WO2011016708A1

WO2011016708A1 - Multi-port single structure antennas

Info

Publication number: WO2011016708A1
Application number: PCT/MY2009/000111
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ting Hee Lee; Kok Jiunn Ng; Yen Tiong Tan
Original assignee: Laird Technologies, Inc.
Priority date: 2009-08-06
Filing date: 2009-08-06
Publication date: 2011-02-10

Abstract

Multi-port antennas for wireless devices are disclosed. An example antenna includes a ground plane, and a resonant element. The resonant element is galvanically separated from the ground plane. The resonant element includes first and second arms substantially in the same plane as the ground plane. The first arm has a first input port. The second arm has a second input port. The resonant element includes a patch portion. The patch portion is located in a plane substantially parallel to and at least partially overlying the first and second arms. The first and second arms are galvanically connected to the patch portion.

Description

MULTI-PORT SINGLE STRUCTURE ANTENNAS

FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to multi-port single structure antennas.

BACKGROUND

[0002] This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] Wireless devices, such as laptop computers, cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), universal serial bus (USB) dongles, personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) cards, etc. are commonly used in wireless operations. Multiple antenna are sometimes used for multiple frequencies, diversity schemes, and/or multiple input multiple output (MIMO) applications. And, such uses are continuously increasing.

[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional monopole antenna system 100 for a USB dongle. The antenna system 100 includes a ground plane 102 and two radiators 104. The radiators 104 have a meander configuration. The size of the entire antenna system 100 may be about twenty millimeters (mm) by sixty mm. In such a small system 100, the monopole radiators 104 may be too close for acceptable spatial diversity and/or may be unable to support pattern diversity as both radiators 104 produce similar radiation patterns.

[0005] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate other conventional multimode antenna systems 200, 300 (which are also disclosed in published PCT Application WO 2008/130427). These antenna systems 200, 300 include two ports operable in a single frequency band for use in, for example, a USB dongle.

SUMMARY

[0006] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. [0007] According to various aspects, example embodiments are provided of antennas configured to be installed to wireless devices. In one example embodiment, a multi-port antenna includes a ground plane and a resonant element. The resonant element is galvanically separated from the ground plane. The resonant element includes a first and second arms substantially in the same plane as the ground plane. The first arm has a first input port. The second arm has a second input port. The resonant element includes a patch portion. The patch portion is located in a plane substantially parallel to and at least partially overlying the first and second arms. The first and second arms are galvanically connected to the patch portion.

[0008] According to another example embodiment, a multi-port antenna includes a ground plane located in a first plane and a resonant element. The resonant element is galvanically separated from the ground plane. The resonant element includes first and second arms adjacent to a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane. The first and second arms are located in the first plane. The first arm includes an input port located at an end portion of the first arm adjacent the ground plane. The second arm also includes an input port located at an end portion of the second arm adjacent the ground plane. The resonant element includes a patch portion located in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane. The patch portion at least partially overlies the first and second arms. The first and second arms are galvanically connected to the patch portion by at least one connecting portion at an end portion of at least one of the first and second arms longitudinally opposite the ground plane.

[0009] In another example embodiment, a multi-port antenna includes a ground plane and a resonant element. The resonant element is galvanically separated from the ground plane. The resonant element includes a first arm, a second arm, and a patch portion, which are substantially in the same plane as the ground plane. The first arm has a first input port. The second arm has a second input port. The first and second arms are galvanically connected to the patch portion. [0010] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

[0011] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a conventional monopole antenna system including two meander radiators and a ground plane;

[0013] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a conventional dual port, single band antenna system;

[0014] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another conventional dual port, single band antenna system;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an example embodiment of a multi- port antenna including one or more aspects of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 5 is a line graph illustrating S-parameter magnitudes in decibels for the example antenna of FIG. 4 over a frequency bandwidth of about 0 gigahertz to about 5 gigahertz;

[0017] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna including one or more aspects of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 7 is a line graph illustrating S-parameter magnitudes in decibels for the example antenna of FIG. 6 over a frequency bandwidth of about 0 gigahertz to about 5 gigahertz;

[0019] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna including one or more aspects of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 9 is a is a line graph illustrating S-parameter magnitudes in decibels for the example antenna of FIG. 8 over a frequency bandwidth of about 0 gigahertz to about 5 gigahertz;; [0021] FIG. 10 is an isometric view of another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna including one or more aspects of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 11 is an isometric view of part of the antenna of FIG. 10 illustrating surface current density on the antenna;

[0023] FIG. 12 is another isometric view of part of the antenna of FIG.

