Patent Application
20190363431
The disclosure relates generally to radio frequency (RF) signal transmission/reception techniques, circuitry, systems, and associated methods. More particularly, the disclosure relates to RF apparatus with partitioned antenna structures to provide improved features, and associated methods.
With the increasing proliferation of wireless technology, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile or wireless Internet of things (IoT) devices, more devices or systems incorporate radio frequency (RF) circuitry, such as receivers and/or transmitters. To reduce the cost, size, and bill of materials, and to increase the reliability of such devices or systems, various circuits or functions have been integrated into integrated circuits (ICs). For example, ICs typically include receiver and/or transmitter circuitry. A variety of types and circuitry for transmitters and receivers are used. Transmitters send or transmit information via a medium, such as air, using RF signals. Receivers at another point or location receive the RF signals from the medium, and retrieve the information.
To transmit or receive RF signals, typical wireless devices or apparatus use antennas. RF modules are sometimes used that include the transmit/receive circuitry. A typical RF module 5, shown in
The description in this section and any corresponding figure(s) are included as background information materials. The materials in this section should not be considered as an admission that such materials constitute prior art to the present patent application.
A variety of apparatus with partitioned antenna structures and associated methods are contemplated. According to one exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes an RF circuit to transmit or receive RF signals, and a partitioned antenna structure. The partitioned antenna structure includes a first portion of a resonator and a first portion of a radiator. The first portion of the resonator comprises less than an entire resonator. The first portion of the radiator comprises less than an entire radiator.
According to another exemplary embodiment, a method of making an RF apparatus with partitioned antenna structure includes partitioning the antenna structure into first and second portions. The method further includes including in a module the first portion of the antenna structure. The first portion of the antenna structure is less than the entire antenna structure.
According to another exemplary embodiment, an RF communication apparatus includes a module and a substrate. The module is coupled to the substrate. The module includes an RF circuit to transmit or receive RF signals, and a chip antenna coupled to the RF circuit. The module further includes a first portion of a resonator, and a first portion of a radiator. The substrate includes a second portion of the resonator, and a second portion of the radiator.
The appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the application or the claims. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the disclosed concepts lend themselves to other equally effective embodiments. In the drawings, the same numeral designators used in more than one drawing denote the same, similar, or equivalent functionality, components, or blocks.
The disclosed concepts relate generally to RF apparatus with partitioned antenna structures to provide improved features, and associated methods. As described below, in RF apparatus according to exemplary embodiments, the antenna structures are partitioned. More specifically, part of the resonator and radiator structures are included in one device (e.g., a module), and the remaining or additional part(s) of the resonator and radiator structures are made or fabricated or included outside the device (e.g., externally to a module).
Circuit arrangement 10 includes antenna structure 15. Antenna structure 15 includes chip antenna 20 coupled to resonator 25. Generally, resonator 25 includes devices, components, or apparatus that naturally oscillate at some frequency, e.g., the frequency at which the RF apparatus transmits RF signals or the frequency at which the RF apparatus receives RF signals. In exemplary embodiments, the reactance of one or more features or devices or portion of the substrate (on which various components of circuit arrangement 10 are arranged or fixated) or the substrate layout, matching components (e.g., inductor(s), capacitor(s)) (not shown), and/or chip antenna 20 form resonator 25.
Referring again to
Referring again to
Link 40 provides an electrical coupling to provide RF signals from RF circuit 35 to antenna structure 15 or, alternatively, provide RF signals from antenna structure 15 to RF circuit 35 (during the transmit and receive modes, respectively). Generally, link 40 constitutes a transmission line. In exemplary embodiments, link 40 may have or include a variety of forms, devices, or structures. For example, in some embodiments, link 40 may include a coaxial line or structures. As another example, in some embodiments, link 40 may include a stripline or microstrip structure (e.g., two conductors arranged in a length-wise parallel fashion).
Regardless of the form of link 40, link 40 couples to antenna structure 15 at feed point or node 45. In some embodiments, feed point 45 may include a connector, such as an RF connector. In some embodiments, feed point 40 may include electrical couplings (e.g., points, nodes, solder joints, etc.) to couple link 40 to chip antenna 20. Feed point 45 provides RF signals to chip antenna 20 (during the transmit mode) or alternately provides RF signals from chip antenna 20 to link 40 (during the receive mode).
