Meta-antenna with nested parasitic loops for compact omnidirectional design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dipole-based antennas are too large, have narrow impedance bandwidth, and lack ideal directionality, making them unsuitable for wide-bandwidth applications and diverse environments.
Innovation Solution
A small, omni-directional meta-antenna system with a two-element inductively coupled resonator design, using conductive ink or metal traces on a substrate, which is approximately half the size of comparable dipole antennas, offering broader impedance bandwidth and improved efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dipole antenna is designed to operate at a specific frequency, then the antenna achieves resonant performance, but the antenna size becomes approximately half the wavelength which is too large for many applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds two parasitic loop elements inside the main rectangular loop element, creating a nested structure where smaller resonant elements are contained within the larger antenna structure. This nesting allows the antenna to achieve resonant performance at the target frequency while maintaining a compact overall size much smaller than half-wavelength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the antenna from a conventional half-wavelength dipole structure to a resonant structure with dimensions approximately one-quarter wavelength by changing the geometric parameters and introducing parasitic elements. This parameter transformation enables the antenna to achieve resonant performance at the desired frequency while reducing the physical size to approximately one-quarter wavelength or smaller
2Reliability
If a dipole antenna is designed for a specific frequency, then the antenna achieves optimal performance at that frequency, but the impedance bandwidth becomes narrow (approximately 10% of target frequency)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the antenna into multiple independent resonant segments: a main rectangular loop element and two parasitic loop elements. Each segment can be tuned to contribute to the overall resonant response, creating multiple resonant modes that expand the impedance bandwidth while maintaining optimal performance at the target frequency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite antenna structure combining the main driven element with parasitic elements that have different geometric parameters. This composite structure allows multiple resonant frequencies to be achieved simultaneously, broadening the impedance bandwidth while maintaining performance at the target frequency
3Reliability
If conventional antennas are designed for specific applications, then they achieve targeted performance, but they lack ideal directionality for the intended use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the antenna with a rectangular geometry and enclosed parasitic elements that create a balanced radiation pattern. This universal design provides omnidirectional or near-omnidirectional radiation characteristics that can adapt to various application requirements without requiring redesign, while maintaining reliable performance across different intended uses
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
The meta-antenna system provides a compact, cost-effective solution with a flat gain profile over a larger bandwidth, enabling robust operation in diverse environments and reducing component needs, making it suitable for mobile and IoT applications.
Implementation Method 1
two parasitic elements inductively coupled to the main antenna element
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
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AI summary
A small, inexpensive, printable meta-antenna system is described. In addition to being smaller than existing antennas, the meta-antenna improves over them by being omni-directional, and having a broader gain function and better efficiency. Some embodiments include a main element with a shape of a loop and two parasitic elements enclosed by the main element. Each parasitic element may be shaped as a loop with an opening. The openings of the two parasitic elements may be positioned adjacent to opposing sides of the main element, respectively.