Dual Band Antennas

Abstract

The dual-band antenna comprises a substrate having a magnetic dielectric material and a conductive patch disposed on the substrate, the patch having one or more in-plane notches having an H-shape or an I-shape when viewed from a planar view of the patch.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to antennas, and more particularly to dual band antennas, and more particularly to dual band, dual feed, dual polarized antennas. [Background technology]

[0002] Applications including emergency calling (eCall) and autonomous driving require precise point positioning and tracking in two or more frequency bands from multiple satellite constellations. The following documents may be considered as useful background art: Non-Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 2, Patent Document 1. While existing antennas may be suitable for their intended purposes in such applications, there remains a need for improved antennas of more compact design. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 251824 [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] LUNA BONILLA JAVIER A. et al. "Miniaturization of a Microstrip Antenna with Magneto-Dielectrics Substrates for a Passive Tag RFID operating at 915 MHz on a Metallic Surface", September 25, 2014, IEEE, 2014 IEEE BRASIL RFID, pp. 61-63, XP032787687, DOI:10.1109 / BRASILRFID.20147128967, ISBN:978-1-4799-7045-2 [Non-Patent Document 2] MOSALLACI H et al., "Embedded-Circuit and RIS Meta-Substrates for Novel Antenna Designs", 2004-06-20, Monterey, CA, USA, IEEE, 2004-06-25, Piscataway, NJ, USA, IEEE, Antennas and Propagation Society Symposium 2004, pp. 301-304, XP010721285, DOI: 10.1109 / APS / 2004.1329632, ISBN: 978-0-7803-8302-9 Summary of the Invention

[0005] An embodiment comprises a dual-band antenna as defined by the accompanying independent claims. Further advantageous modifications of the dual-band antenna are defined by the accompanying dependent claims.

[0006] In one embodiment, a dual-band antenna comprises a substrate having a magnetic dielectric material and a conductive patch disposed on the substrate, the patch having one or more in-plane notches having an H-shape or an I-shape when viewed from a planar view of the patch.

[0007] The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Referring to the illustrative and non-limiting drawings, in which like elements are similarly numbered or illustrated, and in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an exemplary Design-1 antenna according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a rotated isometric view of the exemplary Design-1 antenna of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment. [Diagram 3]2 is a top view of the exemplary Design-1 antenna of FIG. 1 with exemplary manufacturing details, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is another plan view of the exemplary Design-1 antenna of FIG. 1 along with other exemplary manufacturing details, in accordance with one embodiment. [Diagram 5] 2 is another plan view of the example Design-1 antenna of FIG. 1 with an example feed network according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] 2 illustrates performance characteristics of the exemplary Design-1 antenna of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment. [Figure 7] 2 illustrates other performance characteristics of the exemplary Design-1 antenna of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment. [Figure 8] 2 is a plan view of an exemplary Design-2 antenna corresponding to the antenna of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] 9 is a rotated isometric view of the exemplary Design-2 antenna of FIG. 8 in accordance with one embodiment. [Figure 10] 9 is a top view of the exemplary Design-2 antenna of FIG. 8 with exemplary manufacturing details, according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] 9 illustrates performance characteristics of the exemplary Design-2 antenna of FIG. 8 in accordance with one embodiment. [Figure 12] 9 illustrates other performance characteristics of the exemplary Design-2 antenna of FIG. 8 in accordance with one embodiment. [Figure 13] 1A is a side view of an expanded and final assembly of two or more stacked antennas on a ground plane according to one embodiment. [Figure 14] 2 is a bottom-up see-through plan view of an exemplary feed network in combination with the exemplary Design-1 antenna of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an end view of the example feed network and Design-1 antenna of FIG. 14 according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Those skilled in the art will understand that the drawings, further described herein below, are for illustrative purposes only. It is recognized that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, the elements shown in the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions or scale of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Furthermore, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the drawings to indicate corresponding or similar elements, or similar elements may not be repeatedly recited in every drawing, it being recognized and understood that such recited elements are essentially disclosed if not present.

[0010] As used herein, the phrase "embodiments" means "embodiments disclosed and / or illustrated herein," which may not necessarily include specific embodiments of the claimed invention, but are nevertheless provided herein as being useful for a complete understanding of the claimed invention.

[0011] Although the following detailed description includes many details for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many variations and alternatives to the following details are within the scope of the appended claims. For example, if a described feature is not mutually exclusive with respect to other described features, such combination of non-mutually exclusive features is considered to be inherently disclosed herein. In addition, common features may be commonly shown in various figures, but may not be specifically listed in all figures for simplicity, but will be recognized by those skilled in the art as being explicitly disclosed features even if not listed in a particular figure. Thus, the following exemplary embodiments are described without loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations on, the claimed invention disclosed herein.

