FIBRE-BASED WEARABLE PATCH ANTENNA

Disclosed is a fibre-based wearable patch antenna. The fibre-based wearable patch antenna comprises: a radiating patch; a substrate on which the radiating patch is attached; a ground surface which is located below the substrate and has a slot formed therein; and a cable for the supply of power to the radiating patch, wherein the invention is formed integrally with clothing and the cable can be attached below the ground surface.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following embodiments relate to a fibre-based wearable patch antenna.

BACKGROUND ART

Wireless communication technology is rapidly evolving so that more information can be accessed more conveniently. Along with this, wireless communication devices are being developed into the forms that can be wearable on human bodies or forms of clothes, beyond the trend of miniaturization.

Recently, interest in smart clothes and wearable devices using conductive smart textile has rapidly been increasing not only in the clothing industry but also in Information Technology (IT) and the medical and defense industries. Conductive smart textile has high conductivity, so it can allow electricity to flow therethrough like a general metal, and it maintains the flexibility and elasticity of cloth material, so it is a key material for realizing wearable devices integrated with clothing.

One of the biggest obstacles to the implementation of wearable communication devices integrated with clothing is designing and manufacturing antennas using the conductive smart textile. An antenna is larger than other communication components and its performance is greatly influenced by the surrounding environment. A small antenna that can efficiently radiate electromagnetic waves has to be designed considering the material characteristics of the conductive smart textile, which is different from a general electronic board.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Technical Solutions

A patch antenna according to an embodiment includes: a radiating patch; a substrate on which the radiating patch is attached; a ground surface which is located under the substrate and has a slot formed therein; and a cable for the supply of power to the radiating patch, wherein the patch antenna may be formed integrally with clothing, and the cable may be attached under the ground surface.

The cable may be attached directly under the ground surface in parallel to the ground surface, such that the cable may cross the slot under the ground surface without a metal connector.

The cable may be attached under the ground surface, such that a conductive portion in the cable may cross the slot under the ground surface.

In the patch antenna according to an embodiment, the cable connected to the conductive portion may be attached under the ground surface along the ground surface and extends in one direction of the ground surface to supply power in a side-fed manner.

The patch antenna according to an embodiment may be supplied with power by electromagnetic coupling through the slot between the conductive portion and the radiating patch.

In the patch antenna according to an embodiment, a resonance frequency may be determined by a size of the slot.

In the patch antenna according to an embodiment, a resonance frequency may be determined by a size of the radiating patch.

The radiating patch, the substrate and the ground surface may include fiber material.

The substrate may include neoprene, and the radiating patch and the ground surface may include flat yarn.

The cable may be attached using silicon tape or copper tape.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The following detailed structural or functional description of embodiments is provided as an example only and various alterations and modifications may be made to the embodiments. Here, the embodiments are not construed as limited to the disclosure and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and replacements within the idea and the technical scope of the disclosure.

It should be noted that if it is described that one component is “connected”, “coupled”, or “joined” to another component, a third component may be “connected”, “coupled”, and “joined” between the first and second components, although the first component may be directly connected, coupled, or joined to the second component.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When describing the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements and a repeated description related thereto will be omitted.

FIG.1is a diagram illustrating a fiber-based wearable patch antenna according to an embodiment.

A patch antenna100according to an embodiment may include a radiating patch, a substrate on which the radiating patch is attached, a ground surface which is located under the substrate and has a slot formed therein and a cable105for the supply of power to the radiating patch.

The patch antenna100according to an embodiment may be integrally formed with clothing. The radiating patch, the substrate, and the ground surface of the patch antenna100may include fiber material, so that the patch antenna100may have stretch flexibility and may be suitable for being mounted on clothes.

Referring toFIG.1, the patch antenna100is configured as an integrated garment and is connected to a communication module110through the cable105. The patch antenna100may not require a metal connector for connecting the cable105for power supply, and may be supplied with power by directly attaching the cable105under the ground surface of the patch antenna100. The patch antenna100according to an embodiment may be supplied with power using electromagnetic coupling through the slot between the attached cable105and the radiating patch.

