Abstract
A wireless device comprises a radiating system that comprises: an antenna system, a ground plane, and a matching network. The antenna system comprises an antenna component including a first multi-section antenna component comprising two sections, each comprising a conductive element. The matching network connected to the antenna system for impedance matching to a first frequency range. The radiating system operates in a frequency range of operation including the first frequency range, the first frequency range comprising a first highest frequency and a first lowest frequency. The first antenna component has a maximum size larger than 1/30 times and smaller than ⅕ times a free-space wavelength corresponding to the lowest frequency of operation. The conductive elements in the different sections of the first antenna component are spaced apart from each other.
Claims
1. A wireless device comprising a radiating system that comprises: an antenna system comprising at least one antenna component including a first multi-section antenna component comprising first and second sections, the first section including a first radiating element, and the second section including a first radiation booster element; at least one ground plane layer; and a matching network connected to the antenna system for impedance matching to a first frequency range at a port also connected to the matching network, wherein: the radiating system is operable in a frequency range of operation including the first frequency range, the first frequency range comprising a first highest frequency and a first lowest frequency; the first antenna component has a maximum size smaller than ⅕ times a free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency; the first radiating element has a maximum size larger than 1/20 times the free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency; the first radiation booster element is non-resonant in the frequency range of operation and has a maximum size smaller than 1/20 times the free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency; and the first radiating element and the first radiation booster element are spaced apart from each other by a gap that is between 0.25 mm and 4.0 mm in length.
2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first radiation booster is smaller than 1/30 times the free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency.
3. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein the first multi-section antenna component further includes a second radiation booster element that is non-resonant in the frequency range of operation and has a maximum size smaller than 1/20 times the free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency.
4. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein the first multi-section antenna component further includes second and third radiation booster elements that are non-resonant in the frequency range of operation and have a maximum size smaller than 1/20 times the free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency.
5. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first highest frequency is equal to or less than 0.960 GHz and the first lowest frequency is equal to or greater than 0.698 GHz.
6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein: the first antenna component further comprises a third section; the first section is electrically connected to the second section with a short-circuit or at least one electronic component; and the third section is electrically connected to one of the first and second sections with a filter or an isolation bridge.
7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first and second sections of the first antenna component are electrically connected with at least one electronic component.
8. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising a second matching network for matching the antenna system to a second frequency range comprising a second highest frequency and a second lowest frequency, at a second port.
9. A wireless device comprising a radiating system that comprises: a piece comprising a dielectric material; an antenna system comprising a multi-section antenna component comprising three sections; a ground plane layer; a first matching network electrically connected to a first section of the three sections of the antenna system for impedance matching to a first frequency range at a first port; and a second matching network electrically connected to a third section of the three sections of the antenna system for impedance matching to a second frequency range at a second port, wherein: the radiating system is operable in a frequency range of operation including the first and second frequency ranges, the first frequency range comprising a first highest frequency that is equal to or less than 2.69 GHz and a first lowest frequency that is equal to or greater than 0.698 GHz, and the second frequency range of operation comprising a second highest frequency that is equal to or less than 3.80 GHz and a second lowest frequency that is equal to or greater than 1.71 GHz; first and second sections of the three sections of the multi-section antenna component are electrically connected by a filter; the multi-section antenna component has a thickness less than 1/60 times a free-space wavelength corresponding to a lowest frequency of operation; the first section includes a radiating element having a maximum size larger than 1/20 times a free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency; the second section includes a radiation booster element that is non-resonant in the first and second frequency ranges and has a maximum size smaller than 1/20 times the free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency; and the radiating element and the radiation booster element are spaced apart from each other by a gap that is between 0.25 mm and 4.0 mm in length.
10. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein each of the sections includes two conductive elements electrically connected and arranged at two different layers in the multi-section antenna component.
11. A method for providing a wireless device with a radiating system, comprising: providing an antenna system comprising at least one antenna component, the at least one antenna component containing a radiating element and a radiation booster element; providing the at least one antenna component on a first portion of a printed circuit board of the wireless device, the printed circuit board comprising at least one ground plane layer in a second portion thereof and a ground plane clearance in the first portion; and electrically connecting a first matching network to the antenna system, the first matching network being adapted to impedance match the antenna system to a first frequency range at a first port, wherein: the at least one antenna component has a maximum size smaller than ⅕ times a free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency; the radiating element has a maximum size larger than 1/20 times the free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency; the radiation booster element is non-resonant in the first frequency range and has a maximum size smaller than 1/20 times the free-space wavelength corresponding to the first lowest frequency; and the radiating element and the radiation booster element are spaced apart from each other by a gap that is between 0.25 mm and 4.0 mm in length.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The mentioned and further features and advantages of the invention become more apparent in view of the detailed description, which follows this drawings description with some particular examples of the invention, referenced by the accompanying drawings, given for purposes of illustration only and in no way meant as a definition of the limits of the invention.
