Small switchable directional control antenna

Abstract

Provided is a small switchable directional control antenna that can perform direction control according to shapes and sizes of various devices. The antenna includes a dielectric layer, a radiation patch formed on a side of the dielectric layer, a ground plane formed on a side of the dielectric layer opposite to the side on which the radiation patch is formed and configured to have a plurality of slots formed at edges thereof, and a control module insulated from the ground plane and configured to control electrical connection between the radiation patch and the ground plane.

Claims

1. A small switchable directional control antenna comprising: a dielectric layer; a radiation patch formed on a side of the dielectric layer; a ground plane formed on a side of the dielectric layer opposite to the side on which the radiation patch is formed, and having a plurality of slots formed at edges thereof to form a plurality of protrusions between the slots; and a control module insulated from the ground plane and configured to selectively control electrical connection between the radiation patch and the protrusions of the ground plane, wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed in a radial pattern.

2. The small switchable directional control antenna of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a short pin configured to connect the radiation patch and one of the protrusions of the ground plane.

3. The small switchable directional control antenna of claim 1, wherein the control module comprises: a lumped circuit element connected between the radiation patch and the ground plane and maintained in an opened or closed state according to an external signal; and a control unit connected with the lumped circuit element and configured to control the lumped circuit element to selectively close or open the radiation patch and one of the protrusions of the ground plane.

4. The small switchable directional control antenna of claim 3, further comprising a power feeder formed vertically through the dielectric layer and configured to receive an external current.

5. The small switchable directional control antenna of claim 4, wherein the power feeder comprises: a power feeding line configured to receive the external current; and a power feeding point located at an end of the power feeding line and in contact with the radiation patch.

6. The small switchable directional control antenna of claim 3, further comprising a connection connected with the control unit and configured to receive a control signal from an external device.

7. The small switchable directional control antenna of claim 1, further comprising a connector provided on a bottom surface of the ground plane and configured to connect to an external device.

8. The small switchable directional control antenna of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to selectively control electrical connection between the radiation patch and the protrusions of the ground plane for direction control.

9. The small switchable directional control antenna of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of short pins in the dielectric layer; and wherein the control module is configured to selectively control electrical connection between the radiation patch and the protrusions of the ground plane via the plurality of short pins.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates a small sector antenna generally used in a small wireless device.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a radiation direction control device for a small sector antenna according to a conventional technology.

(3) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a small switchable directional control antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a top view showing a small switchable directional control antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing the small switchable directional control antenna of FIG. 4.

(6) FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a control module of FIG. 4.

(7) FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view showing the small switchable directional control antenna of FIG. 4 taken along a direction of A-A′.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(8) Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings such that a person skilled in the art may easily carry out the embodiments of the present invention. In the specification, the thickness of lines or the size of elements shown in the drawings may be enlarged for the clarity of a description and for the sake of convenience. The terms described below are defined in connection with the function of the present invention. The meaning of the terms may vary according to the user, the intention of the operator, usual practice, etc. Therefore, the terms should be defined based on the description rather than the specification.

(9) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a small switchable directional control antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a top view showing a small switchable directional control antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing the small switchable directional control antenna of FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a control module of FIG. 4; and FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view showing the small switchable directional control antenna of FIG. 4 taken along a direction of A-A′.

(10) The configuration, operation, and effect of the small switchable directional control antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

(11) A small switchable directional control antenna 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a dielectric layer 110, a radiation patch 120 formed on a side (hereinafter, referred to as a “top side”) of the dielectric layer 110, a ground plane formed on a side (hereinafter, referred to as a “bottom side”) opposed to the top side of the dielectric layer 110, a control module 140 configured to control an electrical connection between the radiation patch 120 and the ground plane 130.

(12) That is, the dielectric 110 is disposed between the radiation patch 120 and the ground plane 130, and the radiation patch 120 and the ground plane 130 are insulated by the dielectric layer 110 from each other.

(13) The dielectric layer 110, the radiation patch 120, and the ground plane 130 may have various shapes and sizes according to an apparatus having the small switchable directional control antenna 100 of the present invention applied thereto, but in this embodiment, for example, are shown as having a disk form.

(14) According to the present invention, the ground plane 130 may include e a slot 131, and the slot 131 may be formed at an edge of the ground plane 130. That is, the ground plane 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a slot 131 formed on the edge.

(15) Accordingly, in the ground plane, a plurality of protrusions that are partitioned by the slot 131 are formed in a radial pattern, and a propagation direction is determined by the radial pattern.

(16) In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the dielectric layer 110 is provided with a short pin 111 for electrically connecting the radiation patch 120 and the ground plan 130, and the short pin 111 is formed through the dielectric layer 110.

