Patent Application
20060240882
The present invention relates to antenna arrangements, and, more particularly, to self-structuring antenna arrangements.
The performance of conventional antennas is limited by the fixed antenna configuration. Even with a reconfigurable antenna there is a fixed number of predetermined antenna and feed configurations, which limits performance. Thus, it is advantageous for an antenna to be self-structuring such that the performance of the antenna may be optimized to best receive or transmit signals of a particular frequency, or to best receive or transmit signals in a particular environment. Self-structuring is conventionally achieved by providing controllable switches at various points along the antenna, and opening and closing the switches to thereby alter the shape of the electrical skeleton of the antenna.
Known self-structuring antenna (SSA) technology is limited to a basic configuration that uses a single point feed system connected to a single antenna template having a large number of switches. These restrictions have a negative impact on the SSA's potential performance and flexibility for many applications. The design process for SSAs must consider the various conflicts between the ideal antenna design, physical structure limitations, and mobile environmental requirements. In reality, the resulting SSA design is inevitably a compromise.
What is needed in the art is an antenna arrangement that may be structured in a greater variety of ways to thereby enable the antenna performance to be further optimized for specific frequencies and environments.
The present invention provides an antenna arrangement that incorporates multiple flexible building blocks, such as a self-structuring feed (SSF), self-structuring variable impedance elements (SSVIE), and self-structuring parasitic elements (SSPE) systems. The performance of known conventional, reconfigurable and/or SSA antenna configurations may be enhanced by use of the flexible building blocks of the present invention.
The invention comprises, in one form thereof, an antenna arrangement including an antenna circuit for receiving and/or transmitting radio frequency signals. A signal feed circuit is coupled with the antenna circuit. A performance-adjusting device includes at least one of: a structure feed switch selectively interconnecting the antenna circuit and the signal feed circuit; a variable impedance element disposed in the antenna circuit or the signal feed circuit; and a switchable parasitic element coupled to the antenna circuit. A controller controls the performance-adjusting device.
The invention comprises, in another form thereof, an antenna arrangement including an antenna circuit for receiving and/or transmitting radio frequency signals. A self-structure feed switch selectively interconnects the antenna circuit and a signal feed circuit. A controller controls the self-structure feed switch.
The invention comprises, in yet another form thereof, an antenna arrangement including an antenna circuit for receiving and/or transmitting radio frequency signals. A signal feed circuit is in communication with the antenna circuit. A variable impedance element is disposed in the antenna circuit or the signal feed circuit. A controller controls the variable impedance element.
The invention comprises, in still another form thereof, an antenna arrangement including an antenna circuit for receiving and/or transmitting radio frequency signals. A signal feed circuit is in communication with the antenna circuit. A switchable parasitic element is coupled to the antenna circuit. A controller controls the switchable parasitic element.
An advantage of the present invention is that the antenna arrangement can be configured in a greater number of ways to thereby optimize the reception/transmission performance of the antenna at various frequencies and environments.
The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention in several forms and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
The embodiments discussed below are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize their teachings.
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to
As shown in
In operation, each of the self-structure feed switches 14a-g may be independently actuated by controller 26 between a first position in which antenna circuit 12 and template 16 are in communication through switch 14, and a second position in which antenna circuit 12 and template 16 are not in communication through switch 14. Switches 14 may function as a performance-adjusting device for improving the signal reception and/or signal transmission performance of antenna arrangement 10. In one embodiment, controller 26 and processor 22 control switches 14 dependent upon signal 20 received by radio receiver 18 via antenna arrangement 10.
Switches 14a-g may begin in various combinations of the first and second positions when antenna circuit 12 passes a received signal to receiver 18 via the switches 14, via template 16, and via signal 20. Processor 22 may analyze output signal 24 to determine the signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio and/or some other attribute of the signals 20 passed to receiver 18. Controller 26 may receive via signal 28 the analysis produced by processor 22 and record both the performance of antenna arrangement 10, as represented by the analysis, and the positions of each of switches 14 that produced that particular performance. Switch controller 26 may then actuate at least one of switches 14 between the first and second positions to thereby provide antenna arrangement 10 with a different level of performance. Controller 26 may again record the switch positions and the corresponding antenna performance produced thereby. The process may continue with controller 26 changing and recording switch positions and recording the resulting performance until controller 26 has determined a combination of switch positions that produces an optimal, favorable, or at least acceptable antenna performance.
Controller 26 may try every possible combination of switch positions during the above process. Alternatively, controller 26 may only sample a number of combinations of switch positions and pick the best combination of the number sampled. As another alternative, controller 26 may include some intelligence that enables controller 26 to systematically select particular switch combinations that are likely to yield good performance. The switch combinations may be selected, for example, based upon recognized patterns in the performance of previously selected combinations of switch positions.
