Broadband antenna assembly of matching circuitry and ground plane conductive radiating element

A wireless communication device for receiving and transmitting a communication signal, said signal having an associated wavelength, said device comprising:

• a signal generating component having a signal output, said output defining a signal generating circuit impedance;
• a substantially planar conductor element operatively coupled to the signal generating component, said planar conductor element extending in a first dimension of approximately one-quarter of the wavelength, said planar conductor element having an associated impedance, said planar conductor element being formed on a printed wiring board as the ground plane of the wireless communication device and being an active radiating element of the device;
• and
• a matching network disposed in relation to the signal generating component and the planar conductor element and operatively coupled to the signal generating output, said matching network having a substantially planar dielectric substrate and a first conductive layer disposed upon a first major surface of the dielectric substrate, and a second conductive layer disposed upon a second major surface of the dielectric substrate, said first and second conductive layers being conductively coupled together, said matching network transforming the impedance of the signal generating component to approximate the impedance of the planar conductor element.