Patent Grant
11355847
This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 109121293 filed on Jun. 23, 2020, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
The disclosure generally relates to an antenna structure, and more particularly, to a wideband antenna structure.
With the advancements being made in mobile communication technology, mobile devices such as portable computers, mobile phones, multimedia players, and other hybrid functional portable electronic devices have become more common. To satisfy user demand, mobile devices can usually perform wireless communication functions. Some devices cover a large wireless communication area; these include mobile phones using 2G, 3G, and LTE (Long Term Evolution) systems and using frequency bands of 700 MHz, 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, and 2500 MHz. Some devices cover a small wireless communication area; these include mobile phones using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth systems and using frequency bands of 2.4 GHz, 5.2 GHz, and 5.8 GHz.
Antennas are indispensable elements for wireless communication. If an antenna for signal reception and transmission has insufficient bandwidth, it will degrade the communication quality of the relative mobile device. Accordingly, it has become a critical challenge for antenna designers to design a small-size, wideband antenna element.
In an exemplary embodiment, the invention is directed to an antenna structure that includes a loop radiation element and a first radiation element. The loop radiation element has a first end and a second end. A feeding point is positioned at the first end of the loop radiation element. A grounding point is positioned at the second end of the loop radiation element. The first radiation element has a first end and a second end. The first end of the first radiation element is coupled to a first connection point on the loop radiation element. The second end of the first radiation element is open. The antenna structure covers a first frequency band and a second frequency band.
In some embodiments, the antenna structure further includes a dielectric substrate. The loop radiation element and the first radiation element are disposed on the dielectric substrate.
In some embodiments, the dielectric substrate has at least one bending line, such that the antenna structure has a 3D (Three-Dimensional) shape.
In some embodiments, the first frequency band is from 1710 MHz to 2170 MHz.
In some embodiments, the second frequency band includes a first frequency interval from 2496 MHz to 2690 MHz, a second frequency interval from 3300 MHz to 4200 MHz, and a third frequency interval from 4400 MHz to 5000 MHz.
In some embodiments, the length of the loop radiation element is from 0.25 to 0.3 wavelength of the lowest frequency of the first frequency band.
In some embodiments, a slot region is substantially surrounded by the loop radiation element.
In some embodiments, the slot region substantially has a T-shape.
In some embodiments, the loop radiation element includes a first widening portion and a second widening portion. The slot region is positioned between the first widening portion and the second widening portion.
In some embodiments, the first widening portion of the loop radiation element substantially has a rectangular shape.
In some embodiments, the second widening portion of the loop radiation element substantially has a parallelogram shape or a diamond shape.
In some embodiments, the total area of the first widening portion and the second widening portion of the loop radiation element is larger than 60 mm2.
In some embodiments, the slot region substantially has an L-shape.
In some embodiments, the antenna structure further includes a second radiation element having a first end and a second end. The first end of the second radiation element is coupled to a second connection point on the loop radiation element. The second end of the second radiation element is open.
In some embodiments, the first radiation element substantially has a relatively short L-shape, and the second radiation element substantially has a relatively long L-shape.
In some embodiments, the antenna structure further includes a third radiation element having a first end and a second end. The first end of the third radiation element is coupled to a third connection point on the loop radiation element. The second end of the third radiation element is open.
In some embodiments, the antenna structure further includes a fourth radiation element having a first end and a second end. The first end of the fourth radiation element is coupled to a fourth connection point on the loop radiation element. The second end of the fourth radiation element is open.
In some embodiments, the first radiation element and the second radiation element are positioned at the same side of the loop radiation element. The third radiation element and the fourth radiation element are positioned at the opposite side of the loop radiation element.
In some embodiments, the fourth radiation element further includes a terminal bending portion, such that a coupling gap is formed between the third radiation element and the terminal bending portion.
In some embodiments, the distance between the first end and the second end of the loop radiation element is from 0.5 mm to 1.8 mm.
The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
In order to illustrate the foregoing and other purposes, features and advantages of the invention, the embodiments and figures of the invention will be described in detail as follows.
Certain terms are used throughout the description and following claims to refer to particular components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, manufacturers may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. In the following description and in the claims, the terms “include” and “comprise” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “include, but not limited to . . . ”. The term “substantially” means the value is within an acceptable error range. One skilled in the art can solve the technical problem within a predetermined error range and achieve the proposed technical performance. Also, the term “couple” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct electrical connection. Accordingly, if one device is coupled to another device, that connection may be through a direct electrical connection, or through an indirect electrical connection via other devices and connections.
The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the provided subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.
Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.
In some embodiments, the antenna structure 100 further includes a dielectric substrate 170. For example, the dielectric substrate 170 may be an FR4 (Flame Retardant 4) substrate, a PCB (Printed Circuit Board), or an FCB (Flexible Circuit Board). The loop radiation element 110 and the first radiation element 120 may form a planar structure, which may be disposed on the same surface of the dielectric substrate 170, but they are not limited thereto. In alternative embodiments, the dielectric substrate 170 has at least one or more bending lines LB1, LB2 and LB3, such that the antenna structure 100 has a 3D (Three-Dimensional) structure. For example, a respective bending angle relative to each of the bending lines LB1, LB2 and LB3 may be from 0 to 90 degrees.