(2) FIG. 1a shows some possible dispositions of the modular antenna systems within a wireless device. FIGS. 1b and 1c shows two arrangements of a modular antenna system according to the invention, comprising at least one antenna component, highlighted with a dashed square.
(3) FIG. 2 shows a modular antenna system comprising at least one antenna component, the antenna system mounted on a single piece.
(4) FIG. 3 provides an example of a multi-section antenna component related to the present invention, the antenna component comprising more than one sections disposed on two opposite faces of a support, the sections comprising rectangular or square conductive elements of different dimensions.
(5) FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a multi-section reversible antenna component comprising a different number of sections at the top face than at the bottom face of a support that contains the antenna component, disposed in a single row.
(6) FIG. 5 shows a profile of a multi-layer multi-section antenna component, more concretely a three-layers example. The conductive elements comprised in each layer are arranged so that they define different patterns at the different layers. The conductive elements feature different dimensions between them.
(7) FIG. 6 Provides a profile of another embodiment of a three-layers multi-section antenna component, featuring different patterns of conductive elements than the embodiment provided in FIG. 5.
(8) FIG. 7 Shows an example of a two-layers antenna component where the conductive elements comprised in the top layer are coupled to the conductive elements of the bottom layer.
(9) FIG. 8 Shows an example of a two-layers reversible antenna component where two bottom conductive elements are connected between them, illustrating an example of antenna component that can be configured for operating at different functional modes in function of the layer configured.
(10) FIGS. 9-12 provide top-views of some non-reversible embodiments of two-layers multi-section antenna components featuring the same conductive elements patterns at both top and bottom layers.
(11) FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of antenna component featuring a miniaturized-shape including an additional component also for miniaturization purposes.
(12) FIG. 14 provides an example of a multi-section antenna component comprising the same number of sections, in this case two, at the top face than at the bottom face of a support that contains the antenna component, disposed in a single row, the sections comprising conductive elements featuring the same dimensions at the different layers or faces and parallel and aligned between them.
(13) FIG. 15 provides an embodiment related to the present invention that contains an antenna system comprising a single multi-section antenna component containing two sections blocks connected between them by a components circuit. This embodiment is configured to provide operation at multiple frequency bands at a single port.
(14) FIG. 16 provides an example of a multi-section antenna component comprising three sections blocks, each block containing two sections disposed at two different layers or faces of a support, the sections comprising conductive elements parallel and aligned between them featuring the same dimensions at the different layers or faces.
(15) FIG. 17 shows another single-port embodiment that contains an antenna system comprising a single multi-section antenna component containing three sections blocks connected between them by two components circuits.
(16) FIG. 18 illustrates a multi-port solution comprising two ports and an antenna system containing one antenna component comprising three sections blocks, two of them connected between them by a components circuit.
(17) FIG. 19 illustrates a multi-port solution comprising two ports and an antenna system containing one antenna component comprising three sections blocks, two of them connected between them by a components circuit.
(18) FIG. 20 provides an example of a radiating system related to the present invention featuring a reduced ground plane clearance that allocates an antenna system featuring a non-linear arrangement.
(19) FIG. 21 presents a multi-section antenna component mounted in a two-layers support featuring a sections matrix arrangement configured for providing MIMO operation.
(20) FIG. 22 provides a MIMO antenna system according to the present invention comprising two sections linearly arranged and connected by an isolation bridge element, as described herein.
(21) FIG. 23 shows a single-port radiating structure comprising an antenna system that contains a multi-section antenna component comprising two sections of different sizes supported on a dielectric-material piece of height 2.4 mm.
(22) FIG. 24 provides one matching network used for matching the embodiment shown in FIG. 23. The two sections are connected in this case between them by an inductor. The part numbers of the components used are included in the Figure.
(23) FIG. 25 shows the input reflection coefficient related to the embodiment provided in FIG. 23 matched with the matching network from FIG. 24.
(24) FIG. 26 provides a matching network also used for matching the embodiment shown in FIG. 23 when a notch filter connects the two sections comprised in the multi-section antenna component. The part numbers of the components used in the matching network and filter are also included in the Figure.
(25) FIG. 27 shows the input reflection coefficient related to the embodiment provided in FIG. 23 when matched with the matching network and filter provided in FIG. 26.
(26) FIG. 28 shows an antenna component comprising three conductive elements per layer, configured for operating at different communication standards at two different ports, by including different filters between conductive elements of different sections.
