JP2008113462A - Coupled multiband antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an antenna having an antenna structure in a reduced size for performing broadband operation and/or multiband operation. <P>SOLUTION: The present invention comprises an antenna including at least two radiation structures (110, 111)(100, 113), each of the radiation structure takes a form of two arms made of conductor, superconductor or semiconductor materials and the two arms are mutually coupled via regions (200, 201) on first and second arms. According to the present invention, two radiation arms are coupled by forming and spatially arranging the two arms, wherein the arms are disposed while being at least partially proximate (108, 109) to each other and an electromagnetic field in one part is allowed to be transmitted to the other arm via a specific proximate region. The proximate region is positioned away from a power feeding port of the antenna just by a prescribed distance and in particular, the power feeding port of the antenna is excluded from the proximate region. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a novel family having a reduced size characteristic antenna structure characterized by broadband operation, multiband operation or a combination of both effects. The antenna according to the present invention includes at least two radiating structures or arms, and the two arms are coupled through a specific region in one arm part or both arms, which is called a close region or a close region. Is done.

There are several examples in the prior art of antennas formed of multiple radiating structures that are electromagnetically coupled to form a single radiating device.
Specification of International Publication No. WO01 / 22528 of international application. Description of international application WO 01/54225. Angela, Puente, Borja, and Romeo, "Small Wideband Laminated Microstrip Patch Antenna Based on Sherpinsky Fractal Geometry", IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium, Salt Lake City, USA July 2000 ("Miniature Wideband Stacked Microstrip Patch Antenna Based on the Sierpinski Fractal Geometry", by Anguera, Puente, Borja, and Romeu. IEEE Antenna and Propagation Society International Symposium, Salt Lake City, USA, July 2000). Nakano, Ikeda, Suzuki, Mimaki, Yamauchi, “Realization of Dual Frequency and Wideband VSWR Performance Using Normal Mode Helical and Inverted F Antenna”, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 46, no. June 1998 ("Realization of Dual-Frequency and Wide-Band VSWR Performances Using Normal-Mode Helical and Inverted-F Antennas", by Nakano, Ikeda, Suzuki, Mimaki, and Yamauchi IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 46, No 6, June 1998). "Antenna Theory, Analysis and Design" by Constantine Balanis, second edition by Konstantin Baranis. "Multiband characteristics of fractal tree antennas produced by electrochemical deposition" by Puente, Claret, Sagues, Romeu, Lopez-Salvans, and Pous, IEEE Electronics Letters, Vol. 32, no. 5, 2298-2299, December 1996 ("Multiband Properties of a Fractal Tree Antenna Generated by Electrochemical Deposition", by Puente, Claret, Sagues, Romeu, Lopez-Salvans, and Pous, IEE Electronics Letters vol. 32, No 5, pp. 2298-2299, December 1996).

  One of the first examples is the Yagi / Uda antenna (see drawing 3 in FIG. 1). The antenna comprises an excited dipole structure, which is typically fed through a conventional feed network connected at its midpoint, the dipole being a series of unexcited dipoles of different lengths. And the non-excited dipole is parallel to the excited dipole. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is essentially different from the Yagi-Uda antenna for several reasons. First, in the case of the Yagi-Uda antenna, the distance between any pair of dipoles is generally constant, i.e., all dipoles are parallel and do not contain adjacent regions, which allows Coupling is strengthened. The purpose of the parallel arrangement of such coupled dipoles in the Yagi-Uda antenna is to provide a directional radiation pattern of an endfire (uniformly excited vertical shape). In order to reduce the size of the antenna and provide broadband or multi-band operation, it is arranged with a close region.

  As an antenna including two radiation structures coupled to each other according to another prior art example, there is a stacked microstrip patch antenna (Non-Patent Document 1). In such a device, an arbitrarily shaped excited microstrip patch placed on the ground plate is coupled to a passive unexcited patch placed on top of the excited patch. The excitation patch and the non-excitation patch are kept at a certain distance from each other, and are not particularly coupled via a specific proximity region on either of the two patches in proximity to the adjacent patch. You will notice. Such stacked microstrip patch antenna configurations provide broadband operation, but do not feature the close regions described in the present invention, and the size of these patches is typically the dielectric of the patch Since it is determined to match half-wavelength in the substrate, it does not feature a greatly reduced size, but in the case of the present invention, the antenna features a characteristic small size of less than a quarter wavelength. I have.

  Non-Patent Document 2 describes a monopole and PIFA antenna according to an example of the prior art, which are coupled to each other and feature broadband operation. In all of the prior art devices described above, the exciting and non-exciting elements are parallel to each other and do not benefit from the close region disclosed in the present invention, so these examples are also described in the present invention. It is clearly different from the antenna. The close region disclosed in the present invention contributes to the miniaturization of the antenna and at the same time enhances broadband operation.

