Antennas for electronic devices

• US 7,911,397 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Degner, Brett William, McDonald, Matthew Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US12/061,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/882, 343/883, 343/901
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/085 Flexible aerials; Whip aerials with a resilient base
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/088 Quick-releasable antenna elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6276 comprising one or more balls engaging in a hole or a groove
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/02 for antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/04 Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle with frictional contact members

Abstract

A removable antenna and a resilient antenna are provided for an electronic device such as a laptop computer. An antenna resonating element is mounted within the antenna. Flexible coupling structures are used to physically and removably attach the antenna to the electronic device. The flexible coupling structures couple the antenna resonating element to circuitry in the electronic device. The coupling structures may allow the antenna to break away from the electronic device without causing damage. A user may extend the antenna by rotating the removable antenna to its extended position. The electronic device may have an antenna receptacle that holds the resilient antenna in a stowed position and that allows the resilient antenna to flex to an extended position. A user may extend the resilient antenna by removing the resilient antenna from the antenna receptacle and flexing the antenna into its extended position.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an electronic device having a first coupling structure; and

a removable antenna having a second coupling structure that is coupled to the first coupling structure and having an antenna resonating element, wherein at least one of the first and second coupling structures comprises an elastic coupling structure that deforms elastically as the removable antenna is attached to and detached from the electronic device, and wherein the removable antenna is configured to rotate into an extended position.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second coupling structures comprise first and second coupling structures that each have at least one straight edge, wherein the removable antenna is configured to rotate into the extended position about an axis, wherein there an angle around the axis where an edge of the first coupling structure and an edge of the second coupling structure are aligned, and wherein the first and second coupling structures are configured to hold the removable antenna at the angle around the axis.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises portions that define wall structures around the first coupling structure, wherein the removable antenna comprises an elastic protrusion that fits within the wall structures of the electronic device, and wherein the wall structures and the elastic protrusion are configured to limit non-rotational movement between the removable antenna and the electronic device.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

radio-frequency transceiver circuitry in the electronic device; and

a communications path that conveys radio-frequency signals between the radio-frequency transceiver and the first coupling structure, wherein the first and second coupling structures are configured to electrically couple the antenna resonating element to the communications path so that the radio-frequency signals are conveyed between the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and the antenna resonating element.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the second coupling structure comprises a conductive member having a cylindrical hole and wherein the first coupling structure comprises at least one flexure that is at least partly spherical and that electrically and physically couples with the cylindrical hole in the conductive member.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the second coupling structure comprises a conductive member having at least one curved depression and wherein the first coupling structure comprises at least one flexure that is at least partly spherical and that electrically and physically couples with the curved depression in the conductive member.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the second coupling structure comprises a conductive member having at least one rectangular depression and wherein the first coupling structure comprises at least one rectangular flexure and that electrically and physically couples with the rectangular depression in the conductive member.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein the conductive member comprises rounded edges for the rectangular depression.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the first coupling structure comprises a conductive structure having at least one depression with a surface that is at least partly spherical and wherein the second coupling structure comprises at least one flexure that is at least partly spherical and that electrically and physically couples with the depression in the conductive structure.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the first coupling structure comprises a conductive structure having at least one rectangular depression and wherein the second coupling structure comprises at least one rectangular flexure that electrically and physically couples with the rectangular depression in the conductive structure.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein the removable antenna is configured to rotate into the extended position about an axis and wherein the first and second coupling structures are configured to hold the removable antenna at an angle around the axis when at least one straight edge of the rectangular depression and at least one straight edge of the rectangular flexure are aligned.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the first coupling structure comprises a conductive structure having a first depression and a first flexure that are both at least partly spherical, wherein the second coupling structure comprises a conductive member having a second depression and a second flexure that are both at least partly spherical, and wherein the first flexure is configured to electrically and physically couple with the second depression in the conductive member, and wherein the second flexure is configured to electrically and physically couple with the first depression in the conductive structure.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the first coupling structure comprises a conductive structure having a first rectangular depression and a first rectangular flexure, wherein the second coupling structure comprises a conductive member having a second rectangular depression and a second rectangular flexure, and wherein the first rectangular flexure is configured to electrically and physically couple with the second rectangular depression in the conductive member, and wherein the second rectangular flexure is configured to electrically and physically couple with the first rectangular depression in the conductive structure.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the first coupling structure comprises a first flexure that is at least partly rectangular and a second flexure that is at least partly spherical, wherein the second coupling structure comprises a conductive member having a first depression that is at least partly rectangular and having a second depression that is at least partly spherical, wherein the first flexure is configured to electrically and physically couple with the first depression in the conductive member, and wherein the second flexure is configured to electrically and physically couple with the second depression.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a portable computer.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the removable antenna comprises a break-away antenna that is configured to be removable from the electronic device without causing damage.

17. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the first coupling structure does not rotate relative to the electronic device.

18. Apparatus comprising:

an electronic device having a first coupling structure; and

a removable antenna having a second coupling structure that is coupled to the first coupling structure and having an antenna resonating element, wherein at least one of the first and second coupling structures comprises an elastic coupling structure, wherein the removable antenna is configured to rotate into an extended position, wherein the second coupling structure comprises at least one ball and a biasing member that biases the ball, wherein the first coupling structure comprises a conductive structure having a depression that is at least partly spherical, and wherein the ball is configured to electrically and physically couple with the depression.

19. