GPS Antenna Comb Capacitors Stabilize Frequency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing GPS antenna technologies face challenges in achieving a small size, low weight, low manufacturing cost, and stable frequency characteristics, with high dielectric materials like ceramic increasing weight and cost, and metal plate patch antennas experiencing variations in resonance frequency due to solder variations.
Innovation Solution
The antenna apparatus employs a metal plate antenna element with comb-shaped capacitor patterns or chip capacitors to ensure capacitance without high dielectric materials, stabilizing frequency characteristics and reducing size and weight, and uses a dielectric substrate with chip capacitors to maintain mechanical strength and adjust capacitance values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If high dielectric materials such as ceramic are used to ensure capacitance and lower resonance frequency, then the size of the antenna apparatus is reduced, but the weight and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the high dielectric material (ceramic substrate) from the antenna structure and replaces it with a combination of metal plate patch antenna, dielectric substrate, and discrete capacitors. This extraction eliminates the weight and cost burden of ceramic while maintaining the necessary capacitance function through alternative means.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the capacitance implementation from being inherently provided by high dielectric material to being adjustable through discrete capacitor components. This allows capacitance to be tuned without changing the substrate material, enabling size reduction without the penalty of using heavy ceramic materials.
2Volume of stationary object
If high dielectric materials such as ceramic are used to ensure capacitance and lower resonance frequency, then the size of the antenna apparatus is reduced, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the expensive ceramic substrate from the design and replaces it with standard dielectric substrate materials combined with discrete capacitors. This substitution dramatically reduces manufacturing cost while achieving the same electrical performance through a different architectural approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive standard dielectric substrates and discrete capacitor components instead of expensive ceramic materials. These conventional components are widely available and cost-effective, making the antenna apparatus economically viable for mass production.
3Ease of manufacture
If metal plate patch antenna with soldered legs is used to reduce manufacturing cost, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the resonance frequency varies due to solder variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces discrete capacitor components as intermediaries between the metal plate patch antenna and the ground plane. These capacitors serve as adjustable mediators that compensate for variations in solder connections, allowing precise control of the resonant frequency and improving frequency stability despite manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the capacitance value an adjustable parameter through discrete capacitor selection. By varying the capacitor values, the resonant frequency can be precisely tuned to compensate for solder variations, transforming a fixed manufacturing tolerance issue into a可调 (adjustable) parameter that ensures frequency stability.
4Volume of stationary object
If capacitance is increased by providing electrodes on both front and rear surfaces of circuit board to shorten wavelength, then the wavelength is shortened and size is reduced, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the capacitance function from the planar circuit board surface (2D) to the vertical dimension by placing discrete capacitor components between the metal plate patch antenna and the ground plane. This dimensional transition achieves the wavelength shortening effect without complicating the circuit board layout, as the capacitance is provided by vertical capacitor structures rather than complex multi-surface electrode patterns.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution results in a compact, lightweight GPS antenna with stable frequency characteristics and reduced manufacturing costs, preventing variations in resonance frequency and ensuring sufficient capacitance without the need for high dielectric materials.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of comb-shaped capacitor patterns (40) that are formed on one of or both the main surface and the rear surface of the circuit board and are electrically connected between the plurality of legs and the ground conductor
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna apparatus includes: a circuit board that has a main surface and a rear surface opposite to each other; an antenna element that is formed of a metal plate and is arranged at a predetermined distance from the main surface of the circuit board; a plurality of legs that extend from the antenna element toward the circuit board; a ground conductor that is formed on the main surface or the rear surface of the circuit board; a feeding pin that supplies power from the circuit board to the antenna element; and a plurality of comb-shaped capacitor patterns that are formed on one of or both the main surface and the rear surface of the circuit board and are electrically connected between the plurality of legs and the ground conductor.