Apparatus with partitioned radio frequency antenna and matching network and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11764473-B2
Application number	US-201916420116-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2019
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus includes a substrate and a loop antenna formed using the substrate. The loop antenna includes a set of gaps formed to isolate a first part of the loop antenna from a second part of the loop antenna.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate; and
a loop antenna, comprising a single loop, formed using the substrate, wherein the loop antenna comprises a set of gaps formed to isolate a first part of the loop antenna from a second part of the loop antenna.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the set of gaps isolates radio-frequency (RF) current flow in the first part of the loop antenna from RF current flow in the second part of the loop antenna.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the set of gaps comprises “L”-shaped gaps.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the set of gaps comprises straight gaps.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the set of gaps comprises radial slots.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the set of gaps are formed by removing conductive material from a conductive layer of the substrate.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a radio-frequency (RF) module coupled to the loop antenna.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the set of gaps comprises two gaps.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the loop antenna further comprising a bridging part.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the bridging part of the loop antenna is situated at a boundary between the first and second parts of the loop antenna.

11. A method of fabricating an apparatus, the method comprising:
fabricating a substrate; and
fabricating a loop antenna, comprising a single loop, on the substrate, wherein the loop antenna comprises a set of gaps formed to isolate a first part of the loop antenna from a second part of the loop antenna.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the set of gaps isolates radio-frequency (RF) current flow in the first part of the loop antenna from RF current flow in the second part of the loop antenna.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the set of gaps comprises “L”-shaped gaps.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the set of gaps comprises straight gaps.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the set of gaps comprises radial slots.

16. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
disposing a radio-frequency (RF) module on the substrate; and
coupling the RF module to the loop antenna.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein fabricating the loop antenna comprises removing conductive material from a conductive layer of the substrate to form the set of gaps.

18. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the set of gaps comprises two gaps.

19. The method according to claim 11 , wherein fabricating the loop antenna on the substrate comprises fabricating a bridging part of the loop antenna.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the bridging part of the loop antenna is situated at a boundary between the first and second parts of the loop antenna.

Assignees

• Silicon Lab Inc

Inventors

• Zolomy Attila
• Voor Thomas E
• Vida Zoltan

Classifications

• H01Q9/42 Primary

  with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength · CPC title

• H01Q7/00 Primary

  Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop · CPC title

• H01Q1/2291

  used in Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi® devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] (H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W) · CPC title

• H01Q1/38

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title