CONFORMAL BOX ANTENNA

• US 20020122006A1
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Magis Networks, Inc. (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Crawford, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,456,242 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity

Abstract

An antenna assembly that can conform to two or more noncoplanar walls of a housing associated with numerous different devices that communicate in a WLAN. At least two antenna elements are included with a first antenna element attached to a portion of a first wall and a second antenna element attached to a portion of a second wall. Active circuitry is attached to the backside of the antenna assembly and coupled to the antenna elements. The antenna assembly can be included on a base that can be easily added-on to a product. Spatial and/or polarization diversity can be achieved in a small form-factor at high frequencies, including the 5 to 6 GHz frequency band.

Claims

1. An antenna assembly, comprising:

a portion of a first wall of a housing;

a portion of a second wall of the housing, the first and second walls being noncoplanar;

at least two antenna elements with a first of the at least two antenna elements being attached to the portion of the first wall and a second of the at least two antenna elements being attached to the portion of the second wall; and

active circuitry attached to a backside of at least one of the portion of the first wall and the portion of the second wall, the active circuitry being coupled to the at least two antenna elements.

2. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least two of the at least two antenna elements are sufficiently spaced apart so as to achieve spatial diversity.

3. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least two of the at least two antenna elements are spaced apart by a distance equal to or greater than 0.5λ

for a predetermined frequency of operation.

4. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein the predetermined frequency of operation falls within 5 to 6 gigahertz (GHz).

5. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two antenna elements comprises a first polarization and at least one of the at least two antenna elements comprises a second polarization, wherein the first and second polarizations are orthogonal to each other so as to achieve polarization diversity.

6. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein the active circuitry comprises:

a first power amplifier configured to drive the first polarization; and

a second power amplifier configured to drive the second polarization.

7. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a ground plane attached to the backside of the portion of the first wall and the backside of the portion of the second wall.

8. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least two antenna elements comprises a patch antenna.

9. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a portion of a third wall of the housing, wherein the first, second and third walls are noncoplanar; and

a third of the at least two antenna elements being attached to the portion of the third wall.

10. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 9, wherein the portion of the first wall, the portion of the second wall and the portion of the third wall form a corner of the housing.

11. An antenna assembly, comprising:

a base having first and second plates that are noncoplanar and that are joined together;

at least two antenna elements with a first of the at least two antenna elements being attached to the first plate and a second of the at least two antenna elements being attached to the second plate; and

active circuitry attached to a backside of at least one of the first and second plates, the active circuitry being coupled to the at least two antenna elements.

12. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein the base comprises a shape that conforms to a portion of a housing.

13. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein at least two of the at least two antenna elements are sufficiently spaced apart so as to achieve spatial diversity.

14. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein at least two of the at least two antenna elements are spaced apart by a distance equal to or greater than 0.5λ

for a predetermined frequency of operation.

15. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein the predetermined frequency of operation falls within 5 to 6 gigahertz (GHz).

16. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two antenna elements comprises a first polarization and at least one of the at least two antenna elements comprises a second polarization, wherein the first and second polarizations are orthogonal to each other so as to achieve polarization diversity.

17. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 16, wherein the active circuitry comprises:

a first power amplifier configured to drive the first polarization; and

a second power amplifier configured to drive the second polarization.

18. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 11, further comprising:

a ground plane attached to the backside of the first and second plates.

19. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein one or more of the at least two antenna elements comprises a patch antenna.

20. A method that includes a method of making an antenna assembly, the method of making an antenna assembly comprising the steps of:

forming a base having first and second plates that are noncoplanar and that comprises a shape that conforms to a portion of a housing;

attaching at least two antenna elements to the base with a first of the at least two antenna elements being located on a front side of the first plate and a second of the at least two antenna elements being located on a front side of the second plate;

attaching active circuitry to a back side of at least one of the first and second plates; and

coupling the active circuitry to the at least two antenna elements.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20, further comprising the step of:

providing the antenna assembly to an entity that distributes a product having the housing.

22. A method in accordance with claim 20, further comprising the step of:

attaching the antenna assembly to the housing.

23. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the step of attaching at least two antenna elements to the base comprises the step of:

spacing at least two of the at least two antenna elements apart so as to achieve spatial diversity.

24. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the step of attaching active circuitry to a back side of at least one of the first and second plates comprises the step of:

integrating the active circuitry to a back side of at least one of the first and second plates.

25. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the step of attaching at least two antenna elements to the base comprises the step of:

spacing at least two of the at least two antenna elements apart by a distance equal to or greater than 0.5λ

for a predetermined frequency of operation.

26. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the predetermined frequency of operation falls within 5 to 6 gigahertz (GHz).

27. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the step of attaching at least two antenna elements to the base comprises the steps of:

providing at least one of the at least two antenna elements with a first polarization; and

providing at least another of the at least two antenna elements with a second polarization;

wherein the first and second polarizations are orthogonal to each other so as to achieve polarization diversity.

28. A method in accordance with claim 27, wherein the active circuitry comprises:

a first power amplifier configured to drive the first polarization; and

a second power amplifier configured to drive the second polarization.

29. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the method of making an antenna assembly further comprises the step of:

forming a ground plane on the backsides of the first and second plates.

30. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein one or more of the at least two antenna elements comprises a patch antenna.