Handheld electronic devices with isolated antennas

• US 7,893,883 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2009
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schlub, Robert W., Zavala, Juan, Hill, Robert J., Caballero, Ruben
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US12/504,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20090273526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/700, 343/725, 343/767, 343/829, 343/846
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• 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 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence

Abstract

Handheld electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry having at least first and second antennas. An antenna isolation element reduces signal interference between the antennas, so that the antennas may be used in close proximity to each other. A planar ground element may be used as a ground by the first and second antennas. The first antenna may be formed using a hybrid planar-inverted-F and slot arrangement in which a planar resonating element is located above a rectangular slot in the planar ground element. The second antenna may be formed from an L-shaped strip. The planar resonating element of the first antenna may have first and second arms. The first arm may resonate at a common frequency with the second antenna and may serve as the isolation element. The second arm may resonate at approximately the same frequency as the slot portion of the hybrid antenna.

Claims

1. Wireless handheld electronic device circuitry comprising:

a first antenna comprising a first planar resonating element having an antenna isolation element formed from a first arm and having a second arm, wherein the first arm and the second arm are coplanar; and

a second antenna having a second planar resonating element and a feed, wherein the first arm resonates at a frequency which minimizes currents induced by the second arm at the feed of the second antenna.

2. The wireless handheld electronic device circuitry defined in claim 1 further comprising a planar ground element that serves as ground for at least the first antenna, wherein the planar ground element comprises a substantially rectangular planar ground element that has a rectangular dielectric-filled slot adjacent to the first planar resonating element.

3. The wireless handheld electronic device circuitry defined in claim 1 further comprising a dielectric support structure to which the first and second antenna resonating elements are mounted.

4. The wireless handheld electronic device circuitry defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a planar ground element that serves as ground for the first antenna and the second antenna; and

a dielectric support structure to which the first and second antenna resonating elements are mounted.

5. The wireless handheld electronic device circuitry defined in claim 1 further comprising a dielectric support structure, wherein the first and second antenna resonating elements are formed from a flex circuit and wherein the flex circuit is mounted to the dielectric support structure.