Printed inverted-F antenna with reconfigurable pattern and polarization

A simple pattern reconfigurable printed inverted-F antenna is presented for WLAN applications. The proposed low profile monopole antenna consists of one main radiator and one parasitic element. The antenna is capable of switching both the pattern and polarization across the full 205 MHz bandwidth, using only one PIN diode. The measured gain for the ON and OFF modes are 1.2 dBi and 4.2 dBi, respectively. The operating mechanism is described, and key antenna parameters are studied and optimized. The envelope correlation coefficient is used to evaluate the switched pattern diversity.