CHASSIS-EXCITED ANTENNA APPARATUS AND METHODS

• US 20140225787A1
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pulse Finland Oy (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Finland Oy (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Prasadh, Annamaa, Petteri
• Granted Patent: US 9,917,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

A chassis-excited antenna apparatus, and methods of tuning and utilizing the same. In one embodiment, a distributed loop antenna configuration is used within a handheld mobile device (e.g., cellular telephone). The antenna comprises two radiating elements: one configured to operate in a high-frequency band, and the other in a low-frequency band. The two antenna elements are disposed on different side surfaces of the metal chassis of the portable device; e.g., on the opposing sides of the device enclosure. Each antenna component comprises a radiator and an insulating cover. The radiator is coupled to a device feed via a feed conductor and a ground point. A portion of the feed conductor is disposed with the radiator to facilitate forming of the coupled loop resonator structure.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A mobile communications device, comprising:

an exterior housing comprising a plurality of sides;

an electronics assembly comprising a ground and at least one feed port, the electronics assembly substantially contained within the exterior housing; and

an antenna component comprising;

a radiator element comprising first and second surfaces, and configured to be disposed proximate to a first side of the exterior housing;

a feed conductor coupled to the at least one feed port, and configured to couple to the radiator element at a feed point; and

a dielectric element disposed between the first surface of the radiator element and the first side of the exterior housing, the dielectric element operable to electrically isolate at least a portion of the first surface of the radiator element from the first side of the exterior housing.

32. The mobile communications device of claim 31, wherein:

the exterior housing comprises a substantially metallic structure; and

the antenna component comprises a first dimension and a second dimension, and is configured to operate in a first frequency band.

33. The mobile communications device of claim 32, further comprising a dielectric substrate having a third dimension and a fourth dimension, and configured to be disposed proximate the second surface of the radiator element.

34. The mobile communications device of claim 33, wherein:

a projection of the dielectric substrate is equal to or larger than a projection of the radiator element; and

the radiator element is electrically coupled to the ground via at least one ground point.

35. The mobile communications device of claim 32, wherein at least a portion of the feed conductor is arranged along a portion of the first side of the exterior housing substantially parallel to the first dimension of the antenna component such that the radiator element, the portion of the feed conductor, and the portion of the first side of the exterior housing form a coupled loop antenna operable in the first frequency band.

36. The mobile communications device of claim 31, wherein:

the radiator element comprises a conductive structure comprising a first portion and a second portion; and

the second portion is coupled to the feed point via a reactive circuit.

37. The mobile communications device of claim 36, wherein the reactive circuit comprises a planar transmission line.

38. The mobile communications device of claim 36, wherein the second portion further comprises a second reactive circuit configured to adjust an electrical size of the radiator element.

39. The mobile communications device of claim 38, wherein the second reactive circuit comprises at least one of (i) an inductive element, and (ii) a capacitive element.

40. The mobile communications device of claim 36, wherein the conductive structure of the radiator element comprises a conductive coating disposed on a dielectric substrate.

41. The mobile communications device of claim 32, wherein:

the substantially metallic structure comprises a sleeve like shape having at least a first cavity; and

the first side of the exterior housing comprises a metal support element disposed within the first cavity.

42. The mobile communications device of claim 32, wherein the radiator element comprises a dielectric substrate configured to have a conductive coating disposed thereon.

43. The mobile communications device of claim 31, wherein the radiator element comprises a flex circuit.

44. The mobile communications device of claim 31, further comprising a second antenna component configured to operate in a second frequency band, the second antenna component comprising:

a second radiator element configured to have first and second surfaces, and comprising a second ground point coupled to the exterior housing, the second radiator element configured to be disposed proximate to a second side of the exterior housing;

a second feed conductor coupled to the at least one feed port, and configured to be coupled to the second radiator element at a second feed point; and

a second non-conductive cover disposed proximate the second radiator element so as to substantially cover the second radiator element.

45. The mobile communications device of claim 44, further comprising a second dielectric element disposed between the first surface of the second radiator element and the second side of the exterior housing, the second dielectric element configured to electrically isolate at least a portion of the first surface of the second radiator element from the second side of the exterior housing.

46. The mobile communications device of claim 45, wherein a second coupled loop antenna structure is formed between at least a portion of the exterior housing, the second radiator element, and at least a portion of the second feed conductor.

47. The mobile communications device of claim 44, wherein the second side of the exterior housing is opposite the first side of the exterior housing.

