Printed high-isolation multi-feed antenna

Abstract

The invention provides a printed high-isolation multi-feed antenna. A multi-feed antenna apparatus includes a monopole antenna having an antenna portion, a first antenna extension having a first length extending from the antenna portion, a second antenna extension having a second length extending from the antenna portion, the second length being less than the first length; the slot antenna comprises a first slot with a third length and a second slot with a fourth length, and the fourth length is larger than the third length; a first antenna feeder coupled to the monopole antenna; a second antenna feeder coupled to the slot antenna; and a ground plane common to the monopole antenna and the slot antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various aspects of this disclosure generally relate to multi-feed antenna devices, including monopole antennas and slot antennas. Background Technology

[0002] Existing printable multi-feed antennas exhibit poor or insufficient isolation, necessitating the use of filters, which increases cost and complexity, while also introducing undesirable insertion loss. Furthermore, the complex integration process of such antennas can present manufacturing difficulties, posing a challenge for mass production.

[0003] The goal is to create a printed multi-feed antenna that can be mass-produced and has high isolation between feed lines. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a multi-feed antenna device, comprising: a monopole antenna including an antenna portion, a first antenna extension having a first length extending from the antenna portion, and a second antenna extension having a second length extending from the antenna portion, the second length being less than the first length; a slot antenna including a first slot having a third length and a second slot having a fourth length, the fourth length being greater than the third length; a first antenna feed line coupled to the monopole antenna; a second antenna feed line coupled to the slot antenna; and a ground plane common to both the monopole antenna and the slot antenna.

[0005] In a second aspect, embodiments of this application provide an apparatus comprising: a processor; a baseband modem; a radio frequency front-end device; a radio frequency transceiver; and a multi-feed antenna device according to the first aspect; wherein the processor is configured to control the baseband modem to transmit wireless signals through the multi-feed antenna device.

[0006] In a third aspect, embodiments of this application provide an apparatus comprising: a first electromagnetic radiation device including a first portion, a first extension having a first length extending from the first portion, and a second extension having a second length extending from the first portion, the second length being less than the first length; a second electromagnetic radiation device including a first slit having a third length and a second slit having a fourth length, the fourth length being greater than the third length; a first signal supply device coupled to the first electromagnetic radiation device; a second signal supply device coupled to the second electromagnetic radiation device; and a grounding device common to both the first and second electromagnetic radiation devices. Attached Figure Description

[0007] In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals generally refer to the same portions throughout different views. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but rather the emphasis is generally on illustrating the exemplary principles of this disclosure. In the following description, various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described with reference to the following drawings, wherein:

[0008] Figure 1 The multi-feed antenna device is described;

[0009] Figure 2 An antenna fabricated on an FR4 substrate is depicted;

[0010] Figure 3 The first mini UFL cable welded to the monopole antenna is depicted;

[0011] Figure 4 Describing welding to Figure 1 The second mini UFL cable of the half-slot antenna;

[0012] Figure 5 The results of antenna simulation using different solvers and mesh types are presented.

[0013] Figure 6 The return loss of a monopole antenna simulated using different solvers and mesh types is depicted.

[0014] Figure 7 The isolation between the simulated half-slot antenna and the monopole antenna is depicted;

[0015] Figure 8 The measured S-parameter results of the high-isolation doubly-fed antenna disclosed in this paper are described;

[0016] Figure 9 The overall efficiency of the half-slot antenna and monopole antenna in antenna simulation is described.

[0017] Figure 10 The peak gains of the half-slot antenna and the monopole antenna are described.

[0018] Figure 11 The envelope correlation coefficient of the doubly fed antenna disclosed in this paper is described;

[0019] Figure 12 An alternative design for a dual-fed antenna is described;

[0020] Figure 13 Describing the Figure 12 Simulation results of the antenna;

[0021] Figure 14 A dual-fed antenna with a curved design is depicted;

[0022] Figure 15 Describing the Figure 14 Simulation results (S-parameters) of the antenna;

[0023] Figure 16 Depicting Figure 14 The overall efficiency of the antenna;

[0024] Figure 17 Depicting Figure 14 The maximum gain of the antenna at frequency;

[0025] Figure 18 Depicting Figure 14 The envelope correlation coefficient of the antenna; and

[0026] Figure 19 A multi-feed antenna device according to one aspect of this disclosure is described. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following detailed description relates to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary details and embodiments by way of illustration that may practice aspects of this disclosure.

[0028] As used herein, the term “exemplary” means “as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs.

[0029] Throughout the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures, unless otherwise stated.

[0030] The phrases “at least one” and “one or more” can be understood to include numerical quantities greater than or equal to one (e.g., one, two, three, four, [...] etc.). The phrase “at least one” relating to a group of elements can be used herein to mean at least one element in a group consisting of these elements. For example, the phrase “at least one” relating to a group of elements can be used herein to mean a selection of: one of the listed elements, one of several listed elements, several individual listed elements, or several of many individual listed elements.

[0031] The terms “multiple” and “many” in the specification and claims explicitly refer to a quantity greater than one. Therefore, any phrase that explicitly refers to the above terms in relation to a certain number of elements (e.g., “multiple [elements]”, “many [elements]”) explicitly refers to more than one of the stated elements. For example, the phrase “multiple” can be understood to include numerical quantities greater than or equal to 2 (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, [...] etc.).

