Low profile omni-directional planar antenna with WiFi video streaming capability through broadband network
An antenna device includes a housing defining an interior cavity, and an RF antenna situated within the housing. The RF antenna receives high definition television signals broadcast over the air. An MHL connector is mounted on the housing. An external audio or video streaming signal device is coupleable to the MHL connector. An MHL to HDMI converter circuit situated within the interior cavity of the housing receives signals from the external audio or video streaming signal device and processes these signals into an HDMI signal format. The HDMI signals are provided on an HDMI output connector mounted on the housing. RF signals from the RF antenna are provided to an RF coaxial cable connector also mounted on the housing.
1. An antenna device, which comprises:
an antenna housing, the antenna housing defining an interior cavity;
an RF (radio frequency) antenna which receives high definition television signals broadcast over the air and provides an RF signal corresponding thereto, the RF antenna being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing;
a WiFi (wireless fidelity) antenna, the WiFi antenna being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing, the WiFi antenna receiving WiFi signals from an internet source and providing an output signal corresponding thereto;
a WiFi signal processing circuit, the WiFi signal processing circuit being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing, the WiFi signal processing circuit being responsive to the output signal of the WiFi antenna and selectively tuning the WiFi signal to a particular frequency and providing audio or video signals in response thereto, the WiFi signal processing circuit including a WiFi tuner circuit electrically coupled to the WiFi antenna, a microprocessor electrically coupled to the WiFi tuner circuit, and a memory circuit electrically coupled to the microprocessor, the memory circuit including at least one of a random access memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM);
an RF coaxial cable connector, the RF coaxial cable connector being mounted on or extending from the antenna housing, the RF coaxial cable connector providing the RF signal from the RF antenna thereon; and
an HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) cable connector, the HDMI cable connector being mounted on or extending from the antenna housing, the HDMI cable connector being electrically coupled to the WiFi signal processing circuit and providing the audio or video signals from the WiFi signal processing circuit thereon.
2. An antenna device as defined by claim 1 , which further comprises:
a power circuit, the power circuit being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing and providing power to at least the WiFi signal processing circuit.
3. An antenna device as defined by claim 1 , which further comprises:
an RF signal pre-amplifier circuit, the RF signal pre-amplifier circuit being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing, the RF signal pre-amplifier circuit being responsive to the RF signal provided by the RF antenna and providing an amplified RF signal corresponding thereto, the amplified RF signal being provided to the RF coaxial cable connector.
4. An antenna device as defined by claim 3 , which further comprises:
a power circuit, the power circuit being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing, the power circuit providing power to at least the WiFi signal processing circuit and the RE signal pre-amplifier circuit.
5. An antenna device as defined by claim 1 , which further comprises:
at least one IR (infrared) sensor, the at least one IR sensor being mounted on the antenna housing and being electrically coupled to the WiFi signal processing circuit, the at least one IR sensor sensing an IR signal transmitted by a remote control and generating an output signal in response thereto, the output signal being provided to the WiFi signal processing circuit.
6. An antenna device as defined by claim 1 , wherein the antenna housing is generally planar in shape and includes a front wall, a rear wall and opposite first and second lateral walls; and wherein the antenna device further comprises at least a first IR (infrared) sensor, a second IR sensor and a third IR sensor, the first IR sensor being mounted on the front wall of the antenna housing, the second IR sensor being mounted on the first lateral wall of the antenna housing, and the third IR sensor being mounted on one of the second lateral wall and the rear wall of the antenna housing, each of the at least first IR sensor, the second IR sensor and the third IR sensor being electrically coupled to the WiFi signal processing circuit, at least one of the at least first IR sensor, the second IR sensor and the third IR sensor sensing an IR signal transmitted by a remote control and generating an output signal in response thereto, the output signal being provided to the WiFi signal processing circuit.
7. An antenna device, which comprises:
an antenna housing, the antenna housing defining an interior cavity;
an RF (radio frequency) antenna disposed within the antenna housing, the RF antenna receiving high definition television signals broadcast over the air and providing an RF signal corresponding thereto;
a streaming signal input connector mounted on the antenna housing, the streaming signal input connector being capable of supporting and electrically connecting to an external WiFi (wireless fidelity) audio or video signal streaming device directly mounted on the antenna housing in the streaming signal input connector, the external WiFi audio or video streaming device providing on the streaming signal input connector on which it is mounted an audio or video streaming signal;
an HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) cable connector, the HDMI cable connector being mounted on or extending from the antenna housing, the HDMI cable connector being electrically coupled to the streaming signal input connector and providing thereon the audio or video streaming signal; and
an RF coaxial cable connector, the RF coaxial cable connector being mounted on or extending from the antenna housing, the RF coaxial cable connector providing the RF signal from the RF antenna thereon.
