EP1575126B1 - Bow tie coupler - Google Patents
Bow tie coupler Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1575126B1 EP1575126B1 EP04251382A EP04251382A EP1575126B1 EP 1575126 B1 EP1575126 B1 EP 1575126B1 EP 04251382 A EP04251382 A EP 04251382A EP 04251382 A EP04251382 A EP 04251382A EP 1575126 B1 EP1575126 B1 EP 1575126B1
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- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- coupler
- conductive element
- mhz
- nose
- feed structure
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims description 43
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 claims description 25
- 210000001331 nose Anatomy 0.000 claims description 12
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- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 5
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 3
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- 238000010295 mobile communication Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000003321 amplification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
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Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q9/00—Electrically-short antennas having dimensions not more than twice the operating wavelength and consisting of conductive active radiating elements
- H01Q9/04—Resonant antennas
- H01Q9/16—Resonant antennas with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole
- H01Q9/28—Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines
- H01Q9/285—Planar dipole
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/12—Supports; Mounting means
- H01Q1/22—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles
- H01Q1/24—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles with receiving set
- H01Q1/241—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles with receiving set used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/36—Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewith
- H01Q1/38—Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewith formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q5/00—Arrangements for simultaneous operation of antennas on two or more different wavebands, e.g. dual-band or multi-band arrangements
- H01Q5/30—Arrangements for providing operation on different wavebands
- H01Q5/307—Individual or coupled radiating elements, each element being fed in an unspecified way
- H01Q5/314—Individual or coupled radiating elements, each element being fed in an unspecified way using frequency dependent circuits or components, e.g. trap circuits or capacitors
- H01Q5/321—Individual or coupled radiating elements, each element being fed in an unspecified way using frequency dependent circuits or components, e.g. trap circuits or capacitors within a radiating element or between connected radiating elements
Definitions
- the present invention relates to radio frequency test equipment, and more particularly, is directed to a coupler for use in a test enclosure and for coupling to test equipment to enable wireless communication with a device under test.
- Wireless communication equipment are subject to various standards relating to wireless transmission, including but not limited to power emissions standards and interference standards.
- the four main cellular frequency bands cover 824 to 960 MHz and 1710 to 1990 MHz.
- Bluetooth, Wireless LAN (WLAN) and/or global positioning system (GPS) functionality is being added to many wireless products; the center frequencies of these systems are 2450 MHz and 1575 MHz respectively.
- Such wireless devices e.g., cellphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smart phones, must be tested prior to sale, to ensure they comply with appropriate standards, and in general, function properly.
- Fig. 1A shows a typical radio frequency (RF) testing enclosure.
- a device under test is placed in an enclosure that contains a coupler for wirelessly coupling between test equipment and the device under test.
- RF radio frequency
- the first element has a tapered nose portion for connecting to a first portion of a signal feed structure
- the third element is for connecting to a second portion of the signal feed structure
- Fig. 1B shows hand-held mobile communications device 1, which is an example of a device that may be tested in the enclosure of Fig. 1A .
- Fig. 1B shows the conventional operating environment of device 1.
- Hand-held mobile communication device 1 includes a housing, a keyboard 14 and an output device 16.
- the output device shown is a display 16, which is preferably a full graphic LCD. Other types of output devices may alternatively be utilized.
- a processing device 18, which is shown schematically in Fig. 1B is contained within the housing and is coupled between the keyboard 14 and the display 16.
- the processing device 18 controls the operation of the display 16, as well as the overall operation of the mobile device 1, in response to actuation of keys on the keyboard 14 by the user.
- the housing may be elongated vertically, or may take on other sizes and shapes (including clamshell housing structures).
- the keyboard may include a mode selection key, or other hardware or software for switching between text entry and telephony entry.
- Fig. 1B In addition to the processing device 18. other parts of the mobile device 1 are shown schematically in Fig. 1B . These include a communications subsystem 100; a short-range communications subsystem; the keyboard 14 and the display 16, along with other input/output devices 106, 108, 11 and 112; as well as memory devices 116, 118 and various other device subsystems 120.
- the mobile device 1 is preferably a two-way RF communication device having voice and data communication capabilities.
- the mobile device 1 preferably has the capability to communicate with other computer systems via the Internet.
- Operating system software executed by the processing device 18 is preferably stored in a persistent store, such as a flash memory 116, but may be stored in other types of memory devices, such as a read only memory (ROM) or similar storage element.
- system software, specific device applications, or parts thereof may be temporarily loaded into a volatile store, such as a random access memory (RAM) 118.
- Communication signals received by the mobile device may also be stored to the RAM 118.