[0032] The phrases “group,” “set,” “collection,” “series,” “sequence,” “grouping,” etc., in the specification and claims (if any) refer to a quantity equal to or greater than 1, i.e., one or more. The terms “appropriate subset,” “reduced subset,” and “smaller subset” refer to a subset of a set that is not equal to the set, for example, a subset of a set that contains fewer elements than the set.

[0033] As used herein, the term "data" can be understood to include information in any suitable analog or digital form, such as information provided as a file, a portion of a file, a collection of files, a signal or stream, a portion of a signal or stream, or a collection of signals or streams. Furthermore, the term "data" can also be used to refer to information, such as in the form of a pointer. However, the term "data" is not limited to the examples above and can take various forms and represent any information as understood in the art.

[0034] For example, the terms "processor" or "controller" as used herein can be understood as any type of technical entity that allows the processing of data. Data can be processed according to one or more specific functions performed by the processor or controller. Furthermore, the processor or controller as used herein can be understood as any type of circuit, such as any type of analog or digital circuit. Therefore, a processor or controller can be or includes analog circuits, digital circuits, mixed-signal circuits, logic circuits, processors, microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc., or any combination thereof. Any other type of implementation of the various functions that will be further described in detail below can also be understood as a processor, controller, or logic circuit. It should be understood that any two (or more) of the processors, controllers, or logic circuits described in detail herein can be implemented as a single entity with equivalent functions, and conversely, any single processor, controller, or logic circuit described in detail herein can be implemented as two (or more) separate entities with equivalent functions.

[0035] In this disclosure, the terms "monopole antenna" and "slot antenna" are used. Those skilled in the art will understand that a monopole antenna comprises a conductive rod or wire capable of radiating electromagnetic energy. In some configurations, a monopole antenna may be configured to be a quarter wavelength long (e.g., as long as it is a quarter of the wavelength required for radiation, although this should be understood as only one option, as other configurations (e.g., half-wavelength or full-wavelength) are also conceivable, and because a given antenna may need to radiate many different frequencies). A monopole antenna can present an omnidirectional radiation pattern in a horizontal plane. In contrast, a slot antenna comprises a slot in a metallic conductor or waveguide. Slot antennas can radiate omnidirectionally or directionally depending on the design. A horizontally placed slot antenna produces vertical polarization, while a vertically placed slot antenna produces horizontal polarization. In this way, monopole antennas and slot antennas placed along the same axis will be orthogonally polarized relative to each other.

[0036] Combining monopole antennas and slot antennas along a common axis can be used to reduce or minimize interference and coupling between antennas by utilizing their different radiation patterns and polarization characteristics. Furthermore, placing a high-frequency monopole antenna along the same axis as the relatively low-frequency slot antenna will further reduce interference, as these antennas will transmit at significantly different frequencies. In this way, antennas with good isolation can be achieved.

[0037] In this disclosure, the terms "slot" and "half-slot" are used to describe antennas. It should be understood that a half-slot antenna is a subgroup of slot antennas. For the purposes of describing an antenna herein as a slot antenna, this should be understood as describing the mechanism of antenna radiation (e.g., radiation through a slot, rather than through a conductor as in a monopole antenna). The term "slot antenna" should also be understood to include half-slot antennas.

[0038] The antennas and manufacturing processes described herein allow for the mass production of high-isolation (HI) multi-fed (which can be dual-fed (DF)) antennas. The antennas can be printed on low-cost printed circuit boards (PCBs), flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs), or standard FR4 PCB substrates. Because the antennas disclosed herein can be printed, they may be superior to non-printed antennas such as 3-D metal-stamped HIDF antennas and can be manufactured relatively inexpensively.

[0039] The antenna disclosed herein can operate in the low-frequency band (LB) (2.4 GHz) and achieve instantaneous isolation greater than 40 dB over a wide bandwidth of the high-frequency band (HB) (5 GHz) / ultra-high-frequency band (UHB) (6 GHz). Using the same antenna concept but with different dimensions, this antenna can also achieve high isolation of >20 dB in LB (2.4 GHz) and >26 dB in HB / UHB. The printed high-isolation design can also increase the ease of antenna integration (e.g., in laptops) by bending the antenna design printed with flexible FPC material.

[0040] After printing, the remaining manufacturing process is not complex, requiring only cable soldering (e.g., conventional mini UFL cables, which may already be used in standard antenna manufacturing and can therefore be introduced at an additional cost). This allows for simple and inexpensive manufacturing. The superior 40dB isolation enables high-performance, relatively low-cost dual radio connectivity (Wi-Fi / Bluetooth), improving throughput and latency compared to traditional options.

[0041] The antennas disclosed herein may include a tri-band (LB / HB / UHB) half-slot antenna, a tri-band (LB / HB / UHB) monopole antenna, and a ground plane with a decoupling design. These two antennas can be positioned side-by-side on opposite sides of a common ground, sharing the ground plane. These antennas can be arranged as complementary pairs orthogonally polarized relative to each other, thus providing high isolation. Despite the high isolation, these antennas can still be printed on the same plane of a substrate in a compact form factor. Small cutout regions in the ground plane can play an additional role in decoupling the conduction current between the two antennas, which can improve isolation on the orthogonal polarization of the antennas.

