AN ANTENNA ARRANGEMENT FOR A PORTABLE RADIO COMMUNICATION DE ICE
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an antenna arrangement for a radio communication device. Particularly, the present invention relates to a quarter wavelength guadrifilar helix structure for a portable radio communication device.
BACKGROUND
Radio communication via satellite is a fairly common application today. One type of antenna that is utilized for satellite communication in a portable radio communication device, such as a mobile phone or a GPS receiver, is a guadrifilar helix antenna (QHA) . Such an antenna provides circularly polarized radiation and may be designed having a half wavelength structure or a quarter wavelength structure with a shorted end. This is more closely described in Mobile Antenna Systems Handbook, chapter 9.6.2.7, by K. Fujimoto and J. R. James.
A problem with the half wavelength structure is primarily its length, as there is always a constant desire to provide small products . A problem with the ■ quarter wavelength structure compared to the half wavelength structure is that a deteriorated radiation pattern is obtained. Another problem with the quarter wavelength structure is that also the axial ratio and antenna gain deteriorate compared to the half wavelength structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a short antenna structure that mitigates the problems described above.
This object, among others, is attained by an antenna arrangement according to the appended claims .
By providing an antenna arrangement for a portable radio communication device, such as a mobile, phone or a GPS receiver, comprising a quarter wavelength QHA structure having a shorted end grounded coaxially along the inside of the guadrifilar helix structure, a short antenna arrangement is provided that has an axial ratio, antenna gain, and radiation pattern comparable to that of a half wavelength QHA structure .
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be evident from the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description of embodiments given below and the accompanying figures, which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitative of the present invention, wherein:
Fig. 1 shows a quarter wavelength guadrifilar helix antenna structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 illustrates a short-circuit arrangement according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 3 illustrates a short-circuit arrangement according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
In the following description, for purpose of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth, such as particular techniques and applications in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent for a person skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In other instances, detailed description of well-known methods and apparatuses are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary details.
A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Fig. 1.
An antenna arrangement for a portable radio communication device, such as a mobile phone or a GPS receiver, comprises a quadrafilar helix antenna (QHA) structure with a short- circuited end having a length of approximately λ/4 of a desired transmission frequency. This will hereinafter be referred to as a quarter wavelength QHA structure.
The quarter wavelength QHA structure comprises four radiating elements 1, each of which is in a first end electrically connected to a feeding net 4 and in a second end electrically connected to a short-circuit arrangement 2. The short-circuit arrangement 2 is formed as a circle element, onto which periphery the radiating elements 1 are connected to.
The antenna arrangement further comprises a grounding 3, preferably a grounding pin, arranged coaxially along the
inside of the quarter wavelength QHA structure, electrically connecting the short-circuit arrangement 2 to ground on the feeding net 4. The feeding net 4, will, when the antenna arrangement is mounted in the mobile phone or the GPS receiver, be electrically connected to RF circuitry and ground of the mobile phone or the GPS receiver. Alternatively the grounding may be electrically connected directly to ground of the mobile phone or the GPS receiver, when the antenna arrangement is mounted thereto.
The feeding net 4 is arranged to feed the four radiating elements 1 with a phase difference of 90°, to provide a circularly polarized radiation pattern. Due to the coaxial grounding 3 it is possible to achieve very good axial ratio for the radiation pattern. Further, a wide beam width and a stable mechanical construction are achieved, due to the coaxial grounding 3.
Where each radiating element 1 has a length of 50" mm, the height of the helix structure is 40 mm, and the diameter of the short-circuit arrangement is 10 mm a frequency band of 1525-1660 MHz is obtained.
A second embodiment of the present invention will next be described with reference to Fig. 2. This embodiment is identical to the first embodiment described above, apart from the following.
The short-circuit arrangement is formed as two intersecting line elements 10, the ends of which are electrically connected to the second ends of the radiating elements 1. The grounding is electrically connected to the short-circuit arrangement at the intersection 11 of the two line elements 10. The intersection 11 is positioned in the centerline of the quarter wavelength QHA structure.
Next a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. This embodiment is identical to the second embodiment described above, apart from the following.
The short-circuit arrangement further comprises an annular element 12 electrically connected to the second ends of the radiating elements 1. This annular element 12 provides more support structure for the antenna arrangement, compared to the second embodiment described above.
An alternative form for the short-circuit arrangement may be obtained with the annular element 13 without the two intersected line elements 10, but in this case the grounding 3 needs to be extended from the center of the short-circuit arrangement to the annular element 12. However, this may give rise to some non-linearity, in the radiation pattern.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention will now be described.
The antenna arrangement comprises separate transmitting and receiving radiating elements. Each of the transmitting and receiving radiating elements is made up of a quarter wavelength QHA structure according to the first embodiment described above. The two structures are interleaved, and are both electrically connected to the feeding net and to the short-circuit arrangement .
Alternatively, both structures are electrically connected to the feeding net, but only one of the transmitting structure and the receiving structure is electrically connected to the short-circuit arrangement. The other one of the transmitting structure and the receiving structure is only capacitively connected to the short-circuit arrangement.
It will be obvious that the present invention may be varied in a plurality of ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as departure from the scope of the present invention. All such variations as would be obvious for a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.