ANTENNAS

• Main Authors: REED CHRISTOPHER, DOLMAN GRAHAM, BATES SIMON, WADDOUP WILLIAM, ADAMS DAVID, KITCHENER DEAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.12.2009
• Subjects: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY

Embodiments of the invention relate to a broadband antenna structure and an antenna arrangement comprising the antenna structure and an electronic device. In one aspect, the antenna employs an electrically conductive enclosure with a closed end, over which a non-electrically conductive cover is placed. A radiating portion of the antenna feed layer comprising a conductive patch antenna element is placed in between the enclosure and the cover. This patch antenna element design is inherently broader band than that of conventional cavity-backed slot-radiating antennas, which are constrained in bandwidth by the need to keep the cavity formed in the enclosure small, so that the column elements may be arranged in an array at substantially half-wavelength spacing. The new design suffers less compromise in terms of bandwidth in achieving the same size constraint. This is achieved in part by the dielectric constant of the dielectric material of the cover reducing the required size of the conductive antenna element, compared to the size that would be required if the radiating portion were covered with a material with the dielectric constant of air. In another aspect, this broadband antenna structure is connected with an electronic device to form an antenna arrangement, wherein a portion of the antenna feed layer extends outside of the antenna housing through an opening in a surface of the antenna housing, said portion being within the electronic device enclosure of the electronic device. Connecting the electronic device directly to the antenna according to embodiments of the invention reduces the amount of coaxial cables needed or eliminates the need for coaxial cables completely. As a result the usual costs associated with coaxial cables, the RF losses introduced by the cables which can compromise the system performance, possible failure of the cables, lease costs for the space the cables occupy and lease costs for large footprint of the building or cabinet housing the electronic device are substantially reduced or eliminated.