[0042] In one exemplary configuration, the antennas can be fed using a conventional mini UFL coaxial cable for both antennas, and the antennas can be soldered using a simple, low-cost manufacturing process. The printed transmission line design of the half-slot antenna can play a significant role in achieving tri-band (LB / HB / UHB) operation and high isolation for the half-slot antenna.

[0043] Depending on the integration requirements with laptops or mobile devices, the antenna can be bent toward the radio frequency (RF) window when printed on a flexible PCB (such as an FPC). The HI multi-feed antenna disclosed herein can be optionally used in mainstream products that require a single multi-feed antenna, rather than integrating and routing cables to multiple conventional (single-feed) antennas.

[0044] In some configurations, it may be necessary to encapsulate the antenna within a metal cavity. This metal cavity isolates the antenna from surrounding materials, thus simplifying integration.

[0045] Figure 1 A multi-feed antenna device is described, comprising a substrate 102, a ground plane 104, a printed monopole antenna 106, and a half-slot antenna 108. While many configurations are possible, in one exemplary configuration, FR4 (Dk = 4.4, tanδ = 0.02) with a thickness of 1.6 mm was used for verification purposes. The printed monopole antenna 106 and the half-slot antenna 108 can be positioned in a side-by-side configuration as shown herein. They can share the ground plane 104 to achieve a compact form factor.

[0046] By adding additional half-slot elements and monopole elements to the original antenna elements, tri-band operation of two antennas can be achieved. For example, in Figure 1 In this design, an additional monopole antenna element 110 is added to the monopole antenna 106, and an additional half-slot element 112 is added to the half-slot antenna 108. That is, each of the half-slot antenna 108 and the additional half-slot element 112 is a half-slot antenna or is used as a half-slot antenna. In this way, they are complementary antennas to the monopole antenna, which itself is half of a dipole antenna. The additional half-slot element 112 can be configured for low-frequency band use, while the half-slot antenna 108 can be configured for high-frequency band and / or ultra-high-frequency band use. These additional elements (whether used alone or in combination with the aforementioned printed monopole antenna 106 and half-slot antenna 108) can include optimized dimensions tuned for the low-frequency band (LB), high-frequency band (HB), and / or ultra-high-frequency band (UHB), respectively.

[0047] The ground plane 104 may include a first notch 114 below the printed monopole antenna 106 and / or a second notch 116 below the half-slot antenna 108. The printed monopole antenna 106 may be electrically connected (e.g., directly connected) to the first antenna feed 118, and the slot antenna 108 may be connected to the second antenna feed 120 via an excitation conductor 121. The half-slot antenna 108 may include a resonator (not shown), and the second antenna feed 120 may be electrically connected (e.g., directly connected) to the resonator, which may be located within the slot antenna 108. The relationship between the resonator and the slot antenna will be described in more detail below.

[0048] While those skilled in the art will understand that other dimensions are possible, alternative exemplary sets of dimensions may include: a distance of 41.12 mm between the outermost position of the printed monopole antenna 106 and the half-slot antenna 108; a distance of 41.30 mm between the topmost position of the ground plane 104 and the bottommost position of the ground plane 102; a height of 10.00 mm above the ground plane's notch (e.g., the height of the portion of the ground plane above the notch that includes both the printed monopole antenna and the slot antenna); a depth of 4.10 mm for the first slot; and a substrate 102 extending beyond the ground plane 104 (e.g., in...). Figure 1 The height of the part located below the ground plane is 28.70 mm.

[0049] Figure 2 A photograph depicts an antenna fabricated on an FR4 substrate. Those skilled in the art will understand that FR4 is a composite material made of woven fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin adhesive. While this is made of FR4, it should be noted that any circuit board material can be used. The circuit board material can be a material used for printed circuit boards, and the antenna described herein can be a printed antenna (e.g., a monopole antenna can be printed; at least the resonator of a half-slot antenna can be printed).

[0050] The antenna can be fed using a cable. In some configurations, coaxial cables can be used. In certain situations, conventional mini UFL coaxial cables may be necessary because these cables can be soldered using a simple and low-cost manufacturing process, which also reduces material costs. Figure 3 Describes welding to... Figure 1 The first mini UFL cable of the monopole antenna consists of 106 and 110. This can be understood as the first antenna feed and can be configured to transmit the first electrical signal to be radiated by the monopole antenna. Figure 4 Describing welding to Figure 1 The second mini UFL cable of the half-slot antenna can be understood as a second antenna feed. Specifically, the half-slot antenna may include a printed capacitively coupled transmission line to which the second antenna feed can be soldered. As a half-slot antenna with a single coaxial cable feed, this capacitively coupled transmission line can play an important role in achieving wide tri-band (LB / HB / UHB) operation.

[0051] Figure 5 The results of antenna simulations for the return loss (S11) of a half-slot antenna using different electromagnetic solvers are presented. For the half-slot antenna and the monopole antenna, the return loss of each antenna is greater than 6.8 dB and 6.1 dB, respectively.

[0052] Simulation method (linear) Solver type Grid type Finite integration method (solid line) Time Domain hexahedron Finite element method (with dash) Frequency domain tetrahedron Transmission line matrix method (circular dashed lines) Time Domain hexahedron

[0053] Figure 6 The return loss of a monopole antenna simulated using different solvers and mesh types is depicted (S22). Figure 7 The isolation between the simulated monopole antenna and the half-slot antenna was depicted (|S21| / |S12|>39dB, HB / UHB). It can be seen that the multi-feed multi-band antenna proposed in this paper, which includes both printed monopole and half-slot antennas, provides both high return loss and high isolation.

