Reconfigurable antennas with narrowband and ultra wideband modes

In this paper simple printed reconfigurable antennas are presented for wireless body area network (WBAN) applications. These antennas are capable of switching between an ultra-wide mode for 3.1-10.6 GHz UWB links and a narrowband mode for 2.45 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) links. In addition, the printed single layer geometry avoids the need for any vias to the ground. Moreover, this multifunctional operation with the compact configuration ultimately saves much needed space in wearable electronic devices. The narrowband mode has a 10 dB return-loss bandwidth from 1.5 GHz to 2.98 GHz, while the UWB mode yields a 121% return-loss bandwidth.