8. An antenna device as defined by claim 7 , wherein the streaming signal input connector is an MHL (mobile high-definition link) connector, wherein the MHL connector is operatively coupled to an external WiFi audio or video signal streaming device having a mating MHL connector thereon, and wherein the antenna device further comprises:
an MHL to HDMI converter circuit, the MHL to HDMI converter circuit being electrically coupled to the MHL connector and to the HDMI cable connector.
9. An antenna device as defined by claim 7 , which further comprises:
a power drawout circuit, the power drawout circuit being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing; and
a power inserter circuit, the power inserter circuit being remotely located from the antenna housing, the power inserter circuit being electrically coupled to the power drawout circuit;
wherein the power inserter circuit is electrically connectable to the RF signal coaxial cable connector and provides a DC voltage signal to the RF signal coaxial cable connector; and
wherein the power drawout circuit is responsive to the DC voltage signal from the power inserter circuit and extracts the DC voltage signal from the RF signal coaxial cable connector.
10. An antenna device as defined by claim 9 , which further comprises:
a low noise amplifier, the low noise amplifier being located remotely from the antenna housing, the low noise amplifier being electrically coupled to the power inserter circuit and amplifying the RF signal provided on the RF signal coaxial cable connector.
11. An antenna device as defined by claim 7 , which further comprises:
an RF signal pre-amplifier circuit, the RF signal pre-amplifier circuit being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing, the RF signal pre-amplifier circuit being responsive to the RF signal provided by the RF antenna and providing an amplified RF signal corresponding thereto, the amplified RF signal being provided to the RF coaxial cable connector.
12. An antenna device as defined by claim 7 , which further comprises:
at least one IR (infrared) sensor, the at least IR sensor being mounted on the antenna housing, the at least one IR sensor sensing an IR signal transmitted by a remote control and generating an output signal in response thereto; and
an IR signal processing circuit, the IR signal processing circuit being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing and being responsive to the output signal of the at least one IR sensor and providing a control signal in response thereto, the control signal being provided to the streaming signal input connector and to an external audio or video signal streaming device when the audio or video signal streaming device is coupled to the streaming signal input connector.
13. An antenna device, which comprises:
an antenna housing, the antenna housing defining an interior cavity;
an RF (radio frequency) antenna which receives high definition television signals broadcast over the air and provides an RF signal corresponding thereto, the RF antenna being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing;
a WiFi (wireless fidelity) antenna, the WiFi antenna being mounted on the antenna housing, the WiFi antenna receiving WiFi signals from an internet source and providing an output signal corresponding thereto;
a WiFi signal processing circuit, the WiFi signal processing circuit being disposed within the interior cavity of the antenna housing, the WiFi signal processing circuit being responsive to the output signal of the WiFi antenna and selectively tuning the WiFi signal to a particular frequency and providing audio or video signals in response thereto, the WiFi signal processing circuit including a WiFi tuner circuit electrically coupled to the WiFi antenna, a microprocessor electrically coupled to the WiFi tuner circuit, and a memory circuit electrically coupled to the microprocessor, the memory circuit including at least one of a random access memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM); and
an electrical signal connector, the electrical signal connector being mounted on or extending from the antenna housing, the electrical signal connector providing the RF signal from the RF antenna thereon.
14. An antenna device as defined by claim 13 , which further comprises:
a power circuit, the power circuit being electrically coupled to and providing power to at least the WiFi signal processing circuit.
15. An antenna device as defined by claim 13 , which further comprises:
an RF signal amplifier circuit, the RF signal amplifier circuit being responsive to the RF signal provided by the RF antenna and providing an amplified RF signal corresponding thereto.
16. An antenna device as defined by claim 15 , which further comprises:
a power circuit, the power circuit being electrically coupled to and providing power to at least the WiFi signal processing circuit and the RF signal amplifier circuit.
17. An antenna device as defined by claim 13 , which further comprises:
at least one IR (infrared) sensor, the at least one IR sensor being mounted on the antenna housing and being electrically coupled to the WiFi signal processing circuit, the at least one IR sensor sensing an IR signal transmitted by a remote control and generating an output signal in response thereto, the output signal being provided to the WiFi signal processing circuit.
18. An antenna device as defined by claim 13 , wherein the antenna housing is generally planar in shape and includes a front wall, a rear wall and opposite first and second lateral walls; and wherein the antenna device further comprises at least a first IR (infrared) sensor, a second IR sensor and a third IR sensor, the first IR sensor being mounted on the front wall of the antenna housing, the second IR sensor being mounted on the first lateral wall of the antenna housing, and the third IR sensor being mounted on one of the second lateral wall and the rear wall of the antenna housing, each of the at least first IR sensor, the second IR sensor and the third IR sensor being electrically coupled to the WiFi signal processing circuit, at least one of the at least first IR sensor, the second IR sensor and the third IR sensor sensing an IR signal transmitted by a remote control and generating an output signal in response thereto, the output signal being provided to the WiFi signal processing circuit.