  There are several examples of structures in the prior art that include several radiating structures that are not parallel to each other. One example is a V dipole (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 3). In this case, there is a minimum distance between two arms at a V-shaped apex, and such apex is a feeding point of the above structure. Therefore, it should be noted that a coupling proximity region as disclosed in the present invention is not formed between the arms. In the present invention, the feed point is specifically excluded from this close region because it does not contribute to size reduction and / or multi-band or broadband operation as intended herein. In order to form the dipole according to the present invention, it is necessary that the at least one arm be folded so that at least one arm of the dipole approaches the other arm to form a close region.

  An antenna including a plurality of radiating arms according to another example of the related art has a multi-branch structure (for example, see Non-Patent Document 4). These examples are also essentially different from the present invention, in which all radiating arms are interconnected via direct ohmic contact to a common conductor structure. Then, at least two of the radiating arms of the antenna are not connected and must be coupled only through the close region.

  Those skilled in the art will realize that the present invention can be combined with multiple antenna configurations according to the prior art to provide a novel antenna device with enhanced feature capabilities. In particular, it should be clear that the shape of any radiating arm can take many shapes as long as it includes at least two arms and the at least two arms include the tight region therebetween. In particular, in some embodiments, one or several of the arms according to the present invention may have a multi-level antenna type as described in US Pat. Or any other complex shape such as a zigzag curve. In some embodiments, at least one of the arms may approach an ideal fractal curve by truncating the fractal a finite number of iterations.

  The invention comprises an antenna comprising at least two radiating structures, said radiating structure taking the form of two arms, said arms being made or limited to a conductor material, a superconductor material or a semiconductor material, said 2 The two arms are coupled to each other via regions on the first and second arms, so that the combined structure of the two coupled arms comprises broadband operation, multi-band operation or a combination of both actions Forming a small antenna. According to the invention, the coupling between the two radiating arms is achieved by the shape and spatial arrangement of the two arms, in which case the electromagnetic field in one arm passes through the specific close region to the other. At least a portion on each arm is placed in close proximity to each other (eg, at a distance of less than one-tenth of the longest operating wavelength of free space). The proximity region is arranged at a predetermined distance from the antenna power supply port (for example, a distance exceeding 1/40 of the longest operating wavelength in free space), and specifically excludes the antenna power supply port.

  2 and 5 in FIG. 2 show an embodiment of the antenna device described in the present invention. In the particular embodiment of FIG. 4, the arms (110) and (111) are L-shaped and are joined via a tight region (200). In this case, the antenna is mounted on the ground surface (112), and the antenna (111) is directly fed to the ground (103) while the antenna (111) is supplied with power at one of the tip portions (102) of the arm (110). Connected to. Although in a very basic configuration, this embodiment includes the essence of the present invention (two arms or radiating structures are the folded portions (108) and (108) of the arms (110) and (111)). 109) and are coupled via the close region (200) defined by). It can be seen that in the particular embodiment of FIG. 5, the location of the proximity region (201) can be determined elsewhere. The arm (100) is linear, whereas the arm (113) is folded. The antenna system is mounted on the ground plane (112), and the antenna system is fed at one of the tip portions (102) of the arm (100), while the arm (113) is connected to the ground (103). . 4 and 5 that the distance Ws is shorter than the distance Wd. Many other embodiments and configurations are permissible within the spirit and scope of the invention, as indicated in the description of the preferred embodiments.

  According to the present invention, in order to enhance the coupling from one arm to another according to the present invention, at least the proximity region needs to be formed in part of the two arms, so that between the two radiating arms It should be noted that the distance of cannot be constant. In other words, the distance between the two arms in the direction orthogonal to either arm is not constant throughout the arm. This in particular excludes all antennas (such as the example shown in FIG. 1) made by two radiating arms that extend completely parallel at a distance from each other.

  The power feeding mechanism of the present invention may take the form of balanced feeding or may take the form of unbalanced feeding. In one embodiment of an unbalanced feed, the feed point (102) includes at least one point in the first of the two arms ((110) or (100)) and a ground plane (112) or ground counter. It is defined between at least one point on the poise (for example, see (102) in FIG. 1). In the case of this unbalanced power supply, the arm (111) or (113) is short-circuited to the ground plane or the ground counterpoise (112). Further, in this unbalanced feeding method, the shortest distance Ws between the arms in the adjacent region is the feeding point (102) and the second arm ((111) in the first arm ((110) or (100)). ) Or (113)) is always shorter than the distance Wd to the ground point (103), so that the proximity regions ((200) and (201)) are clearly identified in this structure.