- the processing device 18 in addition to its operating system functions, enables execution of software applications 130A-130N on the device 1.
- a predetermined set of applications that control basic device operations, such as data and voice communications 130A and 130B, may be installed on the device 1 during manufacture.
- a personal information manager (PIM) application may be installed during manufacture.
- the PIM is preferably capable of organizing and managing data items, such as e-mail, calendar events, voice mails, appointments, and task items.
- the PIM application is also preferably capable of sending and receiving data items via a wireless network 140.
- the PIM data items are seamlessly integrated, synchronized and updated via the wireless network 140 with the device user's corresponding data items stored or associated with a host computer system.
- the communication subsystem 100 includes a receiver 150, a transmitter 152, and one or more antennas 154 and 156.
- the communication subsystem 100 also includes a processing module, such as a digital signal processor (DSP) 158, and local oscillators (LOs) 160.
- DSP digital signal processor
- LOs local oscillators
- a mobile device 1 may include a communication subsystem 100 designed to operate with the MobitexTM, Data TACTM or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) mobile data communication networks and also designed to operate with any of a variety of voice communication networks, such as AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, PCS, GSM, etc. Other types of data and voice networks, both separate and integrated, may also be utilized with the mobile device 1.
- GPRS General Packet Radio Service
- Network access requirements vary depending upon the type of communication system. For example, in the Mobitex and DataTAC networks, mobile devices are registered on the network using a unique personal identification number or PIN associated with each device. In GPRS networks, however, network access is associated with a subscriber or user of a device. A GPRS device therefore requires a subscriber identity module, commonly referred to as a SIM card, in order to operate on a GPRS network.
- SIM card subscriber identity module
- the mobile device 1 may send and receive communication signals over the communication network 140.
- Signals received from the communication network 140 by the antenna 154 are routed to the receiver 150, which provides for signal amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering, channel selection, etc., and may also provide analog to digital conversion. Analog-to-digital conversion of the received signal allows the DSP 158 to perform more complex communication functions, such as demodulation and decoding.
- signals to be transmitted to the network 140 are processed (e.g. modulated and encoded) by the DSP 158 and are then provided to the transmitter 152 for digital to analog conversion, frequency up conversion, filtering, amplification and transmission to the communication network 140 (or networks) via the antenna 156.
- the DSP 158 provides for control of the receiver 150 and the transmitter 152.
- gains applied to communication signals in the receiver 150 and transmitter 152 may be adaptively controlled through automatic gain control algorithms implemented in the DSP 158.
- a received signal such as a text message or web page download
- the communication subsystem 100 is input to the processing device 18.
- the received signal is then further processed by the processing device 18 for an output to the display 16, or alternatively to some other auxiliary I/O device 106.
- a device user may also compose data items, such as e-mail messages, using the keyboard 14 and/or some other auxiliary I/O device 106, such as a touchpad, a rocker switch, a thumb-wheel, or some other type of input device.
- the composed data items may then be transmitted over the communication network 140 via the communication subsystem 100.
- a voice communication mode In a voice communication mode, overall operation of the device is substantially similar to the data communication mode, except that received signals are output to a speaker 110, and signals for transmission are generated by a microphone 112.
- Alternative voice or audio I/O subsystems such as a voice message recording subsystem, may also be implemented on the device 1.
- the display 16 may also be utilized in voice communication mode, for example to display the identity of a calling party, the duration of a voice call, or other voice call related information.
- the short-range communications subsystem enables communication between the mobile device 1 and other proximate systems or devices, which need not necessarily be similar devices.
- the short-range communications subsystem may include an infrared device and associated circuits and components, or a BluetoothTM communication module to provide for communication with similarly-enabled systems and devices.
- the frequency bands of interest for cellular and smart phones are: 850 MHz GSM (824-894 MHz), 900 MHz GSM (880-960 MHz), GPS (1575.42 MHz), DCS (1710-1880 MHz), PCS (1850-1990 MHz), and WLAN (2400-2484 MHz).
- a wide bandwidth coupler has two outer elements around a center element.
- the outer elements are rectangular at their outside portions and each have a tapered nose portion next to the center element.
- a matching network electrically connects the two outer elements and the center element.
- the coupler exhibits better than 2:1 Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR), stable antenna gain characteristics and a dipole-like radiation pattern over a wide frequency range.
- VSWR Voltage Standing Wave Ratio
- the coupler exhibits the above characteristics over a frequency range of 824 to 2484 MHz, that is, all of the frequency bands for cellular and smart phones. Over each frequency band the coupler has very stable antenna gain. These characteristics minimize system error and thus maximize device failure detection during testing.
- the coupler can be etched easily on printed circuit board material. The wide bandwidth coupler is useful in an RF testing enclosure.