The loop radiation element 110 has a first end 111 and a second end 112. A feeding point FP1 is positioned at the first end 111 of the loop radiation element 110. A grounding point GP1 is positioned at the second end 112 of the loop radiation element 110. The feeding point FP1 may be further coupled to a signal source 190. For example, the signal source 190 may be an RF (Radio Frequency) module for exciting the antenna structure 100. The grounding point GP1 may be further coupled to a ground voltage VSS1, which may be provided by a system ground plane (not shown). In some embodiments, the grounding point GP1 is adjacent to the feeding point FP1. In some embodiments, the grounding point GP1 is connected to the system ground plane via a metal spring. It should be noted that the term “adjacent” or “close” over the disclosure means that the distance (spacing) between two corresponding elements is smaller than a predetermined distance (e.g., 5 mm or shorter), but usually does not mean that the two corresponding elements directly touch each other (i.e., the aforementioned distance/spacing therebetween is reduced to 0).
A slot region 160 is substantially surrounded by the loop radiation element 110. For example, the slot region 160 may substantially have a T-shape, and the loop radiation element 110 may substantially have a hollow T-shape. The loop radiation element 110 may include a first widening portion 114 and a second widening portion 115. The slot region 160 is positioned between the first widening portion 114 and the second widening portion 115. In some embodiments, the first widening portion 114 of the loop radiation element 110 may substantially have a rectangular shape, and the second widening portion 115 of the loop radiation element 110 may substantially have a parallelogram shape or a diamond shape, but they are not limited thereto.
The first radiation element 120 may substantially have a straight-line shape, which may be at least partially perpendicular to the loop radiation element 110. Specifically, the first radiation element 120 has a first end 121 and a second end 122. The first end 121 of the first radiation element 120 is coupled to a first connection point CP1 on the loop radiation element 110. The second end 122 of the first radiation element 120 is an open end, which may extend away from the loop radiation element 110.
In some embodiments, the operation principles of the antenna structure 100 may be described as follows. A first resonant path PA1 is formed from the feeding point FP1 through the loop radiation element 110 and the first connection point CP1 to the second end 122 of the first radiation element 120, and it can be excited to generate the first frequency band FB1. A second resonant path PA2 is formed from the feeding point FP1 through the loop radiation element 110 to the grounding point GP1, and it can be excited to generate the first frequency interval FBA. The first radiation element 120 can be excited to generate the second frequency interval FBB. The first widening portion 114 and the second widening portion 115 of the loop radiation element 110 can be excited to generate the third frequency interval FBC. According to practical measurements, if the total area of the first widening portion 114 and the second widening portion 115 of the loop radiation element 110 is designed to be larger than 60 mm2, the antenna structure 100 will have good impedance matching within the third frequency interval FBC.
In some embodiments, the element sizes of the antenna structure 100 are described as follows. The length of the first resonant path PA1 may be from 0.31 to 0.33 wavelength (0.31λ˜0.33λ) of the first frequency band FB1 of the antenna structure 100. The length of the second resonant path PA2 may be from 0.37 to 0.39 wavelength (0.37λ˜0.39λ) of the first frequency interval FBA of the antenna structure 100. The length of the loop radiation element 110 (i.e., the length from the first end 111 to the second end 112, which may be similar to the length of the second resonant path PA2) may be from 0.25 to 0.3 wavelength (0.25λ˜0.3λ) of the lowest frequency of the first frequency band FB1 of the antenna structure 100. The distance D1 between the first end 111 and the second end 112 of the loop radiation element 110 may be from 0.5 mm to 1.8 mm. The above ranges of element sizes are calculated and obtained according to many experiment results, and they help to optimize the operation bandwidth and impedance matching of the antenna structure 100.
In some embodiments, the antenna structure 400 further includes a dielectric substrate 470. For example, the dielectric substrate 470 may be an FR4 substrate, a PCB, or an FCB. The loop radiation element 410, the first radiation element 420, the second radiation element 430, the third radiation element 440, and the fourth radiation element 450 may form a planar structure, which may be disposed on the same surface of the dielectric substrate 470. In alternative embodiments, the dielectric substrate 470 has at least one or more bending lines LB4 and FB5, such that the antenna structure 400 has a 3D structure. For example, a respective bending angle relative to each of the bending lines LB4 and FB5 may be from 0 to 90 degrees.
The loop radiation element 410 has a first end 411 and a second end 412. A feeding point FP2 is positioned at the first end 411 of the loop radiation element 410. A grounding point GP2 is positioned at the second end 412 of the loop radiation element 410. The feeding point FP2 may be further coupled to a signal source 490. The grounding point GP2 may be further coupled to a ground voltage VSS2. In some embodiments, the grounding point GP2 is adjacent to the feeding point FP2. In some embodiments, the grounding point GP2 is connected to a metal module via a conductive adhesive, and the grounding point GP2 is further connected to the system ground plane via the metal module. A slot region 460 is substantially surrounded by the loop radiation element 410. For example, the slot region 460 may substantially have a variable-width L-shape, and the loop radiation element 410 may substantially have a hollow L-shape.
