Patent Application
20080084352
The embodiments of the present invention may be practiced in a variety of settings that implement a fractal antenna and, particularly to fractal antenna arrays based on a modified Peano-Gosper curve.
Wireless communication devices 22, 23, and 24 are shown located within an independent basic service set (IBSS) area 13 and these devices communicate directly (i.e., point to point). In this example configuration, these devices 22, 23, and 24 typically communicate only with each other. To communicate with other wireless communication devices within system 10 or to communicate outside of system 10, devices 22-24 may affiliate with a base station or access point, such as BS/AP 17, or one of the other BS/AP units 15, 16.
BS/AP 15, 16 are typically located within respective basic service set (BSS) areas 11, 12 and are directly or indirectly coupled to network hardware component 30 via local area network (LAN) couplings 32, 33. Such couplings provide BS/AP 15, 16 with connectivity to other devices within system 10 and provide connectivity to other networks via WAN connection 31. To communicate with the wireless communication devices within its respective BSS 11, 12, each of the BS/AP 15, 16 has an associated antenna or antenna array. For instance, BS/AP 15 wirelessly communicates with wireless communication devices 20, 21, while BS/AP 16 wirelessly communicates with wireless communication devices 25-28. Typically, the wireless communication devices register with a particular BS/AP 15, 16 to receive services within communication system 10. As illustrated, when BS/AP 17 is utilized with IBSS area 13, LAN coupling 17 may couple BS/AP 17 to network hardware component 30.
Typically, base stations are used for cellular telephone systems and like-type systems, while access points are used for in-home or in-building wireless networks (e.g., IEEE 802.11 and versions thereof, Bluetooth, and/or any other type of radio frequency based network protocol). Regardless of the particular type of communication system, each wireless communication device includes a built-in radio and/or is coupled to a radio.
As illustrated, host 40 includes a processing module 50, memory 52, radio interface 54, input interface 58 and output interface 56. Processing module 50 and memory 52 execute corresponding instructions that are typically done by the host device. For example, for a cellular telephone host device, processing module 50 may perform the corresponding communication functions in accordance with a particular cellular telephone standard.
Generally, radio interface 54 allows data to be received from and sent to radio 60. For data received from radio 60 (such as inbound data 92), radio interface 54 provides the data to processing module 50 for further processing and/or routing to output interface 56. Output interface 56 provides connectivity on line 57 to an output device, such as a display, monitor, speakers, et cetera, in order to output the received data. Radio interface 54 also provides data from processing module 50 to radio 60. Processing module 50 may receive outbound data on line 59 from an input device, such as a keyboard, keypad, microphone, et cetera, via input interface 58 or generate the data itself. For data received via input interface 58, processing module 50 may perform a corresponding host function on the data and/or route it to radio 60 via radio interface 54.
Radio 60 includes a host interface 62, a baseband processing module 63, memory 65, one or more radio frequency (RF) transmitter units 70, a transmit/receive (T/R) module 80, one or more antennas 81, one or more RF receivers 71 and a local oscillation (LO) module 64. Baseband processing module 63, in combination with operational instructions stored in memory 65, executes digital receiver functions and digital transmitter functions. The digital receiver functions include, but are not limited to, digital intermediate frequency to baseband conversion, demodulation, constellation demapping, decoding, de-interleaving, fast Fourier transform, cyclic prefix removal, space and time decoding, and/or descrambling. The digital transmitter functions include, but are not limited to, scrambling, encoding, interleaving, constellation mapping, modulation, inverse fast Fourier transform, cyclic prefix addition, space and time encoding, and digital baseband to IF conversion.
Baseband processing module 63 may be implemented using one or more processing devices. Such processing device(s) may be a microprocessor, micro-controller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logic circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or any device that manipulates signals (analog and/or digital) based on operational instructions.
