Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – Microstrip
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-30
2001-06-19
Le, Hoanganh (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
Microstrip
C343S846000, C343S702000, C343S703000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249254
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of antennas, and more specifically to a flat panel antenna whose field pattern is toroidal, whose polarization is along the antenna's long axis, and which provides omnidirectional transmission in any H-plane that is perpendicular to the antenna's long axis, and two transmission lobes in any E-plane that is parallel to and contains the antenna's long axis.
2. Description of the Related Art
The art has provided a number of small patch antennas that have been generally useful for their limited intended purposes. However, the need remains in the art for a small, thin, antenna that can be manufactured as a stand-alone antenna, or that can be integrated into a mobile or fixed position wireless communication device by using a portion of the device's printed circuit board, or the like, as the dielectric substrate of the antenna, and by providing a metal coating on one side of the substrate to function as an antenna radiating element, and to provide a metal coating the opposite side of, or on both sides of, the substrate to function as an antenna ground plane element.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a small indoor/outdoor, shock tolerant, flat panel, transmit/receive antenna having a torodial field pattern. The antenna's polarization is along its long axis. The antenna has omnidirectional transmission coverage in any H-plane that is perpendicular to the antenna's long axis. The antenna has two transmission lobes in any E-plane that is parallel to and contains the antenna's long axis. A nominal peak gain of 3 dBi is provided, with a nominal 240 degree 3 dB beam width in the H-plane, and with a nominal 80 degree 3 dB beam width in the E-plane.
In a preferred embodiment of an antenna in accordance with this invention, a unitary construction is formed on a copper clad, flat, planar, low loss, dielectric substrate. The substrate has a first flat side, a second flat side that is generally parallel to the first flat side, a first edge portion, a second edge portion that is located opposite to the first edge portion, and an antenna long axis that extends between the first and second edge portions. A triangular shaped, or pseudo triangular shaped, copper radiating element having an apex and a base is integrally located on the first substrate side, with the triangle's base generally adjacent to the first edge portion of the first substrate side. A generally linear copper feed line extends from the triangle's apex toward the second edge portion of the first substrate side. A rectangular shaped copper ground plane element is integrally located generally adjacent to the second edge portion of the second substrate side. A connector or cable having a ground connection and a feed conductor is physically mounted on the second substrate side so as to generally overlap the ground plane element, with the cable's ground connection being electrically connected to the ground plane element. A hole is provided in the ground plane element and the substrate, and the cable's feed conductor freely penetrates these two generally aligned holes. The feed conductor is then electrically connected to the feed line. In this embodiment of the invention the triangle is preferably an equilateral triangle having an apex and a base.
As a feature of the invention, both the front side and the back side of the antenna's dielectric substrate include electrically interconnected copper ground plane elements that are both located generally adjacent to the above mentioned second edge portion of the substrate.
As a feature of the invention, but without limitation thereto, a method of the invention provides an antenna as above described wherein a thin, planar, dielectric substrate member is first formed such that its two opposing sides are full surface coated with a thin layer or film of copper. The two opposing sides of the substrate member are then processed using known copper masking and copper removal techniques in order to form the above described metal patterns on the two opposing sides of the substrate member.
Antennas in accordance with this invention find utility when installed directly into end use system applications where the antenna is used in its as is form and is cable connected to one or more other devices. An example of such an end use application is a device having a low noise receiver amplifier (LNA), a high power transmitter amplifier (HPA), and a switch for selectively connecting one of the two amplifiers to the antenna's feed cable and then to the antenna's feed line.
Generally, antennas in accordance with this invention find utility when integrated into higher level products, such as mobile cellular telephones, wireless laptop computers and GPS security devices for automobiles, when integrated into fixed position devices having a wireless communication capability, such as personal computers that are connected in a wireless LAN system, or when integrated into hand held devices and fixed position devices where wireless communication is a factor in device utilization. An additional utility of antennas of this invention is in a multi-antenna adaptive antenna system that select a given antenna for use, based upon factors such as the signal strength being received by each of the system's physically spaced antenna's. In this utility of the invention it is within the spirit and scope of this invention to use a dielectric circuit board of the higher level product as the substrate of this invention's unitary antenna or antennas.
Due to the small size and weight of antennas in accordance with this invention, antennas of this invention can be used in many applications where conventional patch antennas are not suitable.
Without limitation thereto, in an as is embodiment of the invention an SMA connector is attached directly to the antenna using a low temperature lead/tin solder alloy, this being the only mechanical joint within the antenna. Other configuration makes use of an RG 142 cable or an RG 174 cable. The antenna itself contains no user serviceable parts, and no in field adjustment is required, although the user may provide a tilt/pan/rotate mount(s) for the antenna, if desired.
Without limitation thereto, the antennas described relative to embodiments of this invention are intended to operate in the frequency range of about 824 to 896 MHz, and at a maximum power of about 50 watts.
In an embodiment of the invention a flat panel antenna is made from a copper clad (i.e. metal clad) laminate (flammability class V−0) having a nominal thickness of about 0.059 inch, with ½ copper being used for the ground plane(s), the radiating element, and the feed line.
In an embodiment of the invention the antenna comprises a thin, flat, rectangle or pseudo rectangle shape having a cable/connector side. The antenna may be mounted by providing Velcro brand hook and loop type fastening means on its cable/connector side, or the antenna may be mounted using mounting means that cooperate with any side of the antenna, with any peripheral edge of the antenna, or with the entire peripheral edge of the antenna.
In an embodiment of the invention, the flat panel antenna carries a GPS module on the flat side of the antenna, that is the side that is opposite the cable/connector side of the antenna, and the antenna's ground plane element(s) also provide a ground plane for a GPS antenna that is internal of the GPS module. This antenna/GPS assembly finds utility, for example, when mounted on, or when used with, the dashboard of an automobile. An addition utility of the invention is when the antenna of this invention is integrated as part of a GPS automobile security system, in which event the antenna/GPS assembly is hidden from view, for example under the fabric of the automobile's rear deck.
In an embodiment of the invention the antenna is seal coated with a non-flammable, low VOC, water based, acrylic coating, thus providing an esth
Bateman Blaine Rexel
Munson Robert Eugene
Centurion Wireless Technologies, Inc.
Hancock E. C.
Holland & Hart LLP
Le Hoang-anh
Sirr F. A.
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