UNINTERRUPTED BEZEL ANTENNA

• US 20130135158A1
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Faraone, Antonio, Bit-Babik, Giorgi G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,041,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas

Abstract

A bezel forms a continuous, uninterrupted outer perimeter around the outside of a handheld radio device. The bezel is made of an electrically conductive material and is used as an antenna element. The bezel can be operated in either a common excitation mode or a differential excitation mode, depending on whether a user is presently holding the device, and making contact with the bezel.

Claims

1. An antenna, comprising:

an uninterrupted bezel forming an outer perimeter of a handheld device;

a substantially planar electrically conductive mass disposed within the handheld device forming a contiguous slot between the planar electrically conductive mass and the uninterrupted bezel;

a feed element disposed within the handheld device that is coupled to the uninterrupted bezel; and

a feed point that is electrically coupled to the feed element and that connects the feed element to a radio frequency circuit of the handheld device at a point on the uninterrupted bezel.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the bezel has at least one aperture for accommodating at least one of a button element or a connector.

3. The antenna so claim 1, wherein the handheld device is a substantially rectangular device having a width and a length in a plane of a front surface, and a side height between the front surface and a back surface, the bezel has a height that is at least half of the side height of the handheld device.

4. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the planar electrically conductive mass is electrically separate from the uninterrupted bezel.

5. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the planar electrically conductive mass includes at least one of a ground plane of a circuit board of the handheld device, a shield, or a battery used to power the handheld device.

6. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the planar electrically mass is electrically coupled to the uninterrupted bezel.

7. The antenna of claim 6 wherein the planar electrically conductive mass is electrically coupled to the uninterrupted bezel at at least a point opposite from the feed element in the handheld device.

8. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the feed element disposed within the handheld device is capacitively coupled to the bezel.

9. The antenna of claim 1, where in the antenna is operable in a differential mode and a common mode.

10. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a second feed point.

11. A handheld radio device, comprising:

an uninterrupted bezel forming an outer perimeter of the handheld radio device;

a substantially planar electrically conductive mass disposed within the handheld radio device forming a contiguous slot between the planar electrically conductive mass and the uninterrupted bezel; and

a radio frequency feed to the bezel to operate the bezel as an antenna of the handheld radio device.

12. The handheld radio device of claim 11, further comprising a feed element that is capacitively coupled to the uninterrupted bezel and that has a feed point.

13. The handheld radio device of claim 11, further comprising a speaker disposed within the contiguous slot.

14. The handheld radio device of claim 11, further comprising at least one opening in the uninterrupted bezel and a button actuator disposed in the opening.

15. The handheld radio device of claim 11, wherein the contiguous slot has a length of half a wavelength of a lowest operating frequency of the handheld radio device.

16. The handheld radio device of claim 11 wherein the uninterrupted bezel has a height that is at least half a height of the handheld radio device.

17. The handheld radio device of claim 11, wherein the uninterrupted bezel is selectively excited in either a common mode or a differential mode.

18. The handheld radio device of claim 17, wherein the common mode of is substantially excited when an external loading of the antenna is consistent with the handheld radio device being held in a user'"'"'s hand.

19. The handheld radio device of claim 11, further comprising at least one additional slot antenna formed in at least one of the uninterrupted bezel of a circuit board of the handheld radio device.

20. The handheld radio device of claim 11, further comprising a second feed element that is loaded with an electric circuit comprising passive components.