Ultra wideband antenna including radio frequency balun
An ultra wide band (UWB) antenna is described and includes: a planar portion arranged above and parallel to a ground plane; a ground connecting portion configured to electrically connect the UWB antenna to the ground plane; a tapered portion, the tapered portion extending around at least 40 percent of a periphery of the planar portion and extending perpendicularly from the planar portion toward the ground plane, where a height of the tapered portion decreases around the periphery of the planar portion moving away from the feed, and where a lower edge of the tapered portion is spaced from the ground plane by a gap; and a radio frequency (RF) balun, where a feed is configured to be electrically connected between the RF balun and the tapered portion.
1 . An ultra wide band (UWB) antenna, comprising:
a planar portion arranged above and parallel to a ground plane;
a ground connecting portion configured to electrically connect the UWB antenna to the ground plane;
a tapered portion,
the tapered portion extending around at least 40 percent of a periphery of the planar portion and extending perpendicularly from the planar portion toward the ground plane,
wherein a height of the tapered portion decreases around the periphery of the planar portion moving away from a feed, and
wherein a lower edge of the tapered portion is spaced from the ground plane by a gap;
a radio frequency (RF) balun,
wherein the feed is configured to be electrically connected between the RF balun and the tapered portion;
a matching network configured to electrically connect the feed to the tapered portion; and
a circuit board, wherein the matching network is disposed on the circuit board, wherein:
the tapered portion includes an aperture; and
the circuit board includes an extending portion that extends through the aperture and rests on an edge of the aperture.
2 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 , wherein the height of UWB antenna corresponds to approximately 1/20 of a wavelength corresponding to a target lowest operating frequency of the UWB antenna.
3 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 , wherein the planar portion has a rectangular shape.
4 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 , wherein the height of the tapered portion monotonically decreases moving away from the feed.
5 . The UWB antenna of claim 4 wherein the gap monotonically increases moving away from the feed as the height of the tapered portion decreases.
6 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 wherein the RF balun is rectangular.
7 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 wherein the RF balun is circular.
8 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 wherein the RF balun includes a half circle portion and a rectangular portion.
9 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 further comprising a second aperture through the planar portion.
10 . The UWB antenna of claim 9 wherein the ground connecting portion includes material from within the second aperture.
11 . The UWB antenna of claim 9 wherein a shape and size of the second aperture is approximately a shape and size of the ground connecting portion.
12 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 wherein the ground connecting portion extends perpendicular to the planar portion to the ground plane.
13 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 wherein the circuit board is disposed between the lower edge of the tapered portion and the ground plane.
14 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 wherein a plane of the circuit board is disposed parallel to the ground plane.
15 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 wherein a plane of the circuit board is perpendicular to the planar portion and the ground plane.
16 . The UWB antenna of claim 1 wherein the planar portion, the ground connecting portion, and the tapered portion are made of an electrically conductive material.
17 . A vehicle comprising:
an ultra wide band (UWB) antenna, comprising:
a planar portion arranged above and parallel to a ground plane;
a ground connecting portion configured to electrically connect the UWB antenna to the ground plane;
a tapered portion,
the tapered portion extending around at least 40 percent of a periphery of the planar portion and extending perpendicularly from the planar portion toward the ground plane,
wherein a height of the tapered portion decreases around the periphery of the planar portion moving away from a feed, and
wherein a lower edge of the tapered portion is spaced from the ground plane by a gap;
a radio frequency (RF) balun,
wherein the feed is configured to be electrically connected between the RF balun and the tapered portion;
a matching network configured to electrically connect the feed to the tapered portion; and
a circuit board, wherein the matching network is disposed on the circuit board,
wherein:
the tapered portion includes an aperture; and
the circuit board includes an extending portion that extends through the aperture and rests on an edge of the aperture.
18 . The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the height of UWB antenna corresponds to approximately 1/20 of a wavelength corresponding to a target lowest operating frequency of the UWB antenna.
19 . The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the planar portion has a rectangular shape.
20 . The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the height of the tapered portion monotonically decreases moving away from the feed.