(27) FIG. 29 provides a dual-port radiating structure comprising an antenna system that contains a multi-section antenna component comprising three sections supported on a dielectric-material piece of thickness 1 mm.
(28) FIG. 30 shows the input reflection coefficient related to each port comprised in the dual-port embodiment provided in FIG. 29. The transmission coefficient between ports is also included.
(29) FIG. 31 provides the matching networks used for matching each port comprised in the dual-port embodiment from FIG. 29, as well as the notch filter topology included between two of the sections comprised in the antenna component included in the embodiment.
(30) FIG. 32 provides an embodiment of a radiating structure related to the present invention containing a slim elongated antenna component that provides a flexible and slim antenna system solution. The antenna system is allocated in a ground plane clearance of reduced dimensions.
(31) FIG. 33 provides the voltage standing wave ratio and antenna efficiency related to the radiating structure embodiment shown in FIG. 32 when it includes the matching networks provided in FIG. 34.
(32) FIG. 34 shows the topology of the matching networks included in the radiating structure provided in FIG. 32, together with the part numbers of the real components used.
(33) FIG. 35 shows an embodiment of a radiating structure related to the present invention containing the slim elongated antenna component included in the embodiment from FIG. 32, which provides a two-ports embodiment.
(34) FIG. 36 shows the matching networks 3602 and 3603 used for matching the embodiment from FIG. 35 at the two corresponding ports 3501 and 3502 comprised in this radiating structure and a filter 3601 that connects two sections of the antenna component comprised in the radiating structure embodiment.
(35) FIG. 37 provides the voltage standing wave ratio and the antenna efficiency related to port 3501 from the radiating structure provided in FIG. 35.
(36) FIG. 38 provides the voltage standing wave ratio and the antenna efficiency related to port 3502 from the radiating structure provided in FIG. 35.
(37) FIG. 39 shows a two ports MIMO solution containing an antenna component configured for operating at mobile bands from LTE700 to LTE2600, the MIMO solution including an isolation bridge that contains a smart tuner.
(38) FIG. 40 provides another MIMO solution comprising an antenna component configured differently from the one provided in FIG. 39, including a simpler isolation bridge, than the embodiment provided in FIG. 33, for also operating at mobile bands from LTE700 to LTE2600.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(39) Below, some other embodiments related to the present invention are described. These embodiments are provided as illustrative but not as limiting examples of the invention here disclosed. In the context of the present invention, the characteristics and teachings related to each embodiment are combinable with the features of other embodiments of the invention.
(40) An embodiment of a multi-section reversible antenna component comprising a different number of sections at two opposite outer faces, more specifically at a top face and at a bottom face, of a support that contains the antenna component, arranged in a single row, is provided in FIG. 4. The comprised sections 401 are arranged in a single row and are disposed on two layers, or more particularly two faces 402 and 403 of a dielectric piece used as support. The conductive elements 404 contained in the sections feature different dimensions between them. Like in the previous embodiment, some of the conductive elements contained in sections from the two different faces are connected by vias 405. The ones that are not physically connected are electromagnetically coupled to their surrounding and corresponding bottom conductive elements.
(41) The profiles of some multi-layer embodiments of an antenna component related to the present invention are provided in FIG. 5 to FIG. 8. FIG. 5 presents an example of an antenna component comprising at least two layers, and more specifically an example of antenna component comprising three layers 501, supported by a dielectric substrate piece. FIG. 6 provides another example of a three-layer antenna component according to the invention. In those embodiments comprising more than two sections layers, a layer disposed between two other layers is an internal layer. The sections and conductive elements comprised in those embodiments are disposed in arrangements very different between them. In both examples, sections comprised in different layers contain conductive elements featuring different dimensions 502, and the pattern defined by the groups of conductive elements disposed at the different layers is different. Both embodiments illustrate examples of antenna components containing conductive elements at different layers connected between them by vias 503. An embodiment featuring different conductive elements patterns disposed at outer layers or faces comprised in the antenna component piece, provides a flipping component characterized by its capability of providing more than one functional mode. In FIG. 7, an antenna component comprising different sections arranged in two layers 701 is provided, the layers containing a different number of sections 702 each. This embodiment is an example of antenna component containing conductive elements coupled between them 703 instead of being electrically connected by a physical mechanism, meaning in this example that the conductive elements comprised in the bottom sections are coupled to a conductive element comprised in a top layer, which is connected by a via 704 to a feeding system 705. Finally, another multi-section antenna component containing two layers, comprising more than one section each, is provided in FIG. 8. This embodiment further contains a connection 801 between two bottom conductive elements or their corresponding sections, illustrating an example of antenna component configured for operating in different functional modes in function of the layer configured.