10 illustrating surface current density on the antenna;

[0024] FIG. 13 is a line graph illustrating S-parameter magnitude in decibels for the example antenna of FIG. 10 over a frequency bandwidth of about 0 gigahertz to about 4 gigahertz;;

[0025] FIG. 14 is an isometric view of the antenna in FIG. 10 including an illustration of a radiation pattern for one port of the antenna;

[0026] FIG. 15 is a is a line graph S-parameter magnitudes in decibels for single and dual port operation of the example antenna of FIG. 10 over a frequency bandwidth of about 0 gigahertz to about 4 gigahertz;;

[0027] FIG. 16 is a simplified illustration of the E-field for single and dual port operation of the antenna in FIG. 10;

[0028] FIG. 17 is an exploded top rear isometric view of a radiator and carrier of another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna including one or more aspects of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 18 is a top rear isometric view of the assembled radiator and carrier of FIG. 17;

[0030] FIG. 19 is a top front isometric view of the assembled radiator and carrier of FIG. 17;

[0031] FIG. 20 is a bottom rear isometric view of the assembled radiator and carrier of FIG. 17;

[0032] FIG. 21 is a is a line graph illustrating measured return loss S- parameter magnitude in decibels for an antenna including the radiator and carrier of FIG. 17 over a frequency bandwidth of about 2 gigahertz to about 3 gigahertz;;

[0033] FIG. 22 is a is a line graph illustrating measured isolation S- parameter magnitude in decibels for an antenna including the radiator and carrier of FIG. 17 over a frequency bandwidth of about 2 gigahertz to about 3 gigahertz; [0034] FIG. 23 is a an isometric view of an antenna including the radiator and carrier of FIG. 17 including an illustration of a radiation pattern for a first port of the antenna;

[0035] FIG. 24 is a an isometric view of an antenna including the radiator and carrier of FIG. 17 including an illustration of a radiation pattern for a second port of the antenna;

[0036] FIG. 25 is an isometric view of another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna including one or more aspects of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 26 is a is a line graph illustrating S-parameter magnitude in decibels for the example antenna of FIG. 25 over a frequency bandwidth of about 0 gigahertz to about 4 gigahertz;;

[0038] FIG. 27 is an isometric view of another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna including one or more aspects of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG. 28 is a is a line graph illustrating return loss S-parameter magnitude in decibels for the example antenna of FIG. 27 over a frequency bandwidth of about 0 gigahertz to about 5 gigahertz;

[0040] FIG. 29 is a line graph illustrating isolation S-parameter magnitude in decibels for the example antenna of FIG. 27 over a frequency bandwidth of about 0 gigahertz to about 5 gigahertz;

[0041] FIG. 30 an isometric view of another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna including one or more aspects of the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG. 31 is a line graph illustrating S-parameter magnitudes in decibels for the example antenna of FIG. 30 over a frequency bandwidth of about 0 gigahertz to about 4 gigahertz;

[0043] FIG. 32 is an isometric view of an example embodiment of a multi-port antenna including one or more aspects of the present disclosure; and

[0044] FIG. 33 is an isometric view of another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna including one or more aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

[0047] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," and "having," are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

[0048] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on", "engaged to", "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to", "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0049] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