In exemplary embodiments, chip antenna 20 may constitute a variety of desired chip antennas. Chip antennas are passive electronic components with relatively small physical dimensions, as persons of ordinary skill in the art know. Referring to
Generally, in exemplary embodiments, structures used to fabricate or implement resonator 25 and radiator 30 might overlap or have common elements. For example, as noted above, in some embodiments, resonator 25 and radiator 30 may include one or more features or devices of the substrate (on which various components of circuit arrangement or RF apparatus are arranged or fixated) or the substrate layout. In such situations, resonator 25 and radiator 30 may be combined.
As noted,
In exemplary embodiments, a physical carrier, device, enclosure, or other physical entity is used to house or include or support antenna structure 15. In some embodiments, antenna structure 15 (chip antenna 20, resonator 25, and radiator 30 in the embodiment of
In some embodiments, module 80 includes a physical device or component, such as a substrate (not shown) to which various components (e.g., chip antenna 20) are affixed or which supports various components. In exemplary embodiments, the substrate provides physical support for the various components of module 80. In addition, in some embodiments, the substrate provides a mechanism for electrically coupling various components of module 80. For example, the substrate may include electrically conducting traces to couple chip antenna 20 to the resonator and/or radiator.
In exemplary embodiments, the substrate may be fabricated in a variety of ways, as desired. For example, in some embodiments, the substrate may constitute a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB, as persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand, provides mechanisms or features such as traces, vias, etc., to electrically couple various components of module 80. The PCB mechanisms or features may also be used to implement part of the resonator and/or radiator (or the combined resonator/radiator), for example, traces, matching components, ground planes, etc.
In exemplary embodiments, the material (or materials) used to fabricate the PCB may be selected based on a variety of considerations and attributes. For example, the PCB material may be selected so as to provide certain physical attributes, such as sufficient strength to support the various components in module 80. As another example, the PCB material may be selected so as to provide certain electrical attributes, such as dielectric constant to provide desired electrical characteristics, e.g., reactance at a given or desired frequency.
As noted, exemplary embodiments include a partitioned antenna structure. Referring again to
Similarly, antenna structure 15 (not labeled in
Note that in some embodiments the resonator or the radiator is partitioned, but not both the resonator or radiator. For example, in some embodiments, the resonator is partitioned as described above, but the radiator is not partitioned and is included in module 80 (even though in this case the radiator may have relatively small efficiency). As another example, in some embodiments, the radiator is partitioned as described above, but the resonator is not partitioned and is included in module 80.
As noted above, in some embodiments, the resonator and the radiator are combined (e.g., a resonator/radiator). In such embodiments, antenna structure 15 (not labeled in
Note that in the embodiment shown in
As noted, antenna structure 15 includes portion of resonator 85A and portion of radiator 90A. The remaining portions or parts of the resonator and radiator are fabricated externally to module 80. In some embodiments, the remaining portions are fabricated using features or devices in a substrate to which module 80 is coupled or affixed.
More specifically, apparatus 100 in
The PCB (or generally substrate) 105 features (or mechanisms or devices or components or parts) may also be used to implement the second portions of the resonator and radiator (or the combined resonator/radiator). Examples of such features include traces, conductive areas or planes, such as ground planes, etc. In the embodiment shown, features of substrate 105 is used to part of the resonator, labeled 85B, and part of the radiator, labeled 90B. Resonator parts or portions 85A and 85B are coupled together (electrically and/or physically) to form the overall resonator (e.g., resonator 25 in
In exemplary embodiments, the material (or materials) used to fabricate substrate or PCB 105 may be selected based on a variety of considerations and attributes. For example, the PCB material may be selected so as to provide certain physical attributes, such as sufficient strength to support the various components coupled or affixed to PCB 105. As another example, the PCB material may be selected so as to provide certain electrical attributes, such as dielectric constant to provide desired electrical characteristics, e.g., reactance at a given or desired frequency, desired overall resonator electrical characteristics, and/or desired overall radiator electrical characteristics.
