Antenna equipment using short sticking-patch antenna

A planar antenna apparatus adapted to excite a small radiating element by electromagnetic coupling is provided. The antenna apparatus has a triplate line including ground conductor plates formed on the upper and lower surfaces of a dielectric substrate and a feed line sandwiched by the ground conductor plates. A coupling hole is formed through one of the ground conductor plates, and a mechanism is provided near the coupling hole for electrically interconnecting the two ground conductor plates. A radiating section coupled to the feed line through the coupling hole has one end grounded to form a short patch antenna. The short patch antenna has a size substantially half the size of a patch antenna. Also, the connecting mechanism prevents unnecessary coupling.