US 2014/0198008 A1 · PASSIVE REPEATER FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a relatively small antenna apparatus that acts as a passive repeater. The antenna apparatus can be designed to facilitate radio frequency (RF) signal gain for a collection or range of frequencies. In some embodiments, the antenna apparatus is placed near a device with a wireless receiver and/or transmitter, where the antenna apparatus causes increased RF signal intensity at the device by coupling RF signals from a proximate area of higher RF signal intensity into the area around the device. Accordingly, in some instances, an embodiment of the antenna apparatus can be used to increase the RF signal intensity in a null spot or dead spot by coupling RF signal energy from an area proximate to the null spot that has higher RF signal intensity.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An antenna apparatus comprising:

an electromagnetically reflective layer, the electromagnetically reflective layer having first and second faces;
a first dielectric layer disposed on the first face of the electromagnetically reflective layer;
and
a first arrangement of conductors disposed on the first dielectric layer, the first arrangement of conductors comprising:
a first resonator including a first antenna having a respective feed point, a second antenna having a respective feed point, and a first coupling element electrically connecting the respective feed points of the first and second antennas;
and
a first reflector electrically isolated from the first resonator and positioned adjacent to at least one of the first and second antennas, and wherein a longitudinal axis of the first reflector intersects the first coupling element.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

14/162,357Filed 23 Jan 2014

Priority

16 Sep 2009

Published

17 Jul 2014

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H01Q 19/06
Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a…:…
H01Q 9/16
Resonant antennas: with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole
H01Q 19/10
Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a…:…
H01Q 19/108
Using reflecting surfaces: combination of a dipole with a plane reflecting surface

Family

Application61/243,120Us provisional application · filed 16 Sep 2009

Application61/373,222Us provisional application · filed 12 Aug 2010

Application12/884,056Continuation · filed 16 Sep 2010

Application13/856,250Continuation · filed 3 Apr 2013

Application14/162,357Continuation

US 2011/0063181 A1Published application

US 2013/0293434 A1Published application

US 9,627,772 B2Related patent

US 2014/0198008 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Passive repeater for wireless communications

Life of this patent

Passive repeater for wireless communications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21