[0054] Figure 8 The S-parameter results of the high-isolation doubly-fed antenna disclosed in this paper, obtained through measurement and simulation, are presented. It can be seen that the measured return loss (S11) of the half-slot antenna is >6.8 dB, and the measured return loss of the monopole antenna (S22) is >6.1 dB. The measured isolation results show that, except for 33 dB isolation at 5.8 GHz, the isolation is >38 dB, verifying the simulated isolation results.

[0055] Figure 9 The overall efficiency of the simulated half-slot antenna and monopole antenna is depicted. As can be seen from the figures, the multi-feed antenna disclosed in this paper exhibits good performance, with a minimum overall efficiency of -3dB to -3.3dB. Figure 10 The peak gain of both the monopole antenna and the slot antenna is described. Figure 11 The envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) of the doubly fed antenna disclosed in this paper is described.

[0056] Figure 12 An alternative design for a dual-fed antenna is described, exhibiting high isolation across both the low-frequency (LB) band (2.4 GHz) and the high-frequency (HB) / ultra-high-frequency (UHB) bands (5.15–7.25 GHz). This alternative design includes a substrate 1202, a ground plane 1204, a printed monopole antenna 1206, and a half-slot antenna 1208. An additional monopole antenna element 1210 is added to the monopole antenna 1206, and an additional half-slot element 1212 is added to the half-slot antenna 1208. These additional elements (whether used alone or in combination with the aforementioned printed monopole antenna 1206 and half-slot antenna 1208) can include optimized dimensions tuned in the low-frequency (LB), high-frequency (HB), and / or ultra-high-frequency (UHB) bands, respectively.

[0057] The ground plane 1204 may include a first notch 1214 below the printed monopole antenna 1206 and / or a second notch 1216 below the slot antenna 1208. The printed monopole antenna 1206 may be electrically connected (e.g., directly connected) to a first antenna feed 1218, and the slot antenna 1208 may be connected to a second antenna feed 1220. The slot antenna 1208 may include a resonator (not shown), and the second antenna feed 1220 may be electrically connected (e.g., directly connected) to the resonator, which may be located within the slot antenna 1208. The relationship between the resonator and the slot antenna will be described in more detail below.

[0058] Although those skilled in the art will understand that other sizes are also possible, Figure 12 A set of exemplary dimensions are provided. Specifically, the distance between the outermost portion of the printed monopole antenna 1206 and the slot antenna 1208 is 58.11 mm; the distance between the topmost portion of the ground plane 1204 and the bottommost portion of the substrate 1202 is 50.00 mm; the depth of the first slot is 3.08 mm; and the width of the ground plane 1204 and the substrate 1202 is 142.66 mm.

[0059] This design exhibits >20 dB isolation at LB and >26 dB isolation at HB / UHB, despite the different dimensions, but is consistent with the antenna design concept previously described in this application. Simulated antenna characteristics demonstrate the feasibility of a printed high-isolation doubly-fed antenna that can cover the full frequency band of LB, HB, and UHB. This high-isolation doubly-fed antenna can be used with Wi-Fi and / or Bluetooth, and achieves satisfactory isolation at LB and HB / UHB (at least >20 dB isolation at LB and at least >25 dB isolation at HB / UHB). Figure 13 Depicting Figure 12 Simulation results for a high-isolation doubly-fed antenna, where the isolation in LB is >20dB and the isolation in HB / UHB is >26dB.

[0060] The antenna can also be configured with a curved design to improve antenna integration in thin laptops or other mobile devices. Figure 14A dual-fed antenna with a curved design according to one aspect of this disclosure is depicted. In this figure, the ground plane 1404 may be oriented along a different plane than the printed monopole antenna 1406 and the slot antenna 1408. In an exemplary configuration, the antenna may be printed on DuPont Kapton flexible printed circuit board (FPC) material (Dk = 3.4, tanδ = 0.0026, thickness = 125 μm). Exemplary but non-limiting dimensions may include: a ground plane 1404 measuring 59.10 mm by 45.90 mm; a distance of 56.75 mm between the outermost portion of the monopole antenna and the outermost portion of the half-slot antenna; a height of the metal conductor accommodating the half-slot antenna (e.g., the height of the ground plane extending over the curved region / over the slot) of 10.00 mm; and a depth of one or more slots of 2.98 mm.

[0061] Figure 15 Depicting Figure 14 Simulation results (S-parameters) of the antenna. Figure 16 Depicting Figure 14 The overall efficiency of the antenna. Figure 17 Depicting Figure 14 The maximum gain of the antenna at the frequency. Figure 18 Depicting Figure 14 The envelope correlation coefficient of the antenna. Figure 15-18 The results show that, using a curved antenna configuration and the aforementioned planar antenna, the antenna can achieve a high isolation of >40dB in HB / UHB.

