Northwestern University

Lena Vasilyeva

Allen Taflove

An elongate radiator conformal antenna for portable communication devices is conformed on or in dielectric. The antenna of the present invention is a conformal antenna having an elongate radiator element grounded to a ground plane generally opposite the elongate radiator element, and driven by a feed connected to the elongate radiator element at a point between its connection to the ground plane and its open end. The elongate radiator element and ground plane are conformed with dielectric which, due to its wavelength shortening effect, reduces the required length of the elongate radiator element to less than a quarter wavelength. The dielectric material with which the antenna is conformed and any additional dielectric material between the elongate radiator element and the ground plane is preferably high permittivity and low loss tangent material. The antenna may include multiple elongate radiator elements for multiple or broad band operation with each of the elongate radiator elements being shorter than a quarter wavelength for its respective operating frequency. The elongate radiator elements are mostly opposite a ground plane, with ground ends of the elongate radiator elements being connected to the ground plane. The antenna is conformed with dielectric which can conform to a portable communication device without adding substantially to its dimensions. Operation of the separate elongate radiator elements in multiband embodiments of the invention is automatic since the elongate radiator elements will be operative only for their respective frequency bands without further control. Elongate radiator elements not tuned to the instantaneous frequency of operation provide substantial mismatch to the transmitter and receiver of the communication device despite their close proximity to other ones of the multiple elongate radiator elements.

Growing community of inventors

Belle Mead, NJ, United States of America

Lena Vasilyeva