Extendable antenna architecture

• US 7,262,737 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dou, Weiping, Zarnowitz, Arthur, Cebe, Chrome
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US11/204,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/700.MS, 343/900, 343/901, 455/558, 455/575.7
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/088 Quick-releasable antenna elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/244 extendable from a housing along a given path
• 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 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system

Abstract

A system and apparatus for an extendable antenna architecture are described. The apparatus may include an antenna body having one or more antenna traces, and an antenna housing to couple to the antenna body. The antenna housing may have an extended position and a retracted position. The antenna housing may have a first external surface forming a substantially continuous plane with a second external surface for a device housing when in the retracted position. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an antenna body having one or more antenna traces; and

an antenna housing to couple to said antenna body, said antenna housing having an extended position and a retracted position, said antenna housing to have a first external surface forming a substantially continuous plane with a second external surface for a device housing when in said retracted position;

wherein said antenna body comprises a flexible material that bends to form multiple layers between said antenna housing and a printed circuit board.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substantially continuous plane comprises a linear plane or a curved plane.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second external surfaces comprise flat surfaces or curved surfaces.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a connector to electrically couple said antenna body to a printed circuit board.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said antenna housing to be in a plane substantially parallel to a plane of a printed circuit board when in said extended position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said device housing is for a wireless handheld device.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

an antenna body having one or more antenna traces; and

an antenna housing to couple to said antenna body, said antenna housing having an extended position and a retracted position, said antenna housing to have a first external surface forming a substantially continuous plane with a second external surface for a device housing when in said retracted position;

wherein said antenna body comprises a rigid material, and one end of said antenna body forms a trace contact to contact a metal trace disposed on a printed circuit board.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

an antenna body having one or more antenna traces; and

an antenna housing to couple to said antenna body, said antenna housing having an extended position and a retracted position, said antenna housing to have a first external surface forming a substantially continuous plane with a second external surface for a device housing when in said retracted position;

wherein one end of said antenna body forms a trace contact to contact a metal trace disposed on a printed circuit board, said trace contact to slide on said metal trace while remaining in contact with said metal trace when in said extended position, said retracted position, and moving between said positions.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

an antenna body having one or more antenna traces; and

an antenna housing to couple to said antenna body, said antenna housing having an extended position and a retracted position, said antenna housing to have a first external surface forming a substantially continuous plane with a second external surface for a device housing when in said retracted position;

said antenna housing to be in a plane at an angle to a plane of a printed circuit board when in said extended position.

10. An antenna array, comprising:

a first antenna having an antenna body coupled to an antenna housing, said antenna housing having an extended position and a retracted position, said antenna housing to have a first external surface forming a substantially continuous plane with a second external surface for a wireless device housing when in a retracted position;

wherein said antenna body comprises a flexible material that bends to form multiple layers between said antenna housing and a printed circuit board.

11. The antenna array of claim 10, comprising a second antenna disposed within said wireless device housing, said first antenna and said second antenna to form a quad band antenna.

12. The antenna array of claim 10, comprising a second antenna disposed within said wireless device housing, said second antenna comprising one of a planar inverted-F antenna, a planar inverted-L antenna, an inverted-F antenna with a helical structure, an inverted-L antenna with a helical structure, a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, a chip antenna, and a ceramic antenna.

13. The antenna array of claim 10, comprising a second antenna, said first antenna to be vertically polarized, and said second antenna to be horizontally polarized or vertically polarized with a cross-polarization component.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

an antenna, said antenna to comprise;

an antenna body having one or more antenna traces;

an antenna housing to couple to said antenna body, said antenna housing to have a first external surface; and

a printed circuit board to couple to said antenna body;

a transceiver to couple to said printed circuit board; and

a wireless device housing having a second external surface, said wireless device housing to house said antenna, said printed circuit board, and said transceiver, and said first external surface to form a substantially continuous plane with said second external surface when in a retracted position;

wherein said antenna body comprises a flexible material that bends to form multiple layers between said antenna housing and a printed circuit board.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said substantially continuous plane comprises a linear plane or a curved plane.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said first and second external surfaces comprise flat surfaces or curved surfaces.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, comprising a connector to electrically couple said antenna body to a printed circuit board.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

an antenna, said antenna to comprise;

an antenna body having one or more antenna traces;

an antenna housing to couple to said antenna body, said antenna housing to have a first external surface; and

a printed circuit board to couple to said antenna body;

