Integrated miniature PIFA with artificial magnetic conductor metamaterials
AssigneeEnergous Corporation
InventorHarry Contopanagos
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Integrated antenna structures described herein may include planar inverted-F antennas (PIFAs) integrated with artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) metamaterials. The integrated metamaterial operatively coupled with the PIFA may function as an artificial magnetic reflector, sending all the energy radiated upwards, and thereby changing the original omnidirectional radiation pattern of the PIFA to a directional radiation pattern. The integrated antenna structures that include PIFAs and metamaterials may maintain a smaller form factor as compared to similar directional antennas, while exhibiting a suitable performance in terms of radiation efficiency, radiation pattern and impedance bandwidth.
Claims28
An antenna structure, comprising:
- a printed circuit board (PCB);
- at least one planar inverted F antenna (PIFA), configured within a top and bottom layer of the PCB, including a port coupled with the PCB to provide wireless power signals for radiation by the at least one PIFA;
- and
- at least one artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) cell configured within the PCB, the at least one AMC cell comprising:
- a backing metal layer arranged in a first inner layer of the PCB, and
- an AMC metal layer formed in a second inner layer of the PCB, the AMC metal layer having a predetermined shape,
- wherein the AMC metal layer is configured to reflect the wireless power signals radiated by the PIFA.
An apparatus for providing 3-dimensional pockets of energy using pocket-forming, comprising:
- at least one printed circuit board (PCB);
- a plurality of planar inverted F antennas (PIFAs), each configured within a top and bottom layer of the at least one PCB and including a port coupled with the PCB to provide wireless power signals for radiation;
- and
- a plurality of artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) cells configured within the at least one PCB, each of the plurality of AMC cells comprising:
- a backing metal layer arranged in a first inner layer of the at least one PCB, and an AMC metal layer formed in a second inner layer of the at least one PCB, the AMC metal layer having a predetermined shape,
- wherein each of the plurality of AMC metal layers is configured to reflect the wireless power signals independently radiated by each of the PIFAs to enable pocket-forming of energy.
A cell arrangement, comprising:
- an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) cell, the AMC cell arranged in a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB), the AMC cell comprising a plurality of edges and further comprising:
- a backing metal layer arranged in a first inner layer of the PCB;
- at least one planar inverted F antenna (PIFA), configured within a top and bottom layer of the PCB, including a port coupled with the PCB to provide wireless power signals for radiation by the at least one PIFA;
- and
- an AMC metal layer formed in a second inner layer of the PCB, the AMC metal layer comprising metamaterial and having a predetermined shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.