(17) In this case, the number of slots 131 and the number of short pins 111 are appropriately determined according to an apparatus having the small switchable directional control antenna of the present invention applied thereto. It would be desirable that the number of slots 131 should be equal to the number of short pins 111.

(18) In this embodiment, the number of slots 131 and the number of short pins 111 are shown as being 4, respectively.

(19) As such, when the number of slots 131 and the number of short pins 111 are more than one, respectively, it would be desirable that the slots 131 and the short pins 111 are formed spaced a certain distance apart.

(20) The control module 140 of the present invention may be formed on the ground plane 130 and electrically insulated from the ground plane 130.

(21) The control module 140 may include a lumped circuit element 141 connected between the short pin 111 and the ground plane 130 and a control unit 143 configured to control the lumped circuit element 141 to selectively close or open the short pin 111 and the ground plane 130.

(22) Accordingly, the lumped circuit element 141 serves as a switch that is opened and closed by the control unit 143 to selectively close or open the short pin 111 and the ground plane 130.

(23) The lumped circuit element 141 may be appropriately controlled according to an apparatus having the small switchable directional control antenna of the present invention applied thereto. It would be desirable that the number of slots 131 should be equal to the number of short pins 111.

(24) As such, the lumped circuit element 141 is controlled by the control unit 143 to be in a closed state (ON) to connect the short pin 111 and the ground plane 130, resulting in electrical connection between the ground plane 130 and radiation patch 120 through the short pin 111.

(25) On the contrary, the lumped circuit element 141 is controlled by the control unit 143 to be in an opened state (OFF) to disconnect the short pin 111 and the ground plane 130, resulting in electrical disconnection between the ground plane 130 and radiation patch 120.

(26) The small switchable directional control antenna 100 of the present invention may further include a power feeder 112 formed vertically through the dielectric layer 110. The power feeder 112 may include a power feeding line 112a and a power feeding point 112b through which a current is applied from the outside. The power feeding point 112b is an end of the power feeding line 112a, which is in contact with the radiation patch 120.

(27) The power feeder 112 receives the current from the outside and determines radiation characteristics, and desirably is provided in a central portion of the dielectric layer 110.

(28) The small switchable directional control antenna 100 of the present invention includes the slot 131, the short pin 111, and the power feeding point 112b of the power feeder 112, which are formed on the ground plane 130. It would be desirable that the slot 131, the short pin 111, and the power feeding point 112b of the power feeder 112 are disposed in a straight line in terms of control of the radiation direction.

(29) In addition, the control unit 143 of the present invention receives a control signal from an external device having the small switchable directional control antenna 100 and controls the lumped circuit element 141 according to the control signal. Accordingly, the small switchable directional control antenna 100 may further include a connection 145 connected with the control unit 143 and configured to receive the control signal from the external device.

(30) In addition, the small switchable directional control antenna 100 is installed and used in a communication device such as a wireless device and thus needs a connector for connecting to the device.

(31) Thus, the small switchable directional control antenna 100 of the present invention may further include a connector 150 for connecting to the external device.

(32) The dielectric layer 110 may have an extension unit 113 vertically extended to be connected to the connector 150. It would be desirable that the extension unit 113 extends toward the ground plane 130.

(33) Accordingly, the connector 150 is combined to the extension unit 113 and allowed to be provided on the bottom surface of the ground surface 130.

(34) Since the slot 131 is formed on the ground plane 130 according to the present invention, the ground plane 130 includes protrusions partitioned by the slot 131 and formed in a radiation form.

(35) In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to connect the short pin 111 with the ground plane 130 according to control of the control module 140 to selectively ground a portion of the radiation patch 120.

(36) Accordingly, when a current is applied to the power feeding point 112b, it is possible to ground a portion of the radiation patch according to control of the control module 140 to perform direction control.

(37) In addition, since the ground plane 130 has protrusions partitioned by the slot 131 and formed in a radial pattern, coupling may be mainly performed at the slot 131, thereby enhancing radiation characteristics.

(38) The small switching directional control antenna according to the present invention can perform direction control according to shapes and sizes of various devices such as a mobile communication terminal, a wireless LAN router, a communication node in a sensor network, a gateway of an IoT device, thereby miniaturizing the apparatus to enhance its mobility. The small switching directional control antenna can also be configured to

(39) \have a required number of sectors, thereby applying to a variety of wireless device.

(40) As described above, the small switchable directional control antenna according to the present invention has been described according to preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the particularly preferred embodiments. It is apparent to one skilled in the art that there are many various modifications and variations without departing off from the spirit or the technical scope of the appended claims.

(41) Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are to be considered descriptive and not restrictive of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims and their appropriate legal equivalents.