[0012] Precise point positioning in autonomous driving applications where GPS (Global Positioning System) frequencies are greater than the GPS L2 band requires tracking of two or more frequency bands from multiple satellite constellations, such as GPS L5 and Galileo E5b. Existing multi-band GPS antennas typically combine a single GPS L5 and GPS L1 band into a stacked patch antenna, but do not address multiple satellite constellations unless the antenna is large (e.g., 50mm x 50mm or 70mm x 70mm). By increasing the instantaneous bandwidth of each patch antenna, a single antenna can be made to cover two or more, potentially three, constellations, with two bands each. In the prior art, a first current coverage scenario covers the GPS L5 and Galileo E5b bands but not the GPS L2 band, and a second current coverage scenario covers the BDS B2, GPS L1, and GLO L1 bands. As described herein below, the improved coverage scenarios of the antenna disclosed herein span the GPS L5 and GPS L2 bands, and distinguish the Galileo E5b band.

[0013] One embodiment of the antenna disclosed herein is a dual-feed and dual-polarized antenna that can be manufactured by printing or otherwise depositing conductive patches on a magnetic dielectric substrate. In one embodiment, the dual polarization is circular, more specifically, right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) or left-hand circular polarization (LHCP), by alternating phases at the signal probe.

[0014] A prototype antenna design according to one embodiment disclosed herein was fabricated on a magnetic dielectric material with achieved properties (i.e. permittivity and permeability with losses) developed in the laboratory. The goal was to use this material and demonstrate the miniaturization of an antenna for a specific application. The technical application mentioned herein is for GPS (Global Positioning System). The GPS bands in which the disclosed antenna is operable include two or more different bands, GPS L2 band and GPS L5 band, where the nominal center frequency of the L2 band is 1227.6 MHz with a bandwidth of 11 MHz and the nominal center frequency of the L5 band is 1176.45 MHz with a bandwidth of 12.5 MHz. The third band in which the disclosed antenna is operable is the GPS L1 band with a nominal center frequency of 1575.42 MHz with a bandwidth of 15.345 MHz. The geometry of the conductive patch that actively radiates EM energy has a uniquely defined profile with slots, shapes, and notches that contribute to improved bandwidth, as well as tuning across the operating band. The antenna design developed on the magnetic material covers the required operating bands, including the lower Galileo E5b and E5a bands.

[0015] An embodiment of the disclosed antenna design disclosed herein provides a wide impedance bandwidth of 75 MHz or more, a wide axial ratio bandwidth of 1.5 dBi or less, a radiation efficiency of 52% or more, and an ultra-wide axial ratio bandwidth of 10 MHz or more, alternatively 50 MHz or more, and even alternatively 100 MHz or more at 3 dBi within the operating band. The design was done on a single layer magnetic dielectric material slab as compared to existing stacks of similar commercially available antenna designs in the market.

[0016] One embodiment of the disclosed antenna has a shaped conductive patch antenna that is approximately circular with a shaped internal cutout and a notch on the periphery, designed and placed on a magnetic dielectric substrate having dielectric properties with values ​​of both permittivity and permeability. Two strategically placed electrical signal probes provide electromagnetic (EM) energization to the patch. The advantage of the magnetic dielectric substrate is that when electromagnetically excited, there are electric and magnetic currents because the permeability component of the material is utilized to improve antenna performance such as radiation and matching bandwidth. The permittivity and permeability values ​​contribute to the miniaturization factor of the antenna disclosed herein. The advantage of the antenna design is the material properties that contribute to the miniaturization of the antenna and result in a design that achieves the desired antenna performance characteristics.

[0017] A magneto-dielectric substrate suitable for the purposes disclosed herein may be a magnetic particle or a magnetic particle-polymer composite. In one embodiment, the magnetic permeability is 1.5-15, the magnetic loss tangent is 0.01-0.10, the dielectric constant is 5-15, and the dielectric loss tangent is 0.002-0.01 over the frequency band of 100 MHz to 2 GHz. In one embodiment, the magneto-dielectric composite comprises 10-80% by volume of magnetic filler (ferrite or metal particles) and 20-90% by volume of polymer.

[0018] An exemplary magneto-dielectric substrate found to be useful for the purposes disclosed herein is Ba1.5Sr1.5Co2.12Mo0.12Fe22.16 0 41, 45% by volume ferrite, 55% by volume LDPE. This particular magneto-dielectric substrate has the following properties at 1.2 GHz: permeability equal to 1.80, magnetic loss tangent equal to 0.03, permittivity equal to 6.269, and dielectric loss tangent equal to 0.0037.

[0019] One embodiment shown and described by the various figures and accompanying text provides a dual band antenna useful, for example, in eCall and autonomous driving applications. Another possible application is a 6-band Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipset for automotive applications.

[0020] One embodiment of the antenna disclosed herein is suitable for applications covering the entire low L-band (1164-1300 MHz) for GNSS, e.g., L5 / L2, E5a / E5b / E6, G2 / G3, B2 / B3, BDS B2, GPS L1, and GLO L1 bands.

[0021] As used herein, the term monolithic means a structure integrally formed from a single material composition. While the embodiments shown and described herein show an exemplary dual-band antenna with a conductive patch having a particular two-dimensional (2D) planar shape, particularly with respect to the in-plane cutout, it is understood that this shape is merely one example of many shapes that may be adopted in the design of the dual-band antenna disclosed herein, depending on the desired performance characteristics of the dual-band antenna (polarization, operating frequency, bandwidth, gain, return loss, radiation pattern, etc.). It is also understood that the disclosed geometries may be modified without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the disclosure herein applies to any dual-band antenna design that falls within the scope of the appended claims, and any 2D shape of the conductive patch that falls within the scope of the disclosure herein and is suitable for the purposes disclosed herein is contemplated and considered to be complementary to the specific embodiments disclosed herein.

