Planar inverted-F antenna including a matching network having transmission line stubs and capacitor/inductor tank circuits

A method of making a unitary mechanical assembly that includes a multi-band antenna and an impedance matching network, comprising the steps of:

• providing a dielectric substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;
• providing a metal ground plane element on said bottom surface of said dielectric substrate;
• providing a metal radiating element;
• configuring said radiating element to be responsive a plurality of frequency bands;
• spacing said radiating element from said top surface of said ground plane element;
• providing a radio feed for connection to a multi-band radio device;
• providing at least one metal microstrip transmission line on said top surface of said dielectric substrate and in an area thereof that is under said radiating element;
• connecting said at least one microstrip transmission line between said radiating element and said radio feed;
• providing a plurality of metal microstrip stubs on said top surface of said dielectric substrate and in said area under said radiating element;
• providing a plurality of frequency-responsive LC tank circuits;
• using said LC tank circuits to connect at least some of said microstrip stubs to said at least one microstrip transmission line, to thereby provide an impedance-matching-network that is responsive to a frequency currently traversing between said radiating element and said radio feed, to thereby dynamically reconfigure said impedance-matching-network to provide an impedance match between said radiating element and said radio feed as a function of said current-frequency.

An impedance-matched, multi-frequency-band, antenna having a device-feed for connection to a multi-frequency-band wireless communications device, comprising:

• a generally planar and dielectric substrate member having an upper surface and a lower surface that includes a generally planar and metal ground plane element;
• a generally planar and metal radiating element located above a portion of said upper surface of said dielectric substrate member, said radiating element being geometrically configured to be responsive to said multi-frequency-band;
• a metal microstrip transmission line on said portion of said upper surface of said dielectric substrate member, said microstrip transmission line connecting said radiating element to said device-feed;
• a plurality of LC tank circuits responsive to frequencies within said multi-frequency-band;
• and
• a plurality of metal microstrip stubs formed on said portion of said upper surface of said dielectric substrate, at least some of said microstrip stubs being directly connected to said microstrip transmission line, and at least others of said microstrip stubs being connected to said microstrip transmission line through at least one of said LC tank circuits.

An impedance-matched and multi-frequency-band antenna having a device-feed for connection to a multi-frequency-band wireless device, comprising:

• a box-like dielectric carriage having a generally planar upper surface and a generally planar lower surface that extends generally parallel to said upper surface;
• a generally planar and metal ground plane element having at least a portion thereof associated with said bottom surface of said dielectric carriage;
• a generally planar and metal radiating element formed on said upper surface of said dielectric carriage, said radiating element being geometrically configured to be responsive to said multi-frequency-band;
• a metal microstrip transmission line formed on said bottom surface of said dielectric carriage, said microstrip transmission line inter-connecting said radiating element and said device-feed;
• a plurality of metal microstrip stubs formed on said bottom surface of said dielectric carriage;
• a plurality of LC tank circuits responsive to frequencies within said multi-frequency-band;
• and
• at least some of said microstrip stubs directly connected to said microstrip transmission line, and at least others of said microstrip stubs indirectly connected to said microstrip transmission line through one or more of said LC tank circuits.

An impedance-matched and multi-frequency-band antenna having a device-feed for connection to a multi-frequency-band wireless device, comprising:

• a box-like dielectric carriage having a generally planar upper surface and a generally planar bottom surface that extends generally parallel to said upper surface;
• a metal radiating element formed on said upper surface of said dielectric carriage, said radiating element being geometrically configured to be responsive to said multi-frequency-band;
• a generally planar and metal ground plane element;
• an generally planar impedance matching board located intermediate said bottom surface of said dielectric carriage and said ground plane element;
• a metal microstrip transmission line formed on said impedance matching board and electrically interconnecting said device-feed and said radiating element;
• a plurality of metal microstrip stubs formed on said impedance matching board;
• a plurality of LC tank circuits responsive to frequencies within said multi-frequency-band;
• and
• at least some of said microstrip stubs directly connected to said microstrip transmission line, and at least others of said microstrip stubs indirectly connected to said microstrip transmission line through one or more of said LC tank circuits.

An antenna for use with a radio-device, comprising:

• a rigid dielectric member in the shape of a box having a generally planar exterior top-surface, having a generally planar exterior bottom-surface that is generally parallel to said top-surface, having sidewalls that extend between said top and bottom surfaces, and having an open sidewall that exposes an internal cavity and an inner-surface that lies adjacent and generally parallel to said bottom surface;
• a metal radiating element on said top-surface;
• a metal ground plane on said bottom-surface;
• a metal microstrip impedance matching network on said internal-surface;
• first electrical connection means on a first portion of said impedance matching network for connection to said radio-device;
• and
• second electrical connection means connecting a second portion of said impedance matching network to a first portion of said radiating element.