The application requires in the U.S. Provisional Application the 61/614th of submission on March 23rd, 2012, No. 685, the U.S. Provisional Application the 61/731st submitted on November 30th, 2012, No. 949 and the U.S. utility patent application the 13/720th submitted on December 19th, 2012, No. 565 priority is incorporated into its integral body that this is for reference and as the application's a part.
Embodiment
Fig. 1 is the schematic block diagram of a kind of execution mode of radio communication device 5, and this radio communication device comprises radio frequency (RF) front-end module 10, power amplifier 18, low noise amplifier 20, up-converter module 22, down conversion module 24 and baseband processing module 26.RF front-end module 10 comprises three-dimensional (3D) helical antenna 12, receives-send (RX-TX) isolation module 14 and tuner module 16.
Communicator 5 can be any device that can be carried by the people, can be at least part of battery-powered, and comprise radio transceiver (for example, radio frequency (RF) and/or millimeter wave (MMW)), and carry out one or more software application.For example, communicator 5 can be cell phone, laptop computer, personal digital assistant, electronic game controller, electronic game machine, personal entertainment device, panel computer etc.
In an example that sends departures RF signal, baseband processing module 26 is converted to one or more departures symbol streams according to communication standard or agreement with outbound data (for example, voice, text, video, figure, video file, audio file etc.).Can be the up-converter module 22 of direct modular converter or super-heterodyne conversion module, one or more departures symbol circulations are changed to one or more up-conversion signals.Power amplifier 18 amplifies these one or more up-conversion signals, to produce one or more departures RF signals.RX-TX isolation module 14 RF signal and the inbound RF signal isolation of will setting off, and the RF signal that will set off offers 3D helical antenna 12 to be used for transmission.Note, 16 pairs of RX-TX isolation modules of tuner module 14 carry out tuning.
In the example that receives one or more inbound RF signals, 3D antenna 12 reception of inbound RF signals, and provide it to RX-TX isolation module 14.RX-TX isolation module 14 is isolated inbound RF signal and departures RF signal, and inbound RF signal is offered low noise amplifier 20.Low noise amplifier 20 amplifies inbound RF signal, and can be the down conversion module 24 of Direct-conversion module or super-heterodyne conversion module, and the inbound RF signal that amplifies is converted to one or more inbound symbol streams.Baseband processing module 26 is changed to inbound data with one or more inbound symbol circulations.
RF front-end module 10 can be implemented as the integrated circuit (IC) that comprises one or more IC chips and IC base plate for packaging.Tuner module 16 is embodied on one or more IC chips.The IC base plate for packaging is supported the IC chip, and also can comprise 3D helical antenna 12.RX-TX isolation module 14 can be embodied on one or more IC chips and/or the IC base plate for packaging.One or more being embodied on one or more IC chips in power amplifier 18, low noise amplifier 20, up-converter module 22, down conversion module 24 and the baseband processing module 26.
Fig. 2 is the schematic block diagram of a kind of execution mode of RF front-end module 10, and this RF front-end module comprises 3D helical antenna 12, as the duplexer 14-1 of RX-TX isolation module 14 and balancing network 14-2 and as resitstance voltage divider (R1 and R2), detector 34 and the tuning engine 36 of tuner module 16.Duplexer 14-1 is used for secondary winding is added the voltage of being responded at two armature windings by inbound RF signal 32 ideally, and deduct the voltage of being responded at two armature windings by departures RF signal 30, so that do not have departures RF signal on secondary winding, and inbound RF signal occurs twice at secondary winding.Based on the feedback from tuner module 16, balancing network 14-2 adjusts the impedance that the 3D helical antenna is mated in its impedance substantially, so that duplexer more comes work near perfect condition.
Fig. 3 is the axonometric drawing of a kind of execution mode of dimensional antenna 12, and this dimensional antenna comprises substrate 40, helical antenna element 46 and is coupled to the distributing point 48 of the tie point of helical antenna element 46.Can be the substrate 40 of one or more printed circuit board (PCB)s, one or more integrated circuit (IC) substrate package and/or non-conductive assembled antenna backing structure, comprise exterior three dimensional shape district 42 (for example, extend to above substrate 40 the surface or the periphery).Helical antenna element 46 is supported by 3D shape district 42 and is complementary with this 3D shape district, so that helical antenna element 46 has the global shape near 3D shape.