- the wide bandwidth coupler eliminates the test time needed to switch the coupler of an RF test chamber, and reduces calibration time. Additionally, the wide bandwidth coupler enables simultaneous testing of multiple bandwidths, and improves the reliability and repeatability of test measurements.
- couplers wear out sooner if they are switched frequently, the present wide bandwidth coupler should last longer as it will need to be switched less often.
- Fig. 1C shows an example of a conventional bow tie antenna having two triangular portions and a signal feed structure connected to the inner vertices of the triangular portions.
- VSWR voltage standing wave ratio
- Fig. 2A shows bow tie coupler 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- Small element 50 is disposed between medium element 20 and large element 30.
- Matching network 40 electrically connects small element 50, medium element 20 and large element 30.
- bow tie coupler 10 is located on a printed circuit board (PCB) RF substrate, such as a FR4 substrate, with no ground plane opposing the coupler.
- PCB printed circuit board
- the elements of bow tie coupler 10 are created on the PCB using a board milling machine or by an etching method. Other methods of manufacturing bow tie coupler 10 will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
- Small element 50 is coupled to the center pin (not shown) of a signal feed structure, such as a coaxial cable or microstrip line, connected to test equipment.
- a signal feed structure such as a coaxial cable or microstrip line
- Other suitable signal feed structures will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
- Small element 50 has a square shape.
- Medium element 20 is coupled to the outer sleeve (not shown) of the coaxial cable connected to the test equipment, that is, the signal ground.
- Medium element 20 has length len20.
- Medium element 20 has an outer rectangular portion and an inner tapered portion. Sides 23 and 24 taper to edge 22, forming a tapered nose portion.
- Bow tie coupler 10 wirelessly receives and transmits with the device under test (not shown), that is, acts as an antenna for converting electromagnetic energy to electrical energy and vice versa.
- Large element 30 has length len30. Generally, len30 is greater than or equal to len20, with the specific length values chosen in view of the signal frequency range and/or center frequency. However, len30 and len20 may be the same in some embodiments. In one embodiment, len20 is about 20 mm and len30 is about 40 mm. Large element 30 has an outer rectangular portion and an inner tapered portion. Sides 33 and 34 taper to edge 32, forming a tapered nose portion.
- Large element 30 has arm 35 which serves to extend element 30 closer to element 20, thereby making it easier to connect matching network 40 between elements 20 and 30.
- Matching network 40 comprises matching components 41, 42 and 43.
- Component 41 electrically connects medium element 20 and small element 50.
- Component 42 electrically connects medium element 20 and large element 30.
- Component 43 electrically connects small element 50 and large element 30.
- components 41 and 42 are each a resistor having a resistance of about 190 ohms, and component 43 is an inductor having an inductance of about 1.2 nH.
- components 41-43 are each resistors, while in a further embodiment, components 41-43 are each inductors.
- Other configurations of matching network 40 will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, and may be comprised of combinations of resistors, capacitors and inductors.
- Fig. 2B shows a three-dimensional view of bow tie coupler 10.
- Figs. 3A-3F show the radiation patterns of an exemplary bow tie coupler 10, in the E-plane (y-z plane of Fig. 2B ) and the H-plane (x-y plane of Fig. 2B ), measured in a 20 meter tapered anechoic chamber for various transmit frequencies.
- the radiation patterns at all of the frequency bands are seen to be dipole-like with good omni-directional H-plane characteristics.
- Fig. 3A is for the GSM850 system frequency of 839.6 MHz.
- Fig. 3B is for the GSM900 system frequency of 902.4 MHz.
- Fig. 3C is for the DCS system frequency of 47.8 MHz.
- Fig. 3D is for the PCS system frequency of 1880 MHz.
- Fig. 3E is for the GPS system frequency of 1575.42 MHz.
- Fig. 3F is for the wireless LAN system frequency of 2450 MHz.
- Fig. 4 is a graph showing the measured VSWR for the exemplary bow tie coupler 10, measured using an Agilent 8753E vector network analyzer. It can be seen that over the frequency range of at least 600 to 2600 MHz the coupler exhibits a substantially flat VSWR curve having a max-min variation of less than 1 and a VSWR better than 2:1.
- a VSWR of 2:1 corresponds to 90% of the input power being converted to output power, and is the RF standard for couplers.
- a VSWR of 1:1 corresponds to 100% of input power being converted to output power.
- the VSWR should be better than 2:1 over the entire frequency range of interest.
- Fig. 5 is a graph showing the VSWRs for a conventional bow tie antenna, such as shown in Fig. 1C (dash-dot line), a commercially popular coupler (not shown) (dotted line), and bow tie coupler 10 according to the present invention (solid line).