  In a balanced scheme (see, eg, drawing 75 of FIG. 17), a point on each of the two radiating structures or arms defines a differential input port (183) between the two arms (182, 184). In this case, such a differential feeding region is excluded from the proximity region, and this proximity region is positioned at a distance exceeding 1/40 of the free space operating wavelength from the feeding region. Again, in this arrangement, the distance between the arms (182, 184) may not be constant and typically includes two adjacent regions, i.e., the feed region (183 that defines the differential input). ) And the proximity region that characterizes the present invention.

  One important aspect of the present invention is that there is no contact point between the two radiating arms that define the antenna. The two arms form two separate radiating elements, which are joined by a characteristic close region, but no ohmic contact is formed between the two arms. This is especially the case for an antenna composed of a single radiating multi-branch structure, where two or several of the radiating arms on the multi-branch structure can be coupled via a proximity region Any antenna is excluded from the present invention. In a multi-branch structure, all radiating arms or branches are connected to a single conductor structure with a direct ohmic contact, but the present invention is particularly made with at least two separate radiating structures that do not have direct contact with each other. Therefore, the difference between the present invention and the above-described multibranched structure is obvious.

  The shape of the radiating arms of the antenna can take any form as long as a characteristic proximity region is included between the radiating arms. In some embodiments, an L or U-shaped arm is preferred. In other embodiments, the arms take the form of complex multi-level and space-fill structures, and in some embodiments, one or two of the arms may even approach a fractal-type shape. In practice, the shape of the arm is not an aspect specific to the present invention, which is an adjacent region that provides strong coupling between the otherwise independent radiating arms.

  It may be noted that the scope of the present invention is not limited to structures formed by two radiating arms. Three or more radiating arms can be included within the scope of the present invention as long as at least two of them define a close region as described above. In some embodiments, multiple arms are coupled together through a single intimate region. In other embodiments, some of the plurality of arms are coupled together via several proximate regions.

The main advantages of the present invention over other prior art antennas are as follows.
(A) Size or height reduced compared to other quarter-wavelength resonant elements.
(B) Broadband operation with a typical bandwidth of about 50% and above.
(C) Better return loss and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) at the input port.
(D) Increased radiation efficiency compared to other antennas of the same size.
(E) Increased gain compared to other antennas of the same size.

  Those skilled in the art will clearly realize that such advantages can be combined with other feature functions such as multiband response. One skilled in the art can adjust the length and size of several coupled arms as well as the spacing and size of adjacent regions defined between several arms. You will notice that it can be achieved within the scope of Another way of combining the above advantages with multi-band operation consists of shaping at least one of the arms as a multi-band antenna, for example with a multi-level structure or a space-filling structure.

  Depending on placement and application, the arm of the present invention can be any of the prior art antennas, including monopoles, dipoles, planar inverted F (PIFA) and inverted F (IFA) structures, microstrip structures, etc. It can take the form of things. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the antenna described above. The antenna may be of any other form as long as the antenna includes at least two radiating arms or structures and these arms define a close region where the distance between the arms reaches a predetermined minimum value. Good.

  It will be apparent that depending on the antenna embodiments included in the present invention, the resulting antenna will be compatible with several environments. In particular, the antenna can be a handheld terminal device (cellular or cordless telephone, PDA, electronic pager, electronic game, or remote control device), cellular or wireless access point (eg, AMPS, GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, UMTS, PCS1900, DCS, DECT). , WLAN, ... etc. for microcell or picocell effective coverage), automotive antennas, integrated circuit packages or semiconductor devices, multi-chip modules, etc. .

  For a better understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a plurality of different configurations according to the prior art. FIG. 1 shows a conventional excitation monopole (unbalanced antenna connected to the feed point) with parallel non-excitation elements, whereas FIG. 2 shows four conventional linear non-excitation elements. Together with a conventional excitation monopole (unbalanced antenna connected to the feed point), where all non-excitation elements are parallel to the excitation monopole. FIG. 3 shows a configuration according to the known prior art known as Yagi / Uda and mainly used for terrestrial communications. In the case of this Yagi-Uda configuration, several non-excitation elements are parallel to the excitation elements and are arranged at equal intervals.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing two basic structures included in the present invention. FIG. 4 shows two arms, one of which is powered and the other is directly grounded. It can be seen that there is a close region between the arms. In this embodiment, both arms are folded. FIG. 5 shows another configuration where there are two arms, where the fed arm is straight, but the non-excited arm is folded to form a tight region with the first arm. ing.