For example, when 3D shape district 42 had hyperbolic shape, helical antenna element had the hyperbolic shape with 3D shape district 42 about same sizes.As another example, substrate 40 can be centered on (encompass) so that the non-conductive antenna backing structure (for example, plastics, glass, glass fibre etc.) of hyperbola antenna to be provided by 3D shape district 42.Several microns tens meters of arriving for low frequency and/or higher-power applications that the diameter range of hyperbolic shape can be used from being used for high frequency (for example, tens GHzs) and/or lower-wattage.
As another example, 3D shape district 42 has cone shape, so that helical antenna element 46 also has cone shape, and roughly the same with the size in 3D shape district 42.3D shape district 42 can have other shapes, such as cup-shaped, cylindrical, pyramid, box-like (as shown in Figure 3), spherical or parabola shaped.
Fig. 4 is the axonometric drawing of another execution mode of dimensional antenna 12, and this dimensional antenna comprises substrate 40, helical antenna element 46 and is coupled to the distributing point 48 of the tie point of helical antenna element 46.Can be the substrate 40 of one or more printed circuit board (PCB)s, one or more integrated circuit (IC) substrate package and/or non-conductive assembled antenna backing structure, comprise interior three-dimensional shape district 44 (for example, surface or the outer rim with respect to substrate 40 extends internally).Helical antenna element 46 is supported by 3D shape district 44 and is complementary with this 3D shape district 44, so that helical antenna element 46 has the global shape near 3D shape.That 3D shape district 44 can have is cup-shaped, parabola shaped, conical, box-like (as shown in Figure 4), cylindrical, pyramid or sphere.
Fig. 5 to Fig. 8 is the schematic diagram of execution mode of the helical antenna element 46 of 3D antenna 12, and this 3D antenna has the spiral-shaped of a circle or multiturn.This is spiral-shaped can be spiral of Archimedes shape and/or equiangular spiral shape (for example, Sai Erte spiral).Because the spinning behaviour of helical antenna element 46, antenna has the approximately gain of 3dB (for example, the spiral gain component), because opposite radiation lobe is inverted, therefore forward radiation pattern energy is doubled.Because the 3D shape of antenna element, antenna gain has further increased again approximately 2dB (for example, three-dimensional gain component).Therefore, 3D helical antenna 12 has the approximately gain of 5dB.
At least part of physical attribute based on antenna 12 of the working band of 3D helical antenna 12.For example, the size of the lasing region of antenna 12 (that is, distributing point and/or interior circle radius) has been set up the upper cut-off region of bandwidth, and the periphery of helical antenna 12 has been set up the lower cut-off region of bandwidth.Spiral pattern has created circular polarization.Distance between track width, the trace, the length of each spiral part, can affect quality factor, radiation mode, impedance (quite constant on bandwidth), gain and/or other characteristics of antenna 12 to the use on the distance of ground level and/or artificial magnetic conductor plane.
As shown in Figure 5, helical antenna element 46 comprises and is formed the spiral wire of multiturn.Distance between length, width and the circle depends on the desirable characteristics (for example, bandwidth, centre frequency, quality factor, impedance, polarization etc.) of antenna.Fig. 6 shows and comprises having the helical antenna element 46 that the multiturn spiral fluted is solid electric conducting material substantially.Fig. 7 shows and comprises the wire with symmetric helix pattern 52 or the helical antenna element 46 of substantially realizing for solid conductor, and this symmetric helix pattern has created the radiation mode that is basically perpendicular to distributing point.Fig. 8 shows and comprises the wire with eccentric spiral pattern 54 or the helical antenna element 46 of substantially realizing for solid conductor, and this off-centre spiral pattern has created the radiation mode that is not orthogonal to distributing point.