[0022] Reference is now made in combination to Figures 1-5. Figure 1 shows a plan view of an exemplary Design-1 antenna 1000. Figure 2 shows a rotated isometric view of the exemplary Design-1 antenna 1000 of Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a plan view of the exemplary Design-1 antenna 1000 of Figure 1, with example manufacturing details provided. Figure 4 shows another plan view of the exemplary Design-1 antenna 1000 of Figure 1, with other example manufacturing details provided. Figure 5 shows another plan view of the exemplary Design-1 antenna 1000 of Figure 1, with an example signal feed network 1500 having an example signal probe 1550. The signal probe 1550 is also shown in Figure 2, with two probes, one of which is a signal injection probe that is isolated from and passes through the patch 1200 via a coaxial feed, and the other of which is electrically connected to the patch 1200. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a first signal probe 1551 of the two signal probes 1550 is positioned on the x-axis of the patch 1200 rather than on the y-axis, and a second signal probe 1552 of the two signal probes 1550 is positioned on the y-axis of the patch 1200 rather than on the x-axis.

[0023] In one embodiment, the antenna 1000 comprises a conductive patch 1200 disposed on a magneto-dielectric (MD) substrate 1400, which is disposed on a conductive ground plane 1600. The patch 1200 has a particular 2D planar shape including an in-plane edge notch or void 1220 having an H-shape or I-shape (commonly referred to herein as H-shaped) and an in-plane internal notch or void 1240. In one embodiment, the material of the substrate 1400 in the region of the voids 1220, 1240 may comprise a dielectric-only material, which can effectively improve fringing fields by pushing the electric and magnetic fields to the edges of the substrate by strategically placing the voids in the patch material.

[0024] Exemplary design specifications for antenna 1000 include: MD substrate 1400 has ε=6.3, μ=1.8, tan δ=0.004, tan μ=0.03, antenna 1000 has a miniaturization factor=11.34, patch 1200 has an overall diameter D1=431.8 mm (1.7 inches), substrate 1400 has thickness T1=7.52 mm (in the plane of FIG. 1), x-dimension Sx1=49.96 mm, and y-dimension Sy1=49.96 mm, ground plane 1600 has x-dimension Gx1=101.6 mm, and y-dimension Gy1=101.6 mm, and signal probe 1550 has a diameter Pd1=1.27 mm. The specific dimensions of antenna 1000 and substrate thickness T1 used to analytically model the performance characteristics of Design-1 antenna 1000 are presented here. Also, while specific dimensions are provided, it will be understood that these are for illustrative purposes only and may be varied depending on the desired antenna performance characteristics for a particular application.

[0025] With particular reference to Figure 3, specific dimensions are provided for the patch 1200, the notch 1240 in the patch 1200, and the peripheral notch 1220 in the patch 1200. While specific dimensions are provided, it is understood that these are for illustrative purposes only and may be modified depending on the desired antenna performance characteristics for a particular application. Figure 3 also shows the specific locations of two signal probes 1550 relative to the notch 1240 in the patch 1200 and the perimeter of the notch 1220.

[0026] In one embodiment, the H-shaped notch 1240 has two parallel legs 1242, 1244 and a bridge 1246 perpendicular to the two legs 1242, 1244. In one embodiment, each of the two legs 1242, 1244 has an overall length HL, a width HW, and a tail with a length HT. In one embodiment, the bridge 1246 of the H-shaped notch 1240 has a length HB. In one embodiment, the H-shaped notch 1240 has mirror symmetry in two planes perpendicular to the plane of the plan view of the patch 1200 such that the width of the bridge 1246 is equal to (HL-(2xHT)) and the overall width of the H-shaped notch 1240 is equal to (HB+(2xHW)). In one embodiment, the legs 1242, 1244 of the H-shaped notch 1240 are positioned at an angle α with respect to the y-axis of a central xyz orthogonal reference frame of the patch 1200, and the H-shaped notch 1240 is radially offset from the central z-axis 1201 of the patch 1200, which extends perpendicular to the plane of the patch 1200 (see, for example, FIG. 3).

[0027] In one embodiment, the overall diameter D1 of the patch 1200 has a plurality of edge notches (peripheral notches) 1220, each having a width NW and a length NL. In one embodiment, the patch 1200 has four edge notches 1220 evenly distributed around the circumference of the patch 1200.

[0028] In one embodiment, the two signal probes 1550 are located in the x-dimension PX and the y-dimension PY relative to the central z-axis 1201 of the patch 1200, respectively. In the particular embodiment used for the analytical modeling, HL=15 mm, HW=2.5 mm, HT=5 mm, HB=5 mm, NW=10 mm, NL=5 mm, PX=8 mm, PY=8 mm, and α=40 degrees.

