Connector antenna apparatus and methods

• US 7,724,204 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Engineering Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Benjamin, Alan H., Annamaa, Petteri
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US11/906,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20080136716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/850, 343/851, 343/872, 343/892, 343/906, 343/893
• US Class Current: 343/906
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• 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 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

Improved electrical connector apparatus including a wireless antenna acting as a transceiver in conjunction with a wireless integrated circuit is disclosed. In one embodiment, the modular connector comprises an RJ45 modular jack, and the wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver transmitting via an integrated antenna disposed on the front face of the Faraday shield at least partly surrounding the modular connector. In another embodiment, an 802.11 transceiver is used. In yet another embodiment, an ultra-wideband (UWB) interface is used.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly, the electrical connector assembly comprising:

a connector housing comprising a planar face and having an associated conductive component; and

an antenna, said antenna being adapted to transmit and/or receive a plurality of data wirelessly;

wherein said antenna comprises at least a portion of said conductive component, and is disposed substantially on said planar face and co-planar therewith.

2. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said antenna comprises a feed point, a ground termination, and a capacitor.

3. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first terminals disposed substantially within the connector housing for mating with corresponding terminals of a plug received at least partly within said housing;

a plurality of second terminals adapted for electrically mating said connector assembly to a parent device; and

an integrated circuit whereby signal information received at said connector assembly via at least one of said first or second terminals is processed.

4. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said conductive component comprises a noise shield, said shield substantially enclosing said connector housing.

5. The electrical connector assembly of claim 4, wherein said antenna is disposed on or formed within at least one face of said shield.

6. The electrical connector assembly of claim 5, wherein said antenna comprises an inverted F-type antenna, said antenna being disposed substantially around the periphery of a plug port formed in a face of said housing.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said antenna measures approximately 0.4 mm in width, and measuring approximately 30-35 mm in length, and is disposed substantially on a front face of said connector assembly proximate a plug-receiving opening.

8. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said connector assembly comprises a plurality of antennas, said plurality of antennas forming an antenna array.

9. The connector assembly of claim 8, wherein said antenna array comprises a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) array.

10. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said connector housing comprises a multi-port connector housing formed as a row-and-column array, and wherein said antenna comprises a plurality of antennas disposed on at least one face of said connector assembly.

11. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said connector assembly comprises an RJ-45 compliant modular jack, and further comprises a wireless transceiver circuit disposed at least partly within said housing, said wireless transceiver circuit and said antenna adapted to cooperate to at least transmit or receive signals at approximately 2.4 GHz.

12. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said connector assembly comprises:

an RJ-type port;

at least one USB port; and

a wireless transceiver, said wireless transceiver and said antenna adapted to cooperate to at least transmit or receive signals at approximately 2.4 GHz.

13. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said conductive component is at least partly formed on said housing using a selective plating or deposition process.

14. A method of manufacturing an electrical connector assembly, said method comprising:

forming an antenna, said forming comprising forming a shaped aperture within at least one face of a noise shield associated with said connector;

providing a connector having circuitry;

electrically coupling said antenna to said circuitry; and

disposing said shield on said connector.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said forming comprises forming said antenna on a surface using a progressive stamping process.

16. A shield antenna for use on an electrical connector, said shield antenna comprising

a noise shield having a plurality of substantially planar faces;

an antenna feed point; and

an aperture formed substantially within one of said planar faces;

wherein said feed point is disposed partway along the length of said aperture.

17. The shield antenna of claim 16, wherein said antenna comprises an inverted F-type antenna.

18. The shield antenna of claim 17, wherein said aperture measures approximately 0.4 mm in width, and approximately 30-35 mm in length of its longest dimension, and is disposed substantially around a plug-receiving port formed in said one face.

19. An electronic device comprising:

at least one electrical connector assembly, said electrical connector assembly comprising;

a connector housing;

a plurality of first terminals adapted to interface with a printed circuit board;

a plurality of second terminals adapted to interface with a connector plug;

a noise shield, said shield substantially enclosing at least portions of said connector assembly;

an antenna, said antenna being formed substantially within said shield and adapted to at least transmit or receive a plurality of data wirelessly; and

a transceiver circuit in signal communication with said antenna and at least one terminal of said plurality of first or second terminals; and

a printed circuit board, said electrical connector assembly being disposed on said board an electrically interconnected therewith.

20. A method for transmitting data from an electronic device comprising an electronic connector assembly having an antenna, and a radio transmitter circuit, said method comprising:

receiving signals at said transmitter circuit;

processing said signals for transmission to produce processed signals;

providing said processed signals to said antenna of said connector assembly via a feed point of said antenna; and

radiating at least portions of said processed signals as electromagnetic energy from said antenna;

wherein said connector assembly comprises a noise shield, said antenna being formed substantially within said noise shield, and said act of providing comprises providing said processed signals to said feed point via an electrical connection to said noise shield.

21. An electronic device comprising:

at least one electrical connector assembly, said electrical connector assembly comprising;

a noise shield having a plurality of substantially planar faces;

an antenna, said antenna being formed substantially along at least two adjacent edges of said planar face;

an aperture formed substantially within one of said planar faces; and

an antenna feed point;

wherein said feed point is disposed partway along the length of said aperture.

22. An electrical connector assembly, the electrical connector assembly comprising:

a connector housing;

noise shield substantially enclosing said connector housing; and

an antenna, said antenna being adapted to transmit and/or receive a plurality of data wirelessly;

wherein said antenna is disposed substantially on and co-planar with the surface of said noise shield.