[0062] Figure 19 A multi-feed antenna device 1900 according to one aspect of this disclosure is depicted. The multi-feed antenna device 1900 includes a monopole antenna 1902. The monopole antenna 1902 includes an antenna portion 1904; a first antenna extension 1906 extending from the antenna portion 1904 and having a first length; and a second antenna extension 1908 extending from the antenna portion 1904 and having a second length less than the first length. The multi-feed antenna device 1900 also includes a slot antenna 1910, which includes a first slot 1912 having a third length and a second slot 1914 having a fourth length greater than the third length. The multi-feed antenna device 1900 further includes: a first antenna feed line 1916 coupled to the monopole antenna 1902, a second antenna feed line 1918 coupled to the slot antenna 1910, and a ground plane 1920 common to both the monopole antenna 1902 and the slot antenna 1910. The multi-feed antenna device 1900 can be printed on the substrate 1922.

[0063] The slot antenna may include an excitation conductor 1924. The excitation conductor 1924 can be used for capacitive coupling with the slot antenna. The excitation conductor may be made of metal or other conductive material and may be located within the first slot. A second antenna feed line can be coupled to the slot antenna via coupling to the excitation conductor.

[0064] The excitation conductor may include a first excitation conductor extension along a first longitudinal axis and a second excitation conductor extension along a second longitudinal axis perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis. The second excitation conductor extension is positioned such that a first portion of the first excitation conductor extension is to the left of the second excitation conductor extension, and a second portion of the first excitation conductor extension is to the right of the second excitation conductor extension. That is, the first and second portions can extend on either side of the second excitation conductor extension. The lengths of the first and second portions can be different, and they can be selected to achieve the desired result.

[0065] In an alternative configuration, the first antenna extension may have a first longitudinal axis, and the second slot may have a second longitudinal axis, such that the first and second longitudinal axes are parallel but do not overlap. In this way, two slots of different lengths can be used for different frequencies and / or frequency bands. That is, a longer slot can be configured for lower frequencies, and a shorter slot can be configured for higher frequencies. Of course, the two slots may not be parallel; however, using parallel slots simplifies the design and improves the overall isolation between antennas.

[0066] The antenna can be configured such that a first antenna extension and a first slot are along a first longitudinal axis, and a second antenna extension and a second slot are along a second longitudinal axis. Aligning one antenna extension and one slot along the same axis and aligning the other antenna extension and another slot along a different axis can improve the isolation between antenna elements.

[0067] A ground plane can be used in conjunction with a monopole antenna. The ground plane can be a conductor into which the slot antenna cuts, or a portion of that conductor. That is, the slot antenna can be located within the ground plane of the monopole antenna. The ground plane can include one or more decoupling notches. For example, the ground plane can include a first decoupling notch, which can be configured to reduce the coupling of current from the monopole antenna to the slot antenna. The ground plane can include a second decoupling notch, which is configured to reduce the coupling of current from the slot antenna to the monopole antenna. The notch can disrupt surface currents within the ground plane, which can effectively interrupt or disrupt the conductive path between the monopole antenna and the slot antenna. The notch can be designed to modify the current distribution in a targeted manner. The notch can control the location of current flow, directing current away from areas where coupling between the antennas is more likely to occur. The notch can alter the impedance of the ground plane near the antenna (e.g., by creating a higher impedance path between the monopole antenna and the slot antenna), which can enhance isolation. The notch can also affect the electromagnetic field distribution in the near-field region of the antenna, which can help prevent the overlap of electric and magnetic fields between monopole antennas and slot antennas, thereby reducing interaction.

[0068] A monopole antenna can optionally be formed from a single piece of conductor. In this way, a monopole antenna can be printed as a single piece of conductor, or it can be otherwise formed as a single piece of conductor and placed in / on an antenna device.

[0069] Alternatively, the monopole antenna, slot antenna, and ground plane can be formed from a conductive sheet that is common to all three. In this way, the conductive sheet can be cut to form the monopole antenna, which will be positioned such that it is not directly connected to the ground plane. A notch can be formed in the ground plane, and the slot antenna can be cut into the ground plane.

[0070] In an optional configuration, the antenna device can be formed on a flexible conductive sheet, allowing the sheet to be bent. In this way, a monopole antenna and a slot antenna can be formed along a first plane, and at least a portion of the ground plane can be formed along a second plane intersecting the first plane. That is, bending is permissible, such that the antenna is positioned along the first plane, and at least a portion of the ground plane is along the second plane. The first and second planes can intersect. In some configurations, the first and second planes can be perpendicular. In other configurations, the conductive sheet can be configurable such that the first and second planes can be identical, or intersect, or the conductive sheet can be bent or straightened to switch between these two configurations.

[0071] As described above, the monopole antenna can optionally be configured as a tri-band antenna, which can be configured to transmit and / or receive in a frequency range of low frequency, high frequency, and ultra-high frequency. Here, it will be understood that these band distinctions can generally be understood as reflecting any three bands of different frequencies, such that the low frequency band includes the lowest frequency for tri-band operation; the ultra-high frequency band includes the highest frequency for tri-band operation; and the high frequency band includes the frequencies between the low frequency and ultra-high frequency bands. In some configurations, the low frequency band may optionally correspond to a frequency of approximately 2.4 GHz; the high frequency band may optionally correspond to a frequency of approximately 5 GHz; and the ultra-high frequency band may optionally correspond to a frequency of approximately 6 GHz.

[0072] In an optional configuration, the first and second antenna feed lines can be configured as coaxial cables. For example, these could be mini-UFL coaxial cables, which may already be available in many traditional applications. However, any coaxial cable can be used. Of course, coaxial cables are not necessarily used for the antenna feed lines, and those skilled in the art will understand that alternative cable types can be used.