Controller 26 may include memory in which an operational database may be stored. The database may include the best combination of switch positions for each of a list of possible operating conditions. Experimentation or trials to determine the best switch combinations may occur in the factory, in the field, and/or may be ongoing over the operational life of the antenna system.
Another embodiment of an antenna arrangement 110 of the present invention including an antenna circuit 112 for receiving and/or transmitting radio frequency signals is shown in
Antenna arrangement 110 also includes a radio receiver 118 receiving signals 120 from feed circuit 116, an SSVIE algorithm processor 122 receiving an output signal 124 from radio receiver 118, an SSVIE switch controller 126 receiving an output signal 128 from processor 122, and control lines 130 interconnecting controller 126 and the switch devices of self-structuring variable impedance elements (SSVIE) 114a-h. Antenna circuit 112 is shown only schematically in
In the embodiment shown in
The operation of antenna arrangement 110 is substantially similar to that of antenna arrangement 10, and thus is not discussed herein in detail. Generally, controller 126 controls elements 114 dependent upon a signal received by receiver 118 via antenna arrangement 110. Controller 126 and processor 122 may open and close the switch devices of elements 114 in different combinations and then determine which of the combinations results in the best antenna performance.
Yet another embodiment of an antenna arrangement 210 (
The operation of antenna arrangement 210 is substantially similar to that of antenna arrangement 10, and thus is not discussed herein in detail. Generally, controller 226 controls switchable parasitic elements 214 dependent upon a signal received by receiver 218 via antenna arrangement 210. Controller 226 and processor 222 may open and close the switchable elements 214 in different combinations and then determine which of the combinations results in the best antenna performance.
All three of antenna arrangements 10, 110 and 210 may use an output signal from a communication device, in the form of an antenna, in combination with an algorithm to obtain superior antenna characteristics. The SSF, SSVIE and SSPE systems of
An antenna arrangement 310 including both an SSF system and an SSVIE system is shown in
The operation of antenna arrangement 310 is substantially similar to that of antenna arrangement 10, and thus is not discussed herein in detail. Generally, controller 326 and processor 322 control SSA slot elements 336, SSVIE loads 340 and SSF switches 344 dependent upon a signal received by receiver 318 via antenna arrangement 310. Controller 326 may open and close the switches 338, 340, 344 in different combinations and then determine which of the combinations results in the best antenna performance. Algorithm processor 322 may be in the form of an SSA algorithm processor that is capable of controlling SSA slot elements 336, SSVIE loads 340 and SSF switches 344.
Another embodiment of an antenna arrangement 410 including both an SSF system and an SSVIE system is shown in
Yet another antenna arrangement 510 including both an SSF system and an SSVIE system is shown in
Antenna arrangement 510 may also include much the same components as the other embodiments disclosed above. For example, arrangement 510 may include a radio receiver (not shown) receiving signals from feed circuit 516, an algorithm processor (not shown) receiving an output signal from the radio receiver, and a switch controller (not shown) receiving an output signal from the processor. Control lines may be provided to interconnect the controller and elements 540 and switches 543, 544, 545. The operation of antenna arrangement 510 may be substantially similar to that of the other antenna arrangements disclosed above, and thus is not discussed in detail herein.
An antenna arrangement 610 including an SSPE system is shown in
Antenna arrangement 610 may also include much the same components as the other embodiments disclosed above. For example, arrangement 610 may include a radio receiver (not shown) receiving signals from feed circuit 616, an algorithm processor (not shown) receiving an output signal from the radio receiver, and a switch controller (not shown) receiving an output signal from the processor. Control lines may be provided to interconnect the controller and switches 614.
Parasitic elements such as slots 652 are not directly fed by the antenna's feed system, but because of their close proximity to the antenna these parasitic elements may directly affect the antenna transmit/receive characteristics. The effect of these parasitic elements may be determined by the parasitic element switch settings. All switches in the open state may result in the parasitic elements allowing slots 652 to act as director/reflector slots. Conversely, all switches in the closed state may result in slots 652 being shorted and thus removing their influence (i.e., no longer affecting the slot currents in the ground plane). Other aspects of the operation of antenna arrangement 610 may be substantially similar to that of the other antenna arrangements disclosed above.
An antenna arrangement 710 using FM/TV wire array technology and including both an SSA system and an SSPE system is shown in
Antenna arrangement 710 may also include much the same components as the other embodiments disclosed above. For example, arrangement 710 may include a radio receiver (not shown) receiving signals from feed circuit 716, an algorithm processor (not shown) receiving an output signal from the radio receiver, and a switch controller (not shown) receiving an output signal from the processor. Control lines may be provided to interconnect the controller and switches 714, 738. The operation of antenna arrangement 710 may be substantially similar to that of the other antenna arrangements disclosed above, and thus is not discussed in detail herein.
Another embodiment of an antenna arrangement 810 including an SSA system, an SSF system, an SSVIE system, and an SSPE system is shown in
While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.
