Printed monopole antenna

Claim 2

A printed monopole antenna having a ground plane defined substantially perpendicular thereto, comprising: (a) a first printed circuit board having a first side and a second side, said first printed circuit board lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to said ground plane; (b) a monopole radiating element comprising a first conductive trace formed on said first printed circuit board first side, said first conductive trace having a physical length from a feed end to an opposite end; and (c) a conductive element comprising a second conductive trace formed on said printed circuit board adjacent said first conductive trace, said second conductive trace having a physical length from a grounding end to an opposite end; wherein said second conductive trace serves to extend said ground plane and prevents currents from radiating over that portion of said first conductive trace aligned with said second conductive trace, whereby said opposite end of said second conductive trace defines a virtual feedpoint for said first conductive trace.

Claim 3

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein said second conductive trace is formed on said printed circuit board second side.

Claim 4

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein said second conductive trace is formed on said printed circuit board first side.

Claim 5

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein said printed circuit board is made of a flexible dielectric material.

Claim 6

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein an electrical length of said first conductive trace defines a center frequency of antenna operation within a first frequency band.

Claim 7

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein said physical length of said second conductive trace determines the impedance match for broadband operation of said antenna.

Claim 8

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein said printed circuit board, said first conductive trace, and said second conductive trace are overmolded.

Claim 9

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said first conductive trace is non-linear, whereby said physical length of said first conductive trace is less than an electrical length for said first conductive trace.

Claim 10

The printed monopole antenna of claim 8, said non-linear portion of said first conductive trace having a square wave configuration.

Claim 11

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, further comprising a feed port including a signal feed portion and a ground portion, said signal feed portion being coupled to said feed end of said first conductive trace and said ground portion being coupled to said grounding end of said second conductive trace.

Claim 12

The printed monopole antenna of claim 10, wherein said feed port comprises a coaxial connector.

Claim 13

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein said monopole radiating element has an electrical length substantially equivalent to said physical length of said first conductive trace.

Claim 14

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein the physical length of said second conductive trace is less than the physical length of said first conductive trace.

Claim 15

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein an electrical length of said first conductive trace is approximately equivalent to a quarter-wavelength of a desired center frequency for antenna operation.

Claim 16

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, wherein an electrical length of said first conductive trace is approximately equivalent to a half-wavelength of a desired center frequency for antenna operation.

Claim 17

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, further comprising: (a) a second printed circuit board having a first side and a second side, said second printed circuit board being oriented in a plane substantially parallel to and spaced from said first printed circuit board so that said first printed circuit board first side is adjacent said second printed circuit board second side; and (b) a third conductive trace formed on said second printed circuit board first side; wherein said first conductive trace has an electrical length resonant within a first frequency band and said third conductive trace has an electrical length resonant within a second frequency band.

Claim 18

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, further comprising a third conductive trace formed on said printed circuit board first side adjacent said first conductive trace, wherein said first conductive trace has an electrical length resonant within a first frequency band and said third conductive trace has an electrical length resonant within a second frequency band.

Claim 19

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, further comprising a parasitic element formed on said printed circuit board second side, said parasitic element being located at said end opposite said second conductive trace, wherein said first conductive trace has an electrical length resonant within a first frequency band and said parasitic element tunes said first conductive trace to a secondary resonance within a second frequency band.

Claim 20

The printed monopole antenna of claim 1, said ground plane being defined by a housing of a portable communication device.

Claim 21

An antenna for a communication device, a housing for said communication device defining a ground plane, comprising: (a) a feed port including a signal feed portion and a ground portion; (b) a printed circuit board having a first side and a second side, said printed circuit board lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to said ground plane; (c) a monopole radiating element comprising a first conductive trace formed on said printed circuit board first side, said first conductive trace having a physical length from a feed end coupled to said signal feed portion of said feed port to an opposite end; and (d) a conductive element comprising a second conductive trace formed on said printed circuit board adjacent said first conductive trace, said second conductive trace having a physical length from a grounding end coupled to said ground portion of said feed port to an opposite end, wherein said grounding end of said second conductive trace is located at the same end as said feed end of said first conductive trace; wherein said second conductive trace extends said ground plane and prevents currents from radiating over that portion of said first conductive trace aligned with said second conductive trace, whereby said opposite end of said second conductive trace defines a virtual feedpoint for said first conductive trace.

Claim 22

An antenna for a communication device, a housing for said communication device defining a ground plane, comprising: (a) a feed port including a signal feed portion and a ground portion; (b) a printed circuit board having a first side and a second side, said printed circuit board lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to said ground plane; (c) a monopole radiating element comprising a first conductive trace formed on said printed circuit board first side, said first conductive trace having a physical length from a feed end coupled to said signal feed portion of said feed port to an opposite end; and (d) a conductive element comprising a second conductive trace formed on said printed circuit board adjacent said first conductive trace, said second conductive trace having a physical length from a grounding end coupled to said ground portion of said feed port to an opposite end, wherein said grounding end of said second conductive trace is located at the same end as said feed end of said first conductive trace; wherein said second conductive trace extends said ground plane and prevents currents from radiating over that portion of said first conductive trace aligned with said second conductive trace, whereby said opposite end of said second conductive trace defines a virtual feedpoint for said first conductive trace.

Claim 23

The antenna of claim 20, wherein said second conductive trace is formed on said printed circuit board second side.

Claim 24

The antenna of claim 20, wherein said second conductive trace is formed on said printed circuit board first side.

Claim 25

The radio antenna of claim 20, wherein the physical length of said second conductive trace is sized to provide an impedance match with said first conductive trace.

Claim 26

The radio antenna of claim 20, wherein that portion of said first conductive trace aligned with said second conductive trace is non-linear.