- the commercially popular coupler has poor VSWR performance in that its VSWR varies from about 27:1 to close to 1:1 and is not flat.
- the conventional bow tie antenna has a VSWR varying from about 8:1 to close to 1:1 .
- bow tie coupler 10 has a VSWR that is generally flat and is better than 2:1.
- Fig. 6 is a graph showing the antenna gain for a conventional bow tie antenna, such as shown in Fig. 1C (dash-dot line), a commercially popular coupler (not shown) (dotted line), and bow tie coupler 10 according to the present invention (solid line).
- the antenna gain should be flat over the entire bandwidth of interest.
- the commercially popular coupler has a triangular gain curve from about 1700 - 2400 MHz that has an antenna gain variation (max-min) of about 5 dB.
- the conventional bow tie antenna has a linearly sloped curve from about 900 - 1700 MHz with an antenna gain range of about 9 dB.
- bow tie coupler 10 has a generally flat antenna gain curve from about 800 - 2500 MHz with an antenna gain range of only about 2.5 dB.
- FIG. 7 An alternate embodiment is shown in Fig. 7 , a diagram of bow tie coupler 11, which is generally similar to bow tie coupler 10. For brevity, only the differences will be discussed.
- the tapered edges of the noses of medium element 21 and large element 31 of bow tie coupler have a curved or exponential shape, instead of being straight edges as in bow tie coupler 10.
- Small element 31 of bow tie coupler 11 has a circular shape.
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Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to radio frequency test equipment, and more particularly, is directed to a coupler for use in a test enclosure and for coupling to test equipment to enable wireless communication with a device under test.
- Wireless communication equipment are subject to various standards relating to wireless transmission, including but not limited to power emissions standards and interference standards. The four main cellular frequency bands cover 824 to 960 MHz and 1710 to 1990 MHz. Bluetooth, Wireless LAN (WLAN) and/or global positioning system (GPS) functionality is being added to many wireless products; the center frequencies of these systems are 2450 MHz and 1575 MHz respectively. Such wireless devices, e.g., cellphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smart phones, must be tested prior to sale, to ensure they comply with appropriate standards, and in general, function properly.
-
Fig. 1A shows a typical radio frequency (RF) testing enclosure. A device under test is placed in an enclosure that contains a coupler for wirelessly coupling between test equipment and the device under test. - Conventional couplers are designed to operate over specific frequency bands. Accordingly, when testing a device designed to operate at several frequency bands, the testing procedure must include switching the coupler for each of the frequency bands being tested. The need to switch between different couplers to test the same device decreases the reliability and repeatability of tests, increases the cost of testing, increases the difficulty of calibrating the tests, and increases the test time.
US 2002/0053994 discloses a planar ultra wide band antenna with integrated electronics andUS6307525 discloses a multiband flat panel antenna providing automatic routing between a plurality of antenna elements and an input/output port. - Thus, there is a need for a wide bandwidth RF coupler, operating in several frequency bands.
- According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided a coupler as defined in
claim 1 of the appended claims. - Features of embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.
- In an embodiment, the first element has a tapered nose portion for connecting to a first portion of a signal feed structure, and the third element is for connecting to a second portion of the signal feed structure.
- Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings of which:
-
-
Fig. 1A shows a typical RF enclosure; -
Fig. 1B is a block diagram showing hand-heldmobile communication device 1; -
Fig. 1C shows a conventional bow tic antenna; -
Figs. 2A-2B show views of a bow tie coupler according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Figs. 3A-3F show measured radiation patterns of the coupler ofFig. 2A ; -
Fig. 4 is a graph showing the Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) for the coupler ofFig. 2A ; -
Fig. 5 is a graph showing the VSWRs for several couplers; -
Fig. 6 is a graph showing the antenna gain for several couplers; and -
Fig. 7 is a diagram of another bow tie coupler according to an embodiment of the present invention. -
Fig. 1B shows hand-heldmobile communications device 1, which is an example of a device that may be tested in the enclosure ofFig. 1A .Fig. 1B shows the conventional operating environment ofdevice 1. Hand-heldmobile communication device 1 includes a housing, akeyboard 14 and an output device 16. The output device shown is a display 16, which is preferably a full graphic LCD. Other types of output devices may alternatively be utilized. Aprocessing device 18, which is shown schematically inFig. 1B , is contained within the housing and is coupled between thekeyboard 14 and the display 16. Theprocessing device 18 controls the operation of the display 16, as well as the overall operation of themobile device 1, in response to actuation of keys on thekeyboard 14 by the user. - The housing may be elongated vertically, or may take on other sizes and shapes (including clamshell housing structures). The keyboard may include a mode selection key, or other hardware or software for switching between text entry and telephony entry.
