EP1500163A2 - Passive tunable broadband antenna - Google Patents

Passive tunable broadband antenna

Info

Publication number
EP1500163A2
EP1500163A2 EP03747473A EP03747473A EP1500163A2 EP 1500163 A2 EP1500163 A2 EP 1500163A2 EP 03747473 A EP03747473 A EP 03747473A EP 03747473 A EP03747473 A EP 03747473A EP 1500163 A2 EP1500163 A2 EP 1500163A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
inductors
antenna
toroids
antenna according
inductor
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP03747473A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1500163B1 (en
Inventor
Ronald Craig Davidson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Cobham Aerospace Communications Dourdan SA
Original Assignee
Chelton Antennas SA
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Chelton Antennas SA filed Critical Chelton Antennas SA
Publication of EP1500163A2 publication Critical patent/EP1500163A2/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1500163B1 publication Critical patent/EP1500163B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

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
    • H01Q9/06—Details
    • H01Q9/14—Length of element or elements adjustable
    • 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
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q11/00—Electrically-long antennas having dimensions more than twice the shortest operating wavelength and consisting of conductive active radiating elements
    • H01Q11/02—Non-resonant antennas, e.g. travelling-wave antenna
    • H01Q11/08—Helical antennas

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a passive broadband connectable antenna.
  • An object of the invention is in particular to provide an antenna capable of operating in a range as wide as the 30-512 MHz range.
  • a solution would consist in using at least two antennas of very different lengths, typically a 2.5m antenna tuned to 30MHz and a 15cm antenna tuned to 512MHz, preferably a single antenna whose diagram radiation could not be satisfactory at the same time for these two frequencies.
  • Various solutions with a single antenna have nevertheless been proposed to constitute a passive broadband tunable antenna.
  • a frequently proposed solution consists in using a radiating element made up of several inductors connected in series and in providing means for short-circuiting the inductors individually and on demand (cf. for example US 4,564,843, US 4,656,483, US 4 862 184, US 4,924,238, US 6,169,523), which allows the antenna to be tuned to different frequencies depending on the number of shorted elements.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide an antenna whose selectivity is satisfactory in a very wide range of operating frequencies.
  • an antenna which comprises a radiating element consisting of several inductors connected in series and which comprises means for short-circuiting the inductors individually and on demand, characterized in that the antenna also comprises means for interrupting the connection between any two successive inductors, in that each inductor is designed to delimit a space surrounded by the inductor and in which the magnetic field generated by the passage of a current in the inductor is circumscribed, in that the inductors are arranged so that these spaces are superimposed, and in that the means for short-circuiting the inductors and the means for interrupting the connections between the inductors include switches arranged near the inductors and connected to placed control means remotely via electrical conductors which pass through said space s superimposed.
  • the conductors are passed through a metal tube in the center of these spaces.
  • the inductors are constituted by toroids whose natural resonant frequency is chosen to be greater than the highest operating frequency of the antenna.
  • toroids to constitute a radiating element of an antenna
  • US 4 622 588 and US 5 422 369 The use of toroids to constitute a radiating element of an antenna is known per se (cf. for example the publications US 4 622 588 and US 5 422 369), but none of these publications plans to use a series of toroids to make an antenna tunable over a whole range of frequencies.
  • the present invention therefore makes it possible to tune the antenna over a wide range of frequencies and to vary its length as a function of the tuning frequency, so that the selectivity of the antenna is maintained at a high value.
  • FIG. 1 is a view in a vertical plane where the inductors are seen from the side.
  • Figure 2 is a similar view in a vertical plane but where the inductors have been shown in plan.
  • the radiating element (1) of the antenna consists of toroids (Tn-1), (Tn), ... arranged horizontally.
  • the toroids have any shape (in a circle, in a polygon, in a square, in a triangle, etc.) provided that the magnetic field generated by the passage of an electric current in the toroids is circumscribed in a limited area, which considerably reduces the mutual inductance between the different toroids.
  • the set of toroids is crossed by a metal tube (2) inside which pass the conductors (3) which are connected by decoupling inductors (5) to the switches which include switches such as (b) and (d ) which are used to cut the successive toroids and switches such as (a) and (c) which are used to short-circuit the toroids individually.
  • the different toroids have identical or different individual resonance frequencies, but outside the antenna operating band.
  • the switches are constituted in this example and in a manner known per se by capacitor-transistor pairs (6,7) or by pairs of opposite transistors (8,9), depending on whether they are switches (b) and (d), or switches (a) and (c).
  • the invention is not limited to this exemplary embodiment.

Landscapes

  • Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)

Abstract

The invention concerns a passive tunable broadband antenna. The antenna radiating element consists of stacked toroids (T) connected in series, means (a, c) being provided for shorting the toroids individually and at will, and means (b, d) being provided for interrupting the connection between any two successive toroids. The invention is particularly applicable to the 30-412 MHz operating range.