[0050] Spatially relative terms, such as "inner," "outer," "beneath",

"below", "lower", "above", "upper" and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0051] With reference now to the drawings, FIG. 4 illustrates an example embodiment of a multi-port antenna generally at reference number 400 including one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The illustrated antenna 400 may be integrated in, embedded in, installed to, etc. a wireless device (not shown), including, for example, a personal computer, a cellular phone_^ personal digital assistant (PDA), USB dongle, PCMCIA card, etc. within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4, the illustrated antenna 400 includes a ground plane 402 and a resonant element 404 located in a single plane. The resonant element 404 includes a first arm 406, a second arm 408, and a patch portion 410. The resonant element 404 is adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane 402, but separated from the ground plane 402 by a gap 412 such that the ground plane 402 and the resonant element are galvanically separated. In this embodiment, the resonant element 404 is not galvanically connected directly to the ground plane 402. Instead, the resonant element 404 and ground plane 402 are separated by the gap 412, which gap 412 may be an air gap or dielectric material.

[0053] The first arm 406 includes a first feed point, or port, 414 located on a portion of the first arm 406 adjacent the ground plane 402. Similarly, the second arm 408 includes a second feed point 416 located on a portion of the second arm 408 adjacent the ground plane 402. When incorporated into a wireless device, one or more signals from one or more transmitters may be coupled to the first feed point 414, the second feed point 416, or both. The antenna 400 may have a length of approximately a wavelength of a desired resonant frequency. Because of the symmetry of the antenna 400, the antenna 400 generally performs in a similar manner for signals coupled to first feed point 414 and signals coupled to the second feed point 416.

[0054] Fig. 5 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of the Si,i and Si,₂ scattering parameters in decibels (dB) for the antenna 400 over a frequency range from zero to five gigahertz (GHz).

[0055] Another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna 600 according to the present disclosure is illustrated in FIG. 6. The antenna 600 includes a ground plane 602 and a resonant element 604. The resonant element 604 includes a first arm 606, a second arm 608, and a patch portion 610. The first arm 606 and the second arm 608 are located adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane 602, but separated from the ground plane 602 by a gap 612, such that the ground plane 602 and the resonant element 604 are galvanically separated. In this embodiment, the resonant element 604 is not galvanically connected directly to the ground plane 602. Instead, the resonant element 604 and ground plane 602 are separated by the gap 612, which gap 612 may be an air gap or dielectric material.

[0056] The first arm 606 includes a first feed point, or port, 614 located on a portion of the first arm 606 adjacent the ground plane 602. Similarly, the second arm 608 includes a second feed point 616 located on a portion of the second arm 608 adjacent the ground plane 602. The ground plane 602, the first arm 606, and the second arm 608 are generally located in a first plane.

[0057] In this particular embodiment, a portion of the antenna 600 may be folded or otherwise formed as shown in FIG. 6, such that the patch portion 610 is located in a second plane above the first plane. The second plane may be substantially parallel to or angled from the first plane. The patch portion 610 at least partially overlies at the first arm 606 and the second arm 608. The first arm 606 and the second arm 608 are coupled to the patch portion 610 by at least one connecting portion 618 located at an end portion of the first and second arms 606, 608 longitudinally opposite the ground plane 602. When incorporated into a wireless device, one or more signals from one or more transmitters may be coupled to the first feed point 614, the second feed point 616, or both.

[0058] Fig. 7 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of the Si,i and S2,i scattering parameters in decibels (dB) for the antenna 600 over a frequency range from zero to five gigahertz (GHz).

[0059] Another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna 800 according to the present disclosure is illustrated in FIG. 8. The antenna 800 includes a ground plane 802 and a resonant element 804. The resonant element 804 includes a first arm 806, a second arm 808, and a patch portion 810. The first arm 806 and the second arm 808 are located adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane 802, but separated from the ground plane 802 by a spaced distance or gap 812, such that the ground plane 802 and the resonant element 804 are galvanically separated. In this embodiment, the resonant element 804 is not galvanically connected directly to the ground plane 802. Instead, the resonant element 804 and ground plane 802 are separated by the gap 812, which gap 812 may be an air gap or dielectric material.

