Adapter antenna for mobile phones

Abstract: An adapter antenna (2) is used for contactless connection of a mobile telephone (1) to an external antenna (4) in case the telephone lacks a connector for coaxial cable (3) for such a purpose. The most common application is when a mobile telephone is to be used in a vehicle. Transfer of radio waves occurs in the near field of the built-in antenna (6) of the telephone by capacitive coupling. One preferred embodiment especially suited for plane inverted antennae of type L, E or F is described. An optimizing method for two frequency bands is described.

Description: The invention concerns an adapter antenna which without contact can receive and transfer an electromagnatic wave within the near field of another antenna. The most common application of an adapter antenna is for connection of a mobile telephone which temporarily is used within a vehicle to an external antenna located on the outside of the vehicle. State of the art All mobile telephones are provided with a built-on first antenna, but not all models are provided with a coaxial outlet for connection to an external second antenna. If one wishes to use an external antenna with a mobile telephone lacking such an antenna outlet, an adapter antenna can be located near the first antenna and connected by a coaxial cable (33) to the second antenna. In the following will be described what is peculiar for an adapter antenna compared to other antennae in general. Antennae are usually located in the far field of a first antenna, where the wave front is approximatively flat with the electric and magnetic field vectors at right angles to each other. In this case, the antennae do not influence the current distribution of each other, and they may be designed independently of each other. An adapter antenna is located close to a first antenna in the near field of this. The electric and magnetic field vectors are here generally not at right angles to each other. The current distributions of the first antenna and the adapter antenna will influence each other. In an ideal case the transfer between the first antenna and the adapter antenna should be total, and all power from the first antenna should be collected by the adapter antenna, which in practise can never be acheived. In case of use in a vehicle, the non-transferred power will radiate into the vehicle. This is a great disadvantage, the radiation has not fully recognized biological effects which were the reason for deciding to use an external antenna. These decribed conditions, which are specific for adapter antenna compared to other types of antennae, mean that adapter antennae should be individually optimized for each type of first antenna. The optimizing may be more difficult if the telephone is of multiple N-band type, where N is larger than 1. The most common type of antenna for mobile telephones is monopole or small helix. Adapter antella for such are known in from patents US 422095, GB 2266997, SE 50393U, US 577585, SE 504343, WO98/25323. These all use a coil as a coupling element. Adapter antennae suitable also for other types of telephone antennae can be shaped as meander convolutions as described in patents SE 506726 and SE 507100. The document D1 EP-A-0 999 607, discloses an antenna coupler for coupling a radio telecommunication device with an integral planar antenna to an external device. The intergral planar antenna of the radio telecommunication device comprises a first planar conductive antenna element. The antenna coupler comprises a second planar conductive antenna element which is essentially similar to the first planar conductive antenna element, a first conductive ground plane parallel to said second planar conductive antenna element and transmission means for conducting a radio frequency signal between said second planar conductive antenna element and the external device. The document EP-A-1 006 606, cited by the Examiner, discloses a holder and a method for transferring signals between apparatus and holder. The invention relates to a holder for a handheld apparatus for emitting radio signals, said apparatus comprising a patch-antenna. The holder comprises a patch antenna which is adapted to cooperate with the corresponding patch antenna on an apparatus placed in the holder. Aim and method of the invention The known types of adapter antennae are not optimal for certain types of first antennae, such as inverted L, E and F(PIFA) antennae. Coils are less suitable for adapter antennae to these. One aim of the invention is to acheive an optimal solution by utilizing the electric field component, implying acting as a condenser together with a suitable adaptive circuit. The invention can be used for single as well as multiple frequency band adapter antennae. The optimizing is made in the following steps: Determine the smallest condenser plate which can efficiently transfer the power. This is made by calculating or measuring the current distribution of the first antenna and determining the surface or surfaces where the current density is large, and designing the condenser plate of the adapter antenna to have a corresponding surface. Choose feed point and means for matching the impedance of the coaxial cable, such as 50 ohm. At the other end of the coaxial cable the second antenna or a amplifier unit may be connected. Provide a suitable ground plane, such as a loop around the condenser plate. Optimize the adapter antenna while accounting for its influence upon the adaptation of the first antenna in its feed point. List of figures Fig. 1 Mobile telephone with a built-in antenna, and an adapter antenna with a cable to an external antenna. Fig. 2 PIFA-antenna for two frequency bands. Fig. 3 Current distribution on a PIFA antenna at 900 MHz. Fig. 4 Current distribution on a PIFA antenna at 1800 MHz. Fig. 5 Pattern on the first side of the circuit board. Fig. 6 Pattern on the second side of the circuit board. Preferred embodiments In the following the invention will be described in the context of an adapter antenna of a preferred type for use with a mobile telephone (1) with a built-in PIFA antenna (6) as seen in figure 2. The components of the adapter antenna (2) are located on a circuit board (19,20) with circuit patterns of conductive metal on both sides. Alternative embodiments, not shown in a figure, may be circuit boards with conductive pattern on one side only, or metal foil conductors, or plastic boards with conductive surface patterns applied by metallizing, metal spraying, conductive paint or foil. The adaptive circuit at the port (32) is also located on the circuit board in the version shown by figures 5 and 6. Other designs of adaptive circuits with discrete or continuous components are commonly known and will not be discussed here. Figure 2 shows the PIFA antenna (6) of the mobile telephone (1), comprising a radiator (7) from sheet metal and a ground surface (11). In the radiator (7) is a cut-out slot (8). The radiator (7) is connected to the mobile telephone electronics at the feed point (9) and forms a stub with a ground connection (10). The current distribution while transmitting in the 900 MHz band is shown in figure 3 and in the 1800 MHz band in figure 4. As was explained in the description of the method of the invention it is desired to have as small a condenser plate as possible in the adapter antenna, though large enough to cover the most active regions of the PIFA antenna.. In the 1800 MHz band these are close to the feed point (9) and the stub (10). The same holds for the 900 MHz band but then there is also a region at the corner (12) of the slot (8). It is, however, best to avoid using the field in the vicinity of the corner (12) since that would need a condenser plate too large for 1800 Mhz. This results in a design of the condenser plate (21) as shown in figure 5. The condenser plate (21) is located on the first side (19) of the circuit board, which is closest to the mobile telephone (1) when this is placed near the adapter antenna (2). The condenser plate (21) has two horns (22 and 23) of conductive material, covering the high current density regions close to the feed point (9) and the stub (10) of the PIFA antenna (6). In another embodiment not shown here, separate but electrically connected plates are located over the high current regions. The conductor (24) is located above the slot (8) so as not to be noticably influenced by the currents in the antenna (6). On the first side (19) of the circuit board the ground plane of the adapter antenna is located, comprising a ground plane island (28) and a ground plane loop (29). On the other side (21) of the circuit board, shown in figure 6, is a transfer (25) consisting of a coplanar waveguide (26) comprising a solder island (27) and ground plane islands (30 and 31), as well as a condenser towards ground, comprising a solder island (27) and a ground plane island (28). This condenser will compensate the inductance of the conductor (24). The transfer (25) provides adapting to a 50 ohm coaxial cable. The other end (3) of the coaxial cable may be connected to a second antenna (4) or to an amplifier unit not shown in the figure. Currents in the shield (34) of the coaxial cable (33) can be suppressed by means of a quarter wave trap (35). For use with several frequency bands, several wave traps may be supplied. Another possibility is to use a loss means, such as a ferrite ring, to extinguish any wave that could follow the outside of the shield. Optimizing the dimensions of the pattern should be made in such a way that not only provides a good transmission from the PIFA antenna (6) to the adapter antenna (2) as well as in the other direction, but also fulfills the demand that the impedance of the PIFA antenna in the feed point (9) should be influenced as little as possible. List of numbers Mobile telephone 1 Adapter antenna 2 Coaxial cable 3 External antenna 4 PIFA antenna 6 Radiator 7 Slot 8 Feed point 9 Stub 10 Ground plane 11 Corner of slot 12 Circuit board, first side 19 Circuit board, second side 20 Condenser plate 21 First horn 22 Second horn 23 Conductor 24 Transfer 25 Coplanar wave guide 26 Solder island 27 Ground plane island 28 Ground loop 29 Ground plane island 30 Ground plane island 31 Port 32 Coaxial cable 33 Shield 34 Wave trap 35 Adapter 36

