Antenna system for head mounted display device

• US 10,405,374 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Jiang, Tabesh, Maryam, Clayton, Joseph, Kough, Doug
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Dung B
• Application Number:
  US15/668,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20180270900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/276 for mounting on helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/30 Arrangements for providing operation on different wavebands
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/06 at the transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/08 at the receiving station
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A head mounted display (HMD) device includes a housing configured to mount on a face of a user, at least one display mounted in the housing, a wireless personal area network (WPAN) antenna mounted in a medial region of the housing, and first and second wireless local area network (WLAN) antennas located at respective lateral peripheries of the housing. The WPAN antenna includes a directional patch antenna comprising a feed line, a three-dimensional (3D) ground plane formed as a plurality of conductive sidewalls and a ground plane structure disposed at a first end of the sidewalls, wherein the ground plane structure is substantially perpendicular to the plurality of sidewalls. The WPAN antenna also includes a radiating surface disposed at a second end of the sidewalls opposite of the first end, wherein the radiating surface includes a patch antenna structure coupled to the feed line.

Claims

1. A head mounted display (HMD) device comprising:

a housing configured to mount on a face of a user and comprising a metal layer disposed at an interior surface of the housing;

at least one display mounted in the housing;

a wireless personal area network (WPAN) antenna mounted in a medial region of the housing, the WPAN antenna comprising a directional patch antenna, wherein the WPAN antenna comprises;

a feed line;

a three-dimensional (3D) conductive ground plane comprising;

a plurality of conductive sidewalls, wherein the plurality of sidewalls comprise one or more metal layers disposed on corresponding surfaces of the 3D structure; and

a ground plane structure disposed at a first end of the sidewalls, the ground plane structure perpendicular to the plurality of sidewalls and electrically coupled to the plurality of conductive sidewalls, wherein the ground plane structure comprises a sheet metal structure conductively coupled to the one or more metal layers of the plurality of sidewalls, wherein the sheet metal structure comprises a first plurality of sheet metal spring contacts, each sheet metal spring contact configured to mechanically and electrically couple the sheet metal structure to a corresponding sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls via corresponding contact indentions in the corresponding sidewall, wherein the sheet metal structure comprises a second plurality of sheet metal spring contacts to contact the metal layer disposed at the interior surface; and

a radiating surface disposed at a second end of the sidewalls opposite of the first end, the radiating surface comprising a patch antenna structure coupled to the feed line, wherein the patch antenna structure comprises;

a radiating patch; and

a feed patch capacitively coupled to the radiating patch, wherein the radiating patch and feed patch comprise one or more metal layers disposed on a corresponding surface of a non-conductive 3D structure; and

first and second wireless local area network (WLAN) antennas located at respective lateral peripheral regions of the housing.

2. The HMD device of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second WLAN antennas are configured to operate in accordance with at least one IEEE 802.11 wireless specification; and

the WPAN antenna is configured to operate in accordance with one or more of;

at least one Bluetooth specification or at least one IEEE 802.15 wireless specification.

3. The HMD device of claim 2, wherein the first and second WLAN antennas together provide a two-channel multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna.

4. The HMD device of claim 1, wherein:

the HMD device is configured to operate in conjunction with at least one wireless handheld controller; and

the WPAN antenna is configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one wireless handheld controller.

5. The HMD device of claim 1, wherein:

the WPAN antenna is located proximate to a top edge of the housing; and

the first and second WLAN antennas are located proximate to respective lateral edges of the housing.

6. The HMD device of claim 1, wherein:

the non-conductive 3D structure comprises a plastic structure; and

the one or more metal layers of the plurality of sidewalls and the one or more metal layers of the radiating patch and feed patch comprise patterned metal layers deposited on corresponding surfaces of the plastic structure.

7. The HMD device of claim 1, wherein the radiating surface is contoured to match a corresponding contour of a region of the housing at a mounting point for the WPAN antenna.

8. In a head mounted display (HMD) device, a method comprising:

communicating first wireless signaling via a directional patch antenna of a wireless personal area network (WPAN) antenna mounted in a medial region of a housing of the HMD device, wherein the housing comprises a metal layer disposed at an interior surface of the housing, wherein the WPAN antenna comprises;

a feed line;

a three-dimensional (3D) conductive ground plane comprising;

a plurality of conductive sidewalls, wherein the plurality of sidewalls comprise one or more metal layers disposed on corresponding surfaces of the 3D structure; and

a ground plane structure disposed at a first end of the sidewalls, the ground plane structure perpendicular to the plurality of sidewalls and electrically coupled to the plurality of conductive sidewalls, wherein the ground plane structure comprises a sheet metal structure conductively coupled to the one or more metal layers of the plurality of sidewalls, wherein the sheet metal structure comprises a first plurality of sheet metal spring contacts, each sheet metal spring contact configured to mechanically and electrically couple the sheet metal structure to a corresponding sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls via corresponding contact indentions in the corresponding sidewall, wherein the sheet metal structure comprises a second plurality of sheet metal spring contacts to contact the metal layer disposed at the interior surface; and

a radiating surface disposed at a second end of the sidewalls opposite of the first end, the radiating surface comprising a patch antenna structure coupled to the feed line, wherein the patch antenna structure comprises;

a radiating patch; and

a feed patch capacitively coupled to the radiating patch, wherein the radiating patch and feed patch comprise one or more metal layers disposed on a corresponding surface of a non-conductive 3D structure; and

communicating second wireless signaling via at least one of first and second wireless local area network (WLAN) antennas located at respective lateral peripheries of the housing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

communicating the first wireless signaling comprises communicating the second signaling in accordance with one or more of;

at least one Bluetooth specification or at least one IEEE 802.15 specification; and

communicating the second wireless signaling comprises communicating the first wireless signaling in accordance with at least IEEE 802.11 specification.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the HMD device is configured to operate in conjunction with at least one wireless handheld controller; and

communicating the first wireless signaling comprising communicating the first wireless signaling between the WPAN antenna and the at least one wireless handheld controller.

11. A directional patch antenna comprising:

a feed line;

a three-dimensional (3D) ground plane comprising;

a plurality of conductive sidewalls, wherein the plurality of sidewalls comprise one or more metal layers disposed on corresponding surfaces of the 3D structure; and

a conductive ground plane structure disposed at a first end of the sidewalls, the ground plane structure perpendicular to the plurality of sidewalls and electrically coupled to the plurality of conductive sidewalls, wherein the ground plane structure comprises a sheet metal structure conductively coupled to the one or more metal layers of the plurality of sidewalls, wherein the sheet metal structure comprises a first plurality of sheet metal spring contacts, each sheet metal spring contact configured to mechanically and electrically couple the sheet metal structure to a corresponding sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls via corresponding contact indentions in the corresponding sidewall, wherein the sheet metal structure comprises a second plurality of sheet metal spring contacts to contact the metal layer disposed at the interior surface; and

a radiating surface disposed at a second end of the sidewalls opposite of the first end, the radiating surface comprising a patch antenna structure coupled to the feed line, wherein the patch antenna structure comprises;

a radiating patch; and

a feed patch capacitively coupled to the radiating patch, wherein the radiating patch and feed patch comprise one or more metal layers disposed on a corresponding surface of a non-conductive 3D structure.

12. The directional patch antenna of claim 11, wherein:

the non-conductive 3D structure comprises a plastic structure; and

the one or more metal layers of the plurality of sidewalls and the one or more metal layers of the radiating patch and feed patch comprise patterned metal layers deposited on corresponding surfaces of the plastic structure.