[0060] The first arm 806 includes a first feed point, or port, 814 located on a portion of the first arm 806 adjacent the ground plane 802. Similarly, the second arm includes a second feed point 816 located on a portion of the second arm 808 adjacent the ground plane 802. The ground plane 802, the first arm 806 and the second arm 808 are generally located in a first plane. As illustrated in FIG. 8, a portion of the antenna 800 may be folded or otherwise formed such that the patch portion 810 is located in a second plane above the first plane. The second plane may be substantially parallel to or angled from the first plane. The patch portion 810 at least partially overlies at the first arm 806 and the second arm 808. The first arm 806 and the second arm 808 are coupled to the patch portion 810 by connecting portions 818 located at an end portion of the first and second arms 806, 808 longitudinally opposite the ground plane 802. When incorporated into a wireless device, one or more signals from one or more transmitters may be coupled to the first feed point 814, the second feed point 816, or both.

[0061] Unlike the patch portion 610 of the antenna 600, the patch portion 810 of antenna 800 includes a slot 820. The inclusion of a slot 820 in the patch portion 810 may improve performance, e.g., resonance, isolation, etc., of antenna 800. Although the slot 820 is illustrated as substantially rectangular, the slot 820 may be configured differently, such as with other sizes, locations, and/or shapes, as will be seen, for example, hereinafter.

[0062] Fig. 9 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of the Si,i and S2,i scattering parameters in decibels (dB) for the antenna 800 over a frequency range from zero to five GHz.

[0063] Another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna 1000 according to the present disclosure is illustrated in FIG. 10. The antenna 1000 includes a ground plane 1002 and a resonant element 1004. The resonant element 1004 includes a first arm 1006, a second arm 1008, and a patch portion 1010. The first arm 1006 and the second arm 1008 are located adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane 1002, but separated from the ground plane 1002 by a spaced distance or gap 1012, such that the ground plane 1002 and the resonant element 1004 are galvanically separated. In this embodiment, the resonant element 1004 is not galvanically connected directly to the ground plane 1002. Instead, the resonant element 1004 and ground plane1002 are separated by the gap 1012, which gap 1012 may be an air gap or dielectric material.

[0064] The first arm 1006 includes a first feed point, or port, 1014 located on a portion of the first arm 1006 adjacent the ground plane 1002. Similarly, the second arm 1008 includes a second feed point 1016 located on a portion of the second arm 1008 adjacent the ground plane 1002. The ground plane 1002, the first arm 1006, and the second arm 1008 are generally located in a first plane. As illustrated in FIG. 10, a portion of the antenna 1000 may be folded or otherwise formed such that the patch portion 1010 is located in a second plane above the first plane. The second plane may be substantially parallel to or angled from the first plane. The patch portion 1010 at least partially overlies at the first arm 1006 and the second arm 1008. The first arm 1006 and the second arm 1008 are coupled to the patch portion 1010 by connecting portions 1018 located at end portions of the first and second arms 1006, 1008 longitudinally opposite the ground plane 1002. When incorporated into a wireless device, one or more signals from one or more transmitters may be coupled to the first feed point 1014, the second feed point 1016 or both.

[0065] The patch portion 1010 of antenna 1000 includes a slot 1020. The inclusion of a slot 1020 in the patch portion 1010 may improve performance, e.g., resonance, isolation, etc., of antenna 1000. In this embodiment, the slot 1020 includes a pair of substantially T-shaped slots intersecting at an end portion of the patch 1010 longitudinally opposite the ground plane 1002. As shown in FIG. 10, one of the slots is shaped substantially like an lower case T of the English alphabet, while the other slot is a mirror image thereof. The parameters, such as dimensions, orientation, location, shape, etc., of slot 1020 may be adjusted to tune the antenna 1000 for specific desired resonant frequencies. In some embodiments, the antenna 1000 may be tuned for operation in the 2.34 GHz to 2.54 GHz range. In other embodiments, the antenna 1000 may be tuned for operation in the 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz range.