Fig. 9 is the axonometric drawing of dimensional antenna 12, and this dimensional antenna comprises and is the nemaline helical antenna element 46 of three dimensional parabolic.In this exemplary execution mode, substrate 40 only comprises 3D shape district 42 or 44.Therefore, 3D antenna 12 is the parabolic helical aerials with above-mentioned characteristic.Note, helical antenna element 46 can be according to one or more enforcement the among Fig. 5 to Fig. 8.
Figure 10 is the sectional view that only comprises the nemaline dimensional antenna 12 of three dimensional parabolic, and this dimensional antenna comprises helical antenna element 46 and substrate 40.Figure 11 is the sectional view that only comprises the dimensional antenna 12 of three-dimensional hyperbolic shape, and this dimensional antenna comprises helical antenna element 46 and substrate 40.Therefore, 3D antenna 12 is the hyperbolic spiral antennas with above-mentioned characteristic.Note, helical antenna element 46 can be according to one or more enforcement the among Fig. 5 to Fig. 8.
Figure 12 is the axonometric drawing of another execution mode of dimensional antenna 12, and this dimensional antenna comprises substrate 40, helical antenna element 60 and be coupled to the distributing point 62 of the tie point of the helical antenna element 60 that interweaves interweaves.Can be the substrate 40 of one or more printed circuit board (PCB)s, one or more integrated circuit (IC) substrate package and/or non-conductive assembled antenna backing structure, comprise exterior three dimensional shape district 42 (extending to surface or periphery above substrate 40).The helical antenna element 60 that interweaves comprises the first helical antenna element and the second helical antenna element, and matches by 42 supports of 3D shape district and with this 3D shape district, so that the helical antenna element 60 that interweaves has the global shape near 3D shape.
For example, when 3D shape district 42 had hyperbolic shape, the helical antenna element 60 that interweaves had the hyperbolic shape with 3D shape district 42 approximate same size.As another example, substrate 40 can be centered on so that the non-conductive antenna backing structure (for example, plastics, glass, glass fibre etc.) of hyperbola antenna to be provided by 3D shape district 42.Hyp diameter range can be from being used for several microns tens meters of arriving for low frequency and/or higher-power applications of high frequency (for example, tens GHzs) and/or low power applications.
As another example, 3D shape district 42 has cone shape, so that the helical antenna element 60 that interweaves also has cone shape and roughly the same with the size in 3D shape district 42.3D shape district 42 can have other shapes, such as cup-shaped, cylindrical, pyramid, box-like (as shown in figure 12), spherical or parabola shaped.
Figure 13 is the axonometric drawing of another execution mode of dimensional antenna 12, and this dimensional antenna comprises substrate 40, helical antenna element 60 and be coupled to the distributing point 62 of the tie point of the helical antenna element that interweaves interweaves.Can be the substrate 40 of one or more printed circuit board (PCB)s, one or more integrated circuit (IC) substrate package and/or non-conductive assembled antenna backing structure, comprise interior three-dimensional shape district 44 (for example, surface or the outer rim with respect to substrate 40 extends internally).The helical antenna element 60 that interweaves is supported by 3D shape district 44 and is complementary with this 3D shape district, so that the helical antenna element 60 that interweaves has the global shape near 3D shape.That 3D shape district 44 can have is cup-shaped, parabola shaped, conical, box-like (as shown in Figure 4), cylindrical, pyramid or sphere.
Figure 14 is the schematic diagram of another execution mode of helical antenna element 60 of interweaving, and this helical antenna element that interweaves comprises the first helical antenna element 60-1 and the second helical antenna element 60-2.Among the first and second helical antenna element 60-1 and the 60-2 each all can have spiral of Archimedes shape or equiangular spiral shape.In addition, each in the first and second helical antenna elements all can have symmetric helix pattern or eccentric spiral pattern.Further, each in the first and second helical antenna elements all can comprise and is formed the spiral-shaped wire of multiturn.
The spinning behaviour of helical antenna element 60 owing to interweaving, antenna 12 has the approximately gain of 3dB (for example, the spiral gain component), because opposite radiation lobe is inverted, therefore forward radiation pattern energy is doubled.Because the 3D shape of antenna element, antenna gain has further increased again approximately 2dB (for example, three-dimensional gain component).Therefore, 3D helical antenna 12 has the approximately gain of 5dB.