  FIG. 3 shows several basic embodiments according to different configurations for coupled antennas, where the arm connected to the feed point (excitation arm) is linear, but not excited The arm is folded so as to form a close contact area with the excitation arm.

  FIG. 4 shows a more complex series of coupled antenna embodiments, where the arm connected to the feed point (excitation arm) is linear, while the non-excitation arm follows a space-filling curve. And can be folded.

  FIG. 5 shows that not only the non-excited arm can be folded so as to form an intimate region, but also the excited arm, ie the arm connected to the ground plane, can be folded. It is. This figure shows a basic configuration.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an alternative scheme for coupled antennas. Drawings 24, 25, and 26 are examples of combined antennas having portions where either one of the two arms acts as a stub so that the antenna's performance better meets the required specifications. Figures 27, 28 and 29 show examples of how the combined loop structure is realized by using the present invention.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing that several non-excited arms (ie, arms not connected to a feed point) can be placed in the same structure as long as there is a close region defined for the purposes of the present invention. is there.

  FIG. 8 shows differently configured arms formed by a space filling curve. As in the previous embodiment, the close region is appropriately defined no matter how the arm is configured.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another set of embodiments in which the arms include one or several partial branches to the structure of the arms so that the electrical characteristics of the antennas are better adapted to the specified requirements. is there.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating some complex configurations of coupled antennas with combinations of the configurations shown previously in FIGS.

  FIG. 11 shows that any shape of arm can be used as long as the coupled antennas are connected through a close region.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a series of complex embodiments involving coupled antennas. Drawings 60 and 61 show that the arm can also be formed by a planar structure. Drawing 62 shows an excitation arm formed by a multi-level structure. Drawing 63 shows a helical excitation arm surrounding the non-excitation arm. Drawing 64 shows another embodiment of a folded planar arm. The scope of the present invention includes not only a linear or planar structure, but also arranges two three-dimensional arms so as to form a close region as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 13 shows that not only monopoles, but also slot antennas such as those shown in FIGS. 66 and 67 can be featured with close regions.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a coupled antenna mounted on a chip structure.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a further example of an application where a coupled antenna can be attached. Drawings 70 and 72 show a combined antenna according to the basic configuration attached to a handheld PCB. Drawing 71 shows a clamshell handheld configuration (folded PCB) and how a combined antenna can be attached to the configuration.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a coupled antenna according to another configuration when connected to an automobile environment.

  FIG. 17 shows a PIFA structure, where FIG. 74 also falls within the scope of the present invention as it features a close region between the two arms of the structure (in this case, two planar patches). . Drawings 75, 76, and 77 are diagrams showing a series of dipole structures (balanced feeding structures) that are also characterized by close regions.

  Appropriate antenna design is required to construct a coupled antenna system according to embodiments of the present invention. Although there are any number of possible configurations, the actual antenna selection depends, for example, on the operating frequency and bandwidth, among other antenna parameters. The following are some examples of possible embodiments. However, in view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. In particular, when manufacturing a coupled antenna system, different materials and manufacturing processes may be selected that also achieve the desired effect.

  FIG. 1 in FIG. 1 shows an antenna system formed by two monopoles in a manner known in the prior art, where one monopole operates as an excitation monopole (100) and the other is non- Operates as an excitation monopole (101). The feed point (102) represented by a circle in all drawings of the present invention can be implemented in several ways, for example, the sheath (sheath) is connected to the ground plane and the inner conductor is It can be implemented with a coaxial cable connected to the radiating conductor element (100). The non-excitation element (101) is connected to the ground plane via (103). In this configuration, since both (100) and (101) are parallel, there is no close region. In the prior art, the radiating conductor element (100) is usually shaped like a linear conductor, although several other shapes can be found in other patents or scientific papers. The shape and size of the radiating element (100) and the non-excited element (101) contribute to the determination of the overall operating frequency of the antenna system.

  FIG. 2 in FIG. 1 also shows an antenna system formed by a radiating element (100) and several unexcited monopoles (104) in a manner known in the prior art. In this configuration, there is no intimate region because both the radiating element (100) and the non-exciting element (104) are parallel.

  FIG. 3 in FIG. 1 shows a prior art configuration known as Yagi / Uda. In this structure, the distance between any pair of dipoles is generally constant, i.e., all dipoles (105, 106, 107) are parallel and include a close region that enhances the coupling between the dipoles. Absent. The purpose of this parallel arrangement of dipoles in the Yagi-Uda antenna is to provide a directional radiation pattern for the endfire, but in the present invention, multiple radiating arms reduce the size of the antenna and Arranged in close proximity to provide multi-band operation.

