Antenna system for an RF data communications device
AssigneeResearch In Motion Limited
InventorsYihong Qi, Lizhong Zhu, Peter J. Edmonson, Perry Jarmuszewski, Steven Carkner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An RF data communications device antenna system is shown that includes a dipole and an electromagnetic coupler that provides coupling between each dipole arm to establish a desired resonant bandwidth. An LC matching circuit is provided for matching the dipole to the impedance of the RF data communications device and for transforming the RF signal between the dipole arms of the antenna system.
Claims12
An antenna system for enhancing the performance of an RF data communications device comprising:
- a dipole antenna having a first arm extending in a first direction and a second arm extending in a second direction that is not in the same line as the first direction;
- an electromagnetic coupler comprising an anisotropic medium placed substantially adjacent to the dipole antenna;
- and
- an impedance matching circuit including at least one capacitor element and at least one inductor element, wherein the matching circuit matches the impedance of the RF data communications device to which the dipole antenna is operatively connected, and operating in conjunction with the electromagnetic coupler, balances an RF signal of interest between the first arm and the second arm, thereby establishing a desired resonant bandwidth for operating the RF data communications device.
An RF data communications device with improved antenna performance comprising:
- a data interface;
- a radio receiver and
- a radio transmitter, wherein the data interface, radio receiver and radio transmitter are connected through a microprocessor;
- and
- an antenna system, wherein the antenna system comprises:
- a dipole antenna having a first arm extending in a first direction and a second arm extending in a second direction that is not in the same line as the first direction;
- and
- an electromagnetic coupler comprising an anisotropic medium placed substantially adjacent to the dipole antenna;
- and
- an impedance matching circuit including at least one capacitor clement and at least one inductor element, wherein the matching circuit matches the impedance of the dipole antenna to the RF data communications device to which the dipole antenna is operatively connected, and operating in conjunction with the electromagnetic coupler, balances an RF signal of interest between the first arm and the second arm, thereby establishing a desired resonant bandwidth for operating the RF data communications device.
A method of enhancing performance of an antenna associated with an RF data communications device comprising the steps of:
- placing an anisotropic medium between a first arm and a second arm of a dipole antenna;
- electromagnetically coupling the anisotropic medium and the dipole antenna so as to split signals radiating from each dipole antenna arm into orthogonal components
- matching the impedance of the dipole antenna to the RF data communications device to which the dipole antenna is operatively connected, wherein the electromagnetically coupling step and the matching step result in balancing signal strength between the first arm and the second arm, thereby establishing a desired resonant bandwidth for operating the RF data communications device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.