[0029] The specific location and orientation of the H-shaped notch 1240 relative to the central z-axis 1201 of the patch 1200 will now be described with reference to FIG. 4. As shown, the four edge notches 1220 are uniformly distributed at 90 degree intervals around the patch 1200 and are arranged such that the x-axis diverges two opposing ones of the notches 1220 and the y-axis diverges another two opposing ones of the notches. In one embodiment, the inner edge of one of the notches 1220 is located a distance X1 from the central z-axis 1201 along the x-axis. In one embodiment, the H-shaped notch 1240 has an outer profile with defined corner points P1, P2, P3, and P4 in the shape of an "H", each of the corner points P1-P4 located at defined x,y coordinates that establish a specific orientation of the H-shaped notch 1240 relative to the z-axis in the xy plane of an xyz Cartesian coordinate system. In one embodiment, distance X1=19.1 mm, P1 has x,y coordinates of (-8.6 mm,-3.2 mm), P2 has x,y coordinates of (2.9 mm,-12.8 mm), P3 has x,y coordinates of (9.2 mm,-5.2 mm), and P4 has x,y coordinates of (-2.2 mm,4.4 mm). It will be understood that while specific coordinates for P1-P4 are provided in Figure 4, these are for illustrative purposes only and may be altered depending on the desired antenna performance characteristics for a particular application.

[0030] 5 shows an exemplary feed network 1500 disposed below a ground plane 1600 and configured to provide dual feeds via signal probes 1550, suitable for communication over the GPS L5 and GPS L2 bands, for example. In one embodiment, the feed network 1500 connects to other system components (not shown) via connectors 1560.

[0031] In one embodiment, other specifications of the exemplary Design-1 antenna 1000 of FIG. 1 for dual band performance include -10 dBi dual frequency range of 1.164-1.189 GHz and 1.215-1.239 GHz, 3 dBi gain, 3 dBi axial ratio AR bandwidth, greater than 50% efficiency, and RHCP (Right Hand Circular Polarization) polarization.

[0032] While specific specifications are stated, it will be understood that these are exemplary only and may be varied depending on the desired antenna performance characteristics for a particular application. Figure 6 illustrates performance characteristics of the exemplary Design-1 antenna 1000 of Figure 1, where the reflection coefficient, efficiency, and RHCP gain of the antenna 1000 are plotted against frequency.

[0033] Figure 7 illustrates another performance characteristic of the exemplary Design-1 antenna 1000 of Figure 1, where the axial ratio (AR) of the antenna 1000 is plotted against frequency. Referring now to Figures 8-10 in combination, like elements are numbered alike. Figure 8 illustrates a top view of an exemplary Design-2 antenna 2000. Figure 9 illustrates a rotated isometric view of the exemplary Design-2 antenna 2000 of Figure 8. Figure 10 illustrates a top view of the exemplary Design-2 antenna 2000 of Figure 8, with example manufacturing details shown.

[0034] The Design-2 antenna 2000 differs from the Design-1 antenna 1000 by introducing an etched away ring 1610 on the ground plane 1600', which serves to electromagnetically shrink the ground plane 1600 of the antenna 1000 and improve the performance of the antenna 2000 by directing more EM energy towards the substrate 1400. In one embodiment, the ground plane 1600' of the antenna 2000 is completely free of ground plane 1600' material in the area of ​​the etched away ring 1610.

[0035] Exemplary design specifications for antenna 2000 are identical to those for antenna 1000 and, although not all are shown in detail in the associated drawings, are at least implicitly disclosed by the use of similar reference numbers, including: MD substrate 1400 has ε=6.3, μ=1.8, tan δ=0.004, tan μ=0.03, antenna 2000 has a miniaturization factor=11.34, patch 1200 has an overall diameter D1=431.8 mm (1.7 inches), substrate 1400 has a thickness T1=7.52 mm (in the plane of FIG. 8), x-dimension Sx1=49.96 mm and y-dimension Sy1=49.96 mm, ground plane 1600′ has an x-dimension Gx1=101.6 mm and y-dimension Gy1=101.6 mm, and signal probe 1550 has a diameter Pd1=1.27 mm. Other design specifications of antenna 2000 are also identical to antenna 1000, such as HL=15mm, HW=2.5mm, HT=5mm, HB=5mm, NW=10mm, NL=5mm, PX=8mm, PY=8mm, α=40 degrees, etc. Furthermore, the location and orientation of H-shaped notches 1240 of antenna 2000 relative to the central z-axis 1201 of patch 1200 are identical to those of antenna 1000. For example, the four edge notches 1220 are uniformly distributed around the circumference of patch 1200 at 90 degree intervals and are arranged such that the x-axis diverges two opposing ones of the notches 1220 and the y-axis diverges another two opposing ones of the notches. In one embodiment, the inner edge of one of the notches 1220 is located at a distance X1 from the central z-axis 1201 along the x-axis. In one embodiment, the H-shaped notch 1240 has an outer profile with defined corner points P1, P2, P3, and P4 in the shape of an "H", each of the corner points P1-P4 located at defined x,y coordinates that establish a specific orientation of the H-shaped notch 1240 relative to the z-axis in the xy plane of an xyz Cartesian coordinate system. In one embodiment, distance X1=19.1 mm, P1 has x,y coordinates of (-8.6 mm,-3.2 mm), P2 has x,y coordinates of (2.9 mm,-12.8 mm), P3 has x,y coordinates of (9.2 mm,-5.2 mm), and P4 has x,y coordinates of (-2.2 mm,4.4 mm).

