Adjustable Antenna Electrical Length for Frequency Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antennas face challenges in maintaining their center frequency stability due to unpredictable external influences when integrated into systems, causing shifts in their operating bandwidth.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of antennas with adjustable electrical length through the use of substrates and conductive structures, allowing for tuning of center frequencies post-fabrication, including configurations such as planar inverted-F antennas and dipole antennas coupled with tuning structures on separate substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the antenna is designed with a fixed electrical length for a specific center frequency, then the antenna can be fabricated with precise dimensions, but the center frequency shifts when external influences change after incorporation into a system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the antenna's electrical length adjustable after fabrication. The antenna structure includes a movable element that can be repositioned along the antenna arm to change the effective electrical length, allowing the center frequency to be tuned to compensate for external influences encountered during system integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the parameter changes principle by enabling modification of the antenna's electrical length parameter post-fabrication. Through mechanical adjustment of the antenna structure, the electrical length can be varied to shift the center frequency, providing adaptability to different system environments without requiring redesign.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the antenna electrical length is extended to adjust center frequency, then the antenna can be tuned for different operating conditions, but the physical size of the antenna increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dimensionality change principle by introducing a third dimension for adjustment. Instead of extending the antenna arm in the primary dimension, the invention uses a movable element that can be positioned at different locations along the arm, creating an additional degree of freedom for tuning the electrical length without increasing the overall physical footprint.
3Reliability
If the antenna structure is made adjustable for post-fabrication tuning, then the center frequency can be stabilized against external influences, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the segmentation principle by dividing the antenna structure into distinct segments: a fixed antenna arm and a movable adjustment element. This segmentation allows the majority of the structure to remain simple and fixed, while only a small portion requires adjustment capability, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of antennas and radio frequency (RF) modules include a substrate, a first antenna arm coupled to the substrate, and a first conductive structure between a distal end of the first antenna arm and a bottom surface of the substrate. An embodiment of a system includes a first substrate, a first conductive structure on a top surface of the first substrate, and an antenna coupled to the top surface of the first substrate. The antenna includes a second substrate, a first antenna arm coupled to the second substrate, and a second conductive structure having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the second conductive structure is coupled to a distal end of the first antenna arm, and the distal end of the second conductive structure extends to a bottom surface of the second substrate and is coupled to the first conductive structure on the first substrate.