  Unlike the prior art structure shown in FIG. 1, the newly disclosed combined antenna system shown in FIG. 4 of FIG. 2 includes a radiating element (110) connected to a feed point (denoted by (102)). , (103) and a non-excited element (111) connected to the ground plane (112). In this configuration, it is clear that there is a close region (200) between the folded subpart arms (108) and (109), ie Ws <Wd. The feed point (102) can be implemented in several ways, for example with a coaxial cable with the sheath connected to the ground plane (112) and the inner conductor connected to the radiating conductor element (110). Can be done. The shape and size of the radiating element (110) and the non-exciting element (111) contribute to the determination of the operating frequency of the entire antenna system. For clarity, and without loss of generality, FIG. 5 shows a specific case. This consists of a radiating element (100) connected to the feed point (102) and a non-excited element (113) connected to the ground plane (112) via (103). Again, it is clear that the close region (201) between (100) and (113) contributes to the enhanced performance of the antenna system and that Ws <Wd. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these configurations in FIG. 2 may be of any other type with any size, as long as the intimate region is formed, as will be seen in the preferred embodiments described below. It is clear that they may be combined in any other way. For the sake of clarity, the final monopole structure is on a common flat ground plane, but on a curved or bent surface for both multiple coupled antennas and multiple ground planes. Other conformal configurations may be used as well. The ground plane (112) shown in this drawing is merely an example, but a multi-level or space-filled ground plane, an electromagnetic band-gap (EBG) ground plane, or a photonic band gap (Photonic Band Gap). Other ground plane embodiments known in the art, such as -Gap: PBG) ground planes, or high-impedance (Hi-Z) ground planes, or other ground plane implementations from prior patents Several forms are also possible. The ground plane can be disposed on the dielectric substrate. This can be achieved, for example, by etching techniques such as those used in the manufacture of PCBs or by using conductive inks.

  In some embodiments, such as the one shown in FIG. 3, only the non-excited elements (114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119) are the only radiating elements (100) and non-excited elements (114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119) and is folded so as to form a close region. This figure shows a basic configuration (FIGS. 6 to 11) in which folding of the non-excitation elements (114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119) is formed at an angle of 90 degrees. The embodiment shown in this figure is presented by way of example only and is not intended to limit the invention. The principles of the present invention have been illustrated and described through some preferred embodiments thereof, and it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the arrangements and details according to the present invention can be changed without departing from the principles of the close domain. Should be obvious.

  If multi-band or broadband operation is to be extended, some embodiments in which space-filling curves such as those shown in FIG. 4 are combined are preferred. The space-filled arrangement described above allows multiple resonant frequencies that can be used as multiple separate bands or as a broadband if they are properly coupled together. Also, the multi-band or broadband operation can be achieved by molding the plurality of elements with different lengths in the structure. The space filling curve is also a way to further reduce the size of the antenna. For the sake of clarity and without loss of generality, this figure shows a particular configuration where the excitation element (ie, the radiating arm) is linear, whereas space-filling characteristics are utilized for the non-excitation element It is shown. However, this same space filling principle may be used for radiating elements, as shown in other preferred embodiments described later herein.

  In some preferred embodiments, such as those shown in FIG. 5, non-exciting elements (121, 122, 123, 125, 127, 129) and radiating / exciting elements (120, 124, 126, 128) Are folded so as to form a close region between the radiating element (120, 124, 126, 128) and the non-exciting element (121, 122, 123, 125, 127, 129). This figure shows a basic configuration in which the non-excitation elements (121, 122, 123, 125, 127, 129) and the radiating elements (120, 124, 126, 128) are folded at an angle of 90 degrees ( Figures 18 to 23) are shown. The embodiment shown in this figure is presented by way of example only and is not intended to limit the invention. The principles of the present invention have been illustrated and described through some preferred embodiments thereof, and it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the arrangements and details according to the present invention can be changed without departing from the principles of the close domain. Should be obvious.

  In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 24, 25 and 26 of FIG. 6, the arms are formed by using guide stubs (130, 131, 132, 133, 134). Their purpose is to further reduce the size of the antenna system. The position of the stub can be arranged along the radiating arm or the non-exciting arm and can be distributed.

  In some preferred embodiments, a loop configuration with coupled antennas, such as that shown in FIGS. 27, 28 and 29 of FIG. 6, further facilitates matching with the operating frequency of the antenna system. From these drawings, it can be seen that the overall shape of the antenna system forms an open loop and is within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principle of close region.

  To illustrate that some modifications to the combined antenna system can be implemented based on the same principles and spirit as the present invention, FIG. 7 shows another preferred embodiment example. Drawing 30 shows a structure that includes two non-exciting elements (135, 136) and a close region is formed between the exciting elements and the non-exciting subsystem. Figures 31 to 35 show other suitable configurations in which several parasitic elements having different shapes are arranged in different locations and distributions.