[0066] FIGS. 11-16C illustrate analysis results for the antenna 1000.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate the magnitude of surface current density, in amps per meter, on the antenna 1000 when a signal is coupled to the first feed point 1014 only. The current density demonstrates that the antenna 1000 operates as a wavelength modified folded monopole antenna. FIG. 13 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of the Si,i scattering parameter in decibels (dB) for the antenna 1000 with a signal over a frequency range from zero to four GHz coupled to the first feed point 1014. The farfield radiation pattern of the antenna 1000 with a 2.5 GHz signal coupled to the first port 1014 is illustrated in FIG. 14. The simulation reveals a radiation efficiency of 0.9107, a total efficiency of 0.8916, and a gain of 3.712 dB. It can also bee seen in FIG. 14, that the radiation pattern of the antenna 1000 with a signal coupled to the first port 1014 is directed toward the second port. FIG. 15 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of S-parameters for the antenna 1000 with a signal over a frequency range from zero to four GHz. The S- parameters include the Si,i scattering parameter SP-Si ,₁ (Single Port Si,i) in dB for a signal coupled to the first port 1014, and the magnitude of the Si,i scattering parameter DP-Si, ₁ (Double Port Si,i) in dB for a signal coupled to both the first and second ports 1014, 1016. The magnitude of the S2,i scattering parameter DP-S₂.₁ in dB for a signal coupled to both the first and second ports 1014, 1016 is also shown in FIG. 15.

[0067] FIGS. 16A through 16C illustrate a simplified representation of the E-field of the antenna 1000. The E-field when a signal is coupled to the first feed point 1014 is illustrated in FIG. 16A. As can be seen, the E-field is oriented in one direction near the first feed point 1014 and in the opposite direction near the second feed point 1016. Similarly, when a signal is coupled to the second fed point 1016, as in FIG. 16B, the E-field is oriented in one direction near the first feed point 1014 and in the opposite direction near the second feed point 1016. The direction of the E-field for signals coupled to the first feed point 1014 is opposite the direction of the E-field for signals coupled to the second feed point 1016. The E-fields for signals coupled to the first feed point 1014 and the second feed point 1016 are shown in FIG. 16C. This simplified representation demonstrates the good isolation achievable with the antenna 1000. Such good isolation may to be tuned to a desired operating frequency with careful selection of the parameters, e.g. size, shape, location, orientation, etc., of the slot 1020.

[0068] FIGS. 17 through 20 illustrate an example embodiment of a resonant element 1704 (e.g., metal sheet, etc.) and a carrier 1722 (e.g., plastic, etc.) for another embodiment of a multi-port antenna 1700 according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, which may be suitable for use with SMT (surface mount technology). The resonant element 1704 includes a first arm 1706, a second arm 1708, and a patch portion 1710. The resonant element 1704 is similar to, and is positioned and operated similar to, resonant elements disclosed hereinafter and hereinabove. For example, the resonant element 1704 (or portion thereof) may be folded or otherwise formed such that the patch portion 1710 is located in a second plane above a first plane in which the first and second arms 1706 and 1708 are located. The second plane may be substantially parallel to or angled from the first plane. Also the first arm 1006 and the second arm 1008 may be located adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane, but separated from the ground plane by a gap or spaced distance (e.g., an air gap, dielectric material, etc.). In this particular embodiment, the first and second arms 1706, 1708 are also tapered (as seen particularly in FIG. 20) to increase the length of the electrical path and tune the isolation in a desired resonant frequency.

[0069] The patch portion 1710 includes a slot 1720. The inclusion of a slot 1720 in the patch portion 1710 may improve performance, e.g. resonance, isolation, etc., of an antenna including the resonant element 1704. The slot 1720 is a substantially "V"-shaped slot (when viewed, for example, from the left side of FIG. 18 the slot is substantially shaped as a capital letter V of the English alphabet). The parameters, such as dimensions, orientation, location, shape, etc., of slot 1720 may be adjusted to tune an antenna including the resonant element 1704 for specific desired resonant frequencies. The resonant element 1704 may be used, for example for an antenna for operation in the 2.5 GHz to 2.7 GHz range. In other embodiments, the resonant element 1704 may be tuned for use in an antenna for operation in the 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz range.