[0073] In an optional configuration, any one of the monopole antenna, slot antenna, or ground plane can be printed on a flexible printed circuit board. In this way, the flexible circuit board can be bent or flexed to fit the shape of a device (e.g., a laptop, tablet, mobile phone, wearable device). In this way, the structural relationship of one or both of the monopole antenna and slot antenna can be altered relative to the ground plane and / or the notch.

[0074] The configuration disclosed herein can provide a high level of isolation between the monopole antenna and the slot antenna. This is likely at least in part due to the orthogonal polarization of the monopole antenna and the slot antenna relative to each other. Isolation can be further aided by placing the lower-band monopole antenna in a straight line (e.g., along a common axis) with the higher-band slot antenna, and placing the higher-band monopole antenna in a straight line (e.g., along a common axis) with the lower-band slot antenna. In this way, the monopole antenna and the slot antenna can exhibit at least 30 dB of isolation relative to each other. Given this isolation, a multi-feed antenna device can simultaneously transmit a first data feed via the monopole antenna and a second data feed via the slot antenna.

[0075] The multi-feed antenna disclosed herein may be incorporated into device 1930 (the multi-feed antenna is depicted as an element of device 1930), and device 1930 itself may include processor 1932 and baseband modem 1934. Device 1930 may also include RF front-end 1936 and / or RF transceiver 1938. Device 1930 may be or include a laptop, tablet, mobile phone (e.g., smartphone), wearable device, or Internet of Things (IoT) device.

[0076] Additional aspects of this disclosure will be described below by way of examples:

[0077] In Example 1, a multi-feed antenna device includes: a monopole antenna comprising an antenna portion, a first antenna extension having a first length extending from the antenna portion, and a second antenna extension having a second length extending from the antenna portion, the second length being less than the first length; a slot antenna comprising a first slot having a third length and a second slot having a fourth length, the fourth length being greater than the third length; a first antenna feed line coupled to the monopole antenna; a second antenna feed line coupled to the slot antenna; and a ground plane common to both the monopole antenna and the slot antenna.

[0078] In Example 2, according to the multi-feed antenna device of Example 1, the slot antenna further includes an excitation conductor located in the first slot and configured to be capacitively coupled to the slot antenna; and wherein the second antenna feed line coupled to the slot antenna includes: the second antenna feed line coupled to the excitation conductor.

[0079] In Example 3, according to the multi-feed antenna device of Example 2, the excitation conductor includes a first excitation conductor extension along a first longitudinal axis and a second excitation conductor extension along a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis, and wherein the second excitation conductor extension is configured such that a first portion of the first excitation conductor extension is located to the left of the second excitation conductor extension and a second portion of the first excitation conductor extension is located to the right of the second excitation conductor extension.

[0080] In Example 4, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the first antenna extension has a first longitudinal axis; wherein the second slot has a second longitudinal axis; and wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are parallel but do not overlap.

[0081] In Example 5, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the first antenna extension and the first slot are along the first longitudinal axis, and wherein the second antenna extension and the second slot are along the second longitudinal axis.

[0082] In Example 6, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 5 further includes: a first decoupling notch in the ground plane, the first decoupling notch being configured to reduce the coupling of current from the monopole antenna to the slot antenna; and a second decoupling notch in the ground plane, the second decoupling notch being configured to reduce the coupling of current from the slot antenna to the monopole antenna.

[0083] In Example 7, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the monopole antenna is formed from a single conductor.

[0084] In Example 8, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 7, wherein the monopole antenna, the slot antenna, and the ground plane are formed by a conductive sheet that is common to the monopole antenna, the slot antenna, and the ground plane.

[0085] In Example 9, according to the multi-feed antenna device of Example 8, the conductive sheet is bent such that a monopole antenna and a slot antenna are formed along a first plane, and at least a portion of the ground plane is formed along a second plane intersecting the first plane.

[0086] In Example 10, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the monopole antenna is configured as a tri-band antenna, configured to transmit and / or receive in the low-frequency band, the high-frequency band, and the ultra-high-frequency band.

[0087] In Example 11, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the slot antenna is configured as a tri-band antenna, configured to transmit and / or receive in the low-frequency band, the high-frequency band, and the ultra-high-frequency band.

[0088] In Example 12, a multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 11 is provided, wherein the monopole antenna and the slot antenna are configured to radiate in a manner orthogonally polarized relative to each other.

[0089] In Example 13, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 12, wherein the first antenna feed line and the second antenna feed line are configured as coaxial cables.

[0090] In Example 14, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 13 further includes a flexible printed circuit board, wherein any one of the monopole antenna, the slot antenna, and the ground plane is printed on the flexible printed circuit board.

[0091] In Example 15, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 14, wherein the monopole antenna and the slot antenna exhibit at least 30 dB of isolation relative to each other.

[0092] In Example 16, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 15 is configured to simultaneously transmit a first data feed via a monopole antenna and a second data feed via a slot antenna.

[0093] In Example 17, an apparatus includes: a processor; a baseband modem; a radio frequency transceiver; a radio frequency front end; and a multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 1 to 16; wherein the processor is configured to control the baseband modem to transmit wireless signals through the multi-feed antenna device.

