Patent ID: 7403161
Filing Date: 2008-07-22
Classification: H01Q

Abstract:
1. An antenna, comprising: a finite ground surface, wherein the ground surface comprises a ground plane; an elongated conductor that is characterized by a length and is spaced from the finite ground surface, wherein the elongated conductor is supported on the ground plane by a dielectric spacer, and wherein the elongated conductor comprises a first slot extending through a substantial portion of the length of the elongated conductor, and a second slot having a shorter length than the first slot; a grounding conductor coupling the finite ground surface to the elongated conductor; a signal feed conductor coupling to the elongated conductor; and a communication circuit capable of processing signals at a first frequency, a second frequency, a third frequency, and a fourth frequency; wherein the antenna supports: a common mode, at the first frequency, in which at any given instant current summed over the central cross section of the elongated conductor passes in the elongated conductor in opposite directions; a differential mode, at the second frequency, in which at any given instant current runs in a common direction on the elongated conductor; a slot mode, at the third frequency, in which at any given instant current runs in opposite directions on opposite sides of the first slot; and a loop mode, at the fourth frequency, in which at any given instant current runs in circular directions about the second slot.