[0070] In FIG. 17, the carrier 1722 is shown separated from the resonant element 1704, while in FIGS. 18 through 20, the carrier 1722 is coupled to the resonant element 1704. The carrier 1722 provides structural support for the resonant element 1704. The carrier 1722 includes inverted-L shaped slot 1724 for receiving an inverted-L shaped tab 1726 of the resonant element 1704. When the carrier 1722 and the resonant element 1704 are assembled together, a holding tab 1728 overlies the patch portion 1710 to limit the possibility of the patch portion 1710 from lifting up from the carrier 1722. Heat stake features 1730 mate with holes 1732 in the resonant element 1704, so that the carrier 1722 may be firmly coupled with the resonant element 1704.

[0071] FIG. 21 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of measured return loss S₂,₂ in dB of an antenna including the resonant element 1704 over a frequency range from two to three GHz. FIG. 22 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of measured isolation S₂,i of the antenna an antenna including the resonant element 1704 over a frequency range from two to three GHz.

[0072] The farfield radiation pattern of an antenna 1700 including the resonant element 1704 with a 2.6 GHz signal coupled to a first port (not visible) is illustrated in FIG. 23. The farfield radiation pattern of the antenna 1700 including the resonant element 1704 with a 2.6 GHz signal coupled to a second port (not visible) is illustrated in FIG. 24. Both simulations reveals a radiation efficiency of 0.8181 , a total efficiency of 0.8003 and a gain of 3.097 dB. FIG. 23 also shows that the radiation pattern of the antenna 1700 with a signal coupled to the first port is directed toward the second port, while FIG. 24 shows the radiation pattern of the antenna 1700 with a signal coupled to the second port is directed toward the first port. Accordingly, the radiation patterns for the first port and the second port are directed substantially opposite to each other, making such an antenna 1700, useful for, among other things, use in a diversity scheme.

[0073] FIG. 25 illustrates another example embodiment of a multiport antenna 2500 including a ground plane 2502, a resonant element 2504, and a carrier 2522 according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The resonant element 2504 is similar to, and is positioned and operated in similar to, resonant element 1004 in FIG. 10. For example, a portion of the antenna 2500 may be folded or otherwise formed such that the patch portion 2510 is located in a second plane above a first plane in which first and second arms of the resonant element 2504 are located. The second plane may be substantially parallel to or angled from the first plane. Also, the first and second arms of the resonant element 2504 may be located adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane 2502 but separated from the ground plane by a gap or spaced distance (e.g., an air gap, dielectric material, etc.).

[0074] In addition, the carrier 2522 is similar to the carrier 1722 discussed above. The antenna 2500 may be used, for example, for operation in the 2.3 GHz to 2.5 GHz range. In other embodiments, the antenna 2500 may be tuned for operation in the 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz range.

[0075] Fig. 26 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of the Si,₂ and S2,2 scattering parameters in dB for the antenna 2500 over a frequency range from zero to four gigahertz GHz.

[0076] Another example embodiment of a multi-port antenna 2700 according to the present disclosure is illustrated in FIG. 27. The antenna 2700 includes a ground plane 2702 and a resonant element 2704. The resonant element 2704 includes a first arm (not visible), a second arm 2708, and a patch portion 2710. The first arm and the second arm 2708 are located adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane 2702, but separated from the ground plane 2702 by a spaced distance or gap 2712, such that the ground plane 2702 and the resonant element 2704 are galvanically separated. In this embodiment, the resonant element 2704 is not galvanically connected directly to the ground plane 2702. Instead, the resonant element 2704 and ground plane 2702 are separated by the gap 2712, which gap 2712 may be an air gap or dielectric material.

[0077] The first arm includes a first feed point, or port, located on a portion of the first arm adjacent the ground plane 2702. Similarly, the second arm 2708 includes a second feed point 2716 located on a portion of the second arm 2708 adjacent the ground plane 2702. The ground plane 2702, the first arm 2706, and the second arm 2708 are generally located in a first plane. As illustrated in FIG. 27, a portion of the antenna 2700 may be folded or otherwise formed such that the patch portion 2710 is located in a second plane above the first plane. The second plane may be substantially parallel to or angled from the first plane. The patch portion 2710 at least partially overlies at the first arm 2706 and the second arm 2708. The patch portion 2710 also overlies a portion of the ground plane 2702, which may be useful for improving the isolation of the antenna 2700. The first arm and the second arm 2708 are coupled to the patch portion 2710 by connecting portion 2718 located at an end portion of the first and second arms 2708 longitudinally opposite the ground plane 2702. When incorporated into a wireless device, one or more signals from one or more transmitters may be coupled to the first feed point, the second feed point 2716 or both.