(42) Other embodiments related to a multi-section antenna component according to the invention are provided in FIG. 9 to FIG. 13. The embodiments illustrate examples of two-layers antenna components that contain the same number of sections 901, 1001, 1101, 1201, also featuring the same shape at both a top and a bottom layers comprised in a support, typically a dielectric-material piece. So, a top-view showing one of the layers or faces comprised in each of the aforementioned embodiments is provided in the corresponding figures. These embodiments contain sections showing the same conductive elements patterns at both the layers providing the same possibilities of configuration when using either one or the other layer. The variety of shapes and sizes of the conductive elements contained in the sections comprised in the examples from FIG. 9 to FIG. 12 show that the possible sections patterns characterizing an antenna component related to the invention are diverse, those from FIG. 9 to FIG. 12 herein provided as illustrative examples but never with limiting purposes. The drawings from FIGS. 9, 11 and 12 further include some conducting strips 902, 1102, 1202 added below the antenna component piece connected to its bottom layer or face by connecting pads 903, 1103, 1203. The conducting strips are mainly used for allocating the necessary connecting elements that interconnect the sections of the antenna component in order to configure the antenna system for operating at the required communication bands.
(43) An embodiment representing an example of antenna component featuring a miniaturized-shape is provided in FIG. 13. More concretely, the antenna component comprises two sections 1301, wherein one is miniaturized by a meander-shape 1302, reducing the size of the antenna component. The meandering miniaturization technique applied in the embodiment from FIG. 13 is not the only possible miniaturization technique applicable to an antenna component related to the present invention. In some of those miniaturized embodiments, an additional component is further included, normally with the purpose of miniaturizing even more the corresponding section and consequently the antenna component, as for example illustrated by element 1303 in the embodiment provided in FIG. 13.
(44) Other embodiments of a multi-section antenna component related to the present invention are presented in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15. These embodiments comprise the same number of sections at the top face than the bottom face of the support that contains the antenna component, the sections comprising conductive elements featuring the same dimensions at the different layers and parallel and aligned between them at the different layers levels. In the context of the present invention, conductive elements or sections, at different layers or levels connected between them form a sections block. In the embodiments from FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the sections at different layers, or the aforementioned faces, comprised in the antenna component that contains a same number of sections comprising conductive elements of same dimensions at the different layers and aligned between them at the different layers or levels, are grouped in sections blocks 1401 as shown in FIG. 14. More specifically, the embodiment provided in FIG. 14 comprises two sections blocks 1401 and the embodiment provided in FIG. 16 comprises three sections blocks 1601, in both cases sections blocks adjacent one to each other disposed in a single row. The conductive elements comprised in the top sections are connected by vias 1402, 1602 to the conductive elements comprised in the bottom sections, just below the top ones, included in the same corresponding section block.
(45) As already mentioned, a radiating structure according to the present invention includes at least one port. Each of the at least one port comprises a feeding system that connects one of the sections comprised in the antenna component comprised in the antenna system integrated in the wireless device to the corresponding port. At least a matching network is included in the feeding system, with the purpose of matching the device at the sought frequency bands at the corresponding port. The use of a multi-section antenna component in the antenna system provides flexibility in the allocation of frequency bands. Depending on the functionality requirements demanded for the wireless device that integrate the modular multi-section antenna system, an embodiment according to this invention is configured for covering operation at the required communication standards. Some of the possible configurations implemented with an antenna system related to the invention are provided hereinafter as illustrative examples.
(46) In some embodiments, as for example the ones provided in FIG. 15 and FIG. 17, the different sections, or more specifically sections blocks in the mentioned examples, comprised in the antenna component contained in the antenna system used, which includes only one multi-stage or multi-section antenna component, comprising adjacent sections or sections blocks arranged in a single row, are advantageously connected between them. Usually, a connecting element 1501 or 1701, used between sections comprises at least a circuit component 1502 or 1702, passive or active, but other connection elements, like for instance transmission lines, conductive traces, filters, are used in other embodiments. The examples from FIG. 15 and FIG. 17 are single-port solutions that provide operation at multiple frequency bands at the only input/output port 1503, 1703 comprised in the solution, covering for instance frequency regions like 698 MHz-960 MHz and 1710 MHz-2690 MHz. In single-port embodiments comprising an antenna system that comprises only one multi-stage antenna component including two sections blocks, or sections blocks like in the one shown in FIG. 15, normally a first section block 1504 is configured for operating at HFR, usually from 1710 MHz to 2690 MHz, while the second section block 1505 contributes to LFR operation, usually configured for operating between 698 MHz and 960 MHz. In a single-port configuration like the one shown in FIG. 15, where the two sections blocks comprised in the antenna component are inter-connected, the HFR section also contributes to the LFR operation of the device. The two sections blocks are advantageously connected between them in some embodiments, by a notch LC filter, which presents a high impedance at those frequencies of the high frequency region (HFR) and small impedance values at the low frequency region (LFR).
