Conformal box antenna

• US 6,456,242 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Magis Networks, Inc. (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Crawford, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clinger, James
• Application Number:
  US09/799,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20020122006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/725, 343/893, 343/749, 343/826, 343/846, 343/828
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• 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 outer wall of a consumer electronics device housing that houses an electronic device having a need to communicate wirelessly;

a portion of a second outer wall of the consumer electronics device housing, the first and second outer walls being noncoplanar;

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

active circuitry attached to an interior surface of at least one of the portion of the first outer wall and the portion of the second outer wall, the active circuitry being coupled to the at least two antenna elements;

wherein at least two of the at least two antenna elements are configured to achieve diversity in a local area multipath environment that is created when a signal reflects from objects in the local area multipath environment.

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 interior surface of the portion of the first outer wall and the interior surface of the portion of the second outer 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 outer wall of the consumer electronics device housing, wherein the first, second and third outer walls are noncoplanar; and

a third of the at least two antenna elements being attached to an exterior surface of the portion of the third outer wall.

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

11. An antenna assembly, comprising:

a base having first and second plates that are noncoplanar and that are joined together, wherein the base comprises a shape that conforms to exterior surfaces of outer walls of a consumer electronics device housing that houses an electronic device having a need to communicate wirelessly;

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

active circuitry attached to an interior surface of at least one of the first and second plates, the active circuitry being coupled to the at least two antenna elements;

wherein at least two of the at least two antenna elements are configured to achieve diversity in a local area multipath environment that is created when a signal reflects from objects in the local area multipath environment.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 13, wherein the predetermined frequency of operation falls within 5 to 6 gigahertz (GHz).

15. 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.

16. An antenna assembly in accordance with claim 15, 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.

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

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

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

19. 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 exterior surfaces of outer walls of a consumer electronics device housing that houses an electronic device having a need to communicate wirelessly;

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

attaching active circuitry to an interior surface of at least one of the first and second plates;

coupling the active circuitry to the at least two antenna elements; and

configuring at least two of the at least two antenna elements to achieve diversity in a local area multipath environment that is created when a signal reflects from objects in the local area multipath environment.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, further comprising the step of:

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

21. A method in accordance with claim 19, further comprising the step of:

attaching the antenna assembly to the exterior surfaces of the outer walls of the consumer electronics device housing.

22. A method in accordance with claim 19, 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.

23. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the step of attaching active circuitry to an interior surface of at least one of the first and second plates comprises the step of:

integrating the active circuitry to an interior surface of at least one of the first and second plates.

24. A method in accordance with claim 19, 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.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24, wherein the predetermined frequency of operation falls within 5 to 6 gigahertz (GHz).

26. A method in accordance with claim 19, 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.

27. A method in accordance with claim 26, 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.

28. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the method of making an antenna assembly further comprises the step of:

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

29. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein one or more of the at least two antenna elements comprises a patch antenna.