Patent ID: 8022879

Claim:
An antenna structure for a wireless communication device including a substrate having a predetermined thickness, a first surface that supports an electronic component, and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the antenna structure comprising: a first surface pattern formed on the first surface of the substrate and including two ends, one of which is connected to a power supply point and the other of which is connected to a through hole; and a second surface pattern formed on the second surface of the substrate and including two ends, one of which is connected to a ground point and the other of which is connected to the through hole, wherein the second surface pattern and the first surface pattern are connected to each other by the through hole so as to form a loop antenna, the second surface pattern is at least partially separated from the first surface pattern in a direction perpendicular to a thicknesswise direction of the substrate so that the second surface pattern and the first surface pattern are in a nonoverlapping state in the thicknesswise direction, and wherein the first surface pattern and the second surface pattern each include a straight pattern portion, with the straight pattern portions of the first and second surface patterns being spaced apart from each other in the direction perpendicular to the thicknesswise direction of the substrate in a non-overlapping state so as to form a clearance; and the first surface pattern and the second surface pattern each include a further pattern portion extending from the straight pattern portion, with the further pattern portions of the first and second patterns being spaced apart from each other so as to form a clearance that is wider in the direction perpendicular to the thicknesswise direction of the substrate than the clearance between the straight portions.