[0078] The patch portion 2710 of antenna 2700 includes a slot 2720.

The inclusion of a slot 2720 in the patch portion 2710 may improve performance, e.g., resonance, isolation, etc., of antenna 2700. The slot 2720 includes a substantially "Y" shaped slot (shaped like a capital letter "Y" of the English alphabet). The parameters, such as dimensions, orientation, location, shape, etc., of slot 2720 may be adjusted to tune the antenna 2700 for specific desired resonant frequencies. In some embodiments, the antenna 2700 may be tuned for operation in the 2.5 GHz to 2.7 GHz range. In other embodiments, the antenna 2700 may be tuned for operation in the 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz range.

[0079] FIG. 28 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of the Si,i scattering parameter in dB of the antenna 2700 over a frequency range from two to six GHz. FIG. 29 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of measured isolation S2,i of the antenna 2700 over a frequency range from two to six GHz.

[0080] FIG. 30 illustrates another example embodiment of a multiport antenna 3000 including a ground plane 3002, a resonant element 3004, and a carrier 3022 according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The resonant element 3004 includes a patch portion 3010 having a slot 3020. The slot, 3020 includes a pair of generally "X"-shaped slots (shaped like a capital letter "X "of the English alphabet) intersecting at an end portion of the patch 3010 longitudinally opposite the ground plane 3002. The antenna 3000 is similar to, and is operated in similar manner to, the antennas disclosed hereinafter and hereinabove. For example, a portion of the antenna 3000 may be folded or otherwise formed such that the patch portion 3010 is located in a second plane above a first plane in which first and second arms of the resonant element 3004 are located. The second plane may be substantially parallel to or angled from the first plane. Also, the first and second arms of the resonant element 3004 may be located adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane 3002 but separated from the ground plane by a gap or spaced distance (e.g., an air gap, dielectric material, etc.).

[0081] In addition, the carrier 3022 is similar to the carrier 1722 discussed above. The antenna 3000 may be used, for example, for operation in the 2.5 GHz to 2.75 GHz range. In other embodiments, the antenna 3000 may be tuned for operation in the 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz range.

[0082] Fig. 31 illustrates a graph of the magnitude of the Si,r and S2,i scattering parameters in dB for the antenna 3000 over a frequency range from zero to four gigahertz GHz.

[0083] FIG. 32 illustrates another example embodiment of a multiport antenna 3200 similar to the antennas discussed hereinabove. The antenna 3200 includes two slots 3220 that are mirror images of each other. Also, a portion of the antenna 3200 may also be folded or otherwise formed such that a patch portion (and slots 3220) is located in a second plane above a first plane in which first and second arms of the resonant element are located. The second plane may be substantially parallel to or angled from the first plane. Also, the first and second arms of the resonant element may be located adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane but separated from the ground plane by a gap or spaced distance (e.g., an air gap, dielectric material, etc.).

[0084] FIG. 33 illustrates another example embodiment of a multiport antenna 3300 similar to the antennas discussed hereinabove. The antenna 3300 also includes two slots 3320 that are mirror images of each other. Further, a resonant element 3304 of antenna 3300 includes a first arm (not visible) and a second arm 3308 that are meandering arms. Also, a portion of the antenna 3300 may also be folded or otherwise formed such that a patch portion (and slots 3320) is located in a second plane above a first plane in which the first arm and second arm 3308 are located. The second plane may be substantially parallel to or angled from the first plane. Also, the first arm and second arm 3308 may be located adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane but separated from the ground plane by a gap or spaced distance (e.g., an air gap, dielectric material, etc.).