Claims: Adapter antenna (2) for contact-less transfer of electromagnetic waves within n frequency bands; wherein n≥1, between a first antenna (6) of plane inverted L, E or F type built into a mobile telephone (1) by means of a condenser plate (21, 22, 23) built into the adapter antenna (2) and a port (32) of the adapter antenna (2) where a coaxial cable (3) can be connected which connect the adapter antenna (2) with an outer, second antenna or an amplifier, characterized in that the condenser plate (21, 22, 23) is parallel to and situated close to a conductive surface of the first antenna (6) and in that the condenser plate (21, 22, 23) is shaped to cover surfaces close to a feed point (9) and a stub (10) of the first antenna (6) and those regions of the radiating metal surface of the first antenna (6) where the surface currents are relatively great in any of the n frequency bands, in order to utilize mainly the electric component of the near field of the first antenna for the contact-less transfer. Adapter antenna (2) according to claim 1, supplemented with a ground plane comprising a ground plane island (28) and a ground plane loop (29), located outside of the condenser plate (21, 22, 23). Adapter antenna (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adapter antenna (2) is provided with a conductor (24) which is located opposite a slot (8) of the first antenna (6) and is connected to the condenser plate (21, 22, 23). Adapter antenna (2) according to claim 1, where the matching unit at the port (32) comprises a coplanar waveguide (26) and a condenser towards ground(27,28). Adapter antenna (2) according to claim 1 or 4, where the ground plane (28) is augmented by conductive ribbons (29) or wires, or strips of conductive material following the edges of the component (19) carrying the condenser plate (21). Adapter antenna (2) according to claims 1,4 or 5, where the conductive surfaces are located on a circuit board. Adapter antenna (2) according to claims 1,4,5 or 6, where the conductive surfaces are made of sheet metal. Adapter antenna (2) according to one of claims 1 and 4-7, where the conductive surfaces are made by metallizing of plastics. Adapter antenna (2) according to one of claims 1 and 4-8, where the conductive surfaces consist of conductive paint. Adapter antenna (2) according to one of claims 1 and 4-9, where the conductive surfaces are made from foil. Adapter antenna (2) according to one of claims 1 and 4-10, where the coaxial cable (33) is provided with a wave trap (35) which suppresses currents in the shield (34) of the cable. Adapter antenna (2) according to one of claims 1 and 4-11, where the coaxial cable (33) is provided with a component with high internal loss, which suppresses currents in the shield (34) of the cable.

Inventors: BARNA ZSOLT, BARNA, ZSOLT
Applicants: SMARTEQ WIRELESS AB
Application year: 2001
Main classification: H01Q1
IPC codes: H04B1, H01Q9, H01Q1