(47) Other embodiments of a wireless device related to the present invention include more than one port. Some of those multi-port embodiments comprise an antenna system comprising at least one antenna component including at least two sections, arranged in a same layer, or sections blocks electrically-connected between them. With the purpose of providing two illustrative examples, FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 show two embodiments that include two ports each 1801, 1802 and 1901, 1902 and that comprise an antenna system including one antenna component that contains three sections blocks, like element 1803 or 1903 shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 respectively, wherein two of the sections are connected between them by at least one circuit component, usually comprised in a filter circuit. An open circuit 1804, 1904 fulfills the gap between the other two sections, so that there is no electrical connection between them. These embodiments are configured, for instance, in some cases, for covering operation at mobile communications at one port and at least at GNSS and/or Bluetooth and/or Wifi (2.4 GHz Wifi and/or 5 GHz Wifi) at the other port. In other cases, one port provides operation at mobile communications, covering for example LTE700, GSM850, GSM900, LTE1700, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS2100, LTE2300, LTE2500 and LTE2600 standards, and the other port at GPS communications.
(48) Other embodiments of a radiating system included in a wireless device related to the present invention feature a reduced ground plane clearance 2001 where the modular antenna system 2002 is advantageously integrated, as shown in the example from FIG. 20. The ground plane clearance corresponds to the available space in the PCB comprised in the radiating system free of ground plane. An antenna system integrated in a ground plane clearance of reduced dimensions features an arrangement also occupying a minimized space, typically featuring a non-linear arrangement so that the antenna system fits in the available space. An antenna system non-linearly arranged, like the one shown in FIG. 20, is also advantageous for interconnecting the different antenna components between them, as already illustrated in FIG. 20, with element 2003.
(49) Other embodiments of a radiating system containing a multi-stage antenna system related to the present invention provide simultaneous operation in at least one common frequency range at more than one input/output port. Those embodiments advantageously comprise at least one isolation bridge, the isolation bridge being a connection between at least two sections comprised in a multi-section antenna component included in the antenna system, or a connection between two or more antenna components comprised in the antenna system, the isolation bridge externally connected to the multi-stage antenna component or antenna system structure. The isolation bridge connection allows to isolate or to decouple the ports included in the radiating system. Since an isolation bridge related to the present invention is an external element added to the antenna component or antenna system structure, the antenna and radiating systems related to this invention that provide simultaneous operation at different ports are flexible systems able to admit different configurations for achieving the sought isolation characteristics, contrary to current systems found in prior-art that include a fix decoupling element or system in their antenna system structure (U.S. Pat. No. 8,547,289 B2). An isolation bridge related to the present invention comprises at least a conductor element, typically being a conductive trace or strip in some embodiments, but not limited to those elements. Additionally, in some embodiments, the isolation bridge further comprises a reactive component, like a capacitor or an inductor for example, or further comprises in other embodiments a combination of reactive components arranged in parallel and/or in series, or even further includes a resistance in other embodiments. In other examples, the isolation bridge additionally includes a smart tuner, containing at least one active or variable circuit component. The embodiments including an isolation bridge or bridges comprising a fix configuration of elements provide an isolation between ports adjusted to a fix frequency band or bands. Advantageously, the embodiments containing an isolation bridge that includes a smart tuner are able to tune the isolation functionality to a required frequency band or bands, providing a more flexible antenna and radiating systems able to provide simultaneous operation at more than one port. So, a multi-stage antenna system according to the present invention can also be integrated, for instance in MIMO devices, and more generally, in wireless devices that provide performance diversity.
(50) An illustrative example of a multi-section antenna component mounted in a two-layers support, each layer comprising more than one section arranged in a matrix layout, configured for providing MIMO operation is presented in FIG. 21. Some sections are interconnected between them, creating two sections groups 2101 and 2102, as shown in FIG. 21, each sections group connected to a port, in this case all the ports configured for operating at the same frequency bands. Additionally, the two mentioned sections groups, shown in FIG. 21, are connected between them by at least one isolation bridge 2103, the isolation bridge advantageously being a smart tuner. As described before, the isolation bridge allows the radiating system to provide MIMO operation, allowing coverage in the same frequency bands at the multiple ports included in the device.
