Multiple-antenna device having an isolation element

• US 7,893,889 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2009
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Proctor, James A. Jr., Gainey, Kenneth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan; Vibol
• Application Number:
  US12/563,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20100080151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 343/844, 343/850, 343/893, 455/432.1, 455/436, 455/575.3
• US Class Current: 343/893
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• 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 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/10 using reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/005 providing two patterns of opposite direction; back to back antennas H01Q25/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/50 Feeding or matching arrangements for broad-band or multi-band operation
• 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

A multiple-antenna device is provided, comprising: a printed circuit board having a ground plane configured to provide electromagnetic isolation between a first side of the printed circuit board and a second side of the printed circuit board; a first non-conductive support member formed over the first side of the printed circuit board; a second non-conductive support member formed over the second side of the printed circuit board; a first antenna formed over the first non-conductive support member; and a second antenna formed over the second non-conductive support member, wherein the first antenna is electrically connected to a first feed point on a first portion of the printed circuit board that is not connected to the ground plane, and wherein the second antenna is electrically connected to a second feed point on a second portion of the printed circuit board that is not connected to the ground plane.

Claims

1. A device for interfacing between wireless networks, comprising:

a shielded multiple transceiver element having first transceiver circuitry on a first side of a printed circuit board coupled to second transceiver circuitry on a second side of the printed circuit board, wherein the a first side is electromagnetically isolated from the second side of the printed circuit board;

a first antenna element mounted on the first side of the printed circuit board and coupled to the first transceiver circuitry, the first antenna element configured to exchange communication signals with a first wireless network; and

a second antenna element mounted on the second side of the printed circuit board and coupled to the second transceiver circuitry, the second antenna element configured to exchange communication signals with a second wireless network.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second antenna elements is a single antenna.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second antenna elements includes more than one antenna.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one antenna of the first antenna element is supported by a non-conductive support member on the first side of the printed circuit board and/or wherein at least one antenna of the second antenna element is supported by a non-conductive support member on the second side of the printed circuit board.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one antenna of the first and/or second antenna elements is connected to a feed point on a portion of the printed circuit board that is separate from a ground plane configured to provide the electromagnetic isolation between the first and second sides of the printed circuit board.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless networks operate in accordance with different wireless communications protocols.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second wireless network is a local area network (LAN), an IEEE 802.11 network, a personal communication service (PCS) network, a time division duplex (TDD) network or a frequency division duplex (FDD) network.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein uplink and downlink signals exchanged with the first wireless network via the first antenna element are isolated from each other.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the uplink and downlink signals are isolated from each other based on, frequency division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, channel division multiplexing and/or orthogonal transmission.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein uplink and downlink signals exchanged with the second wireless network via the second antenna element are isolated from each other.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the uplink and downlink signals of the second wireless network are isolated from each other based on frequency division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, channel division multiplexing and/or orthogonal transmission.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and/or second antenna elements includes a slot antenna, a patch antenna, a dipole antenna, or an inverted F antenna.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver circuitry and second transceiver circuitry are coupled via a connection element that passes through a ground configured to provide the electromagnetic isolation between the first and second sides of the printed circuit board, but is not connected to the ground plane.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the first transceiver circuitry and second transceiver circuitry comprise:

a first transceiver circuit configured to operate in a first band; and

a second transceiver circuit configured to operate in a second band.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

first baseband circuitry coupled between the first transceiver circuits of the first transceiver circuitry and second transceiver circuitry; and

second baseband circuitry coupled between the second transceiver circuits of the first transceiver circuitry and second transceiver circuitry.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the first antenna element comprises two antennas and each antenna is coupled to both the first transceiver circuit and the second transceiver circuit of the first transceiver circuitry.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one antenna of the first antenna element has a first polarization, and wherein at least one antenna of the second antenna element has a second polarization different from the first polarization.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein a first antenna of the first antenna element has a first polarization and a second antenna of the first antenna element has a second polarization different from the first polarization.

19. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first field-shaping element formed on the first side of the printed circuit board, proximate to an outer edge of at least one antenna of the first antenna element; and

a second field-shaping element formed on the second side of the printed circuit board, proximate to an outer edge of at least one antenna of the second antenna element.

20. A method of conducting wireless communications between wireless networks, comprising:

electromagnetically isolating a first side of a printed circuit board from a second side of the printed circuit board;

exchanging communication signals with a first wireless network via first transceiver circuitry and a first antenna element mounted on the first side of the printed circuit board; and

exchanging communication signals with a second wireless network via second transceiver circuitry and a second antenna element mounted on the second side of the printed circuit board.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first and second wireless networks operate in accordance with different wireless communications protocols.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the first or second wireless network is a local area network (LAN), an IEEE 802.11 network, a personal communication service (PCS) network, a time division duplex (TDD) network or a frequency division duplex (FDD) network.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

isolating uplink from downlink signals of the communication signals exchanged with the first wireless network via the first antenna element.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the isolating is performed by frequency division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, channel division multiplexing and/or orthogonal transmission.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

isolating uplink from downlink signals of the communication signals exchanged with the second wireless network via the second antenna element.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the isolating of the communication signals exchanged with the second wireless network is performed by frequency division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, channel division multiplexing and/or orthogonal transmission.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

shaping first electromagnetic fields adjacent at least one antenna of the first antenna element; and

shaping second electromagnetic fields adjacent at least one antenna of the second antenna element.

28. A device for interfacing between wireless networks, comprising:

means for electromagnetically isolating a first side of a printed circuit board from a second side of the printed circuit board;

means for exchanging communication signals with a first wireless network via a first antenna element mounted on the first side of the printed circuit board; and

means for exchanging communication signals with a second wireless network via a second antenna element mounted on the second side of the printed circuit board.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the first and second wireless networks operate in accordance with different wireless communications protocols.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein at least one of the first or second wireless network is a local area network (LAN), an IEEE 802.11 network, a personal communication service (PCS) network, a time division duplex (TDD) network or a frequency division duplex (FDD) network.

31. The device of claim 28, further comprising:

means for isolating uplink from downlink signals of the communication signals exchanged with the first wireless network via the first antenna element.

32. The device of claim 28, further comprising:

means for a first polarization of at least one antenna of the first antenna element; and

means for a second polarization of at least one antenna of the second antenna element, wherein the second polarization is from the first polarization.

33. The device of claim 28, further comprising:

means for a first polarization of a first antenna of the first antenna element; and

means for a second polarization of a second antenna of the first antenna element, wherein the second polarization is different from the first polarization.

34. The device of claim 28, further comprising:

means for shaping first electromagnetic fields adjacent at least one antenna of the first antenna element; and

means for shaping second electromagnetic fields adjacent at least one antenna of the second antenna element

35. The device of claim 28, wherein each of the means for exchanging communication signals with the first and second networks comprises:

a first transceiver means for operating in a first band; and

a second transceiver means for operating in a second band.

36. The device of claim 35, further comprising:

means for baseband processing in the first band coupled between the first transceiver means; and

means for baseband processing in the second band coupled between the second transceiver means.