[0094] In Example 18, a multi-feed antenna device includes: a first electromagnetic radiating device comprising: a first portion; a first extension extending from the first portion having a first length; and a second extension extending from the first portion having a second length less than the first length; a second electromagnetic radiating device including a first slot having a third length and a second slot having a fourth length greater than the third length; a first signal supply device coupled to the first electromagnetic radiating device; a second signal supply device coupled to the second electromagnetic radiating device; and a grounding device common to both the first and second electromagnetic radiating devices.

[0095] In Example 19, according to the multi-feed antenna device of Example 18, the second electromagnetic radiating device further includes an excitation conductor located in the first slot and configured to be capacitively coupled to the second electromagnetic radiating device; and the coupling of the second signal supply device to the second electromagnetic radiating device includes: the second signal supply device being coupled to the excitation conductor.

[0096] In Example 20, according to the multi-feed antenna device of Example 19, the excitation conductor includes a first excitation conductor extension along a first longitudinal axis and a second excitation conductor extension along a second longitudinal axis perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis, and wherein the second excitation conductor extension is configured such that a first portion of the first excitation conductor extension is located to the left of the second excitation conductor extension and a second portion of the first excitation conductor extension is located to the right of the second excitation conductor extension.

[0097] In Example 21, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 20, wherein the first extension has a first longitudinal axis; wherein the second slot has a second longitudinal axis; and wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are parallel but do not overlap.

[0098] In Example 22, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 21, wherein the first extension and the first slot are along a first longitudinal axis, and wherein the second extension and the second slot are along a second longitudinal axis.

[0099] In Example 23, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 22 further includes: a first decoupling notch in the grounding device, the first decoupling notch being configured to reduce the coupling of current from the first electromagnetic radiating device to the second electromagnetic radiating device; and a second decoupling notch in the grounding device, the second decoupling notch being configured to reduce the coupling of current from the second electromagnetic radiating device to the first electromagnetic radiating device.

[0100] In Example 24, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 23, wherein the first electromagnetic radiating device is formed of a monolithic conductor.

[0101] In Example 25, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 24, wherein the first electromagnetic radiation device, the second electromagnetic radiation device, and the grounding device are formed of a conductive sheet that is common to the first electromagnetic radiation device, the second electromagnetic radiation device, and the grounding device.

[0102] In Example 26, the multi-feed antenna device according to Example 25, wherein the conductive sheet is bent such that a first electromagnetic radiating device and a second electromagnetic radiating device are formed along a first plane, and at least a portion of the grounding device is formed along a second plane intersecting the first plane.

[0103] In Example 27, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 26, wherein the first electromagnetic radiation device is configured as a tri-band antenna, configured to transmit and / or receive in the low-frequency band, the high-frequency band, and the ultra-high-frequency band.

[0104] In Example 28, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 27, wherein the second electromagnetic radiation device is configured as a tri-band antenna, configured to transmit and / or receive in the low-frequency band, the high-frequency band, and the ultra-high-frequency band.

[0105] In Example 29, a multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 28 is provided, wherein the first electromagnetic radiating device and the second electromagnetic radiating device are configured to radiate in a manner orthogonally polarized relative to each other.

[0106] In Example 30, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 29, wherein the first signal supply device and the second signal supply device are configured as coaxial cables.

[0107] In Example 31, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 30 further includes a flexible printed circuit board, wherein any one of the first electromagnetic radiating device, the second electromagnetic radiating device, and the grounding device is printed on the flexible printed circuit board.

[0108] In Example 32, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 31, wherein the first electromagnetic radiating device and the second electromagnetic radiating device exhibit an isolation of at least 30 dB relative to each other.

[0109] In Example 33, the multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 32 is configured to simultaneously transmit a first data feed via a monopole antenna and a second data feed via a slot antenna.

[0110] In Example 34, a device includes: a processor; a baseband modem; and a multi-feed antenna device according to any one of Examples 18 to 33; and wherein the processor is configured to control the baseband modem to transmit wireless signals through the multi-feed antenna device.

[0111] While the foregoing description and figures may depict the components as individual elements, those skilled in the art will understand the various possibilities of combining or integrating discrete elements into a single element. This may include combining two or more circuits to form a single circuit, mounting two or more circuits on a common chip or chassis to form an integrated element, executing discrete software components on a common processor core, etc. Conversely, those skilled in the art will recognize the possibility of dividing a single element into two or more discrete elements, such as dividing a single circuit into more than two separate circuits, dividing a chip or chassis into discrete elements initially provided thereon, dividing a software component into two or more parts, and executing each part on a separate processor core, etc.

[0112] It should be understood that the implementation of the methods described in detail herein is exemplary in nature and is therefore to be understood as being implementable in the corresponding device. Similarly, it should be understood that the implementation of the device described in detail herein is to be understood as being implementable as the corresponding method. Therefore, it can be understood that the device corresponding to the methods described in detail herein may include one or more components configured to perform each aspect of the relevant method.

[0113] All acronyms defined in the above description also apply to all claims contained herein.

Claims

1. A multi-feed antenna device, comprising: A monopole antenna, comprising: Antenna section; A first antenna extension having a first length extending from the antenna portion; A second antenna extension having a second length, extending from the antenna portion, wherein the second length is less than the first length; Slot antenna, the slot antenna comprising: A first slit having a third length; A second slit having a fourth length, the fourth length being greater than the third length; The first antenna feed line is coupled to the monopole antenna; A second antenna feed line is coupled to the slot antenna; and A ground plane that is common to both the monopole antenna and the slot antenna.