Memory 65 may be a single memory device or a plurality of memory devices. Such a memory device may be a read-only memory, random access memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, static memory, dynamic memory, flash memory, and/or any device that stores digital information. Note that when processing module 63 implements one or more of its functions via a state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry, the memory storing the corresponding operational instructions may be embedded with the circuitry comprising the state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry.
In operation, radio 60 receives outbound data 93 from host 40 via host interface 62. Baseband processing module 63 receives outbound data 93 and based on a mode selection signal 91, produces one or more outbound symbol streams 95. Mode selection signal 91 typically indicates a particular mode of operation that is compliant with one or more specific modes of the various IEEE 802.11 standards. For example, in one embodiment mode selection signal 91 may indicate a frequency band of 2.4 GHz, a channel bandwidth of 20 or 22 MHz and a maximum bit rate of 54 megabits-per-second. In this general category, mode selection signal 91 may further indicate a particular rate ranging from 1 megabit-per-second to 54 megabits-per-second, or higher.
In addition, mode selection signal 91 may indicate a particular type of modulation, which includes, but is not limited to, Barker Code Modulation, BPSK, QPSK, CCK, 16 QAM and/or 64 QAM, as well as others. Mode selection signal 91 may also include a code rate, a number of coded bits per subcarrier (NBPSC), coded bits per OFDM symbol (NCBPS), and/or data bits per OFDM symbol (NDBPS). Mode selection signal 91 may also indicate a particular channelization for the corresponding mode that provides a channel number and corresponding center frequency. Mode select signal 91 may further indicate a power spectral density mask value and a number of antennas to be initially used for a MIMO communication.
Baseband processing module 63, based on mode selection signal 91, produces one or more outbound symbol streams 95 from outbound data 93. For example, if mode selection signal 91 indicates that a single transmit antenna is being utilized for the particular mode that has been selected, baseband processing module 63 produces a single outbound symbol stream 95. Alternatively, if mode selection signal 91 indicates 2, 3 or 4 antennas, baseband processing module 63 produces respective 2, 3 or 4 outbound symbol streams 95 from outbound data 93.
Depending on the number of outbound symbol streams 95 (e.g. 1 to n) produced by baseband processing module 63, a corresponding number of RF transmitters 70 are enabled to convert outbound symbol stream(s) 95 into outbound RF signals 97. Generally, each RF transmitter 70 includes a digital filter and up sampling module, a digital to analog conversion module, an analog filter module, a frequency up conversion module, a power amplifier, and a radio frequency bandpass filter. RF transmitters 70 provide outbound RF signals 97 to T/R module 80, which provides each outbound RF signal 97 to a corresponding antenna 81.
When radio 60 is in the receive mode, T/R module 80 receives one or more inbound RF signals 96 via antenna(s) 81 and provides signal(s) 96 to respective one or more RF receivers 71. RF receiver(s) 71 converts inbound RF signals 96 into a corresponding number of inbound symbol streams 94. The number of inbound symbol streams 94 corresponds to the particular mode in which the data was received. Baseband processing module 63 converts inbound symbol streams 94 into inbound data 92, which is provided to host 40 via host interface 62.
The wireless communication device of
The various embodiments of the wireless communication device of
In reference to antenna 81 (or antennas, depending on how many are present), it may be externally disposed to radio 60 or provided as part of an integrated circuit that comprises radio 60. Although a variety of antennas may be implemented for antenna 81, in one scheme, a fractal antenna is used. For example, a fractal antenna may be constructed within the integrated circuit comprising radio 60 or, alternatively, the fractal antenna may be constructed externally, such as on a circuit board (or other substrate) that also holds radio 60. In one embodiment, a fractal antenna based on a modified Peano-Gosper curve, as described below, may be employed for antenna 81.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The fractal antenna array 120 (whether employing the rounded corner design or retaining the sharp corner design) may be implemented in a variety of ways to perform as an antenna. The antenna array 120 may be implemented in the integrated circuit itself with the RF circuitry; implemented separately from the integrated circuit, but in the same module or package; implemented on a substrate or circuit board on which the RF circuitry is resident; or implemented as a completely separate antenna.