- In addition to the
processing device 18. other parts of themobile device 1 are shown schematically inFig. 1B . These include acommunications subsystem 100; a short-range communications subsystem; thekeyboard 14 and the display 16, along with other input/output devices memory devices other device subsystems 120. Themobile device 1 is preferably a two-way RF communication device having voice and data communication capabilities. In addition, themobile device 1 preferably has the capability to communicate with other computer systems via the Internet. - Operating system software executed by the
processing device 18 is preferably stored in a persistent store, such as aflash memory 116, but may be stored in other types of memory devices, such as a read only memory (ROM) or similar storage element. In addition, system software, specific device applications, or parts thereof, may be temporarily loaded into a volatile store, such as a random access memory (RAM) 118. Communication signals received by the mobile device may also be stored to theRAM 118. - The
processing device 18, in addition to its operating system functions, enables execution of software applications 130A-130N on thedevice 1. A predetermined set of applications that control basic device operations, such as data and voice communications 130A and 130B, may be installed on thedevice 1 during manufacture. In addition, a personal information manager (PIM) application may be installed during manufacture. The PIM is preferably capable of organizing and managing data items, such as e-mail, calendar events, voice mails, appointments, and task items. The PIM application is also preferably capable of sending and receiving data items via awireless network 140. Preferably, the PIM data items are seamlessly integrated, synchronized and updated via thewireless network 140 with the device user's corresponding data items stored or associated with a host computer system. Communication functions, including data and voice communications, are performed through thecommunication subsystem 100, and possibly through the short-range communications subsystem. Thecommunication subsystem 100 includes areceiver 150, atransmitter 152, and one ormore antennas communication subsystem 100 also includes a processing module, such as a digital signal processor (DSP) 158, and local oscillators (LOs) 160. The specific design and implementation of thecommunication subsystem 100 is dependent upon the communication network in which themobile device 1 is intended to operate. For example, amobile device 1 may include acommunication subsystem 100 designed to operate with the Mobitexâ„¢, Data TACâ„¢ or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) mobile data communication networks and also designed to operate with any of a variety of voice communication networks, such as AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, PCS, GSM, etc. Other types of data and voice networks, both separate and integrated, may also be utilized with themobile device 1. - Network access requirements vary depending upon the type of communication system. For example, in the Mobitex and DataTAC networks, mobile devices are registered on the network using a unique personal identification number or PIN associated with each device. In GPRS networks, however, network access is associated with a subscriber or user of a device. A GPRS device therefore requires a subscriber identity module, commonly referred to as a SIM card, in order to operate on a GPRS network.
- When required network registration or activation procedures have been completed, the
mobile device 1 may send and receive communication signals over thecommunication network 140. Signals received from thecommunication network 140 by theantenna 154 are routed to thereceiver 150, which provides for signal amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering, channel selection, etc., and may also provide analog to digital conversion. Analog-to-digital conversion of the received signal allows theDSP 158 to perform more complex communication functions, such as demodulation and decoding. In a similar manner, signals to be transmitted to thenetwork 140 are processed (e.g. modulated and encoded) by theDSP 158 and are then provided to thetransmitter 152 for digital to analog conversion, frequency up conversion, filtering, amplification and transmission to the communication network 140 (or networks) via theantenna 156. - In addition to processing communication signals, the
DSP 158 provides for control of thereceiver 150 and thetransmitter 152. For example, gains applied to communication signals in thereceiver 150 andtransmitter 152 may be adaptively controlled through automatic gain control algorithms implemented in theDSP 158. - In a data communication mode, a received signal, such as a text message or web page download, is processed by the
communication subsystem 100 and is input to theprocessing device 18. The received signal is then further processed by theprocessing device 18 for an output to the display 16, or alternatively to some other auxiliary I/O device 106. A device user may also compose data items, such as e-mail messages, using thekeyboard 14 and/or some other auxiliary I/O device 106, such as a touchpad, a rocker switch, a thumb-wheel, or some other type of input device. The composed data items may then be transmitted over thecommunication network 140 via thecommunication subsystem 100. - In a voice communication mode, overall operation of the device is substantially similar to the data communication mode, except that received signals are output to a
speaker 110, and signals for transmission are generated by amicrophone 112. Alternative voice or audio I/O subsystems, such as a voice message recording subsystem, may also be implemented on thedevice 1. In addition, the display 16 may also be utilized in voice communication mode, for example to display the identity of a calling party, the duration of a voice call, or other voice call related information. - The short-range communications subsystem enables communication between the
mobile device 1 and other proximate systems or devices, which need not necessarily be similar devices. For example, the short-range communications subsystem may include an infrared device and associated circuits and components, or a Bluetoothâ„¢ communication module to provide for communication with similarly-enabled systems and devices. - The frequency bands of interest for cellular and smart phones are: 850 MHz GSM (824-894 MHz), 900 MHz GSM (880-960 MHz), GPS (1575.42 MHz), DCS (1710-1880 MHz), PCS (1850-1990 MHz), and WLAN (2400-2484 MHz).
