Antenna arrangement

• US 8,121,539 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Arkko, Aimo, Hallivuori, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/895,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20090061796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/562.1, 455/575.5, 455/575.7, 340/572.7, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/895, 343/718, 343/846
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07756 the connection being non-galvanic, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles

Abstract

A multi-part, distributed antenna arrangement including: an antenna element as a first part; and a semiconductor chip as a second part, separated from the first part, wherein the semiconductor chip comprises integrated radio frequency circuitry and a coupling element for wirelessly coupling the integrated radio frequency circuitry with the antenna element.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor chip; and

an off-chip antenna element, wherein the off-chip antenna element is galvanically separated from the semiconductor chip;

wherein the semiconductor chip comprises integrated radio frequency circuitry and an on-chip wireless coupling element configured to wirelessly couple the integrated radio frequency circuitry with the off-chip antenna element; and

wherein the integrated radio frequency circuitry includes amplification circuitry.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless coupling element provides for a parasitic feed between the integrated radio frequency circuit and the antenna element.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement is operable at a first frequency band when the antenna element is present and is inoperable at the first frequency band if the antenna element is removed.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement is operable at a first frequency band and wherein the wireless coupling element is a node connected to a conductor that is dimensioned and positioned to wirelessly couple with the antenna element at a first frequency band.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement is operable at a first frequency band and wherein the wireless coupling element is a conductor that is dimensioned and positioned to wirelessly couple with the antenna element at a first frequency band.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the conductor is integrated with the semiconductor chip.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the integrated radio frequency circuitry comprises first amplification circuitry and second amplification circuitry and the semiconductor chip comprises a first wireless coupling element, adjacent a first portion of the antenna element, configured to wirelessly couple the first amplification circuitry with the antenna element and a second wireless coupling element, adjacent a second portion of the antenna element, configured to wirelessly couple the second amplification circuitry with the antenna element.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first amplification circuitry is configured for reception and the second amplification circuitry is configured for transmission.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first amplification circuitry is configured for reception and the second amplification circuitry is configured for diversity reception.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first amplification circuitry is configured for reception at a first frequency band and the second amplification circuitry is configured for simultaneous reception at a second different frequency band.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the antenna element has a slot between the first portion and the second portion.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor chip is a silicon on insulator chip.

13. A radio communications apparatus comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

14. A radio communications apparatus as claimed in claim 13, comprising an exterior housing defining a cavity that houses the semiconductor chip, wherein the exterior housing carries the antenna element at a position adjacent the semiconductor chip.

15. A radio communications apparatus as claimed in claim 13, comprising an exterior housing defining a cavity that houses the semiconductor chip, wherein the exterior housing is the antenna element at a position adjacent the semiconductor chip.

16. A semiconductor chip comprising:

integrated radio frequency circuitry and an on-chip wireless coupling element configured to wirelessly couple the integrated radio frequency circuitry with an off-chip antenna element, and wherein the integrated radio frequency circuitry includes amplification circuitry.

17. A semiconductor chip as claimed in claim 16, wherein the wireless coupling element comprises a conductor that is dimensioned and positioned to wirelessly couple with the antenna element at a first frequency band.

18. A semiconductor chip as claimed in claim 16, wherein the conductor is integrated within the semiconductor chip.

19. A semiconductor chip as claimed in claim 16, wherein the integrated radio frequency circuitry comprises first amplification circuitry and second amplification circuitry and the semiconductor chip comprises a first wireless coupling element, configured to position adjacent a first portion of the antenna element and a second wireless coupling element configured to position adjacent a second portion of the antenna element or a different antenna element.

20. A semiconductor chip as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first amplification circuitry is configured for reception and the second amplification circuitry is configured for transmission.

21. A semiconductor chip as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first amplification circuitry is configured for reception and the second amplification circuitry is configured for reception.

22. A semiconductor chip as claimed in claim 16, wherein the semiconductor chip is a silicon on insulator chip.

23. An antenna arrangement comprising;

a chip;

an off-chip antenna element;

on-chip radio frequency circuitry, wherein the on-chip radio frequency circuitry includes amplification circuitry; and

an on-chip wireless coupling element configured to wirelessly couple the on-chip radio frequency circuitry with the off-chip antenna element.

24. A method comprising:

locating an antenna element adjacent a semiconductor chip, wherein the semiconductor chip comprises radio frequency circuitry, which includes amplification circuitry, and an on-chip coupling element configured to wirelessly couple the radio frequency circuitry with the antenna element, thereby manufacturing a radio communications apparatus.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the antenna element is integrated with a housing of the radio communications apparatus and the antenna element is located by assembling the housing.

26. A multi-part, distributed antenna arrangement comprising:

an off-chip antenna element as a first part; and

a semiconductor chip as a distinct second part, separated from the first part, wherein the semiconductor chip comprises integrated radio frequency circuitry, which includes amplification circuitry, and an on-chip wireless coupling element configured to wirelessly couple the integrated radio frequency circuitry with the antenna element.

27. A multi-part, distributed antenna arrangement comprising:

an off-chip antenna element as a first part; and

a semiconductor chip as a distinct second part, galvanically separated from the first part, wherein the semiconductor chip comprises integrated radio frequency circuitry, which includes amplification circuitry, and an on-chip wireless means for wirelessly coupling the integrated radio frequency circuitry with the antenna element.

28. A multi-part, distributed antenna arrangement comprising:

an antenna arrangement as a first part; and

a semiconductor chip as a distinct second part, galvanically separated from the first part;

wherein the semiconductor chip comprises integrated radio frequency circuitry and an on-chip wireless coupling element configured to wirelessly couple the integrated radio frequency circuitry with the antenna element;

wherein the integrated radio frequency circuitry includes amplification circuitry; and

wherein the arrangement is operable at a first frequency band and the efficiency of the arrangement in the first frequency when the antenna element is present is a factor of ten or more greater than when the antenna element is removed.

29. A multi-part, distributed antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 28, wherein the first part of the antenna arrangement comprises a housing and the antenna element and the second part comprises the semiconductor chip, wherein the antenna arrangement has a first assembled operable configuration in which the housing of the first part is attached to the second part and the antenna arrangement has a second unassembled inoperable configuration in which the first part is not attached to the second part and the antenna element is therefore not present in the antenna arrangement, wherein the antenna arrangement is operable in the assembled configuration and inoperable in the unassembled configuration.