DIELECTRIC WINDOW ANTENNAS FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20100321253A1
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schlub, Robert W., Springer, Gregory A., Jiang, Yi, Gomez Angulo, Rodney Andres, Ayala Vazquez, Enrique, Chiang, Bing, Caballero, Ruben, Kough, Douglas B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,325,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• 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 13/18 the slot being backed by, or formed in boundary wall of, a resonant cavity longitudinally slotted cylinder H01Q13/12 ; Open cavity antennas

Abstract

Logo antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable computers. An electronic device may have a housing with conductive housing walls. A logo antenna may be formed from an antenna resonating element such as a patch antenna resonating element, a monopole antenna resonating element, or other antenna resonating element structure. A conductive cavity may be placed behind the antenna resonating element. A dielectric antenna window that serves as a logo may be used to cover the antenna resonating element. The dielectric antenna window may be mounted in an opening in the conductive housing walls. A positive antenna feed terminal may be coupled to the antenna resonating element. A ground antenna feed terminal may be coupled to the cavity and portions of the conductive housing walls. The dielectric antenna window may be shaped in the form of a logo.

Claims

1. An electronic device with a logo antenna, comprising:

a conductive housing wall;

a dielectric logo structure in the conductive housing wall that serves as a dielectric antenna window for the logo antenna; and

an antenna resonating element for the logo antenna that is mounted behind the dielectric logo structure, so that radio-frequency antenna signals pass from the antenna resonating element through the dielectric logo structure.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the conductive housing wall comprises a conductive computer housing wall.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a portable computer and wherein the conductive housing wall comprises a metal housing wall in the portable computer.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a portable computer having a lid and a base that is pivotably connected to the base and wherein the conductive housing wall in which the dielectric logo structure is contained forms a top surface for the lid.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the dielectric logo structure contains text.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the dielectric logo structure comprises a planar plastic member.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the dielectric logo structure comprises a logo-shaped plastic member.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a conductive antenna cavity for the logo antenna that is mounted behind the antenna resonating element.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the antenna resonating element comprises a patch antenna resonating element.

10. A logo antenna, comprising:

conductive antenna ground structures having a ground antenna feed terminal;

an antenna resonating element having a positive antenna feed terminal; and

a logo-shaped dielectric antenna window that covers least part of the antenna resonating element.

11. The logo antenna defined in claim 10 wherein the logo-shaped dielectric antenna window comprises plastic.

12. The logo antenna defined in claim 10 wherein the conductive antenna ground structures comprises metal housing walls in an electronic device.

13. The logo antenna defined in claim 10 wherein the antenna resonating element comprises a metal patch antenna element.

14. The logo antenna defined in claim 13 wherein the conductive antenna ground structures include an antenna cavity.

15. The logo antenna defined in claim 13 wherein:

a first portion of the conductive antenna ground structures comprise conductive computer housing walls;

a second portion of the conductive antenna ground structures comprise a conductive antenna cavity; and

the antenna resonating element is interposed between the conductive antenna cavity and the logo-shaped dielectric antenna window.

16. The logo antenna defined in claim 15 wherein the conductive antenna cavity comprises a rectangular metal cavity with vertical sidewalls and a planar rear wall structure that lies parallel to the logo-shaped dielectric antenna window.

17. A portable electronic device comprising:

a housing having at least one planar metal housing sidewall with an exterior surface;

radio-frequency transceiver circuitry;

a logo antenna having an antenna resonating element structure that is covered by a dielectric antenna window mounted in the exterior surface of the housing that serves as a logo; and

a transmission line that couples the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry to the logo antenna.

18. The portable electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the logo antenna comprises a conductive antenna cavity, wherein the antenna resonating element structure is interposed between the dielectric antenna window and the conductive antenna cavity, and wherein the dielectric antenna window comprises a logo-shaped piece of dielectric.

19. The portable electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the conductive antenna cavity has vertical sidewalls and a planar rear surface that is parallel to the dielectric antenna window.

20. The portable electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the dielectric antenna window comprises plastic and wherein the planar housing sidewall comprises aluminum.

21. The portable electronic device defined in claim 17 further comprising a positive antenna feed terminal that is electrically connected to the antenna resonating element structure and a ground antenna feed terminal that is electrically connected to at least the planar metal housing sidewall.

22. A computer, comprising:

a metal housing having a planar housing wall with an opening;

a display that is mounted in the metal housing parallel to the planar housing wall; and

a logo antenna that transmits and receives radio-frequency antenna signals through the opening, wherein the logo antenna has an antenna resonating element structure that is covered by a logo-shaped dielectric antenna window mounted in the opening parallel to the planar housing wall and parallel to the display.

23. The computer defined in claim 22 wherein the logo antenna further comprises a conductive antenna cavity and wherein the antenna resonating element structure is interposed between the logo-shaped dielectric antenna window and the conductive antenna cavity.

24. The computer defined in claim 23 wherein the conductive antenna cavity comprises a metal cavity having sidewalls that are interposed between the antenna resonating element and the display.

25. The computer defined in claim 24 wherein the computer comprises a portable computer with a lid and wherein the planar housing wall comprises a planar piece of anodized aluminum that forms at least a center portion of the lid.