- A wide bandwidth coupler has two outer elements around a center element. The outer elements are rectangular at their outside portions and each have a tapered nose portion next to the center element. A matching network electrically connects the two outer elements and the center element.
- The coupler exhibits better than 2:1 Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR), stable antenna gain characteristics and a dipole-like radiation pattern over a wide frequency range. In one embodiment of the present invention, the coupler exhibits the above characteristics over a frequency range of 824 to 2484 MHz, that is, all of the frequency bands for cellular and smart phones. Over each frequency band the coupler has very stable antenna gain. These characteristics minimize system error and thus maximize device failure detection during testing. The coupler can be etched easily on printed circuit board material. The wide bandwidth coupler is useful in an RF testing enclosure.
- The wide bandwidth coupler eliminates the test time needed to switch the coupler of an RF test chamber, and reduces calibration time. Additionally, the wide bandwidth coupler enables simultaneous testing of multiple bandwidths, and improves the reliability and repeatability of test measurements.
- Since couplers wear out sooner if they are switched frequently, the present wide bandwidth coupler should last longer as it will need to be switched less often.
-
Fig. 1C shows an example of a conventional bow tie antenna having two triangular portions and a signal feed structure connected to the inner vertices of the triangular portions. With the inner vertices having 60° angles, the conventional bow tie antenna could provide a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) < 2 over a bandwidth of 30% to 40% of the center frequency, when its length L = 0.8λ at the center frequency, where λ is the wavelength of a signal being transmitted or received. -
Fig. 2A showsbow tie coupler 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.Small element 50 is disposed betweenmedium element 20 andlarge element 30. Matching network 40 electrically connectssmall element 50,medium element 20 andlarge element 30. - In one embodiment,
bow tie coupler 10 is located on a printed circuit board (PCB) RF substrate, such as a FR4 substrate, with no ground plane opposing the coupler. The elements ofbow tie coupler 10 are created on the PCB using a board milling machine or by an etching method. Other methods of manufacturingbow tie coupler 10 will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. -
Small element 50 is coupled to the center pin (not shown) of a signal feed structure, such as a coaxial cable or microstrip line, connected to test equipment. Other suitable signal feed structures will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.Small element 50 has a square shape. -
Medium element 20 is coupled to the outer sleeve (not shown) of the coaxial cable connected to the test equipment, that is, the signal ground.Medium element 20 has length len20.Medium element 20 has an outer rectangular portion and an inner tapered portion.Sides -
Bow tie coupler 10 wirelessly receives and transmits with the device under test (not shown), that is, acts as an antenna for converting electromagnetic energy to electrical energy and vice versa.Large element 30 has length len30. Generally, len30 is greater than or equal to len20, with the specific length values chosen in view of the signal frequency range and/or center frequency. However, len30 and len20 may be the same in some embodiments. In one embodiment, len20 is about 20 mm and len30 is about 40 mm.Large element 30 has an outer rectangular portion and an inner tapered portion.Sides -
Large element 30 hasarm 35 which serves to extendelement 30 closer toelement 20, thereby making it easier to connect matching network 40 betweenelements - Matching network 40 comprises matching
components medium element 20 andsmall element 50.Component 42 electrically connectsmedium element 20 andlarge element 30.Component 43 electrically connectssmall element 50 andlarge element 30. - In one embodiment,
components 41 and 42 are each a resistor having a resistance of about 190 ohms, andcomponent 43 is an inductor having an inductance of about 1.2 nH. In another embodiment, components 41-43 are each resistors, while in a further embodiment, components 41-43 are each inductors. Other configurations of matching network 40 will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, and may be comprised of combinations of resistors, capacitors and inductors. -
Fig. 2B shows a three-dimensional view ofbow tie coupler 10. -
Figs. 3A-3F show the radiation patterns of an exemplarybow tie coupler 10, in the E-plane (y-z plane ofFig. 2B ) and the H-plane (x-y plane ofFig. 2B ), measured in a 20 meter tapered anechoic chamber for various transmit frequencies. The radiation patterns at all of the frequency bands are seen to be dipole-like with good omni-directional H-plane characteristics. -
Fig. 3A is for the GSM850 system frequency of 839.6 MHz. -
Fig. 3B is for the GSM900 system frequency of 902.4 MHz. -
Fig. 3C is for the DCS system frequency of 47.8 MHz. -
Fig. 3D is for the PCS system frequency of 1880 MHz. -
Fig. 3E is for the GPS system frequency of 1575.42 MHz. -
Fig. 3F is for the wireless LAN system frequency of 2450 MHz. -
Fig. 4 is a graph showing the measured VSWR for the exemplarybow tie coupler 10, measured using an Agilent 8753E vector network analyzer. It can be seen that over the frequency range of at least 600 to 2600 MHz the coupler exhibits a substantially flat VSWR curve having a max-min variation of less than 1 and a VSWR better than 2:1. - It will be recalled that a VSWR of 2:1 corresponds to 90% of the input power being converted to output power, and is the RF standard for couplers. A VSWR of 1:1 corresponds to 100% of input power being converted to output power.