[0036] 10, there is shown an antenna 2000 having the same patch 1200 and substrate 1400 as that of antenna 1000, and having a ground plane 1600' substantially identical to that of antenna 1000, but with an etched-away ring 1610 on the ground plane 1600'. Here, specific dimensions of the etched-away ring 1610 for patch 1400 are provided, and in one embodiment, the rectangular etched-away ring 1610 has an inner cutout dimension Wi, for example, Wi=36 mm, and an outer cutout dimension Wo, for example, Wo=38 mm, or alternatively, an annular cutout dimension Wa=1 mm. While specific dimensions are provided for antenna 2000, it is understood that these are for illustrative purposes only and may be altered depending on the desired antenna performance characteristics for a particular application.

[0037] Figures 11 and 12 show performance parameters and characteristics of the exemplary Design-2 antenna 2000, which parameters are similar to those of the exemplary Design-1 antenna 1000 shown in Figures 6 and 7. Comparing the performance characteristics of Figures 11 and 12 with those of Figures 6 and 7, it can be seen that improved performance can be achieved at the upper end of the L2 band by including the etched-out ring 1610 in the ground plane 1600'.

[0038] Referring now to FIG. 13, there is shown a side view of an expanded assembly and final assembly 3000 of two or more stacked antennas 1000.1, 1000.2 (also generally referred to by reference number 1000) on a ground plane 1600, where each stacked antenna 1000 comprises a patch 1200 disposed on a magneto-dielectric substrate 1400 as disclosed herein, which in combination are disposed on the ground plane 1600. Although only two stacked antennas are shown, it is understood that three or more antennas may be combined. It is contemplated that such configurations may contribute to different frequency bands of operation. Although FIG. 13 shows an antenna 1000 on a ground plane 1600, it is understood that a similar configuration can be constructed using an antenna 2000 on a ground plane 1600'.

[0039] 14 and 15, where FIG. 14 shows a bottom view and FIG. 15 shows an end view of an exemplary optional feed network 1500' connected to an antenna 1000 as disclosed herein, the location of the feed network 1500' may vary depending on the particular application. Thus, the location of the feed network 1500' shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein in any way. In one embodiment, the feed network 1500' includes a power divider circuit 1570 connected between the signal port connector 1560 and the two signal probes 1550.

[0040] With collective reference to Figures 1-15, it will be understood that various aspects of embodiments are disclosed herein, including but not limited to, at least the following aspects and / or aspect combinations:

[0041] Aspect 1: A dual band antenna 1000, 2000 comprising a substrate 1400 comprising a magnetic dielectric material and a conductive patch 1200 disposed on the substrate, the patch comprising one or more in-plane notches 1240 having an H-shape or an I-shape when observed from a planar view of the patch.

[0042] Aspect 2: A dual-band antenna as described in aspect 1, wherein the one or more notches 1240 are disposed at an oblique angle relative to a central xyz orthogonal reference frame of the patch. Aspect 3: The dual-band antenna of aspect 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is a single layer of the magnetic dielectric material.

[0043] Aspect 4: A dual band antenna described in any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein a combination of the magnetic dielectric substrate and the patch provides a first layer 1000.1 of the dual band antenna, and further, a second layer 1000.2 of the combination is disposed on the first layer to form a multi-layer dual band antenna 3000.

[0044] Aspect 5: The dual-band antenna according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein the one or more notches are disposed inside the outer periphery of the patch. Aspect 6: A dual-band antenna described in any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the H-shape or I-shape of the one or more notches has mirror symmetry in two planes perpendicular to the plane of the planar view of the patch.

[0045] Aspect 7: The dual-band antenna of any one of Aspects 1-6, wherein the perimeter of the patch is less than or is located within the perimeter of the substrate. Alternatively, the perimeter of the patch is the same size as the perimeter of the magnetic dielectric substrate. The size of the patch relative to the magnetic dielectric substrate is based on the desired operating frequency.

[0046] Aspect 8: The dual-band antenna according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the outer periphery of the substrate has a planar profile that is rectangular or circular. Aspect 9: The dual-band antenna of any one of aspects 1 to 8, wherein the periphery of the patch has a planar profile that is at least partially circular.

[0047] Aspect 10: A dual-band antenna described in any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the one or more notches are radially offset from a central z-axis of the patch, and the central z-axis extends perpendicular to a planar view of the patch.

[0048] Aspect 11: The dual-band antenna of any one of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein the one or more cutouts have two long legs and a bridge leg connecting the two long legs, the two long legs being oriented at a non-zero angle and a non-90 degree angle with respect to both a centrally located x-axis and a centrally located y-axis of the patch when observed in a planar view of the patch. By orienting the long legs (slots) of the cutouts at an oblique angle, two orthogonal EM modes can be generated.

[0049] Aspect 12: A dual-band antenna as described in aspect 11, wherein the two elongated legs are each oriented at a 45 degree angle with respect to both the x-axis and the y-axis of the patch. Aspect 13: The dual-band antenna of aspect 11 or 12, wherein the bridge leg is oriented orthogonal to each of the two elongated legs.