  If multi-band or broadband operation is to be extended, some embodiments in which space-filling curves such as those shown in FIG. 8 are combined are preferred. The space-filled arrangement described above allows multiple resonant frequencies that can be used as multiple separate bands or as a broadband if they are properly coupled together. Also, the multi-band or broadband operation can be achieved by molding the plurality of elements with different lengths in the structure. The space filling curve is also a way to further reduce the size of the antenna. For clarity and without loss of generality, this figure shows a particular configuration in which both the exciting element (ie, the radiating arm) and the non-exciting element are formed by a space-filling curve.

  In some preferred embodiments, it may be necessary to add partial branches to the non-excited and excited elements in order to match the frequency response of the antenna to the required specifications. Drawing 42 of FIG. 9 shows a configuration in which a branch (137) is added to the excitation element and another branch (138) is added to the non-excitation element. The shape and size of the branch can be any type, such as a linear shape, a planar shape, or a volumetric shape, without loss of generality. Drawings 43 to 47 of FIG. 9 show another embodiment of a combined antenna with a branching configuration.

  It is an interesting point to note that the advantages of the combined antenna geometry can be utilized in shaping the radiating and non-exciting elements in a very complex manner. Drawings 48-53 of FIG. 10 illustrate a specific embodiment of a combined antenna using complex configurations and designs, but to those skilled in the art within the same spirit as the present invention. It will be apparent that many other geometric structures can be used instead.

  The shape and size of the arm can be any type, such as a linear shape, a planar shape, or a volumetric shape, without loss of generality. Drawings 54-59 of FIG. 11 show coupled antennas according to some embodiments in which the shape of both radiating elements and non-exciting elements varies within the same element.

  FIG. 12 shows that what is adapted according to the close-domain principle defined within the scope of the present invention is not limited to linear structures. Drawing 60 shows an example of two planar elements (143, 144). Drawing 62 illustrates one embodiment of a multi-level structure that operates as a radiating element. Drawing 63 shows a helical excitation arm surrounding the non-excitation arm. Drawing 64 shows another embodiment of a folded planar arm. As can be seen in FIG. 65 where two three-dimensional arms are arranged to form a close region, the scope of the present invention is not limited to linear or planar structures.

  FIG. 13 shows that not only monopoles or dipoles that feature close regions, but slot antennas such as those shown in FIGS. 66 and 67 also include close regions. Both of these drawings consist of a conventional solid ground contact surface (151) cut out to have several slots (152, 156, 158) on the surface. The feed point (155) can be implemented in several ways, for example, as shown in FIG. 66, the sheath (153) is connected to the exterior of (151) and the inner conductor (154) of the coaxial cable. ) Can be implemented with a coaxial cable connected to the inner radiating conductor element. In the case of drawing 67, the inner conductor of the coaxial cable is connected to (157).

  Shown in FIG. 14 is a coupled antenna according to another preferred embodiment. This figure represents a combined antenna placed in an IC (or chip) module, a top cover (159), a transmit / receive IC module (163), a bonding wire (162), and chip leads. It is composed of a frame (164) and a combined antenna formed by excitation elements and non-excitation elements (160, 161). Any other type of chip technology can be used without loss of generality.

  FIG. 15 shows different configurations of handheld applications that can use the combined antennas described in the present invention. Drawing 70 shows a PCB (167) of a handheld device (eg, a cellular telephone) that operates as a ground plane. For the sake of clarity only, the antenna system in this embodiment is formed of two arms, one of which is acting as the excitation arm (165), ie the arm connected to the feed point and the other is non- It is an arm that operates as an excitation arm (166). FIG. 71 shows a clamshell type configuration (also known as a flip type) for cellular telephones that can be provided with the antenna system presented in the present invention. Drawing 72 shows a PCB (172) of a handheld device (eg, a cellular telephone) that operates as a ground plane. The antenna system in this embodiment is formed by two arms, which in this particular case are three-dimensional, one operating as an excitation arm (171) and the other operating as a non-excitation arm (170). Structure. In this case, the arms (170, 171) of the antenna system are presented as parallelepipeds, but obviously any other structure could be used instead.

  Shown in FIG. 16 is another preferred embodiment in which a combined antenna system (173, 174) is provided on or in the vehicle.