- Ideally, the VSWR should be better than 2:1 over the entire frequency range of interest.
-
Fig. 5 is a graph showing the VSWRs for a conventional bow tie antenna, such as shown inFig. 1C (dash-dot line), a commercially popular coupler (not shown) (dotted line), andbow tie coupler 10 according to the present invention (solid line). The commercially popular coupler has poor VSWR performance in that its VSWR varies from about 27:1 to close to 1:1 and is not flat. The conventional bow tie antenna has a VSWR varying from about 8:1 to close to 1:1 . By contrast,bow tie coupler 10 has a VSWR that is generally flat and is better than 2:1. -
Fig. 6 is a graph showing the antenna gain for a conventional bow tie antenna, such as shown inFig. 1C (dash-dot line), a commercially popular coupler (not shown) (dotted line), andbow tie coupler 10 according to the present invention (solid line). Ideally, the antenna gain should be flat over the entire bandwidth of interest. The commercially popular coupler has a triangular gain curve from about 1700 - 2400 MHz that has an antenna gain variation (max-min) of about 5 dB. The conventional bow tie antenna has a linearly sloped curve from about 900 - 1700 MHz with an antenna gain range of about 9 dB. By contrast,bow tie coupler 10 has a generally flat antenna gain curve from about 800 - 2500 MHz with an antenna gain range of only about 2.5 dB. - An alternate embodiment is shown in
Fig. 7 , a diagram ofbow tie coupler 11, which is generally similar tobow tie coupler 10. For brevity, only the differences will be discussed. - The tapered edges of the noses of
medium element 21 andlarge element 31 of bow tie coupler have a curved or exponential shape, instead of being straight edges as inbow tie coupler 10.Small element 31 ofbow tie coupler 11 has a circular shape.
Claims (14)
- A bow tie coupler (10) operating in a plurality of wireless communications frequency bands for use in a radio frequency test chamber comprising:a first conductive element (20) having an outer rectangular portion and an inner tapered portion, with sides that taper to an edge, thereby forming a nose (22) of the first conductive element, the first conductive element being connected to a signal ground;a second conductive element (30) having an outer rectangular portion and an inner tapered portion, with sides that taper to an edge, thereby forming a nose (32) of the second conductive element, the first and second elements arranged relative to each another such that the noses project towards each other, the second conductive element having an arm (35) which extends toward the first conductive element, the inner tapered portion of the second element having a first width which is substantially equal to a width of the rectangular portion of the second element, and a second width smaller than the first width; wherein the length of the rectangular portion of the second element is 40 mm and is longer than the length of the rectangular portion of the first element which is 20 mm.a third conductive element (50) disposed between the nose of the first conductive element and the nose of the second conductive element; anda matching network (40) electrically connecting the first conductive element, the second conductive element, and the third conductive element and includinga resistor of 190 ohms (41) electrically connecting the first conductive element and the third conductive element,an inductor of 1,2 nH (43) electrically connecting the second conductive element and the third conductive element, anda resistor of 190 ohms (42) electrically connecting the first conductive element and the arm of the second conductive element,the configuration of the first conductive element, the second conductive element, the third conductive element and the matching network ofthe bow tie coupler providing a generally flat antenna gain curve over at least two wireless communication frequency bands of the plurality of wireless communication frequency bands for simultaneous testing of multiple bandwidths of the plurality of wireless communication frequency bands.
- The coupler of claim 1, wherein the length of the arm is equal to the length of the third element.
- The coupler of any preceding claim, wherein the third element has a symmetric shape.
- The coupler of claim 3, wherein the third element has a square shape.
- The coupler of claim 3, wherein the third element has a round shape.