The design of the fractal antenna array using the modified 100-segment P-G curve allows for an antenna that has a length dimension L that is longer than the width dimension W (shown in
It is to be noted that the fractal design described above uses a modified 100-segment P-G curve. The antenna design need not be limited to a 100-segment design or an approximate 100-segment curve (e.g. 100±n). It may be constructed from a P-G curve of higher (or lower) recursion. Furthermore, the antenna need not be limited to the use of a Peano-Gosper curve. Other embodiments may use other types of fractal curves. Generally, the modified curve is selected to have more fractal expansion in a linear direction so that the L and W dimensions are substantially different. The actual curve used and the number of segments selected may be dependent on the particular use of the antenna, frequency of operation and/or the radiation pattern desired. Additionally, the actual dimensions of the antenna, whether the 100 segment P-G curve or some other design, the dimensions of the antenna may be changed to obtained various electrical properties, including frequency of operation for the antenna.
Thus, a fractal antenna using a modified fractal curve, such as a modified P-G curve, is described. The antenna is constructed from materials that are used for typical antenna construction. For example, in one embodiment, the conductor is copper. Typically, the antenna is formed on a non-conductor, such as a dielectric material. The antenna may be employed in various devices, including wireless devices. In one embodiment, the fractal antenna is used for one or more antennas 81, shown in
As may be used herein, the terms “substantially” and “approximately” provides an industry-accepted tolerance for its corresponding term and/or relativity between items. Such an industry-accepted tolerance ranges from less than one percent to fifty percent and corresponds to, but is not limited to, component values, integrated circuit process variations, temperature variations, rise and fall times, and/or thermal noise. Such relativity between items ranges from a difference of a few percent to magnitude differences. As may also be used herein, the term(s) “coupled” and/or “coupling” includes direct coupling between items and/or indirect coupling between items via an intervening item (e.g., an item includes, but is not limited to, a component, an element, a circuit, and/or a module) where, for indirect coupling, the intervening item does not modify the information of a signal but may adjust its current level, voltage level, and/or power level. As may further be used herein, inferred coupling (i.e., where one element is coupled to another element by inference) includes direct and indirect coupling between two items in the same manner as “coupled to”. As may even further be used herein, the term “operable to” indicates that an item includes one or more of power connections, input(s), output(s), etc., to perform one or more of its corresponding functions and may further include inferred coupling to one or more other items.
Furthermore, the term “module” is used herein to describe a functional block and may represent hardware, software, firmware, etc., without limitation to its structure. A “module” may be a circuit, integrated circuit chip or chips, assembly or other component configurations. Accordingly, a “processing module” may be a single processing device or a plurality of processing devices. Such a processing device may be a microprocessor, micro-controller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logic circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or any device that manipulates signals (analog and/or digital) based on hard coding of the circuitry and/or operational instructions and such processing device may have accompanying memory. A “module” may also be software or software operating in conjunction with hardware.
The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the performance of certain functions. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries could be defined as long as the certain functions are appropriately performed. Similarly, flow diagram blocks and methods of practicing the embodiments of the invention may also have been arbitrarily defined herein to illustrate certain significant functionality. To the extent used, the flow diagram block boundaries and methods could have been defined otherwise and still perform the certain significant functionality. Such alternate definitions of functional building blocks, flow diagram blocks and methods are thus within the scope and spirit of the claimed embodiments of the invention. One of ordinary skill in the art may also recognize that the functional building blocks and other illustrative blocks, modules and components herein, may be implemented as illustrated or by discrete components, application specific integrated circuits, processors executing appropriate software and the like or any combination thereof.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/849,269; filed Oct. 4, 2006; and titled “Fractal antenna based on Peano-Gosper curve” which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60849269 | Oct 2006 | US |