  Drawing 74 of FIG. 17 shows a PIFA structure that includes a ground plane (176) and a feed point (177) connected somewhere on the patch (178) depending on the desired input impedance. And an excitation element formed by a connection point (175) of a ground point or a short-circuit point and a radiator element (178). The system is also formed by a non-excitation element (179) connected to the ground plane at (181). In FIG. 74 it can clearly be seen that the close region is formed by elements (178) and (179). The PIFA antenna has recently received much attention because it has a form that can be integrated into a handset cabinet of a type known per se. For this type of antenna system, the antenna, the ground plane or both are preferably disposed on the dielectric substrate. This can be achieved, for example, by etching techniques such as those used in the manufacture of PCBs, or by printing antennas and ground planes on a substrate using conductive ink. Between the patch and the ground plane, a low-loss dielectric substrate (for example, glass fiber, Teflon (registered trademark) substrate such as Cuclad (registered trademark)), or Rogers 4003 (Rogers 4003: Other commercially available materials) such as registered trademark) can be placed. The above may be replaced with other dielectric materials having similar characteristics without departing from the intent of the present invention. Instead of etching the antenna and ground plane from copper or any other metal, it is also possible to manufacture the antenna system by printing the antenna system using conductive ink. Similarly, the antenna feeding method can adopt any one of known methods used for patches or PIFA antennas according to the prior art, for example, an external conductor connected to a ground plane. And an internal conductor connected to the patch at a desired input resistance point, and a microstrip transmission line that shares the same ground plane as the antenna and has a capacitance Or a strip positioned at a predetermined distance below the patch, or in another embodiment, a strip disposed below the ground plane and coupled to the patch through a slot. Microstrip transmission lines can be used, and microstrip transmissions with strips that are coplanar with the patch. It is possible to adopt the line. All these mechanisms are known from the prior art and do not form an essential part of the present invention. The essential part of the present invention is the shape of the close region, which contributes to a reduction in size and an increase in antenna bandwidth, VSWR and radiation efficiency over prior art configurations.

  Drawings 75-77 of FIG. 17 show the configuration of a coupled antenna as described for the purposes of the present invention, but here with a balanced feed point (183).

  The above-described embodiments of the present invention have been presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the present invention. While the principles of the invention have been illustrated and described in several preferred embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the arrangement and details of the invention can be changed without departing from such principles. It should be readily apparent.

It is a figure which shows several different structure which concerns on a prior art. It is a figure which shows two basic structures included in this invention. FIG. 3 shows several basic examples of different configurations for coupled antennas. FIG. 4 shows a more complex series of embodiments of coupled antennas. It is a figure which shows a basic structure. FIG. 6 shows an alternative scheme for coupled antennas. It is a figure which shows that several non-excitation arms can be arrange | positioned in the same structure. It is a figure which shows the arm of a different structure formed with a space filling curve. It is a figure which shows the set of another Example. FIG. 10 illustrates several complex configurations of coupled antennas with combinations of the configurations shown above in FIGS. FIG. 4 shows that any shape of arm can be used as long as the coupled antennas are connected through a close region. FIG. 6 shows a series of complex embodiments involving coupled antennas. FIG. 68 shows that not only monopoles, but also slot antennas such as those shown in FIGS. 66 and 67 can also feature a close region. FIG. 4 shows a coupled antenna mounted on a chip structure. FIG. 5 shows a further example of an application that can be fitted with a coupled antenna. FIG. 5 shows a coupled antenna according to another configuration when connected to an automobile environment. Drawing 74 shows a PIFA structure and FIGS. 75, 76 and 77 show a series of dipole structures.

Claims (25)

