Pattern‐Reconfigurable Metal‐Bezel Smartwatch GPS Antenna for Enhanced Positioning Performance

ABSTRACT Steering the radiation pattern to the desired direction is highly anticipated for smartwatch GPS antenna in user scenarios, as it prevents energy from being wasted in unnecessary directions. In this paper, a dual‐pattern reconfigurable metal‐bezel smartwatch GPS antenna is proposed, which is capable of concentrating radiation energy according to different wearing preferences. The smartwatch consists of a metal bezel and a ground plane. An L‐ shaped branch is introduced, enabling current coupling into the clearance. With only two switches, opposite localized current paths can be achieved within the clearance, contributing to different radiation patterns. As a result, the antennas' peak gains of −0.70 dBi and −0.84 dBi are achieved at 1.575 GHz, respectively, which are suitable for left‐wrist and right‐wrist wearing scenarios. Antenna prototypes were fabricated, with the measured results agreeing well with the simulated ones. The L ‐shaped branch can be realized by laser direct structuring (LDS). The simple and practical implementation offers a feasible solution for enhancing the performance of smartwatch GPS antenna.