By partitioning the resonator (e.g., resonator 25) and the radiator (e.g., radiator 30), antenna structure 15 is partitioned. For example, referring to
Partitioned antenna structures according to exemplary embodiments provide several features and attributes. For example, partitioned antenna structures provide effective tuning of the antenna (e.g., chip antenna 20), rather than merely relying on techniques that involve changing the dielectric materials in relatively close proximity of the antenna, changing packaging materials (e.g., molding materials) or dimensions, or changing the dimensions or characteristics of a substrate (e.g., PCB) to which module 80 is affixed. Consequently, efficient or effective tuning of the antenna for a given application that uses module 80 is possible even if relatively significant detuning occurs because of various factors (e.g., molding and plastic layers, whether used in module 80 or externally to module 80). Thus, tuning of the antenna may be accomplished in a relatively flexible manner and with potentially lower costs (e.g., because of smaller module sizes, etc.).
Moreover, given that module 80 includes portions, rather than the entire, resonator and radiator, the module size is reduced. The reduced size of module 80 provides reduced board area, reduced cost, increased flexibility, etc. For example, resonator portion 85B and radiator 90B, which are fabricated externally to module 80 (e.g., using features or parts of substrate 105) may be sized or configured or fabricated to accommodate a desired RF frequency without changing characteristics of module 80. In other words, resonator portion 85B and radiator portion 90B, which are fabricated externally to module 80 (e.g., using features or parts of substrate 105) may be sized or configured or fabricated to provide effective RF transmission or reception, given the particular characteristics of a module 80.
One aspect of the disclosure pertains to processes for making or using modules such as module 80.
At 128, the chip antenna (e.g., chip antenna 20, described above) is fabricated and included in the module, as desired. (In embodiments where the chip antenna is already fabricated (e.g., as a separate component, obtained in a packaged form), the fabricated chip antenna may be included in module 80.)
At 131, a portion or part of the resonator (e.g., resonator 25 in
Alternatively, or in addition, at 134, a portion or part of the radiator (e.g., radiator 30 in
At 155, characteristics of the portions of the resonator and radiator (e.g., portions 85B and 90B, described above) that are external to the module, e.g., fabricated or included in substrate 105 in
At 160, the portions of the resonator and radiator that are external to the module are fabricated using features of a substrate, e.g., substrate 105, described above. At 165, the module is mounted to the substrate. At 170, the module is coupled electrically to the substrate, for example, coupling portion 85A to portion 85B, coupling portion 90A to portion 90B, power and ground connections, RF signal paths, etc. Note that in some embodiments, mounting of the module and electrically coupling the module to the substrate may be performed together (e.g., by soldering the module to the substrate).
One aspect of the disclosure relates to including circuitry in an RF apparatus using substrate 105 to provide most or all components for an RF communication apparatus (e.g., receiver, transmitter, transceiver).
As described above, module 80 and portions 85B and 90B fabricated/included in or on substrate 105 provide RF circuitry for the RF apparatus. In addition, RF communication apparatus 200 includes baseband circuit 205 and signal source/destination 210. In the embodiment shown, baseband circuit 205 is included in module 80. Baseband circuit 205 couples to RF circuit 35 via link 220.
In the case of RF reception, using link 220, baseband circuit may receive signals from RF circuit 35, and convert those signals to baseband signals. The conversion may include frequency translation, decoding, demodulating, etc., as persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand. The signals resulting from the conversion are provided signal source/destination 210 via link 215. In the case of RF reception, signal source/destination 210 may include a signal destination, such as a speaker, a storage device, a control circuit, transducer, etc.
In the case of RF transmission, signal source/destination 210 may include a signal source, such as a transducer, a microphone, sensor, a storage device, a control circuit, etc. The signal source provides signals that are used to modulate RF signals that are transmitted. Baseband circuit 205 receives the output signals of the signal source via link 215, and converts those signals to output signals that it provides to RF circuit 35 via link 220. The conversion may include frequency translation, encoding, modulating, etc., as persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand. RF circuit 35 uses the partitioned antenna structure to communicate RF signals via a medium such as air.
In some embodiments, baseband circuit 205 may be omitted from module 80, and instead be affixed to substrate 105. For example, a semiconductor die or IC that contains or integrates baseband circuit 205 may be affixed to substrate 205 and may be coupled to module 80.
