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MULTI-BAND BALANCED ANTENNAS WITH ENHANCED STABILITY AND PERFORMANCE FOR MOBILE HANDSETS

Lead Research Organisation: University of Bradford
Department Name: Sch of Engineering Design and Technology

Abstract

The move toward worldwide wireless communication continues at remarkable pace, and the antenna element of the technology is crucial to its success. Various mobile antenna structures have found increasing attention, significant characteristics being small size and low cost. However, the characteristics also need to be optimised with respect to the antenna radiation patterns and the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) levels for compliance with international safety guidelines. Moreover, the antenna should have weak coupling with the body of the handset to provide the best performance stability and impedance matching in the presence of a human body, including the hand holding the handset. A good candidate is to use balanced antennas to reduce the effect of the mobile antenna on the handset, since unbalanced antennas drive current into the handset chassis, which interacts strongly with the unpredictable characterisitics of the body. The maximum specific absorption rate (SAR) values have been shown to be substantially reduced when placed next to the human head, compared with conventional unbalanced antennas, if these antennas are well-designed. The purpose of the study will be to design an antenna that will be developed using the Bradford hybrid electromagnetic modelling technique, allied to genetic algorithms to optimise the enhancement of the bandwidth. Multiple-band and wideband variants of these antennas for 2G, 3G, B3G and IEEE 802.x mobile bands will also be considered as a key target of the project.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description The motivation for this project was that, while much is known in general about antennas for mobile handheld phones (which currently almost invariably have unbalanced feeds), little attention had been given to balanced antennas, which are expected to have better performance, in particular to give reduced absorption of radio energy by the user and greater stability in their performance. A side benefit of this reduced absorption in the user (known as "SAR") would be increased efficiency of the hand
Exploitation Route The practical outcomes of this work are 1) a closer understanding and model of the strength of interaction of radiation from mobile phone handsets with their users' bodies and 2) designs of mobile handsets that reduce the strength of this interaction.



The EPSRC funded the research into the design of new antennas for mobile phone handsets with reduced coupling between the hand and the handset. What that basically means is that the work looks into how a different sort of antenna could reduc
Sectors Education

Electronics

Environment

URL http://www.brad.ac.uk/ei/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/research/radio-frequency-antennas-propagation-computational-electromagnetics/
 
Description Economy: Several new antenna designs were created that prove the reduced SAR and the desirable weak coupling with nearby objects, including the human body. As a result, a Knowledge Transfer Partnership Grant (KTP7277 - 18 months), in collaboration with Pace Plc was awarded. This concerns the design and implementation of MIMO antenna systems for Pace WLAN device products, with the aim of significantly improving network throughput and robustness. In addition, several industrial consultancies were
First Year Of Impact 2009
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Healthcare
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

Economic

 
Description Industrial Consultancy IETG
Amount £15,000 (GBP)
Organisation IETG 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2007 
End 10/2007
 
Description Industrial Consultancy IETG
Amount £25,000 (GBP)
Organisation IETG 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2010 
End 10/2010
 
Description Industrial contract with PACE plc
Amount £4,000 (GBP)
Organisation Pace 
Sector Private
Country United States
Start 11/2011 
End 04/2012
 
Description KTP Project (Ref: KTP008734)
Amount £239,025 (GBP)
Funding ID KTP008734 
Organisation Innovate UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2011 
End 04/2014
 
Description KTP project (KTP7277)
Amount £83,724 (GBP)
Funding ID KTP7277 
Organisation Innovate UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2009 
End 09/2010
 
Title Dual band antenna designa and implementation within the ground level 
Description Patents (Filed): Title of invention: Multiband balanced antenna for portable communication devices Inventors: D Zhou, RA Abd-Alhameed and PS Excell Date of submission: 12 November 2009 with application number GB 0919479.6 
IP Reference GB0720286.4 
Protection Patent application published
Year Protection Granted 2009
Licensed Yes
Impact Part of this work has been applied to Pace plc company through knowledge transfer programme in 2010.
 
Title Licence(s) pending (Final Report data) 
Description Activate previous patent application no. GB0722141.9, entitled 'Multiband balanced antenna for portable communication devices', combining with the recent new research outcomes from the present project on balanced antenna design for WLAN application, for which the Camitri Technologies company has expressed interest to adopt the design for use on laptops. A letter of interest and support from the Camitri Technologies company can be found in the attachments documents section. 
IP Reference  
Protection Protection not required
Year Protection Granted 2009
Licensed Yes
Impact The new balanced antenna provides the technical solution for the products of Camitri Technologies company.
 
Description 'Health Applications for Wireless Technology', one-day Master class 
Form Of Engagement Activity Scientific meeting (conference/symposium etc.)
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Type Of Presentation keynote/invited speaker
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact 'Health Applications for Wireless Technology', one-day Master class, led by WCIC, CPD4 Health Innovation, "Health and Safety Aspects: Interference issues and regulations (Delivered by Prof Abd-Alhameed ), Sep. 2008.

This activity greatly supports the open talk with the industry, for which our new research areas have been exploited.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2008
 
Description Health and Safety Considerations for Wireless Systems', Health applications for wireless technology CPD course 
Form Of Engagement Activity Scientific meeting (conference/symposium etc.)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Type Of Presentation keynote/invited speaker
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Health and Safety Considerations for Wireless Systems',

Health applications for wireless technology CPD course, 15-18 December 2008, led by CPD4 Health Innovation (Delivered by Prof Excell), Dec. 2008.
.

We are able to engage two industries to support the final year projects.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2008
 
Description newspaper 'Telegraph & Argus' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact An article was published on this present grant work in a Bradford local newspaper 'Telegraph & Argus'

Please see the web link as followed: http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/2231933.universitys_800_000_bid_to_solve_phone_riddle/
.

We have been called by the school to share several research shows to demonstrate the principles of the new results outcomes.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2008
URL http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/2231933.universitys_800_000_bid_to_solve_phone_riddle/