Description

Antenne accordable passive à large bande Passive broadband tunable antenna
L'invention concerne une antenne raccordable passive à large bande. Un but de l'invention est notamment de fournir une antenne apte à fonctionner dans une gamme aussi étendue que la gamme 30-512 MHz.The invention relates to a passive broadband connectable antenna. An object of the invention is in particular to provide an antenna capable of operating in a range as wide as the 30-512 MHz range.
Pour couvrir une telle gamme, une solution consisterait à utiliser au moins deux antennes de longueurs très différentes, soit typiquement une antenne de 2,5m accordée à 30MHz et une antenne de 15cm accordée à 512MHz, de préférence à une antenne unique dont le diagramme de rayonnement ne pourrait pas être satisfaisant au même temps pour ces deux fréquences. Diverses solutions à antenne unique ont néanmoins été proposées pour constituer une antenne passive accordable à large bande.To cover such a range, a solution would consist in using at least two antennas of very different lengths, typically a 2.5m antenna tuned to 30MHz and a 15cm antenna tuned to 512MHz, preferably a single antenna whose diagram radiation could not be satisfactory at the same time for these two frequencies. Various solutions with a single antenna have nevertheless been proposed to constitute a passive broadband tunable antenna.
Une solution fréquemment proposée consiste à utiliser un élément rayonnant constitué de plusieurs inductances reliées en série et à prévoir des moyens pour court-circuiter les inductances individuellement et à la demande (cf. par exemple US 4 564 843, US 4 656 483, US 4 862 184, US 4 924 238, US 6 169 523), ce qui permet d'accorder l'antenne à différentes fréquences selon le nombre d'éléments court-circuités .A frequently proposed solution consists in using a radiating element made up of several inductors connected in series and in providing means for short-circuiting the inductors individually and on demand (cf. for example US 4,564,843, US 4,656,483, US 4 862 184, US 4,924,238, US 6,169,523), which allows the antenna to be tuned to different frequencies depending on the number of shorted elements.
Cette solution permet d'obtenir une sélectivité élevée à la plus faible fréquence de fonctionnement mais cette sélectivité décroît lorsque la fréquence augmente.This solution makes it possible to obtain a high selectivity at the lowest operating frequency but this selectivity decreases when the frequency increases.
Un but de la présente invention est de fournir une antenne dont la sélectivité soit satisfaisante dans une gamme très étendue de fréquences de fonctionnement. On y parvient selon l'invention avec une antenne qui comprend un élément rayonnant constitué de plusieurs inductances reliées en série et qui comprend des moyens pour court-circuiter les inductances individuellement et à la demande, caractérisée en ce que l'antenne comprend également des moyens pour interrompre la liaison entre deux inductances successives quelconques, en ce que chaque inductance est conçue pour délimiter un espace entouré par l'inductance et dans lequel est circonscrit le champ magnétique engendré par le passage d'un courant dans l'inductance, en ce que les inductances sont disposées en sorte que ces espaces soient superposés, et en ce que les moyens pour court-circuiter les inductances et les moyens pour interrompre les liaisons entre les inductances comprennent des commutateurs disposés à proximité des inductances et reliés à des moyens de commande placés à distance par l'intermédiaire de conducteurs électriques qui traversent lesdits espaces superposés. De préférence, on fait passer les conducteurs dans un tube métallique au centre de ces espaces.An object of the present invention is to provide an antenna whose selectivity is satisfactory in a very wide range of operating frequencies. This is achieved according to the invention with an antenna which comprises a radiating element consisting of several inductors connected in series and which comprises means for short-circuiting the inductors individually and on demand, characterized in that the antenna also comprises means for interrupting the connection between any two successive inductors, in that each inductor is designed to delimit a space surrounded by the inductor and in which the magnetic field generated by the passage of a current in the inductor is circumscribed, in that the inductors are arranged so that these spaces are superimposed, and in that the means for short-circuiting the inductors and the means for interrupting the connections between the inductors include switches arranged near the inductors and connected to placed control means remotely via electrical conductors which pass through said space s superimposed. Preferably, the conductors are passed through a metal tube in the center of these spaces.
