Multi-band antenna

• US 20030231137A1
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxrad Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Maxrad Incorporated
• Inventors: Du, Xin, Gomez, Francisco X.
• Granted Patent: US 6,809,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• 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 9/0435 using two feed points
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0464 Annular ring patch

Abstract

A multi-band antenna with a radiator element located between a ring element with a feed leg and at least one ground leg, and a ground plane. The radiator element may be arranged in a substantially parallel orientation with and electrically isolated from the ring element and the ground plane. The antenna elements may be dimensioned for reception of AMPS, UMTS, PCS and SDAR frequency bands. Further, the antenna may include a GPS module.

Claims

1. A multi-band antenna, comprising:

a radiator element located between a ring element with a feed leg and at least one ground leg, and a ground plane;

the radiator element arranged in a substantially parallel orientation with and electrically isolated from the ring element and the ground plane.

2. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising an insulator, located between the radiator element and the ground plane.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the insulator has a thickness of at least 3 millimeters.

4. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a cover with an open end, mated to the ground plane, enclosing the ring element, and the radiator element.

5. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a base plate coupled to the ground plane;

a cover mating to the base plate, the cover enclosing the ring element, and the radiator element.

6. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the feed leg is shaped to tune the ring element frequency response to at least one target frequency.

7. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the ground plane is a conductive layer on a printed circuit board.

8. The antenna of claim 7, further comprising at least two amplifier circuits located on the printed circuit board.

9. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the radiator element has two feed points arranged in a substantially 90 degrees orientation with respect to a center point of the radiator element.

10. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the radiator element has four feed points arranged in a substantially orthogonal orientation from a center point of the radiator element.

11. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the ground leg is attached to a ¼

wavelength stub.

12. The antenna of claim 11, wherein the ¼

wavelength stub is a conductor with a shield, the shield coupled to the ground plane.

13. The antenna of claim 11, wherein the ground plane is a printed circuit board, and the ¼

wavelength stub is an isolated trace on the printed circuit board.

14. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the at least one ground leg and the feed leg are attached to the ring element at an angle of about 110 degrees with respect to a center of the ring element.

15. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the ring element is a length of metallic wire with interconnected ends.

16. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the ring element, feed leg and at least one ground leg is formed from a conductive sheet.

17. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the ring element is a metallic trace on an insulator substrate.

18. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the ring element has an outer diameter of about Y wavelength.

19. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the ring element is arranged about {fraction (1/15)} wavelength above the ground plane.

20. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the radiator element is located at least 3 millimeters above the ground plane.

21. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the at least one ground leg is two ground legs.

22. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the radiator element has a circular shape.

23. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a conductive riser located between the insulator and the ground plane.

24. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the ring element, radiator element are dimensioned and the spacing of the ring element, radiator element with respect to the ground plane is selected for reception of AMPS, PCS and SDAR frequency bands.

25. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a GPS module.

26. The antenna of claim 25, wherein the GPS module is located on a top surface of the radiator element.

27. The antenna of claim 25, wherein the GPS module is located on a top surface of the printed circuit board.

28. The antenna of claim 1, wherein a diameter, a width and a height dimension of the ring element are selected to create a higher order mode in the ring element with respect to the radiator element.

29. The antenna of claim 1, wherein AMPS, UMTS, PCS and SDAR frequency bands are receivable with a standing wave ratio of 2 or less.

30. A multi-band antenna, comprising

a cover;

a ring element with a feed leg and at least one ground leg;

the ring element arranged in a substantially parallel orientation spaced one of above and below, and electrically isolated from a first side of a radiator element;

a second side of the radiator element abutting an insulator;

the insulator abutting a printed circuit board having a ground plane conductive layer and a first low noise amplifier circuit and a second low noise amplifier circuit;

the printed circuit board abutting a base plate;

the ring element coupled with the first low noise amplifier circuit;

the radiator element coupled with the second low noise amplifier circuit;

the cover mating with the base plate, enclosing the ring element, the radiator element, the insulator and the printed circuit board.