2. The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The slot antenna further includes an excitation conductor located in the first slot and configured to be capacitively coupled to the slot antenna; and Wherein, the second antenna feed line coupled to the slot antenna includes: the second antenna feed line coupled to the excitation conductor.

3. The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 2, wherein, The excitation conductor includes a first excitation conductor extension along a first longitudinal axis and a second excitation conductor extension along a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis, and wherein the second excitation conductor extension is configured such that a first portion of the first excitation conductor extension is located to the left of the second excitation conductor extension and a second portion of the first excitation conductor extension is located to the right of the second excitation conductor extension.

4. The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The first antenna extension has a first longitudinal axis; wherein the second slot has a second longitudinal axis; and wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are parallel but do not overlap.

5. The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The first antenna extension and the first slot are along a first longitudinal axis, and the second antenna extension and the second slot are along a second longitudinal axis.

6. The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 1, further comprising: The first decoupling notch in the ground plane is configured to reduce the coupling between the current from the monopole antenna and the slot antenna. And a second decoupling notch in the ground plane, the second decoupling notch being configured to reduce the coupling of current from the slot antenna to the monopole antenna.

7. The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The monopole antenna, the slot antenna, and the ground plane are formed by a conductive sheet, which is common to the monopole antenna, the slot antenna, and the ground plane.

8. The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 7, wherein, The conductive sheet is bent such that the monopole antenna and the slot antenna are formed along a first plane, and at least a portion of the ground plane is formed along a second plane intersecting the first plane.

9. The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The monopole antenna is configured as a multi-band antenna, which is configured to transmit and / or receive in two or more frequency bands, including low frequency band, high frequency band, and ultra-high frequency band, and the slot antenna is configured as a multi-band antenna, which is configured to transmit and / or receive in two or more frequency bands, including low frequency band, high frequency band, and ultra-high frequency band.

10. The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The monopole antenna and the slot antenna are configured to radiate in a manner that is orthogonally polarized relative to each other.

11. The multi-feed antenna device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible printed circuit board, wherein any one of the monopole antenna, the slot antenna, and the ground plane is printed on the flexible printed circuit board.

12. The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The multi-feed antenna device is configured to simultaneously transmit a first data feed through the monopole antenna and a second data feed through the slot antenna.

13. The multi-feed antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The monopole antenna is formed from a single conductor.

14. The multi-feed antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The first antenna feed and the second antenna feed are configured as coaxial cables.

15. The multi-feed antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a flexible printed circuit board, wherein any one of the monopole antenna, the slot antenna, and the ground plane is printed on the flexible printed circuit board.

16. The multi-feed antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The monopole antenna and the slot antenna exhibit at least 30 dB of isolation relative to each other.

17. The multi-feed antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The multi-feed antenna device is configured to simultaneously transmit a first data feed through the monopole antenna and a second data feed through the slot antenna.

18. An apparatus comprising: processor; Baseband modem; Radio frequency front-end equipment; Radio frequency transceiver; and The multi-feed antenna device according to claim 1; and The processor is configured to control the baseband modem to transmit wireless signals through the multi-feed antenna device.

19. An apparatus comprising: A first electromagnetic radiation device, the first electromagnetic radiation device comprising: Part One; A first extension having a first length extending from the first portion; A second extension having a second length, extending from the first portion, wherein the second length is less than the first length; A second electromagnetic radiation device, comprising: A first slit having a third length; A second slit having a fourth length, the fourth length being greater than the third length; A first signal supply device is coupled to the first electromagnetic radiation device; A second signal supply device is coupled to the second electromagnetic radiation device; and A grounding device that is common to both the first electromagnetic radiation device and the second electromagnetic radiation device.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein, The second electromagnetic radiation device further includes an excitation conductor located in the first gap and configured to capacitively couple with the second electromagnetic radiation device; and The second signal supply device being coupled to the second electromagnetic radiation device includes: the second signal supply device being coupled to the excitation conductor.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein, The excitation conductor includes a first excitation conductor extension along a first longitudinal axis and a second excitation conductor extension along a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis, and wherein the second excitation conductor extension is configured such that a first portion of the first excitation conductor extension is located to the left of the second excitation conductor extension and a second portion of the first excitation conductor extension is located to the right of the second excitation conductor extension.

22. The device according to claim 19, wherein, The first extension has a first longitudinal axis; wherein the second slit has a second longitudinal axis; and wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are parallel but do not overlap.

23. The device according to claim 19, wherein, The first extension and the first slit are along a first longitudinal axis, and the second extension and the second slit are along a second longitudinal axis.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising: The grounding device has a first decoupling notch, which is configured to reduce the coupling of current from the first electromagnetic radiation device with the second electromagnetic radiation device. And a second decoupling notch in the grounding device, the second decoupling notch being configured to reduce the coupling of current from the second electromagnetic radiation device with the first electromagnetic radiation device.

25. The device according to any one of claims 19 to 24, further comprising: processor; Baseband modem; Radio frequency front-end equipment; Radio frequency transceiver; and The processor is configured to control the baseband modem to transmit wireless signals through the multi-feed antenna device.

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