[0050] Aspect 14: The dual-band antenna of any one of Aspects 11 to 13, wherein the bridge legs are positioned equidistant from each end of each of the two elongated legs. Aspect 15: The dual-band antenna of any one of aspects 1 to 14, wherein the periphery of the patch includes one or more notches.

[0051] Aspect 16: The dual-band antenna of aspect 15, wherein the one or more notches (e.g., four notches, etc.) are symmetrically arranged on the circumference of the patch. Aspect 17: A dual-band antenna as described in aspect 15, wherein the one or more notches (e.g., only the two most closely adjacent notches of the four notches shown) are asymmetrically positioned on the circumference of the patch.

[0052] Aspect 18: The dual-band antenna of aspect 15, wherein the one or more notches include one or more pairs of notches that are diametrically opposite one another. Aspect 19: The dual-band antenna of aspect 15, wherein the one or more notches include two or more pairs of notches each diametrically opposite one another.

[0053] Aspect 20: A dual-band antenna as described in Aspect 19, wherein when observed in a planar view of the patch relative to a central z-axis of the patch, a first pair of the two or more pairs of notches is positioned on the x-axis of the patch, and a second pair of the two or more pairs of notches is positioned on the y-axis of the patch.

[0054] Aspect 21: A dual-band antenna as described in any one of aspects 15 to 20, wherein the one or more notches are spaced equidistantly around the circumference of the patch. Example 22: The dual-band antenna of any one of Examples 15 to 21, wherein the one or more notches have the same profile.

[0055] Example 23: The dual-band antenna of any one of Examples 15 to 22, wherein the one or more notches each have a partially rectangular profile. Example 24: A dual-band antenna described in any one of Examples 1 to 23, further comprising two signal probes 1550.

[0056] Aspect 25: A dual-band antenna as described in aspect 24, wherein each of the two signal probes is oriented parallel to the central z-axis of the patch. Aspect 26: A dual-band antenna as described in aspect 24 or 25, wherein, when observed by a planar view of the patch relative to a central z-axis of the patch, a first signal probe 1551 of the two signal probes 1550 is positioned on the x-axis of the patch but not on the y-axis, and a second signal probe 1552 of the two signal probes 1550 is positioned on the y-axis of the patch but not on the x-axis.

[0057] Example 27: The dual-band antenna of any one of Examples 24 to 26, further comprising an electrical ground reference 1600, the substrate being disposed on the electrical ground reference. Example 28: The dual-band antenna of Example 27, further comprising a signal feed network 1500 disposed in signal communication with the patch.

[0058] Aspect 29: The dual-band antenna of aspect 28, wherein the signal feed network is disposed below the substrate. Aspect 30: The dual-band antenna of aspect 28 or 29, wherein the signal feed network is disposed above the electrical ground reference.

[0059] Aspect 31: A dual-band antenna as described in aspect 28 or 29, wherein the signal feed network is disposed below the electrical ground reference. Aspect 32: A dual-band antenna as described in any one of aspects 28 to 31, wherein the signal feed network includes a signal port connector 1560 electrically connected to the two signal probes 1550 and a power divider circuit 1570 located between the signal port connector and the two signal probes.

[0060] Aspect 33: A dual-band antenna described in any one of aspects 27 to 32, wherein the outer periphery of the substrate is less than the outer periphery of the electrical ground reference or is disposed within the outer periphery of the electrical ground reference.

[0061] Aspect 34: The dual-band antenna of any one of Aspects 27-33, wherein the electrical ground reference includes a gap 1610 in ground material adjacent to the substrate and inside the perimeter of the substrate. By placing a square etched gap 1610 in the ground material below the substrate, improvements in impedance bandwidth, gain, and efficiency can be realized.

[0062] Aspect 35: A dual-band antenna as described in Aspect 34, wherein the gap in the ground material is at least partially inside the perimeter of the patch when observed from a planar view of the patch.

[0063] Aspect 36: A dual-band antenna as described in aspect 34 or 35, wherein the gap in the ground material is at least partially outside the perimeter of the patch when observed in a planar view of the patch.

[0064] Aspect 37: A dual-band antenna described in any one of aspects 34 to 36, wherein the gap in the ground material is at least partially outside the periphery of the patch and at least partially inside the periphery of the patch when observed in a planar view of the patch.

[0065] Aspect 38: A dual-band antenna described in any one of aspects 34 to 37, wherein the gap in the ground material is in the form of a rectangle. Example 39: The dual-band antenna of any one of Examples 1 to 38, which is operable across two or more frequency bands.

[0066] Aspect 40: The dual band antenna of aspect 39, operable to discriminate frequencies between individual frequency bands among the two or more frequency bands. Aspect 41: The dual-band antenna of aspect 39 or 40, wherein a first frequency band of the two or more frequency bands is the L5 band.

[0067] Aspect 42: The dual-band antenna of aspect 41, wherein a second frequency band of the two or more frequency bands is the L2 band. Aspect 43: The dual-band antenna of Aspect 39, wherein the two or more frequencies are operable within a nominal frequency range of 1.17 GHz to 1.23 GHz.