[0085] In all of the antennas discussed above, the resonant element may be galvanically separated from the ground plane by a spaced distance or gap (e.g., air, dielectric material, etc.), and the resonant element may be constructed in numerous ways without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the resonant element, or portions of the resonant element, may be traces on a printed circuit board, made of metal sheet, made of flexible printed circuit board, directly plated to a plastic carrier, etc. Similarly, the various aspects of the present disclosure may be combined differently or removed. For example, the plastic carrier 1722, or a modification thereof, may be used with any of the antennas disclosed herein, the antenna 2500 need not necessarily include the carrier 2522, etc.

[0086] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A multi-port antenna comprising a ground plane, and a resonant element, the resonant element galvanically separated from the ground plane, the resonant element including first and second arms substantially in the same plane as the ground plane, the first arm having a first input port, the second arm having a second input port, the resonant element including a patch portion, the patch portion located above and at least partially overlying the first and second arms, the first and second arms galvanically connected to the patch portion.

2. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the patch portion includes a slot.

3. The antenna of claim 2 wherein the slot is substantially rectangular.

4. The antenna of claim 2 wherein the slot includes first and second substantially f-shaped slots.

5. The antenna of claim 2 wherein the slot is substantially V-shaped.

6. The antenna of claim 2 wherein the slot is substantially Y-shaped.

7. The antenna of claim 2 wherein the slot includes first and a second generally X-shaped slots.

8. The antenna of claim 2 wherein the slot includes first and a second substantially T-shaped slots.

9. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein the first arm and the second arm each includes a meander portion.

10. The antenna of any of the preceding claims further comprising a carrier, the carrier positioned between the first and second arms and the patch portion of the resonant element.

11. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein the first arm and the second arm each includes a tapered portion.

12. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein at least a portion of the patch portion overlies the ground plane.

13. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein the antenna is operable as a wavelength modified folded monopole antenna.

14. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein the antenna is adapted for operation at a frequency range between about 2.3 gigahertz (GHz) and about 2.7 GHz.

15. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein the antenna is adapted for operation at a frequency range between about 3.3 GHz and about 3.8 GHz.

16. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein the patch portion is located in a plane substantially parallel to the first and second arms.

17. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein the patch portion is located in a plane not parallel with a plane containing the first and second arms.

18. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein the antenna is adapted to radiate in a first direction when a signal is coupled to the first input port, and wherein the antenna is adapted to radiate in a second direction when a signal is coupled to the second input port.

19. The antenna of claim 18 wherein the first and second directions are substantially opposite directions.

20. The antenna of claim 18 or 19 wherein the first direction is toward the second input port and the second direction is toward the first input port.

21. A multi-port antenna comprising a ground plane located in a first plane, and a resonant element, the resonant element galvanically separated from the ground plane, the resonant element including first and second arms adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the ground plane, the first and second arms located in the first plane, each of the first and second arms including an input port located at an end portion of the corresponding first and second arms adjacent the ground plane, the resonant element including a patch portion located in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane, the patch portion at least partially overlying the first and second arms, the first and second arms galvanically connected to the patch portion by at least one connecting portion at an end portion of at least one of the first and second arms longitudinally opposite the ground plane.

22. The antenna of claim 21 wherein the patch portion includes a slot.

23. The antenna of claim 22 wherein the slot is substantially rectangular.

24. The antenna of claim 22 wherein the slot includes a mirror image pair of slots intersecting at an end portion of the patch longitudinally opposite the ground plane.

25. A multi-port antenna comprising a ground plane, and a resonant element, the resonant element galvanically separated from the ground plane, the resonant element including a first arm, a second arm, and a patch portion substantially in the same plane as the ground plane, the first arm having a first input port, the second arm having a second input port, and the first and second arms galvanically connected to the patch portion.

26. A USB dongle including the antenna of any of any of the preceding claims.

27. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein the resonant element is not galvanically connected directly to the ground plane, thereby providing the galvanic separation of the resonant element from the ground plane.

28. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein the resonant element is galvanically separated from the ground plane by a gap.

29. The antenna of any of the preceding claims wherein a portion of the antenna is folded such that the patch portion is in a different plane than the first and second arms.