De préférence, les inductances sont constituées par des toroïdes dont la fréquence de résonnance propre est choisie pour être supérieure à la plus haute fréquence de fonctionnement de l'antenne.Preferably, the inductors are constituted by toroids whose natural resonant frequency is chosen to be greater than the highest operating frequency of the antenna.
L'utilisation de toroïdes pour constituer un élément rayonnant d'une antenne est connue en soi (cf. par exemple les publications US 4 622 588 et US 5 422 369) , mais aucune de ces publications ne prévoit d'utiliser une série de toroïdes pour réaliser une antenne accordable sur toute une gamme de fréquences. La présente invention permet donc d'accorder l'antenne sur une large gamme de fréquences et de faire varier sa longueur en fonction de la fréquence d'accord, en sorte que la sélectivité de l'antenne soit maintenue à une valeur élevée .The use of toroids to constitute a radiating element of an antenna is known per se (cf. for example the publications US 4 622 588 and US 5 422 369), but none of these publications plans to use a series of toroids to make an antenna tunable over a whole range of frequencies. The present invention therefore makes it possible to tune the antenna over a wide range of frequencies and to vary its length as a function of the tuning frequency, so that the selectivity of the antenna is maintained at a high value.
Les figures du dessin joint sont des schémas d'un exemple d'une antenne conforme à l'invention dont on a représenté que deux éléments parmi tous les éléments qui constituent l'élément rayonnant de l'antenne : - la figure 1 est une vue dans un plan vertical où les inductances sont vues de côté. la figure 2 est une vue analogue dans un plan vertical mais où les inductances ont été montrées en plan. L'élément rayonnant (1) de l'antenne est constitué de toroïdes (Tn-1) , (Tn),... disposés horizontalement. Les toroïdes ont une forme quelconque (en cercle, en polygone, en carré, en triangle, etc) pourvu que le champ magnétique engendré par le passage d'un courant électrique dans les toroïdes soit circonscrit à une aire limitée, ce qui réduit considérablement l'inductance mutuelle entre les différents toroïdes. L'ensemble des toroïdes est traversé par un tube métallique (2) à l'intérieur duquel passent les conducteurs (3) qui sont reliés par des inducteurs de découplage (5) aux commutateurs qui comprennent des commutateurs tels que (b) et (d) qui servent à découper les toroïdes successifs et des commutateurs tels que (a) et (c) qui servent à court-circuiter les toroïdes individuellement. Les différents toroïdes ont des fréquences de resonnance individuelles identiques ou différentes, mais extérieurs à la bande de fonctionnemnt de l'antenne.The figures of the accompanying drawing are diagrams of an example of an antenna according to the invention of which only two elements have been shown among all the elements which constitute the radiating element of the antenna: - Figure 1 is a view in a vertical plane where the inductors are seen from the side. Figure 2 is a similar view in a vertical plane but where the inductors have been shown in plan. The radiating element (1) of the antenna consists of toroids (Tn-1), (Tn), ... arranged horizontally. The toroids have any shape (in a circle, in a polygon, in a square, in a triangle, etc.) provided that the magnetic field generated by the passage of an electric current in the toroids is circumscribed in a limited area, which considerably reduces the mutual inductance between the different toroids. The set of toroids is crossed by a metal tube (2) inside which pass the conductors (3) which are connected by decoupling inductors (5) to the switches which include switches such as (b) and (d ) which are used to cut the successive toroids and switches such as (a) and (c) which are used to short-circuit the toroids individually. The different toroids have identical or different individual resonance frequencies, but outside the antenna operating band.
On a schématisé sur les figures les moyens de commande des commutateurs par un rectangle (4) .The control means for the switches have been shown diagrammatically in a rectangle (4).
Les commutateurs sont constitués dans cet exemple et de façon en soi connue par des couples capacité- transistor (6,7) ou par des couples de transistors opposés (8,9), selon qu'il s'agit des commutateurs (b) et (d) , ou des commutateurs (a) et (c) .The switches are constituted in this example and in a manner known per se by capacitor-transistor pairs (6,7) or by pairs of opposite transistors (8,9), depending on whether they are switches (b) and (d), or switches (a) and (c).
L'invention n'est pas limitée à cet exemple de réalisation. The invention is not limited to this exemplary embodiment.