The first radiation element 420 may substantially have a relatively short L-shape. Specifically, the first radiation element 420 has a first end 421 and a second end 422. The first end 421 of the first radiation element 420 is coupled to a first connection point CP2 on the loop radiation element 410. The second end 422 of the first radiation element 420 is an open end.
The second radiation element 430 may substantially have a relatively long L-shape. Specifically, the second radiation element 430 has a first end 431 and a second end 432. The first end 431 of the second radiation element 430 is coupled to a second connection point CP3 on the loop radiation element 410. The second end 432 of the second radiation element 430 is an open end. The second end 432 of the second radiation element 430 and the second end 422 of the first radiation element 420 may substantially extend in the same direction.
The third radiation element 440 may substantially have a straight-line shape, which may be at least partially perpendicular to the loop radiation element 410. Specifically, the third radiation element 440 has a first end 441 and a second end 442. The first end 441 of the third radiation element 440 is coupled to a third connection point CP4 on the loop radiation element 410. The second end 442 of the third radiation element 440 is an open end, which may extend away from the loop radiation element 410.
The fourth radiation element 450 may substantially have a straight-line shape or an inverted J-shape, which may be at least partially perpendicular to the loop radiation element 410, and may also be at least partially parallel to the third radiation element 440. Specifically, the fourth radiation element 450 has a first end 451 and a second end 452. The first end 451 of the fourth radiation element 450 is coupled to a fourth connection point CP5 on the loop radiation element 410. The second end 452 of the fourth radiation element 450 is an open end. In some embodiments, the fourth radiation element 450 further includes a terminal bending portion 454 adjacent to its second end 452, such that a coupling gap GC1 is formed between the third radiation element 440 and the terminal bending portion 454 of the fourth radiation element 450. It should be noted that the first radiation element 420 and the second radiation element 430 are positioned at the same side (e.g., the right side) of the loop radiation element 410, and the third radiation element 440 and the fourth radiation element 450 are positioned at the opposite side (e.g., the left side) of the loop radiation element 410.
In some embodiments, the operation principles of the antenna structure 400 may be described as follows. A first resonant path PA3 is formed from the feeding point FP2 through the loop radiation element 410 to the grounding point GP2, and it can be excited to generate the first frequency band FB3. A second resonant path PA4 is formed from the feeding point FP2 through the loop radiation element 410 and the first connection point CP2 to the second end 422 of the first radiation element 420, and it can be excited to generate the first frequency interval FBD. The second radiation element 430 can be excited to generate the second frequency interval FBE. The third radiation element 440 and the fourth radiation element 450 can be excited to generate the third frequency interval FBF. According to practical measurements, if the terminal bending portion 454 of the fourth radiation element 450 is added and adjacent to the third radiation element 440, the coupling gap GC1 therebetween can help to improve the impedance matching of the antenna structure 400 within the third frequency interval FBF.
In some embodiments, the element sizes of the antenna structure 400 are described as follows. The length of the first resonant path PA3 may be from 0.27 to 0.29 wavelength (0.27λ˜0.29λ) of the first frequency band FB3 of the antenna structure 400. The length of the second resonant path PA4 may be from 0.29 to 0.31 wavelength (0.29λ˜0.31λ) of the first frequency interval FBD of the antenna structure 400. The length of the loop radiation element 410 (i.e., the length from the first end 411 to the second end 412, which may be similar to the length of the first resonant path PA3) may be from 0.25 to 0.3 wavelength (0.25λ˜0.3λ) of the lowest frequency of the first frequency band FB3 of the antenna structure 400. The distance D2 between the first end 411 and the second end 412 of the loop radiation element 410 may be from 0.5 mm to 1.8 mm. The width of the coupling gap GC1 may be from 0.9 mm to 1.1 mm. The above ranges of element sizes are calculated and obtained according to many experiment results, and they help to optimize the operation bandwidth and impedance matching of the antenna structure 400.
The invention proposes a novel antenna structure. In comparison to the conventional design, the invention has at least the advantages of small size, wide bandwidth, simple structure, and low manufacturing cost, and therefore it is suitable for application in a variety of mobile communication devices.
Note that the above element sizes, element shapes, and frequency ranges are not limitations of the invention. An antenna designer can fine-tune these settings or values according to different requirements. It should be understood that the antenna structure of the invention is not limited to the configurations of
Use of ordinal terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having the same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the invention. It is intended that the standard and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope of the disclosed embodiments being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 109121293 | Jun 2020 | TW | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9992312 | Deng et al. | Jun 2018 | B1 |
| 20120194390 | Endo et al. | Aug 2012 | A1 |
| 20120313827 | Kim | Dec 2012 | A1 |
| 20140210682 | Kao | Jul 2014 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 201907615 | Feb 2019 | TW |
| Entry |
|---|
| Chinese language office action dated Mar. 16, 2021, issued in application No. TW 109121293. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210399422 A1 | Dec 2021 | US |
