Patent ID: 7705787

Claim:
A coupled slot probe antenna for coupling to an antenna structure, wherein the antenna structure has a radiating element coupled to a ground plane by a low-impedance element, a feedline coupled to the radiating element at a feedpoint, and a low-impedance area within which the low-impedance element resides, the coupled slot probe antenna comprising: at least one first planar conductive element having a probe end and an opposing ground end; and a second planar conductive element having a first end coupled to the ground end of the first conductive element and a second end coupled to the ground plane of the radiating element, wherein the first end of the second planar conductive element is coupled to the ground end of the first planar conductive element in such a way that the plane of the second planar conductive element is orthogonal to the plane of the first planar conductive element, wherein the first and second conductive elements are configured in such a way that the coupled slot probe antenna defines a coupled slot area, wherein the second end of the second conductive element is coupled to the ground plane in such a way that both the first and second conductive elements are orthogonal to the plane of the radiating element and orthogonal to the ground plane, wherein the first planar conductive element is spaced apart from the feedpoint and directly facing the low-impedance element, and wherein the first planar conductive element is coupled to the ground plane only through the second planar conductive element, and wherein, when the coupled slot area is near the low-impedance area of the antenna structure, coupling occurs between the coupled slot area and the low-impedance area of the antenna structure in such a way that increases at least one of the bandwidth and the efficiency of the antenna structure.