(51) An embodiment of a multi-section antenna component, more specifically a two-sections antenna component with a linear arrangement, comprised in a modular antenna system related to the present invention included in the radiating system of a wireless device that provides simultaneous operation in at least one common frequency range at more than one ports is provided in FIG. 22. The antenna component is comprised in an antenna system included in a radiating system that comprises two ports 2201, 2202, each port connected to one section, comprising one conductive element each 2203, 2204, comprised in the antenna component 2205, the sections connected by an isolation bridge, as shown by element 2206. In this example, each conductive element and section contributes to the operation of each port, both ports operating at the same frequency range 2200, the ports decoupled by the isolation bridge element, which connects externally both sections.
(52) An embodiment of a radiating system included in a wireless device related to this invention including an antenna system that comprises an antenna component including two sections, is provided in FIG. 23. The radiating system includes an antenna system comprising one multi-section antenna component, the antenna system mounted on one single piece and the antenna component containing two sections comprising two conductive hexahedrons featuring rectangular faces featuring a length of 25 mm and 7 mm and a width of 3 mm. The conductive hexahedrons are spaced by an air gap of 0.5 mm in this example. The antenna component is supported by a dielectric-material piece featuring a height or thickness of 2.4 mm, which corresponds to the free-space wavelength related to the lowest frequency of operation of the device over 179.1 The solution contains a ground plane layer of dimensions 130 mm×60 mm placed at 9 mm distance from the antenna system comprising the antenna component.
(53) FIG. 24 provides an example of matching network used for matching the embodiment provided in FIG. 23. FIG. 24 shows the topology and provides the part numbers of the components used in this particular matching example. The component value that corresponds to each part number is highlighted in bold letters in the part numbers in FIG. 24. For example, Z1 component is an inductor of 2.2 nH and Z3 or Z4 are capacitors of values 1.8 pF and 0.5 pF respectively. The sections included in the antenna component contained in the antenna system illustrated and described in FIG. 23 are connected by an inductor, whose value is also included in FIG. 24 by providing its part number—LQW18AN18NG80—, which corresponds to a value of 18 nH.
(54) FIG. 25 illustrates the input reflection coefficient related to the embodiment provided in FIG. 23 when the sections contained in the antenna component comprised in the antenna system included in the embodiment are connected by an inductor and matched with a matching network like the one shown in FIG. 24. Some markers are included in FIG. 25 indicating the frequency bands of interest of this solution, meaning from 698 MHz to 960 MHz and from 1710 MHz to 2690 MHz. Very good input reflection coefficient values are obtained in the frequency ranges.
(55) Another example of matching network used for matching the embodiment from FIG. 23 is provided in FIG. 26. This matching network is used in combination with a notch filter, more concretely the one provided in FIG. 26. The notch filter comprises an inductor and a capacitor connected in parallel between them and to the antenna component sections as illustrated in the filter schematic shown in FIG. 26. The notch filter blocks the high-frequency waves to travel through the 7 mm section to the 25 mm section. The part numbers of the components used for implementing both the matching network and the filter are also included. The input reflection coefficient obtained with such matching configuration, characterized by the use of the notch filter connecting the two sections comprised in the antenna component included in the antenna system shown in FIG. 23, is provided in FIG. 27. The embodiment matching performance, which is here characterized by the input reflection coefficient, is improved with respect to the matching performance obtained with the matching configuration provided in FIG. 24 and provided in FIG. 25. Such performance improvement is clearly evidenced when comparing FIG. 25 to FIG. 27.
(56) An embodiment of a two-layers multi-section antenna component comprising three sections per layer, each section including one conductive element, is provided in FIG. 28. The conductive elements and sections included in each layer are arranged describing a same pattern. This particular embodiment comprises two ports, 2801 and 2802, port 2801 operating at mobile bands covering from 698 MHz to 2690 MHz, and port 2802 operating at Bluetooth and Wifi communications, which cover 2.4-2.5 GHz frequency range, as well as GPS communications covering operation at 1.6 GHz. The embodiment is configured so that the two first sections and/or conductive elements are connected by a HFR filter, element 2803, filtering high frequencies beyond 1.5 GHz, and the two last sections, near port 2802, are connected by a filter, represented with element 2804, that blocks Bluetooth and Wifi frequencies. Finally, a bandpass filter 2805 is included at port 2802 for stopping low-band mobile frequencies below 1 GHz and high-band mobile frequencies beyond 2 GHz for example. More specifically, the filters comprise reactive circuit components like a capacitor and an inductor. With such an embodiment configuration, the three sections comprised in the antenna component contribute to operation at low mobile frequencies, operative at port 2801, mainly the two first sections contribute to high mobile frequencies, and the two last sections to operation at Bluetooth, Wifi and GPS, available at port 2802.
