WIRELESS ANTENNA FOR EMITTING CONICAL RADIATION

• US 20100117926A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: DeJean, Gerald Reuben II
• Granted Patent: US 8,279,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/912
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/10 using reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/28 using a secondary device in the form of two or more substantially straight conductive elements log- periodic antennas H01Q11/10; constituting a reflecting surface H01Q19/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

An antenna described herein includes a driven patch that is configured to emit radiation in a broadside direction in response to receiving excitation current, wherein the driven patch has a first radiating edge and a second radiating edge that are approximately parallel to one another. The antenna also includes a reflector element that is configured to reflect radiation emitted from the first radiating edge in a quasi-endfire direction. The antenna can also include two director elements that are configured to direct radiation emitted from the second radiating edge of the driven patch in a quasi-endfire direction.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an antenna, wherein the antenna comprises;

a driven patch that is configured to emit radiation in a broadside direction in response to receiving excitation current, wherein the driven patch has a first radiating edge and a second radiating edge that are approximately parallel to one another;

a reflector element that is configured to reflect radiation emitted from the first radiating edge in a quasi-endfire direction; and

two director elements that are configured to direct radiation emitted from the second radiating edge of the driven patch in a quasi-endfire direction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the driven patch is a broadside radiator.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the reflector element and the two director elements act to transmit radiation in a quasi-endfire direction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the driven patch is configured to emit radiation maximally along a first axis and the reflector element is configured to reflect radiation along a second axis that is approximately perpendicular to the first axis.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the two director elements are configured to direct radiation along the second axis.

6. The system of claim 4 included in a wireless router.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless router is configured to be positioned on a ceiling.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless router is configured to include a plurality of antennas that are substantially similar to the antenna.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of the antennas are configured in a cross-like configuration.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a receiver component that receives an indication of a location of a device in proximity to the wireless router; and

a control component that selectively provides excitation current to a subset of the plurality of the antennas based at least in part upon the received indication of the location.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a receiver component that receives an indication of a location of a device in proximity to the wireless router; and

a control component that selectively removes excitation current from a subset of the plurality of the antennas based at least in part upon the received indication of the location.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is built on a substrate that has a dielectric constant below six.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the driven patch, the reflector element, and the two director elements are positioned approximately symmetrically about an axis.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein a width of the reflector element is greater than a width of the first radiating edge of the driven patch.

15. A method comprising:

a) configuring a driven patch to emit radiation responsive to excitation current, wherein the driven patch has a first radiating edge and a second radiating edge, wherein the driven patch is configured to emit the radiation in a broadside direction;

b) positioning a reflector element adjacent to the first radiating edge of the driven patch to reflect a portion of radiation emitted by the driven patch; and

c) positioning two director elements adjacent to the second radiating edge of the driven patch to direct a portion of radiation emitted by the driven patch in a quasi-endfire direction.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

d) repeating acts a), b), and c) four times to create an antenna structure that includes four different antennas, wherein each of the four antennas includes a driven patch, a reflector, and two director elements.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising configuring the four different antennas in a cross configuration, wherein the four reflector elements are proximate to a center of the cross-configuration.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising configuring a wireless router to include the four different antennas in the cross configuration.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

configuring the wireless router to determine a direction that radiation is desirably transmitted; and

selectively providing excitation current to one of the four antennas based at least in part upon the determined direction.

20. An antenna structure, comprising:

four antennas configured in a cross-configuration, wherein each of the four antennas comprise;

a driven patch that is configured to emit radiation in a broadside direction responsive to receipt of excitation current, wherein the driven patch includes a first radiating edge and a second radiating edge;

a reflector element that is positioned adjacent to the first radiating edge of the driven patch and is configured to reflect radiation emitted from the first radiating edge in a quasi-endfire direction, wherein the reflector element is positioned proximate to a center of the cross configuration;

a first director element that is positioned adjacent to the second radiating edge of the driven patch and is configured to direct radiation emitted from the second radiating edge in a quasi-endfire direction; and

a second director element that is positioned adjacent to the second radiating edge of the drive patch and is configured to direct radiation emitted from the second radiating edge in a quasi-endfire direction.