Planar inverted-F antenna including a matching network having transmission line stubs and capacitor/inductor tank circuits

摘要

A small multi-band planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) includes a metal radiating element that is physically located above a metal ground plane element, and the space therebetween includes a frequency matching network having a microstrip transmission line that connects an antenna feed to a wireless communications device (WCD) feed. The impedance matching network may include a microstrip impedance transformer whose output provides a 50 ohm connection to the WCD. A number of microstrip stubs are connected to the microstrip transmission line. At least some of the microstrip stubs connect to the microstrip transmission line by way of a LC tank circuit. The LC tanks circuits are responsive to different ones of the multiple frequencies to which the PIFA is responsive, and in this manner the impedance matching network is dynamically reconfigured in accordance with the frequency band currently traversing the microstrip transmission line. The LC tanks circuits include discrete capacitors and inductors. A two-shot molding process is used to make a unitary plastic antenna assembly whose second-shot plastic surfaces are metallized in order to provide the antenna's metal elements, including the microstrip circuit pattern of the impedance matching network.