RECONFIGURABLE MULTI-BAND ANTENNA AND METHOD FOR OPERATION OF A RECONFIGURABLE MULTI-BAND ANTENNA

• US 20100033397A1
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colan Graeme Ryan, Vijay Kris Narasimhan
• Original Assignee: Colan Graeme Ryan, Vijay Kris Narasimhan
• Inventors: Ryan, Colan Graeme, Narasimhan, Vijay Kris
• Granted Patent: US 8,339,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/860
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/145 by varying the electrical length
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

A multi-band antenna is provided. The antenna includes a radiating element resonant for at least two resonant frequencies, and at least two matching elements that are electrically connectable to the radiating element to substantially match an input impedance of the antenna to a reference impedance for each one of the at least two resonant frequencies. A method for transmitting and receiving on one or more frequency bands is also provided that includes selecting at least one resonant frequency, selectively electrically connecting a matching element corresponding to the at least one selected resonant frequency to a radiating element resonant at the one or more frequency bands, and receiving or transmitting a wireless signal at the at least one selected resonant frequency with the radiating element.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a radiating element resonant on at least two frequencies;

at least two matching elements respectively corresponding to at least one frequency of the at least two frequencies; and

a switching element, that for a selected frequency of the at least two frequencies, is adapted to selectively electrically connect to the radiating element one or more of the matching elements that correspond to the selected frequency.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the radiating element comprises:

at least two radiating sections; and

a discontinuity bridging the at least two radiating sections.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the discontinuity causes a partial reflection at ends of the at least two radiating sections.

4. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the discontinuity comprises at least one of:

a bend;

a change in impedance between ends of the radiating sections;

a change in materials between ends of the radiating sections;

a change in geometry of ends of the radiating sections; and

an electrically short gap between ends of the radiating sections.

5. The antenna of claim 2, further comprising a radiating feed element electrically connected to the radiating element, wherein:

the radiating feed element and the at least two radiating sections form at least two resonators respectively corresponding to at least one of the at least two frequencies; and

each one of the at least two matching elements substantially matches an impedance at a feed point of the radiating feed element to a reference source impedance for at least one of the at least two frequencies.

6. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the at least two frequencies correspond to frequency bands that include at least one of the following:

125-134 kHz;

13.56 MHz;

400-930 MHz;

1.8 GHz;

2.3 GHz;

2.4 GHz;

2.45 GHz;

2.5 GHz;

3.5 GHz; and

5.8 GHz.

7. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the switching element comprises at least one of:

a Microelectromechanical-based (MEMS-based) capacitive switch;

a PIN diode-based switch;

a transistor-based switch;

a MEMS-based contact switch; and

a combination thereof.

8. The antenna of claim 1, wherein each matching element comprises at least one of:

a grounded stub;

an open stub;

a lumped element network;

a transformer; and

a combination thereof.

9. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the at least two radiating sections are connected in series with the discontinuity bridging between respective ends of the radiating sections.

10. The antenna of claim 2, further comprising a radiating feed element electrically connected to the radiating element, wherein the at least two radiating sections comprise a first radiating section and a second radiating section, and the at least two matching elements comprise a first matching element and a second matching element.

11. The antenna of claim 10, wherein the first radiating section and the second radiating section form an angle.

12. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a surface at a reference voltage, wherein at least one of the at least two matching elements is electrically connected to the surface.

13. The antenna of claim 10, wherein:

the radiating feed element, the first radiating section and the second radiating section form a first quarter wave resonator having a first resonant frequency of the at least two frequencies;

the radiating feed element and the first radiating section form a second quarter wave resonator having a second resonant frequency of the at least two frequencies;

the first matching element substantially matches an impedance at a feed point of the radiating feed element to a reference source impedance at the first resonant frequency; and

the second matching element substantially matches the impedance at the feed point of the radiating feed element to the reference source impedance at the second resonant frequency.

14. The antenna of claim 2, further comprising a radiating feed element electrically connected to the radiating element, wherein the at least two radiating sections comprise a first radiating section, a second radiating section and a third radiating section, and the at least two matching elements comprise a first matching element, a second matching element and a third matching element, wherein:

the radiating feed element, the first radiating section, the second radiating section and the third radiating section form a first quarter-wave resonator having a first resonant frequency of the at least two frequencies;

the radiating feed element, the first radiating section and the second radiating section form a second quarter-wave resonator having a second resonant frequency of the at least two frequencies;

the radiating feed element and the first radiating section form a third quarter-wave resonator having a third resonant frequency of the at least two frequencies;

the first matching element substantially matches an impedance at a feed point of the radiating feed element to a reference source impedance at the first resonant frequency;

the second matching element substantially matches the impedance at the feed point of the radiating feed element to the reference source impedance at the second resonant frequency; and

the third matching element substantially matches the impedance at the feed point of the radiating feed element to the reference source impedance at the third resonant frequency.

15. A steerable beam antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas according to claim 1 arranged to form any one of:

a linear array;

a planar array; and

a volume array.

16. A method for selectively operating an antenna having a radiating element that is resonant at a plurality of resonant frequencies, comprising:

a) selecting at least one resonant frequency from the plurality of resonant frequencies; and

b) selectively electrically connecting a matching element corresponding to the at least one selected resonant frequency to the radiating element.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein selectively electrically connecting the matching element corresponding to the at least one selected resonant frequency to the radiating element substantially matches an impedance at a feed point of the radiating element to a reference impedance at the at least one selected resonant frequency.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein selectively electrically connecting the matching element corresponding to the at least one selected resonant frequency to the radiating element comprises controlling a switching element to select the matching element corresponding to the at least one selected resonant frequency from a plurality of matching elements.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the switching element comprises at least one of:

applying at least one voltage to the switching element;

applying at least one magnetic field to the switching element;

applying thermal energy to the switching element;

applying at least one mechanical force to the switching element; and

a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising at least one of:

transmitting and receiving, wherein;

transmitting comprises feeding a signal having at least one of the at least one selected resonant frequency to the feed point of the radiating element from a transceiver having the reference impedance; and

receiving comprises receiving a wireless signal having at least one of the at least one selected resonant frequency with the radiating element and feeding the received signal to the transceiver from the feed point of the radiating element.