[0068] Aspect 44: A dual-band antenna according to any one of aspects 1 to 43, operable with a gain of 3 dBi or greater in each respective operable band. Aspect 45: The dual-band antenna of any one of aspects 1 to 44, wherein the dual-band antenna is operable with an axial ratio of 3 dB or less at ±30 degrees from each radiating boresight of the dual-band antenna.

[0069] Aspect 46: A dual-band antenna as described in any one of aspects 1 to 45, capable of operating with right-hand or left-hand circular polarization by alternating the phase in each signal probe.

[0070] Example 47: The dual-band antenna of any one of Examples 1 to 46, wherein the dual-band antenna is capable of operating with an efficiency of 51% or greater. Aspect 48: The dual band antenna of aspect 47, capable of operating over a wide axial ratio bandwidth at 3 dBi of 10 MHz or more, alternatively 50 MHz or more, and further alternatively 100 MHz or more.

[0071] As used herein, the phrase "about equal to" is intended to account for manufacturing tolerances and / or slight deviations from the nominal value that fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the objectives disclosed herein.

[0072] While specific combinations of individual features have been described and illustrated herein, it is understood that these specific combinations of features are for illustrative purposes only, and that any combination of any of such individual features may be used in accordance with an embodiment, whether or not such combination is explicitly illustrated, and is consistent with the disclosure of this specification. Any such combination of features disclosed herein is contemplated herein and is considered to be within the understanding of one of ordinary skill in the art when considering this application as a whole, and is considered to be within the scope of the invention disclosed herein, as long as it is within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims, as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0073] Although the invention has been described herein with reference to exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes may be made and elements may be substituted with equivalents without departing from the scope of the claims. Many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment or embodiments disclosed herein as the best or only mode contemplated for carrying out the invention, but the invention is intended to include all embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings and description, exemplary embodiments have been disclosed and specific terms and / or dimensions may be used, but they are used in a general, illustrative and / or descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, unless otherwise indicated, and therefore the claims are not so limited. When an element, such as a layer, film, region, substrate, or other described feature, is referred to as being "on" or "engaged" with another element, it may be directly on or engaged with the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly engaged" with another element, there are no intervening elements. The use of terms such as first, second, etc. does not indicate a sequence or importance; rather, terms such as first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. The use of terms such as "a", "an", etc. does not indicate a limitation of quantity, but rather indicates the presence of one or more of the referenced items. The use of terms such as "top", "bottom", "up", "down", "left", "right", "front", "rear", etc., or any reference to orientation, does not indicate a limitation of a structure, since the structure may be viewed from more than one orientation, but rather indicates a relative structural relationship between one or more of the relevant features disclosed herein. As used herein, the term "comprising" does not exclude the possible inclusion of one or more additional features. Additionally, any background information provided herein is provided to make known information believed by applicant to be potentially relevant to the invention disclosed herein.No admission is necessarily intended, nor should it be construed, that any such background information constitutes prior art with respect to the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A dual-band antenna (1000), a substrate (1400) comprising a magneto-dielectric material; a conductive patch (1200) disposed on the substrate; the patch comprises one or more in-plane notches (1240) having an H-shape or an I-shape when observed in a plan view of the patch; the H-shape or the I-shape includes two parallel notched legs connected by a bridge notched leg, the bridge notched leg being disposed perpendicular to the two parallel notched legs; A dual-band antenna, wherein the z-axis of the central xyz orthogonal reference frame of said patch extends perpendicular to said planar view of said patch.

2. The dual-band antenna of claim 1 , wherein each of said two parallel notched legs has an overall length HL.

3. 3. The dual-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the HL of each of the two parallel cutout legs is disposed at an oblique angle to the x-axis and y-axis of the central xyz orthogonal reference frame of the patch.

4. The dual-band antenna of claim 3 , wherein the substrate is a single layer of the magnetic dielectric material.

5. the combination of the substrate and the patch provides a first layer of the dual-band antenna; and A dual-band antenna according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a second layer of the combination is disposed on the first layer to form a multi-layer dual-band antenna.

6. The dual-band antenna according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the one or more notches are disposed inside the outer periphery of the patch.

7. A dual-band antenna as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the H-shape or I-shape of the one or more notches has mirror symmetry in two planes perpendicular to the plane of the planar view of the patch.

8. The dual-band antenna according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the periphery of the patch is less than the periphery of the substrate or is located within the periphery of the substrate.

9. The dual-band antenna according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the outer periphery of the substrate has a rectangular or circular planar profile.

10. The dual-band antenna of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the periphery of the patch has a planar profile that is at least partially circular.

11. A dual-band antenna as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the one or more notches are radially offset from a central z-axis of the patch, and the central z-axis extends perpendicular to a planar view of the patch.

12. 5. The dual-band antenna of claim 2, wherein the two elongated legs are oriented at a non-zero angle and a non-90 degree angle with respect to both an x-axis and a y-axis located at the center of the patch when observed in the planar view of the patch.

13. 13. The dual-band antenna of claim 12, wherein the two elongated legs are each oriented at a 45 degree angle relative to both the x-axis and the y-axis of the patch.

14. The dual-band antenna of claim 12 , wherein the bridge notched leg is oriented orthogonal to each of the two elongated legs.