An antenna device comprising two or more radiating arms, wherein a first arm of the radiating arms includes a feeding point,
At least two of these radiating arms are coupled by at least one proximate region, the proximate region being formed by a portion of the two arms, in a portion of the two arms, in the first arm. The distance between the at least one first point and the at least one second point on the second arm is the distance between the feed point on the first arm and any point on the second arm. Shorter than the distance between,
The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna does not include a contact point between the first arm and the second arm. Including at least first and second radiating arms, the first arm including a feed point;
The distance between at least one first point on the first arm and the second point on the second arm is an arbitrary point on the feeding point on the first arm and on the second arm. The distance between the first point and the second point is shorter than one tenth of the longer free-space operating wavelength. The antenna device described. An antenna device comprising at least first and second radiating arms, wherein the first arm includes a feeding point,
The distance between at least one first point on the first arm and the second point on the second arm is any third point on the first arm and on the second arm. The third point and the fourth point are positioned at a predetermined distance from the feeding point or the ground point of the arm, and are shorter than the distance between any fourth point and the third point. The distance between the point and the fourth point is longer than 1/40 of the free space operating wavelength,
The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna system does not include a contact point between the first arm and the second arm. The first arm includes a feeding point, and the feeding point is formed by at least one point at one of the tip portions of the first arm and at least one point on the ground plane or the ground counterpoise. ,
4. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein one of the distal ends of the second arm is connected to the ground plane or the ground counterpoise.   The antenna includes a first feed point on the first arm and a second feed point on the second arm such that the first and second arms define two arms of the dipole antenna. 5. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna device has a differential input. The antenna has a differential input between a first feed point on the first arm and a second feed point on the second arm;
The first and second arms are configured such that the first arm, the second arm, and a coupling region between both arms define a loop for current flowing through the antenna structure. A combination of two adjacent regions each including said first and second points in proximity on each of said first and second arms, respectively. 5. The antenna device according to 5.   At least one of the tips of one of the arms is at least one point on the second arm, rather than the distance between the feed point on one arm and the ground point on the other arm. The antenna device according to claim 4, wherein the antenna devices are close to each other.   At least one of the arms includes one bend, the bend defines an angle of less than 90 degrees with respect to a normal to the plane, the plane includes the feed point in one arm, and the The feed point is orthogonal to the ground plane, the ground point on the second arm of the antenna is excluded from the plane, and the normal to the plane includes the ground point on the second arm. 5. The antenna apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the antenna apparatus is generated by a vector pointing to a semispace on a plane.   At least a portion of the at least one arm is formed according to two to nine connected segments, each of the segments forming a predetermined angle of less than 180 degrees with respect to their adjacent connected segments. 9. The antenna device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, wherein the segment is shorter than 1/3 of the longer free-space operating wavelength.   At least a portion of the at least one arm is formed according to ten or more connected segments, each of the segments forming a predetermined angle of less than 180 degrees with respect to their adjacent connected segments; 9. The antenna device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, wherein the segment is shorter than 1/8 of the longer free-space operating wavelength. At least a portion of the at least one arm includes a set of polygons made of a conductor, superconductor, or semiconductor, all of the polygons having the same number of sides;
The plurality of polygons are electromagnetically coupled by either capacitive coupling or ohmic contact;
The contact area between the directly connected polygons is narrower than 50% of the outer circumference of the polygon in at least 75% of the polygon defining the ground plane of the conductor. The antenna device according to 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10.   9. At least one of said arms is formed by a polygonal surface surrounding a conductive material, a superconductor material or a semiconductor material. 9. The antenna device according to 9 or 10.   The at least one part of said 1st and 2nd arm exists on two parallel surfaces, The said surface is separated by dielectric material, The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, The antenna device according to 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12. At least a portion of the first and second arms has a substantially planar shape, and the portion is free space motion from a short side or a short end of a rectangular or elongated shape ground plane. Provided perpendicular to the ground plane at a distance shorter than one third of the wavelength, the portion of the arm being substantially parallel to the end of the ground plane;
The first arm includes a feeding point, and the feeding point is positioned near the corner portion of the ground plane at a distance shorter than one-tenth of the free space operating wavelength,
The second arm is connected to the ground plane in the vicinity of the opposite corner at the same shorter end of the ground plane, separated by a distance shorter than one-tenth of the free space operating wavelength. The antenna device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12.   The planar shape portion of the first arm is closer to the end of the ground plane than the planar shape portion of the second arm, the first arm includes a feeding point, and the second arm The antenna device according to claim 14, wherein the antenna device is short-circuited to a ground plane.   The said 1st and 2nd arm is a planar shape, and is parallel to the said ground-contact plane, The 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13. The antenna device according to 13.   The first and second arms have a planar shape, are parallel to the ground plane, and are printed on any layer of a single-layer or multilayer printed circuit board surface, the board including the ground plane. The antenna device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 16.   The antenna has a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of less than 2 within a frequency range of 800 MHz to 2500 MHz. The antenna for a handheld device according to 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or 17.   The antenna is integrated in an integrated circuit or chip package such that at least one of the antenna arms is printed on one of the layers of the substrate that supports the semiconductor die. The antenna according to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17.   The arm and the ground plane are enclosed in a plastic or dielectric package, the package is provided on a glass surface of a motor vehicle, and the antenna operates in a frequency range of 800 MHz to 2500 MHz. Item 18. The antenna according to Item 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17.   A second microstrip or patch antenna is provided on the ground plane in parallel to the ground plane, and receives signals from GPS satellites, Galileo satellites, SDARS satellites, or a combination of the signals simultaneously. The antenna according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17.   The ground plane is a PBG (photonic band gap) ground plane, an EBG (electromagnetic band gap) ground plane, or a Hi-Z (high impedance) ground plane. The antenna according to 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17.   An antenna according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the radiating arms comprises one or more partial branches.   23. An antenna as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the radiating arms has one or more portions that act as stubs.   The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the radiating arm has a three-dimensional structure.

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