Patch antenna with switchable reactive components for multiple frequency use in mobile communications

• US 20040066336A1
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Breakwaters Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: De Graauw, Antonius Johannes Matheus
• Granted Patent: US 6,819,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/700MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/328 between a radiating element and ground
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/14 Length of element or elements adjustable telescopic elements H01Q1/10

Abstract

The apparatus (100) comprises a printed circuit board (20) on which an antenna device (10) is present. The antenna (2) of the antenna device (10) can be tuned by means of matching bridges (34, 37), each of which comprise a reactive component (3,4) and a switch (25, 26). Preferably, the switches (25,26) are located outside the antenna device (10) such that a standardized antenna device (10) can be used.

Claims

1. An apparatus (100) with a radio communication function, comprising a carrier (20) having a first (28) and an opposite, second side (29) and provided with a ground conductor (21), at which first side (28) an antenna device (10,50) is present, which antenna device (10,50) comprises a substrate (1) having a first (8) and an opposite, second side (9) and an antenna (2), present at the first side (8) of the substrate (1) and having an input impedance, the apparatus (100) further comprising means for tuning said input impedance, characterized in that said means comprise a first and a second matching bridge (34, 37) that comprise a reactive component (3,4) and a switch (25, 26), and that are connected between the antenna (2) and the ground conductor (21).

2. An apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that

a first module contact pad (7) forming part of the first matching bridge (34) and a second module contact pad (47) forming part of the second matching bridge (37) are present at the second side (9) of the substrate (1);

and

a first board contact pad (22) forming part of the first matching bridge (34) and a second board contact pad (46) forming part of the second matching bridge (37) are present at the first side of the carrier.

3. An apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that

the switches (25, 26) of the matching bridges (34, 37) are present on the first side (28) of the carrier (20), and

the switches (25, 26) are located such that there is no overlap between a perpendicular projection of the antenna device (10,50) onto the carrier (20) and the switches (25, 26).

4. An apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the reactive components (3) of the first and the second matching bridges (34, 35) are capacitors.

5. An apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, characterized that a resonant circuit (51) is present between the antenna (2) and the ground conductor (21).

6. An apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the reactive components (3,4) are present in the antenna device.

7. An apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the reactive components (3,4) are present on the substrate (1) and are integrated into an array of passive components.

8. An apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 5, characterized in that the antenna device (10) comprises an integrated circuit (11) and a filter (12,13,15,17).

10. An antenna device (10,50) suitable for use in the apparatus (100, 110) as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 9, comprising

a substrate (1) having a first (8) and an opposite, second side (9),

an antenna (2) present at the first side (8) of the substrate (1), and

antenna device parts belonging to a first and a second matching bridge (34,37), that are connected to the antenna (2) and is provided with a reactive component (3,4).

11. A carrier (20) suitable for use in the apparatus (100) as claimed in any of the claims 2 to 8, having a first (28) and an opposite, second side (29) and provided with a ground conductor (21), at which first side (28) a first (22) and a second board contact pad (46) are present, which first (22) and second contact pads (46) are connected to the ground conductor (21) via a first and a second switch (25,26), respectively.

9. An apparatus (110) with a radio communication function, comprising a carrier (20) with a first (28) and an opposite, second side (29) and provided with a ground conductor (21), at which first side (28) an antenna device (10,50) is present, which antenna device (10,50) comprises a substrate (1) having a first (8) and an opposite, second side (9) and an antenna (2) present at the first side (8) of the substrate (1) and having an input impedance, the apparatus (110) further including means for tuning said input impedance, wherein said means comprise a first and a second matching bridge (34,37) that are electrically connected to the antenna (2) and are provided with a reactive component (3,4), and at least one of said bridges (34,37) is electrically connected to the ground conductor (21).

12. A method of tuning an antenna (2) of an apparatus (100) with a radio communication function, which apparatus (100) comprises:

a carrier (20) with a ground conductor (21),

an antenna device (10,50) comprising a substrate (1) and the antenna (2), and a first and a second matching bridge (34,37) between at least one point (32,33) on the antenna (2) and at least one point on the ground conductor (21), each of said matching bridges (34,37) comprising a reactive component (3,4) and a switch (25,26),

which method comprises the steps of;

measuring an input impedance of the antenna (2); and

adapting the input impedance of the antenna (2) by switching at least one of said switches (25,26) on or off.