The patch antenna100according to an embodiment may use a side-fed manner in which power is supplied by connecting the cable105in a lateral direction of the antenna, instead of a bottom-fed manner in which power is supplied vertically from the back of the antenna. The side-fed manner may be more suitable for being mounted on clothes because it does not interfere with the motion of a person wearing the clothes.

Since the patch antenna100has stretch flexibility, it may be formed integrally with clothing as shown inFIG.1. The patch antenna100may be integrally manufactured with miscellaneous goods such as fashion bags and hiking bags, and may be used for special clothing such as firefighting uniforms and military uniforms. The use of the patch antenna100is not limited thereto, and the patch antenna100may be manufactured and used separately from clothing, or may be used in a form attached to clothing or skin. The patch antenna100according to an embodiment may be used as an antenna for smart clothes, wearable communication devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and location tracking systems. A specific configuration of the patch antenna100is described in detail with reference toFIGS.2and3.

FIG.2is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a fiber-based wearable patch antenna according to an embodiment, andFIG.3is a diagram illustrating each component of the fiber-based wearable patch antenna according to an embodiment.

Referring to (a) ofFIG.2, a front side of the patch antenna100according to an embodiment is illustrated. The patch antenna100may include a radiating patch205and a substrate210. The radiating patch205and the substrate210may include a fiber material. In an embodiment, the substrate210may include neoprene. The radiating patch205may include flat yarn. The radiating patch205may include fiber spread with conductive ink on the flat yarn.

Referring to (b) ofFIG.2, the back side of the patch antenna100according to an embodiment is illustrated. The patch antenna100may include a ground surface215in which a slot220is formed and a cable225for power supply. In an embodiment, the cable225may be a coaxial cable225. The ground surface215may include flat yarn. The ground surface215may include fiber spread with conductive ink on the flat yarn.

Materials of the radiating patch205, the substrate210, and the ground surface215of the patch antenna100are not limited to fiber materials, and they may be manufactured using various existing materials such as a printed circuit board (PCB), etc.

The cable225of the patch antenna100according to an embodiment may be supplied with power without a heavy and bulky metal connector, attaching directly under the ground surface215parallel to the ground surface215so that the cable225crosses the slot220under the ground surface215. If an interface (connector) connecting an antenna and a wearable device is a bulky and heavy metal form as in conventional art, integration with clothing is greatly deteriorated. Since the patch antenna100according to an embodiment does not require a metal connector, the patch antenna100may be suitable for being mounted on clothing. The patch antenna100is easy to manufacture because it does not require a vertical power supply pin in a form of penetrating from the ground surface215of the antenna to the radiating surface for power supply, and even if the cable225for power supply is connected, the stretch flexibility of the patch antenna100may be maintained. Since the patch antenna100does not require a metal connector, the size thereof may be reduced compared to a bottom-fed antenna that is supplied with power vertically from the back side of the antenna.

In an embodiment, the cable225of the patch antenna100may be attached under the ground surface215such that a conductive portion in the cable225crosses the slot220under the ground surface215. The patch antenna100may perform power supply without being electrically connected to the cable225for power supply, the ground surface215, the substrate210, and the radiating patch205. Rather than directly applying a current to the radiating patch205, the conductive portion in the cable225is attached to the ground surface215and the ground surface215includes the slot220so that the power may be supplied using electromagnetic coupling through the slot220between the radiating patch205and the conductive portion in the cable225.

In the patch antenna100according to an embodiment, the cable225connected to the conductive portion is attached under the ground surface215along the ground surface215and extends in one direction of the ground surface215to supply power in a side-fed manner. As mentioned above, the patch antenna100is suitable as a wearable antenna because it does not interfere with the motion of a person wearing the clothes when the patch antenna is attached to clothing or formed as an antenna integrated with clothing by being powered by a side-fed manner.

In an embodiment, the cable225may be attached using silicon tape or copper tape.

