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US 8,026,860 B2Granted
Electrically small antenna devices, systems, apparatus, and methods
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsPaul E. Mayes, Paul W. Klock, Suhail Barot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The utilization of small antennas for mobile devices and for low frequency (long wavelength) applications is desired. Further, efficient use of transmission power is desirable, especially in mobile applications. For this purpose, a system is provided that includes one or more of: a multiple-resonator transmitter/receiver, a high bandwidth electrically small antenna, a resonator with a variable feed location, a resonator with a variable reactive component load, and a method for estimating a resonator system response to a component configuration and selected excitation.
Claims27
An apparatus, comprising:
- an antenna device including several electrically small dipole antennas coupled in parallel to one another, each of the dipole antennas extending a different length than any other of the dipole antennas, and the dipole antennas each corresponding to a resonator with a different resonant frequency to collectively define a number of operating frequencies, the dipole antennas each including:
- a feed point;
- two dipole ends;
- two inductor devices, the feed point being positioned between the two dipole ends and between the two inductor devices to provide a connection to transmit or receive signals through the antenna device;
- and
- two electrically conductive members each extending from the feed point to a respective one of the two inductor devices, the two inductor devices each being positioned closer to a respective one of the two dipole ends than the feed point for each of the dipole antennas.
3 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first electrically small antenna including a first antenna leg extending from a first feed point to a first end, the first leg including a first inductor device electrically coupled between the first feed point and the first end to provide a first resonator, the first inductor device being spaced apart from the first feed point by a first distance;
- and
- a second electrically small antenna electrically coupled to the first antenna, the second antenna including a second antenna leg extending from a second feed point to a second end, the second leg including a second inductor device electrically coupled between the second feed point and the second end to provide a second resonator with a resonant frequency different than the first resonator, the second inductor device being spaced apart from the second feed point by a second distance greater than the first distance, and the second inductor device having an inductance greater than the first inductor device.
A method, comprising:
- providing a plurality of dipole antennas coupled together to a feed line, the dipole antennas each extending a different length between opposing dipole antenna ends, the feed line being positioned between the opposing ends;
- for each of the antennas, incorporating two inductor devices, the two inductor devices each being closer to a respective one of the opposing dipole antenna ends than the feed line;
- selecting inductance of the two inductor devices for each of the dipole antennas to define corresponding dipole antenna resonators each having a different resonant frequency;
- and
- operating each of the antennas at an operating frequency with a wavelength that is at least twice the length of each of the dipole antennas.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing a first antenna spanning a first length that includes one or more electrically conductive members coupled to one or more inductors to define a first resonant frequency;
- providing a second antenna spanning a second length that includes one or more other electrically conductive members coupled to one or more other inductors to define a second resonant frequency, the one or more inductors each having a different inductance than either of the one or more other inductors;
- coupling the first antenna and the second antenna together with a feed line;
- connecting the feed line to communication circuitry;
- communicating a first signal through the feed line at a first operating frequency of the communication circuitry, the first operating frequency having a wavelength greater than twice the first length and a second signal at a second operating frequency having a wavelength greater than twice the second length.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.