a transceiver to couple to said printed circuit board; and

a wireless device housing having a second external surface, said wireless device housing to house said antenna, said printed circuit board, and said transceiver, and said first external surface to form a substantially continuous plane with said second external surface when in a retracted position;

wherein said antenna body comprises a rigid material, and one end of said antenna body forms a trace contact to contact a metal trace disposed on a printed circuit board.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

an antenna, said antenna to comprise;

an antenna body having one or more antenna traces;

an antenna housing to couple to said antenna body, said antenna housing to have a first external surface; and

a printed circuit board to couple to said antenna body;

a transceiver to couple to said printed circuit board; and

a wireless device housing having a second external surface, said wireless device housing to house said antenna, said printed circuit board, and said transceiver, and said first external surface to form a substantially continuous plane with said second external surface when in a retracted position;

wherein one end of said antenna body forms a trace contact to contact a metal trace disposed on a printed circuit board, said trace contact to slide on said metal trace while remaining in contact with said metal trace when in said extended position, said retracted position, and moving between said positions.

20. A wireless handheld device, comprising:

a wireless handheld device housing having disposed therein;

a processor;

a memory to couple to said processor;

a transceiver to couple to said processor; and

an antenna to couple to said transceiver, said antenna to comprise;

an antenna body having one or more antenna traces;

an antenna housing to couple to said antenna body, said antenna housing to have a first external surface; and

wherein said wireless handheld device housing comprises a second external surface, said first external surface to form a substantially continuous plane with said second external surface;

wherein said antenna body comprises a flexible material that bends to form multiple layers between said antenna housing and a printed circuit board.

21. The wireless handheld device of claim 20, wherein said substantially continuous plane comprises a linear plane or a curved plane.

22. The wireless handheld device of claim 20, wherein said first and second external surfaces comprise flat surfaces or curved surfaces.

23. The wireless handheld device of claim 20, comprising a connector to electrically couple said antenna body to a printed circuit board.

24. The wireless handheld device of claim 20, wherein said antenna comprises a first antenna in an antenna array, and further comprising a second antenna disposed within said wireless handheld device housing, said first antenna and said second antenna to form a quad band antenna.

25. The wireless handheld device of claim 20, said transceiver to comprise a code division multiple access transceiver.

26. A wireless handheld device, comprising:

a wireless handheld device housing having disposed therein;

a processor;

a memory to couple to said processor;

a transceiver to couple to said processor; and

an antenna to couple to said transceiver, said antenna to comprise;

an antenna body having one or more antenna traces;

an antenna housing to couple to said antenna body, said antenna housing to have a first external surface; and

wherein said wireless handheld device housing comprises a second external surface, said first external surface to form a substantially continuous plane with said second external surface;

wherein said antenna body comprises a rigid material, and one end of said antenna body forms a trace contact to contact a metal trace disposed on a printed circuit board.

27. A wireless handheld device, comprising:

a wireless handheld device housing having disposed therein;

a processor;

a memory to couple to said processor;

a transceiver to couple to said processor; and

an antenna to couple to said transceiver, said antenna to comprise;

an antenna body having one or more antenna traces;

an antenna housing to couple to said antenna body, said antenna housing to have a first external surface; and

wherein said wireless handheld device housing comprises a second external surface, said first external surface to form a substantially continuous plane with said second external surface;

wherein one end of said antenna body forms a trace contact to contact a metal trace disposed on a printed circuit board, said trace contact to slide on said metal trace while remaining in contact with said metal trace when in said extended position, said retracted position, and moving between said positions.

28. An antenna array, comprising:

a first antenna having an antenna body coupled to an antenna housing, said antenna housing having an extended position and a retracted position, said antenna housing to have a first external surface forming a substantially continuous plane with a second external surface for a wireless device housing when in a retracted position;

wherein said

antenna body comprises a rigid material, and one end of said antenna body forms a trace contact to contact a metal trace disposed on a printed circuit board.

29. An antenna array, comprising:

a first antenna having an antenna body coupled to an antenna housing, said antenna housing having an extended position and a retracted position, said antenna housing to have a first external surface forming a substantially continuous plane with a second external surface for a wireless device housing when in a retracted position;

wherein one

end of said antenna body forms a trace contact to contact a metal trace disposed on a printed circuit board, said trace contact to slide on said metal trace while remaining in contact with said metal trace when in said extended position, said retracted position, and moving between said positions.