Referring toFIG.3, each component of the patch antenna100is illustrated separately.FIG.3illustrates a substrate310to which a radiating patch305is attached, a ground surface315formed under the substrate310and including a slot320, and a cable325disposed to cross a portion of the slot320of the ground surface315under the ground surface315. The radiating patch305, the substrate310, the ground surface315, the slot320, and the cable325ofFIG.3may correspond to the radiating patch205, the substrate210, the ground surface215, the slot220, and the cable225ofFIG.2, respectively.

Since each component has been described with reference toFIG.2, duplicated descriptions thereof are omitted.

FIG.4. is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a fiber-based wearable patch antenna according to the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard.

Referring to (a) ofFIG.4, the front side of a substrate to which a radiating patch is attached according to an embodiment is illustrated, and referring to (b) ofFIG.4, the back side of a ground part having a slot formed therein according to an embodiment is illustrated. Referring to (c) ofFIG.4, the front side of the patch antenna100in which a cable is attached to the radiating patch, the substrate, and the ground surface ofFIG.4(a) andFIG.4(b)is illustrated, and referring to (d) ofFIG.4, the back side of the patch antenna100is illustrated.

The patch antenna100according to an embodiment may be manufactured according to the BLE communication standard. In this case, the radiating patch of the patch antenna100may be formed to have a width405of 42 millimeters (mm) and a length410of 42.5 mm, and the substrate and the ground surface may be formed to have a width405of 42 mm and a length408of 42 mm. The slot formed in the ground surface may be formed to have a width420of 23 mm and a length415of 1 mm. Under the ground surface formed as in (a) and (b) ofFIG.4, the cable may be attached under the ground surface parallel to the ground surface so that the cable crosses the slot under the ground surface as illustrated in (c) and (d) ofFIG.4. In an embodiment, the strength of the attached cable may be improved by using silicon tape or copper tape for attaching the cable. In an embodiment, the substrate may be formed with a thickness of 2 mm including a neoprene material.

When the existing bottom-fed antenna that is supplied with power vertically from the back of the antenna is manufactured according to the BLE communication standard, it should be manufactured to have a size of 60 mm in width and 70 mm in length to achieve the same performance as the patch antenna100ofFIG.4. Thus, the patch antenna100according to an embodiment may realize an effective reduction in the size of the antenna.

In the patch antenna100according to an embodiment, a resonant frequency may be determined by the size of the radiating patch. In addition, the patch antenna100according to an embodiment may adjust the resonant frequency according to the slot size. Since the size of the radiating patch and the slot may be easily adjusted during the manufacturing process, performance of the patch antenna100may be tuned easily and accurately, and extendability is excellent.

The BLE communication standard ofFIG.4is only an embodiment and is not limited to the BLE communication standard of the patch antenna100, and the configuration of the patch antenna100may be adjusted according to various communication standards.

The patch antenna100according to an embodiment may be manufactured according to the Long Range (LoRa) communication standard. In this case, the radiating patch of the patch antenna100may be formed to have a width of 145 mm and a length of 125 mm, and the substrate and the ground surface may be formed to have a width of 145 mm and a length of 150 mm. The slot formed in the ground surface may be formed with a width of 64 mm and a length of 1 mm, and the cable may be attached under the ground surface parallel to the ground surface so that the cable crosses the slot under the ground surface. In an embodiment, the strength of the attached cable may be improved by using silicon tape or copper tape for attaching the cable. In an embodiment, the substrate may be formed with a thickness of 3 mm including a neoprene material.

When the existing bottom-fed antenna that is supplied with power vertically from the back side of the antenna is manufactured according to the LoRa communication standard, it should be manufactured to have a size of 190 mm in width and 190 mm in length to achieve the same performance as the patch antenna100of the LoRa communication standard according to an embodiment. Thus, the patch antenna100according to an embodiment may realize an effective reduction in the size of the antenna.

The above-described devices may be configured to act as one or more software modules in order to perform the operations of the above-described embodiments, or vice versa.