI antenna is incorporated into the RF antenna.

11. An antenna apparatus for a portable electronic device comprising:

a magnetic induction (MI) antenna that comprises a magnetic coil structure for near-field communication;

a radio frequency (RF) antenna for far-field communication that comprises;

a three-dimensional support body;

an electrically conductive first plate on a first surface of the support body;

an electrically conductive second plate on a second surface of the support body,

wherein the first surface and the second surface are arranged on opposing ends of the support body; and

an electrically conductive filament arranged within the support body, electrically coupling the first plate with the second plate.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the MI antenna is incorporated in the RF antenna structure.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the antenna apparatus comprises a first and a second feeding connection, wherein the first and second feeding connections are configured to electrically connect to a signal processing device for processing an electrical signal received or to be transmitted by the antenna.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a maximum dimension of the apparatus is less than or equal to half a wavelength of a highest operating frequency of the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a receiver or transmitter unit; and

a matching unit connected between the receiver or transmitter unit and the antenna feeding connections of the RF antenna, the matching unit being adapted to substantially match the impedance of the RF antenna structure to the impedance of the receiver or transmitter unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the portable electronic device is a hearing aid.