Antenna structures for wireless communications

• US 10,361,476 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ou, Yu-Chin
• Primary Examiner(s): Levi, Dameon E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alkassim, Jr., Ab Salam
• Application Number:
  US15/014,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20160351996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15321 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/00 Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic combination of horns with slotted waveguide array H01Q13/0233
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication using the mmW spectrum. In particular, an antenna structure may be designed to integrate with an external housing of a wireless communication device. For example, the external housing may include a cavity that facilitates reception and/or transmission of radio frequency communication signals by an antenna element of the antenna structure. Such an antenna structure may be designed to be relatively compact to deal with the limited real estate available on modern wireless communication devices (e.g., cellular telephones).

Claims

1. A handheld wireless communication device, comprising:

an external housing;

a substrate supporting an antenna element and disposed adjacent an inner surface of the external housing, the antenna element comprising a plurality of antenna elements of an antenna array, each of the plurality of antenna elements comprising a millimeter wavelength antenna element;

a cavity formed in the external housing, the cavity aligned with the antenna element such that the antenna element receives and transmits radio frequency communication signals through the cavity during operation of the handheld wireless communication device, the cavity comprising a plurality of cavities, each of the plurality of cavities aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements; and

a plurality of auxiliary cavities formed in the substrate and aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of cavities and the corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements, each of the auxiliary cavities configured to reflect at least some of the radio frequency communication signals towards the corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the external housing comprises a metallic material.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the external housing comprises a plastics material, further comprising:

a metallic material disposed on a wall of the at least one cavity.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein a wall of the cavity is tapered to slope towards the antenna element.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a dielectric material that fills the cavity and has an external surface coplanar with the external housing.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 5, wherein the dielectric material comprises a plastics material.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the external housing includes a first portion and a second portion, the cavity formed in the second portion of the external housing, the substrate disposed adjacent to at least an inner surface of the first portion of the external housing.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the first portion is insertable into the second portion to form the external housing.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a layer of material on an exterior surface of the external housing, the layer of material covering the cavity formed in the external housing.

21. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the antenna element is disposed at least partially in the cavity.

7. A wireless communication device, comprising:

an external housing;

a substrate supporting an antenna element and disposed adjacent an inner surface of the external housing, the antenna element comprising a plurality of antenna elements of an antenna array, each of the plurality of antenna elements comprising a millimeter wavelength antenna element; and

a cavity formed in the external housing, the cavity aligned with the antenna element such that the antenna element receives and transmits radio frequency communication signals through the cavity during operation of the wireless communication device, the cavity comprising a plurality of cavities, each of the plurality of cavities aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements, the plurality of cavities including outer perimeter cavity walls and inner non-perimeter cavity walls, all of the outer perimeter cavity walls being tapered to slope towards a corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements and all of the inner non-perimeter cavity walls not being tapered.

11. A handheld wireless communication device, comprising:

means for housing the wireless communication device;

means for supporting an antenna element, the means for supporting disposed adjacent an inner surface of the means for housing, the antenna element comprising a plurality of antenna elements of an antenna array, each of the plurality of antenna elements comprising a millimeter wavelength antenna element;

a cavity formed in the means for housing, the cavity aligned with the antenna element such that the antenna element receives and transmits radio frequency communication signals through the cavity during operation of the handheld wireless communication device, the cavity comprising a plurality of cavities, each of the plurality of cavities aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements; and

a plurality of auxiliary cavities formed in the substrate and aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of cavities and the corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements, each of the auxiliary cavities configured to reflect at least some of the radio frequency communication signals towards the corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the means for housing comprises a metallic material.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the means for housing comprises a plastics material, further comprising:

a metallic material disposed on a wall of the at least one cavity.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein a wall of the cavity is tapered to slope towards the antenna element.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, further comprising:

means for filling the cavity to have an external surface coplanar with the external housing.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the means for filling comprises a plastics material.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the means for housing includes a first portion and a second portion, the cavity formed in the second portion of the means for housing, the substrate disposed adjacent to at least an inner surface of the first portion of the means for housing.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the first portion is insertable into the second portion to form the means for housing.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 11, further comprising:

a layer of material on an exterior surface of the means for housing, the layer of material covering the cavity formed in the means for housing.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the antenna element is disposed at least partially in the cavity.

17. A wireless communication device, comprising:

means for housing the wireless communication device;

means for supporting an antenna element, the means for supporting disposed adjacent an inner surface of the means for housing, the antenna element comprising a plurality of antenna elements of an antenna array, each of the plurality of antenna elements comprising a millimeter wavelength antenna element; and

a cavity formed in the means for housing, the cavity aligned with the antenna element such that the antenna element receives and transmits radio frequency communication signals through the cavity during operation of the wireless communication device, the cavity comprising a plurality of cavities, each of the plurality of cavities aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements, the plurality of cavities including outer perimeter cavity walls and inner non-perimeter cavity walls, all of the outer perimeter cavity walls being tapered to slope towards the corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements and all of the inner non-perimeter cavity walls not being tapered.