IP Library Granted Patent US 9,379,456
Granted Patent B2
US 9,379,456 · App. 13/862,834 · Granted Jun 28, 2016

Antenna array

Inventors: Victor Shtrom (Sunnyvale, CA); Darin T. Milton (Campbell, CA); William S. Kish (Saratoga, CA)
Assignee: RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.
H01Q25/00H01Q1/38H01Q3/24H01Q9/04H01Q9/16H01Q9/28H01Q9/285H01Q21/20H01Q21/29H05K1/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,379,456
App. No.
13/862,834
Granted
Jun 28, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A circuit board for wireless communications includes communication circuitry for modulating and/or demodulating a radio frequency (RF) signal and an antenna apparatus for transmitting and receiving the RF signal, the antenna apparatus having selectable antenna elements located near one or more peripheries of the circuit board. A first antenna element produces a first directional radiation pattern; a second antenna element produces a second directional radiation pattern offset from the first radiation pattern. The antenna elements may include one or more reflectors configured to provide gain and broaden the frequency response of the antenna element. A switching network couples one or more of the selectable elements to the communication circuitry and provides impedance matching regardless of which or how many of the antenna elements are selected. Selecting different combinations of antenna elements results in a configurable radiation pattern; alternatively, selecting several elements may result in an omnidirectional radiation pattern.

Claims (31)

1. A system, comprising:

a circuit board, wherein the circuit board comprises a radio modulator/demodulator that receives data from a network and converts the received network data into a modulated RF signal;

communication circuitry coupled to the circuit board, wherein the communication circuitry provides the modulated signal from the radio modulator/demodulator to an antenna feed port of the circuit board; and

a plurality of antenna elements arranged around a periphery of the circuit board, wherein the plurality of antenna elements include:

a first antenna element located near a first periphery of the circuit board, wherein the first antenna element produces a first directional radiation pattern when coupled to the antenna feed port; and

a second antenna element located near a second periphery of the circuit board, wherein the second antenna element produces a second directional radiation pattern offset from the first directional radiation pattern when coupled to the antenna feed port.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a switching network that selectively couples the antenna feed port to the first antenna element and the second antenna element.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the switching network includes a first RF switch located at about a multiple of one-half wavelength from the antenna feed port, the first RF switch selectively couple the antenna feed port to the first antenna element.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first feed line coupled with the first antenna element; and

a second feed line coupled with the second antenna element, wherein the second feed line having an electrical length difference of a multiple of one-half wavelength as compared to the first feed line.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna element and the second antenna element collectively produce a substantially omnidirectional radiation coverage when the first antenna element and the second antenna element are coupled to the antenna feed port.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna element includes a first and second dipole component that produces a generally cardioid directional radiation pattern substantially in the plane of the circuit board, the second dipole component extending substantially opposite from the first dipole component.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first and second dipole component includes a bent dipole component.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first antenna element further includes a reflector that concentrates the radiation pattern of the first antenna element.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first antenna element further includes a reflector that broadens the frequency response of the first antenna element.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna element includes a first dipole component and a second dipole component, at least one of the first dipole component and the second dipole component formed on an exterior surface of the circuit board.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna element includes a first dipole component formed on a surface of the circuit board and a second dipole component formed on an opposite surface of the circuit board, the second dipole component coupled to an internal ground layer of the circuit board.

12. A system, comprising:

a circuit board, wherein the circuit board comprises a radio modulator/demodulator that receives data from a network and converts the received network data into a modulated RF signal;

communication circuitry coupled to the circuit board, wherein the communication circuitry provides the modulated RF signal from the radio modulator/demodulator to an antenna feed port of the circuit board;

a plurality of antenna elements arranged around a periphery of the circuit board, wherein the plurality of antenna elements include:

a first antenna element located near a first periphery of the circuit board, wherein the first antenna element produces a first directional radiation pattern when coupled to the antenna feed port, and

a second antenna element located near a second periphery of the circuit board, wherein the second antenna element produces a second directional radiation pattern offset from the first directional radiation pattern when coupled to the antenna feed port; and

a switching network that selectively couples the antenna feed port to each of the plurality of antenna elements to result in a configurable radiation pattern ranging from highly directional to substantially non-directional.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the switching network includes an RF switch for each of the antenna elements, the RF switch located at about a multiple of one-half wavelength from the antenna feed port.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a plurality of feed lines having electrical length difference of a multiple of one-half wavelength as compared to each other.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the antenna elements includes a first and second dipole component that produces a generally cardioid directional radiation pattern substantially in the plane of the circuit board, the second dipole component extending substantially opposite from the first dipole component.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second dipole components is a phase inverted modified dipole.

17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a reflector that concentrates the radiation pattern of the antenna element.

18. The system of claim 12 further comprising a reflector that broadens the frequency response of the antenna element.

Assignments (11)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 049905/0504 Recorded Dec 19, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC (F/K/A ARRIS ENTERPRISES, INC.); ARRIS TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.; COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; RUCKUS WIRELESS, LLC (F/K/A RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.)
Reel/Frame 071477/0255 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2024
From: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC
To: RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 066399/0561 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.; ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST
Reel/Frame 060752/0001 →
TERM LOAN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; ARRIS TECHNOLOGY, INC.; RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049905/0504 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049820/0495 →
ABL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; ARRIS TECHNOLOGY, INC.; RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049892/0396 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 8, 2019
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.
Reel/Frame 048817/0832 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2018
From: RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.
To: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC
Reel/Frame 046730/0854 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Apr 2, 2018
From: RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 046379/0431 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 24, 2014
From: VIDEO54 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.
Reel/Frame 034461/0568 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2014
From: SHTROM, VICTOR; MILTON, DARIN T.; KISH, WILLIAM S.
To: VIDEO54 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 034254/0521 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 12425374 · Apr 16, 2009
Continuation 11714707 · Mar 5, 2007
Continuation 11022080 · Dec 23, 2004
Provisional Application 60630499 · Nov 22, 2004
Related Publication 20130241789A1 · Sep 19, 2013