At least part of physical attribute based on antenna 12 of the working band of 3D helical antenna 12.For example, the size of the lasing region of antenna 12 (that is, distributing point and/or interior circle radius) has been set up the upper cut-off region of bandwidth, and the girth of helical antenna 12 has been set up the lower cut-off region of bandwidth.The spiral pattern that interweaves has created circular polarization.Distance between track width, the trace, the length of each spiral part, can affect quality factor, radiation mode, impedance (more constant on bandwidth), gain and/or other characteristics of antenna 12 to the use on the distance of ground level and/or artificial magnetic conductor plane.
In instantiation, 2Omm radius (for example, 2, π, 20=125.66mm girth) provides the approximately low cut-off frequency of 2GHz, and has the approximately lasing region of 5mm radius and set up the approximately higher cutoff frequency of 8GHz.Therefore, the antenna of this particular instance has the bandwidth of the 2-8GHz centered by 5GHz.
Figure 15 is the schematic diagram of another execution mode of helical antenna element 60 of interweaving, and this helical antenna element that interweaves comprises the first helical antenna element 60-1 and the second helical antenna element 60-2.Among the first and second helical antenna element 60-1 and the 60-2 each all can have spiral of Archimedes shape or equiangular spiral shape.In addition, each in the first and second helical antenna elements all can have symmetric helix pattern or eccentric spiral pattern.Further, the helical antenna element 60 that interweaves can be the basic solid electric conducting material that is, wherein, the multiturn helicla flute is separated the first and second helical antenna element 60-1 and 60-2.
Figure 16 is the sectional view that only comprises a kind of execution mode of the nemaline dimensional antenna 12 of three dimensional parabolic, and this dimensional antenna comprises interweave helical antenna element 60 and substrate 40.Therefore, 3D antenna 12 is the parabolic helical aerials with above-mentioned characteristic.Note, this helical antenna element 46 can be according to one or more enforcement the among Figure 13 and Figure 14.
Figure 17 is the sectional view that only comprises the dimensional antenna 12 of three-dimensional hyperbolic shape, and this dimensional antenna comprises interweave helical antenna element 60 and substrate 40.Therefore, 3D antenna 12 is the hyperbolic spiral antennas with above-mentioned characteristic.Note, this helical antenna element 46 can be according to one or more enforcement the among Figure 13 and Figure 14.
As used herein, term " substantially " and " approximately " provide in the industry acceptable tolerance for the correlation between its corresponding entry and/or the item.This can be accepted in the industry tolerance and comprises from less than 1% to 50% scope, and corresponding to but be not limited to components values, integrated circuit technology variation, variations in temperature, lifting number of times and/or thermal noise.This correlation between comprises the scope from the difference of a few percent to a large amount of differences.Also as used herein, term " operationally is coupled to ", " being coupled to " and/or " coupling " comprise between the item directly couple and/or between via middle entry (for example, item includes but not limited to assembly, element, circuit and/or module) indirectly couple, wherein, for indirectly coupling, middle entry is not revised signal message, but its levels of current of capable of regulating, voltage levvl and/or power level.Also can use such as this paper, infer that coupling (that is, one of them element is coupled to another element by deduction) comprises directly and indirectly coupling in the mode identical with " being coupled to " between two items.Also can use such as this paper, term " operationally " or " operationally being coupled to " indication is a certain to comprise one with power source connection, input, output etc., in order to when being activated, carry out its corresponding function more than, and also can comprise and infer and be coupled to more than one other.Also can use such as this paper, term " with ... be associated " comprise independent directly and/or indirectly couple and/or an item embeds in another.As used herein, relatively provide desired relationship between the plural item of term " preferred relatively " expression, the signal etc.For example, when expectation relation has than the larger amplitude of signal 2 for signal 1, when the amplitude of signal 1 during greater than the amplitude of signal 2 or when the amplitude of signal 2 during less than the amplitude of signal 1, can realize preferred comparison.