15. 13. The dual-band antenna of claim 12, wherein the bridge notched legs are positioned equidistant from each end of each of the two elongated legs.

16. The dual-band antenna of claim 1 , wherein the periphery of the patch comprises one or more notches.

17. 17. The dual-band antenna of claim 16, wherein the one or more notches are symmetrically positioned on the periphery of the patch with respect to an x-axis or a y-axis of the central xyz orthogonal reference frame.

18. The dual-band antenna of claim 16 , wherein the one or more notches are asymmetrically positioned on the periphery of the patch.

19. 17. The dual-band antenna of claim 16, wherein the one or more notches include one or more pairs of notches that are diametrically opposite one another.

20. 17. The dual-band antenna of claim 16, wherein the one or more notches include two or more pairs of notches each diametrically opposite one another.

21. 21. The dual-band antenna of claim 20, wherein, when observed in a planar view of the patch relative to a central z-axis of the patch, a first pair of the two or more pairs of notches is disposed on an x-axis of the patch, and a second pair of the two or more pairs of notches is disposed on a y-axis of the patch.

22. A dual-band antenna as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 21, wherein the one or more notches are equidistantly spaced around the periphery of the patch.

23. A dual-band antenna according to any one of claims 16 to 21, wherein the one or more notches have the same profile.

24. A dual-band antenna according to any one of claims 16 to 21, wherein the one or more notches each have a partially rectangular profile.

25. The dual-band antenna of claim 1 further comprising two signal probes.

26. 26. The dual-band antenna of claim 25, wherein each signal probe of the two signal probes is oriented parallel to a central z-axis of the patch.

27. 27. The dual-band antenna of claim 25 or 26, wherein, when observed in a planar view of the patch relative to a central z-axis of the patch, a first of the two signal probes is positioned on an x-axis but not a y-axis of the patch, and a second of the two signal probes is positioned on the y-axis but not the x-axis of the patch.

28. 27. The dual-band antenna of claim 25 or 26, further comprising an electrical ground reference, the substrate being disposed on the electrical ground reference.

29. 30. The dual-band antenna of claim 28, further comprising a signal feed network disposed in signal communication with the patch.

30. 30. The dual-band antenna of claim 29, wherein the signal feed network is disposed below the substrate.

31. 30. The dual-band antenna of claim 29, wherein the signal feed network is disposed above the electrical ground reference.

32. 30. The dual-band antenna of claim 29, wherein the signal feed network is disposed below the electrical ground reference.

33. 30. The dual-band antenna of claim 29, wherein the signal feed network includes a power divider circuit electrically connected to and between a signal port connector and the two signal probes.

34. 30. The dual-band antenna of claim 28, wherein the perimeter of the substrate is less than or located within the perimeter of the electrical ground reference.

35. 30. The dual-band antenna of claim 28, wherein the electrical ground reference comprises a gap of ground material adjacent the substrate and inside the perimeter of the substrate.

36. 36. The dual-band antenna of claim 35, wherein the gap in ground material is at least partially inside the perimeter of the patch when viewed from a planar view of the patch.

37. 36. The dual-band antenna of claim 35, wherein the gap in ground material is at least partially outside the perimeter of the patch when viewed from a planar view of the patch.

38. 36. The dual-band antenna of claim 35, wherein the gap in the ground material is at least partially outside the perimeter of the patch and at least partially inside the perimeter of the patch when viewed in a planar view of the patch.

39. 36. The dual-band antenna of claim 35, wherein the gap in the ground material is in the form of a rectangle.

40. The dual-band antenna of claim 1 , operable over two or more frequency bands.

41. 41. The dual band antenna of claim 40, wherein the H-shape or the I-shape in the patch of the dual band antenna is operable to frequency discriminate between individual frequency bands of the two or more frequency bands.

42. 42. The dual-band antenna of claim 40 or 41, wherein a first frequency band of the two or more frequency bands is the L5 band.

43. 43. The dual-band antenna of claim 42, wherein a second frequency band of the two or more frequency bands is the L2 band.

44. 41. The dual-band antenna of claim 40, wherein the two or more frequency bands are operable within a nominal frequency range of 1.17 GHz to 1.23 GHz.

45. The dual-band antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the H-shape or the I-shape in the patch of the dual-band antenna is operable with a gain of 3 dBi or more in each respective operable band.

46. 5. The dual-band antenna according to claim 1, wherein the H-shape or the I-shape of the patch of the dual-band antenna is operable with an axial ratio of 3 dB or less at ±30 degrees from each radiation boresight of the dual-band antenna.

47. The dual-band antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the H-shape or the I-shape in the patch of the dual-band antenna is operable with right-hand circular polarization or left-hand circular polarization.

48. The dual-band antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the H-shape or the I-shape in the patch of the dual-band antenna is capable of operating with an efficiency of 51% or greater.

49. 49. The dual band antenna of claim 48, wherein the H-shape or the I-shape in the patch of the dual band antenna is operable over a wide axial ratio bandwidth at 3 dB of greater than or equal to 10 MHz, alternatively greater than or equal to 50 MHz, and further alternatively greater than or equal to 100 MHz.

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