Patent ID: 8059045

Claim:
An antenna for a telecommunications device having a characteristic output impedance, the antenna comprising: at least one impedance matching section comprising a leaky coaxial cable having a first end for attachment either to said telecommunications device or to a preceding impedance matching section, the leaky coaxial conductor being configured to leak radio-frequency energy, the leaky coaxial cable including a center conductor enclosed in a dielectric and an electrically conductive layer forming a double helix of conductive elements disposed on said dielectric, the conductive elements each having a width and a pitch, the widths and pitches being measured along a length of the leaky coaxial cable, the pitch of the conductive elements in said double helix being greater than the width of the conductive elements in said double helix; an additional leaky section having a first end coupled to a second end of said at least one impedance matching section, the additional leaky section being configured to leak radio-frequency energy, the additional leaky section including a center conductor enclosed in a dielectric and an electrically conductive layer forming a single helix of conductive elements disposed on said dielectric, the conductive elements having a width and a pitch, the width and pitch being measured along a length of the additional leaky section, the pitch of the conductive elements in said single helix being greater than the width of the conductive elements in said single helix, and a termination section coupled to a second end of the additional leaky section, the termination section comprising yet another leaky coaxial cable configured to leak radio-frequency energy, the yet another leaky coaxial cable having a center conductor enclosed in a dielectric and an electrically conductive layer forming a double helix of conductive elements disposed on said dielectric, the conductive elements having a width and a pitch, the width and pitch being measured along a length of the yet another leaky coaxial cable, the pitch of the conductive elements in said termination section being greater than the width of the conductive elements in said termination section, wherein the additional leaky section has a characteristic impedance higher than the characteristic output impedance of the telecommunications device and wherein at least one of said impedance matching sections is coupled, in use, between the telecommunications device and the additional leaky section.