Also as used herein, term " processing module ", " treatment circuit " and/or " processing unit " can be single processing unit or a plurality of processing unit.This processing unit can be microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, CPU, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logical circuit, analog circuit, digital circuit and/or any device that comes control signal (simulation and/or numeral) based on circuit hard coded and/or operational order.Processing module, module, treatment circuit and/or processing unit can be or comprise that also memory and/or integrated memory element, this memory and/or integrated memory element can be the flush type circuits of single memory device, a plurality of storage arrangement and/or another processing module, module, treatment circuit and/or processing unit.This storage arrangement can be any device of read-only memory, random access memory, volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, static memory, dynamic memory, flash memory, buffer memory and/or storing digital information.Note, if processing module, module, treatment circuit and/or processing unit comprise the processing unit more than, then this processing unit can be by centralized location (for example, directly be coupled in together via wired and/or wireless bus structure), perhaps can be distributed formula location (cloud computing that for example, indirectly couples via local area network (LAN) and/or wide area network).Note also, if processing module, module, treatment circuit and/or processing unit are implemented one above function via state machine, analog circuit, digital circuit and/or logical circuit, then store the memory of corresponding operating instruction and/or memory element can embed in the circuit that comprises state machine, analog circuit, digital circuit and/or logical circuit or in this circuit outside.Note also, memory element can storage and processing module, module, treatment circuit and/or processing unit can carry out corresponding at least some hard coded and/or the operational order in step shown in the drawings and/or the function more than.This storage device or memory element can be included in the product.
Above utilized the method step of the performance that its appointed function and relation are shown to describe the utility model.For ease of describing, defined arbitrarily border and the order of these functional modules and method step herein.The substituting border of definable and order are as long as can suitably carry out appointed function and relation.Therefore, any this substituting border or order are all in the scope of the present utility model and thought of opinion right.In addition, for ease of describing, defined arbitrarily the border that these functions are touched piece.The substituting border of definable is as long as can suitably carry out specific critical function.Similarly, this paper has also defined arbitrarily flow chart block so that specific critical function to be described.For reaching employed degree, the border of flow chart block and order can otherwise define and still carry out specific critical function.Therefore, this substituting definition of functional block and flow chart block and order is all in the scope of the present utility model and thought of opinion right.Those of ordinary skills also will recognize, the functional block of this paper and other illustrated blocks, module and assembly can according to shown in implement, perhaps processor by discrete assembly, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the suitable software of execution etc. or their any combination are implemented.
The utility model also is described at least in part with the form of more than one execution modes.Execution mode of the present utility model is used to illustrate the utility model, aspect of the present utility model, feature of the present utility model, concept of the present utility model and/or example of the present utility model in this article.The physical embodiments that embodies device of the present utility model, product, machine and/or processing can comprise the more than one aspect described with reference to more than one execution mode discussed in this article, feature, concept, example etc.In addition, from figure to figure, these execution modes can be in conjunction with the function of the identical or similar name that can use identical or different Reference numeral, step, module etc., and therefore, these functions, step, module etc. can be same or similar function, step, module etc. or different function, step, module etc.
Unless otherwise indicated, the element in any accompanying drawing that go to element in any accompanying drawing that this paper provides, provides from this paper and/or the signal between the element in any accompanying drawing that this paper provides can be analog or digital, Time Continuous or time-discrete and single-ended or difference.For example, if signal path is shown as single-ended path, then signal also can represent differential signal path.Similarly, divide path if signal path is shown as Qiang, then signal also can represent the single-ended signal path.Recognize such as those of ordinary skills, although this paper describes an above particular architecture, can implement equally to use other architectures that indirectly couple between an above data/address bus that does not clearly illustrate, interelement direct connection and/or other elements.
Term " module " is used in the description to various execution modes of the present utility model.Can be as described in this article, module comprises for the processing module of carrying out one or more functions, functional block, hardware and/or is stored in the software of memory.Note, if this module is implemented via hardware, then hardware can independently and/or in conjunction with software and/or firmware move.As used herein, module can comprise one or more submodules, and it can be one or more modules separately.
Although this paper has clearly described the concrete combination of various function of the present utility model and feature, other combinations of these features and function are feasible equally.The utility model be can't help instantiation disclosed herein and is limited, and clearly comprises these other combinations.