Claims

REVENDICATIONS
1. Antenne accordable à large bande, qui comprend un élément rayonnant (1) constitué de plusieurs inductances reliées en série et qui comprend des moyens (a,c) pour court-circuiter les inductances individuellement et à la demande, caractérisée en ce que l'antenne comprend également des moyens (b,d) pour interrompre la liaison entre deux inductances successives quelconques, en ce que chaque inductance est conçue pour délimiter un espace entouré par l'inductance et dans lequel est circonscrit le champ magnétique engendré par le passage d'un courant dans l'inductance, en ce que les inductances sont disposées en sorte que ces espaces soient superposés, et en ce que les moyens (a,c) pour court-circuiter les inductances et les moyens (b,d) pour interrompre les liaisons entre les inductances comprennent des commutateurs disposés à proximité des inductances et reliés à des moyens de commande (4) placés à distance par l'intermédiaire de conducteurs électriques (3) qui traversent lesdits espaces superposés.1. Tunable broadband antenna, which comprises a radiating element (1) made up of several inductors connected in series and which comprises means (a, c) for short-circuiting the inductors individually and on demand, characterized in that the the antenna also comprises means (b, d) for interrupting the connection between any two successive inductors, in that each inductor is designed to delimit a space surrounded by the inductor and in which the magnetic field generated by the passage of d is circumscribed '' a current in the inductor, in that the inductors are arranged so that these spaces are superimposed, and in that the means (a, c) for short-circuiting the inductors and the means (b, d) for interrupting the connections between the inductors include switches arranged near the inductors and connected to control means (4) placed remotely by means of electrical conductors (3) which cross said superimposed spaces.
2. Antenne selon la revendication 1 et qui comprend un tube métallique (2) dans lequel passent lesdits conducteurs (3) .2. An antenna according to claim 1 and which comprises a metal tube (2) through which said conductors (3) pass.
3. Antenne selon la revendication 2 et dont ledit conducteur métallique (2) passe au centre desdits espaces. 3. An antenna according to claim 2 and in which said metallic conductor (2) passes through the center of said spaces.
4. Antenne selon l'une des revendications 1 à 3, dont les inductances sont constituées par des toroïdes (T) .4. Antenna according to one of claims 1 to 3, the inductances of which consist of toroids (T).
5. Antenne selon la revendication 4 dans laquelle les toroïdes (T) ont en plan une forme choisie parmi les formes suivantes : cercles, polygone, carré, triangle.5. Antenna according to claim 4 in which the toroids (T) have in plan a shape chosen from the following shapes: circles, polygon, square, triangle.
6. Antenne selon la revandication 4 ou 5 dans laquelle la fréquence de resonnance propre des toroïdes (T) est choisie pour être supérieure à la plus haute fréquence de fonctionnement de 1 ' antenne. 6. Antenna according to claim 4 or 5 in which the natural resonance frequency of the toroids (T) is chosen to be greater than the highest operating frequency of the antenna.
EP03747473A 2002-04-29 2003-04-29 Passive tunable broadband antenna Expired - Lifetime EP1500163B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR0205349 2002-04-29
FR0205349A FR2839207B1 (en) 2002-04-29 2002-04-29 BROADBAND PASSIVE TUNABLE ANTENNA
PCT/FR2003/001341 WO2003094291A2 (en) 2002-04-29 2003-04-29 Passive tunable broadband antenna

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1500163A2 true EP1500163A2 (en) 2005-01-26
EP1500163B1 EP1500163B1 (en) 2005-10-26

Family

ID=28800008

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP03747473A Expired - Lifetime EP1500163B1 (en) 2002-04-29 2003-04-29 Passive tunable broadband antenna

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US20050200552A1 (en)
EP (1) EP1500163B1 (en)
AU (1) AU2003246871A1 (en)
DE (1) DE60302059T2 (en)
FR (1) FR2839207B1 (en)
WO (1) WO2003094291A2 (en)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10760414B1 (en) * 2019-07-12 2020-09-01 Isodrill, Inc. Data transmission system

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4924238A (en) * 1987-02-06 1990-05-08 George Ploussios Electronically tunable antenna
US6028558A (en) * 1992-12-15 2000-02-22 Van Voorhies; Kurt L. Toroidal antenna
US5870681A (en) * 1995-12-28 1999-02-09 Lucent Technologies, Inc. Self-steering antenna array
FR2759497A1 (en) * 1997-02-07 1998-08-14 Thomson Csf Variable geometry antenna for frequencies below 1GHz
FR2760900B1 (en) * 1997-03-17 1999-05-28 Centre Nat Etd Spatiales ANTENNA FOR SCROLL SATELLITE
US6337664B1 (en) * 1998-10-21 2002-01-08 Paul E. Mayes Tuning circuit for edge-loaded nested resonant radiators that provides switching among several wide frequency bands
US6169523B1 (en) * 1999-01-13 2001-01-02 George Ploussios Electronically tuned helix radiator choke
US6606075B1 (en) * 2001-06-07 2003-08-12 Luxul Corporation Modular wireless broadband antenna tower
US6664938B2 (en) * 2002-03-01 2003-12-16 Ems Technologies Canada, Ltd. Pentagonal helical antenna array

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO03094291A3 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2003246871A1 (en) 2003-11-17
WO2003094291A2 (en) 2003-11-13
US20050200552A1 (en) 2005-09-15
EP1500163B1 (en) 2005-10-26
DE60302059T2 (en) 2006-07-20
WO2003094291A3 (en) 2004-04-01
FR2839207A1 (en) 2003-10-31
DE60302059D1 (en) 2005-12-01
FR2839207B1 (en) 2004-07-16

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