Antenna structures according to exemplary embodiments may be used in a variety of communication arrangements, systems, sub-systems, networks, etc., as desired.
System 250 includes a transmitter 105A, which includes antenna structure 15 (not shown). Via antenna structure 15, transmitter 105A transmits RF signals. The RF signals may be received by receiver 105B, which includes antenna structure 15 (not shown). In addition, or alternatively, transceiver 255A and/or transceiver 255B might receive the transmitted RF signals via receiver 105D and receiver 105F, respectively. One or more of receiver 105D and receiver 105F includes antenna structure 15 (not shown).
In addition to receive capability, transceiver 255A and transceiver 255B can also transmit RF signals. More specifically, transmitter 105C and/or transmitter 105E in transceiver 255A and transceiver 255B, respectively, may transmit RF signals. The transmitted RF signals might be received by receiver 105B (the stand-alone receiver), or via the receiver circuitry of the non-transmitting transceiver. One or more of transmitter 105C and transmitter 105E includes antenna structure 15 (not shown).
Other systems or sub-systems with varying configuration and/or capabilities are also contemplated. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, two or more transceivers (e.g., transceiver 255A and transceiver 255B) might form a network, such as an ad-hoc network. As another example, in some exemplary embodiments, transceiver 255A and transceiver 255B might form part of a network, for example, in conjunction with transmitter 105A.
In exemplary embodiments, RF apparatus including antenna structure 15 may include a variety of RF circuit 35. For example, in some embodiments, direct conversion receiver and/or transmitter circuitry may be used. As another example, in some embodiments, low intermediate frequency (IF) receiver and offset phase locked loop (PLL) transmitter circuitry may be used.
In other embodiments, other types of RF receiver and/or transmitter may be used, as desired. The choice of circuitry for a given implementation depends on a variety of factors, as persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand. Such factors include design specifications, performance specifications, cost, IC, die, module, or device area, available technology, such as semiconductor fabrication technology), target markets, target end-users, etc.
In exemplary embodiments, RF apparatus including antenna structure 15 may communicate according to or support a variety of RF communication protocols or standards. For example, in some embodiments, RF communication according to Wi-Fi protocols or standards may be used or supported. As another example, in some embodiments, RF communication according to Bluetooth protocols or standards may be used or supported. As another example, in some embodiments, RF communication according to ZigBee protocols or standards may be used or supported. Other protocols or standards are contemplated and may be used or supported in other embodiments, as desired.
In other embodiments, other types of RF communication according to other protocols or standards may be used or supported, as desired. The choice of protocol or standard for a given implementation depends on a variety of factors, as persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand. Such factors include design specifications, performance specifications, cost, complexity, features (security, throughput), industry support or availability, target markets, target end-users, target devices (e.g., IoT devices), etc.
Referring to the figures, persons of ordinary skill in the art will note that the various blocks shown might depict mainly the conceptual functions and signal flow. The actual circuit implementation might or might not contain separately identifiable hardware for the various functional blocks and might or might not use the particular circuitry shown. For example, one may combine the functionality of various blocks into one circuit block, as desired. Furthermore, one may realize the functionality of a single block in several circuit blocks, as desired. The choice of circuit implementation depends on various factors, such as particular design and performance specifications for a given implementation. Other modifications and alternative embodiments in addition to the embodiments in the disclosure will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the disclosure teaches those skilled in the art the manner of carrying out the disclosed concepts according to exemplary embodiments, and is to be construed as illustrative only. Where applicable, the figures might or might not be drawn to scale, as persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand.
The particular forms and embodiments shown and described constitute merely exemplary embodiments. Persons skilled in the art may make various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, persons skilled in the art may substitute equivalent elements for the elements illustrated and described. Moreover, persons skilled in the art may use certain features of the disclosed concepts independently of the use of other features, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
This application is a continuation of continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 15/250,719, attorney docket number SILA381, filed on Aug. 29, 2016, titled ‘Apparatus with Partitioned Radio Frequency Antenna Structure and Associated Methods,’ which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15250719 | Aug 2016 | US |
| Child | 16439458 | US |