(57) Another embodiment of a radiating structure related to the present invention is presented in FIG. 29 that includes an antenna system comprising one multi-section antenna component comprising three sections 2901. The antenna system is also mounted on a single piece providing a reduced-cost antenna system. In this particular embodiment, the antenna component contains three conductive hexahedrons featuring rectangular faces, the conductive volumes featuring 1 mm thickness and the length and width dimensions included in FIG. 29. The thickness corresponds to 1/429.8 times the free-space wavelength corresponding to the lowest frequency of operation of the radiating structure or the wireless device including it. In this particular example, two air gaps of 0.5 mm space the three conductive elements between them, forming an antenna component and antenna system featuring 30 mm length. The gap features a value in the range 0.5 mm to 3 mm in other embodiments of an antenna component featuring the characteristics of the one described in this particular example. So, this antenna system is a thin and an elongated structure that can be easily allocated in small spaces reserved within a low-profile wireless device for integrating the antenna system. A ground plane layer 2902, in this embodiment of dimensions 130 mm×60 mm, is included in the radiating system contained in the embodiment and two ports 2903, 2904 are connected to two of the three conductive elements comprised in the antenna component sections, more specifically to one conductive element each.
(58) The input reflection coefficient related to each port comprised in the embodiment presented in FIG. 29, when it includes the matching networks from FIG. 31, is illustrated in FIG. 30. Curve (3001), represented by a solid line, corresponds to the input reflection coefficient related to port 2903 and curve (3002), represented by a dashed line, corresponds to the input reflection coefficient related to port 2904. Port 2903 has been configured to provide operation at mobile communications covering both LFR range 698 MHz-960 MHz and HFR range 1710 MHz-2690 MHz, while port 2904 has been configured for providing operation at GNSS communications, covering the frequency range 1561 MHz-1606 MHz. The transmission coefficient (3003) between two ports is also included in FIG. 30. The ports are well isolated in the aforementioned bands of interest.
(59) Examples of matching networks used for matching the radiating structure embodiment described in FIG. 29 are provided in FIG. 31. Firstly, a matching network used for providing operation at mobile communications at port 2903 is presented. Secondly, a matching network used for providing operation at GNSS communications at port 2904 is shown. A notch filter is included at the end of FIG. 31, the filter including an inductor and a capacitor disposed in parallel between them, connecting the two first sections as shown in FIG. 29 by element 2905. The gap between the middle section and the one connected to the GNSS port (2904) remains open circuit for this particular configuration example, meaning that the sections are not connected between them, as seen in FIG. 29. The part numbers corresponding to the components used in these matching networks examples are also specified in FIG. 31. The values of the components are highlighted in bold letters in the part numbers terminology.
(60) FIG. 32 shows an embodiment of a radiating system comprised in a wireless device related to the present invention that contains an antenna system related to this invention including only one multi-section antenna component 3201 mounted on a two layers dielectric piece of 1 mm thickness, each layer containing three sections comprising a conductive element each and vertically-connected to their corresponding parallel top or bottom conductive element by vias, forming three sections blocks. The dimensions of the sections and sections blocks, and the entire antenna component 3201, are the same as the ones of the antenna component included in the embodiment provided in FIG. 29. As mentioned, the antenna component features 1 mm thickness, which corresponds to 1/429.8 times the free-space wavelength at the lowest frequency of operation (i.e. 698 MHz for this case), providing a thin and simple multi-section antenna component that easily fits on slim wireless devices. The radiating system also includes a 60 mm per 120 mm ground plane layer etched on a PCB, the ground plane layer featuring a reduced clearance area 3202, of dimensions 40 mm per 12 mm, with respect to other solutions, as for example the one provided in FIG. 29 that features a full clearance area. More concretely, this radiating system is a one-port solution comprising a matching network 3203 and a filter 3204 that connects the two first sections contained in the antenna component described before. The filter blocks the high-frequency waves avoiding them to travel from the section connected to the matching network to its consecutive section. The two last successive sections contained in the antenna component are not connected between them. As already mentioned, this solution provided is a one-port solution but the PCB is prepared for allocating two-port solutions. The performance, in terms of input impedance matching and antenna efficiencies, achievable with a solution containing an antenna system like the one provided in FIG. 32 and described before is improved with respect to the ones obtained with other current solutions, found in prior-art as for example CUBE mXTEND™ (FR01-S4-250), particularly at LFR frequencies. More concretely, FIG. 33 provides the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) 3301 related to the solution when the embodiment previously described and shown in FIG. 32 is matched with the matching network and filter presented in FIG. 34. FIG. 33 also presents the antenna efficiency 3302 related to this particular solution in the frequency range going from 650 MHz to 3 GHz. The aforementioned radiating system configuration provides operation at LFR and HFR mobile bands, covering from 698 MHz to 960 MHz and from 1.71 GHz to 2.69 GHz, respectively, as shown in FIG. 33 with grey shadows, featuring antenna efficiency averages in the frequency bands within a range 55%-60% and 65%-75% at LFR band and HFR band respectively, more specifically 59% and 71% antenna efficiencies obtained for the embodiment shown in FIG. 32.