31. The antenna of claim 30, wherein the insulator has a thickness of at least 3 millimeters.

32. The antenna of claim 30, wherein the feed leg is shaped to tune a ring element frequency response to at least one target frequency.

33. The antenna of claim 30, wherein the ring element has a circular shape.

34. The antenna of claim 30, wherein the ring element is formed from a conductor having a circular cross section.

35. The antenna of claim 30, wherein the ring element is a conductive layer on a substrate.

36. The antenna of claim 30, wherein the ring element has a diameter of about ½

wavelength.

37. The antenna of claim 30, wherein the ring element is located about {fraction (1/15)} wavelength above the ground plane.

38. The antenna of claim 30, wherein the ring element is circular shaped and the radiator element is circular shaped;

and

the ring element is located concentric with the radiator element.

39. The antenna of claim 30, wherein an input to the first low noise amplifier is coupled to a 90 degrees hybrid coupler coupled to a pair of feeds attached to the radiator element at 90 degrees to each other with respect to a center of the radiator element.

40. The antenna of claim 30, wherein an input to the first low noise amplifier is coupled to a 90 degrees hybrid coupler coupled to a four feeds attached to the radiator element at 90 degrees to each other with respect to a center of the radiator element.

41. The antenna of claim 30, further comprising a first shielded conductor, coupled with a first low noise amplifier output of the first low noise amplifier;

and a second shielded conductor, coupled with a second low noise amplifier output of the second low noise amplifier;

the first shielded conductor and the second shielded conductor routed through an aperture in the base plate.

42. The antenna of claim 30, further comprising a conductive riser, located between the insulator and the ground plane conductive layer.

43. The antenna of claim 30, further comprising a GPS module.

46. The antenna of claim 30, wherein a diameter, a width and a height dimension of the ring element are selected to create a higher order mode in the ring element with respect to the radiator element.

47. The antenna of claim 30, wherein AMPS, PCS and SDAR frequency bands are receivable with a standing wave ratio of 2 or less.

44. The antenna of claim 44, wherein the GPS module is located on a top surface of the radiator element.

45. The antenna of claim 44, wherein the GPS module is located on a top surface of the printed circuit board.

48. A multi-band antenna comprising:

a ring element with a feed leg shaped to tune a ring element frequency response to at least one target frequency; and

at least one ground leg coupled to a ¼

wavelength stub;

the ring element arranged in a substantially parallel orientation spaced one of above and below, and electrically isolated from a printed circuit board;

the printed circuit board having a ground plane formed from a conductive layer on the printed circuit board.

49. The antenna of claim 48, wherein the antenna is configured for reception of AMPS, PCS and SDAR-Terrestrial frequency bands.

50. The antenna of claim 48, further comprising a second feed leg coupled to the ground plane.

51. A multi-band antenna having arranged in mutually spaced, generally parallel relationship:

an electrically conductive ring;

a ground plane; and

a radiator between said ring and said ground plane.

52. A multi-band antenna having arranged in mutually spaced, generally parallel relationship, in the following order:

a ground plane;

a radiator; and

a parasitic ring.

53. A multi-band antenna having arranged in mutually spaced, generally parallel relationship, in the following order:

a ground plane;

a radiator configured to receive and transmit a first range of frequencies; and

a parasitic ring configured to modify a radiation pattern produced by said radiator.

54. A multiband antenna having arranged in mutually spaced, generally parallel relationship, in the following order:

a ground plane;

a radiator adapted to receive a first signal and configured to receive and transmit a first range of frequencies; and

a parasitic ring configured to modify a radiation pattern produced by said radiator, said ring being adapted to receive a second signal and to serve also as a radiator for a second range of frequencies different from said first range of frequencies.

55. The antenna of claim 54, wherein said ring is fed through a tuned feed structure.

56. The antenna of claim 55, wherein said feed structure is tuned by notching, tapering or otherwise shaping the feed structure.