- The coupler of any preceding claim, wherein the tapered portions of the first and second elements are the same size.
- The coupler of any preceding claim, wherein the tapered portions of the first and second elements have straight edges on either side of the nose.
- The coupler of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the tapered portions of the first and second elements have curved edges on either side of the nose.
- The coupler of any preceding claim, having dipole-like radiation patterns.
- The coupler of any preceding claim, having a generally flat antenna gain curve over a frequency range of at least 800 to 2500 MHz and a max-min antenna gain variation of no more than about 2.5 dB.
- The coupler of claim 1, wherein the first element is connected to a first portion of a signal feed structure, and the third element is connected to a second portion of the signal feed structure.
- The coupler of claim 11, wherein the signal feed structure is a coaxial cable, the first portion of the signal feed structure is a ground reference portion of the coaxial cable, and the second portion of the signal feed structure is a center pin of the coaxial cable.
- The coupler of any preceding claim having a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of better than 2:1 over a frequency range o fat least 600 to 2600 MHz.
- The coupler of claim 1, wherein the frequency bands correspond to wireless systems selected from the group consisting of 850 MHz GSM, 900 MHz GSM, GPS, DCS, PCS and WLAN.
Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE602004032512T DE602004032512D1 (en) | 2004-03-10 | 2004-03-10 | Bowtie coupler |
AT04251382T ATE508494T1 (en) | 2004-03-10 | 2004-03-10 | BOWTIE COUPLER |
EP04251382A EP1575126B1 (en) | 2004-03-10 | 2004-03-10 | Bow tie coupler |
CA2499708A CA2499708C (en) | 2004-03-10 | 2005-03-07 | Bow tie coupler |
HK06101729.0A HK1079343A1 (en) | 2004-03-10 | 2006-02-09 | Bow tie coupler |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP04251382A EP1575126B1 (en) | 2004-03-10 | 2004-03-10 | Bow tie coupler |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1575126A1 EP1575126A1 (en) | 2005-09-14 |
EP1575126B1 true EP1575126B1 (en) | 2011-05-04 |
Family
ID=34814407
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP04251382A Expired - Lifetime EP1575126B1 (en) | 2004-03-10 | 2004-03-10 | Bow tie coupler |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1575126B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE508494T1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2499708C (en) |
DE (1) | DE602004032512D1 (en) |
HK (1) | HK1079343A1 (en) |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4356492A (en) * | 1981-01-26 | 1982-10-26 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy | Multi-band single-feed microstrip antenna system |
Family Cites Families (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6351246B1 (en) * | 1999-05-03 | 2002-02-26 | Xtremespectrum, Inc. | Planar ultra wide band antenna with integrated electronics |
US6307525B1 (en) * | 2000-02-25 | 2001-10-23 | Centurion Wireless Technologies, Inc. | Multiband flat panel antenna providing automatic routing between a plurality of antenna elements and an input/output port |
-
2004
- 2004-03-10 AT AT04251382T patent/ATE508494T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2004-03-10 DE DE602004032512T patent/DE602004032512D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2004-03-10 EP EP04251382A patent/EP1575126B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
2005
- 2005-03-07 CA CA2499708A patent/CA2499708C/en active Active
-
2006
- 2006-02-09 HK HK06101729.0A patent/HK1079343A1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4356492A (en) * | 1981-01-26 | 1982-10-26 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy | Multi-band single-feed microstrip antenna system |
Non-Patent Citations (2)
Title |
---|
HU Q. ET AL: "Millimeter wave superconducting receivers", MICROWAVE SYMPOSIUM DIGEST, 1991., IEEE MTT-S INTERNATIONAL BOSTON, MA, USA 10-14 JUNE 1991, NEW YORK, NY, USA,IEEE, US LNKD- DOI:10.1109/MWSYM.1991.147021, 10 June 1991 (1991-06-10), pages 409 - 412, XP010037665, ISBN: 978-0-87942-591-3 * |
MATSUURA H. ET AL: "Fully monolithic millimetre-wave mixer and IF amplifier with bow-tie antenna on GaAs substrate", ELECTRONICS LETTERS, IEE STEVENAGE, GB LNKD- DOI:10.1049/EL:19971236, vol. 33, no. 21, 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09), pages 1800 - 1801, XP006008082, ISSN: 0013-5194 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ATE508494T1 (en) | 2011-05-15 |
HK1079343A1 (en) | 2006-03-31 |
CA2499708C (en) | 2011-05-10 |
DE602004032512D1 (en) | 2011-06-16 |
CA2499708A1 (en) | 2005-09-10 |
EP1575126A1 (en) | 2005-09-14 |
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