(61) FIG. 35 presents another embodiment of a radiating system related to the present invention, this particular example containing two ports and an antenna system comprising one multi-section antenna component including three sections-blocks, the antenna component also comprised in the previous embodiment provided in FIG. 32 and described above. The PCB that allocates this radiating system is also the same as the one comprised in the previous embodiment, presented in FIG. 32, but the solution provided in FIG. 35 contains two ports, as already mentioned. This embodiment is a clear example of the flexibility that characterizes both an antenna system related to the present invention and an antenna component comprised in the antenna system, meaning that a radiating system structure according to this invention can be configured in different ways for covering different communication bands and standards to obtain different device functionalities. Particularly, the embodiment presented in FIG. 35 covers operation at 3G/4G and 5G mobile communication standards, wherein port 1 (3501) covers 3G and 4G mobile bands going from 698 MHz to 960 MHz and from 1.71 GHz to 2.69 GHz and port 2 (3502) covers 5G mobile bands going from 3.4 GHz to 3.8 GHz. For this particular example, the thickness of the antenna component included in the radiating system described is 1/429.8 times the free-space wavelength at 698 MHz. Sections 3503 and 3504 are electrically connected between them by a filter 3601, corresponding to element 3506 in FIG. 35, containing the circuit components provided in FIG. 36 and arranged in the configuration shown in the Figure, while sections 3504 and 3505 are not electrically connected between them. In this particular embodiment, port 3501 is matched with the matching network 3602, which corresponds to element 3507, and port 3502 is matched with the matching network 3603, which corresponds to elements 3508 and 3509 from FIG. 35. Element 3508 corresponds to a low-capacity capacitor, more specifically to a 0.1 pF capacitor, that blocks low frequencies to travel through the second feeding system included in the embodiment and related to port 3502. The matching network topologies and antenna component configuration provide the Voltage Standing Wave Ratios (VSWR) 3701 and 3801 and efficiencies 3702 and 3802 shown in FIG. 37 and FIG. 38, in 3G and 4G bands and in 5G band, respectively. The antenna efficiency average provided by this embodiment, shown in FIG. 35, is higher than 50% in 698 MHz to 960 MHz band, higher than 70% in the 1.71 GHz to 2.69 GHz band and higher than 55% in the 3.4 GHz to 3.8 GHz band.
(62) Other radiating system embodiments that contain the antenna component included in the embodiments from FIG. 32 and FIG. 35 are configured to operate at mobile bands comprising at least the frequency ranges 824 MHz to 960 MHz and 1.71 GHz to 2.17 GHz at one port, and at an additional frequency range at another port for providing operation at an additional communication standard, as for example but not limited to GNSS (going from 1561 MHz to 1606 MHz) or Bluetooth (from 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz). Some of those radiating system embodiments are allocated in a PCB like the one comprised in the embodiments provided in FIG. 32 and FIG. 35. The matching networks comprised in the feeding systems included in these embodiments to match the port not working at mobile communications, advantageously comprise a two-stage filter including a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter, so that the filter response is selective enough to achieve a good isolation between ports and consequently a good efficiency performance at both ports of at least 50% of antenna efficiency average at the bands of interest.
(63) The following embodiments, shown in FIG. 39 and FIG. 40, provide a three-sections antenna component comprised in a modular antenna system included in a wireless device that provides simultaneous operation in a same frequency range or ranges at two different ports, so operating as a MIMO device. Different antenna system configurations comprising at least one isolation bridge are provided with the different embodiments that comprise the same antenna component. Both embodiments are configured for covering mobile communications ranging from LTE700 to LTE2600 (698 MHz to 2690 MHz frequency range) at both ports. The embodiment shown in FIG. 39 includes two connections 3901, a short-circuit, and 3902, an inductance, between the different successive conductive elements included in the different sections, together with an additional isolation bridge 3903 between first and last sections, the isolation bridge comprising a smart tuner able to tune the isolation frequencies to a sought band within the operation frequencies of the antenna system. As mentioned before, another possible system configuration of the MIMO embodiment operating at mobile communications covering from LTE700 to LTE2600 is provided in FIG. 40. The successive sections comprised in the antenna component included in the embodiment are also connected between them, as illustrated with elements 4001, a short-circuit, and 4002. The isolation bridge 4002 in this case does not include a smart tuner, but it is a passive inductor component that blocks some frequencies depending on the inductor value. An additional feature related to this particular embodiment is that port 4003 is connected to the antenna component on the opposite side to port 4004 connection side, as illustrated with the connection element 4005.