48. An antenna apparatus for use in a portable communications device, the device comprising a metal enclosure having a plurality of sides, and substantially housing an electronics assembly comprising a ground and at least one feed port, the antenna apparatus comprising:

a first antenna assembly configured to operate in a first frequency band, the first antenna assembly comprising a first radiator element and a first feed conductor disposed along a first side of the metal enclosure; and

a second antenna assembly configured to operate in a second frequency band, the second antenna assembly comprising a second radiator element and a second feed conductor disposed along a second side of the metal enclosure;

wherein a first coupled loop antenna structure is formed between at least a portion of the first side of the metal enclosure, the first radiator element, and at least a portion of the first feed conductor disposed along the first side of the metal enclosure; and

wherein a second coupled loop antenna structure is formed between at least a portion of the second side of the metal enclosure, the second radiator element, and at least a portion of the second feed conductor disposed along the second side of the metal enclosure.

49. The antenna apparatus of claim 48, wherein the first side of the metal enclosure is arranged substantially opposite the second side of the metal enclosure.

50. The antenna apparatus of claim 48, wherein:

the first radiator element further comprises a first ground point and a first feed point, and a first non-conductive cover disposed proximate the first radiator element so as to substantially cover the first radiator element disposed along the first side of the metal enclosure; and

the first feed conductor is coupled to the first feed point and to the at least one feed port.

51. The antenna apparatus of claim 50, wherein:

the second radiator element further comprises a second ground point and a second feed point, and a second non-conductive cover disposed proximate the second radiator element so as to substantially cover the second radiator element disposed along the second side of the metal enclosure;

the second feed conductor is coupled to the second feed point and to the at least one feed port; and

the first and second ground points are electrically coupled to the metal enclosure.

52. The antenna apparatus of claim 51, further comprising a first dielectric element disposed between a first surface of the first radiator element and the first side of the metal enclosure, the first dielectric element configured to electrically isolate at least a portion of the first surface of the first radiator element from the first side of the metal enclosure.

53. The antenna apparatus of claim 52, further comprising a second dielectric element disposed between a first surface of the second radiator element and the second side of the metal enclosure, the second dielectric element configured to electrically isolate at least a portion of the first surface of the second radiator element from the second side of the metal enclosure.

54. The antenna apparatus of claim 48, wherein the first frequency band comprises a frequency band between 700 and 960 MHz and the second frequency band comprised an upper frequency band.

55. The antenna apparatus of claim 54, wherein the upper frequency band comprises a frequency band between 1710 and 2150 MHz.

56. The antenna apparatus of claim 54, wherein the upper frequency band comprises a global positioning system (GPS) frequency band.

57. The antenna apparatus of claim 48, wherein

the metal enclosure comprises a sleeve like shape having a first cavity and a second cavity;

and

the first side comprises a first metal support element disposed within the first cavity and configured to receive the first radiator element; and

the second side comprises a second metal support element disposed within the second cavity and configured to receive the second radiator element.

58. An antenna component for use in a mobile communications device, the device comprising a metal chassis having a plurality of sides, and substantially housing an electronics assembly comprising a ground and at least one feed port, the antenna component comprising:

a dielectric substrate comprising;

a first surface disposed proximate a first side of the metal chassis; and

a second surface having a conductive coating disposed thereon, the conductive coating shaped to form a radiator structure and configured to form at least a portion of a ground plane, the radiator structure comprising;

a ground point configured to couple the at least a portion of the ground plane to the ground of the electronics assembly;

a first portion;

a second portion coupled to the first portion; and

a conductive element that extends form the second portion to a feed point.

59. The antenna component of claim 58, further comprising one or more non-conductive slots formed on each side of the conductive element to isolate the conductive element from the first portion.

60. The antenna component of claim 59, wherein the conductive element forms a transmission line that extends from the second portion into the first portion but substantially isolated from the first portion by the one or more non-conductive slots.

61. The antenna component of claim 60, wherein the conductive element electromagnetically couples the radiator structure to the metal chassis.

62. The antenna component of claim 61, further comprising at least one ground clearance area disposed substantially within a perimeter of the dielectric substrate and configured to form part of a loop structure.

63. The antenna component of claim 62, wherein the second portion further comprises a lumped reactive circuit configured to adjust an electrical size of the radiator structure.

64. The antenna component of claim 63, wherein the lumped reactive circuit comprises at least one of (i) an inductive element, and/or (ii) a capacitive element.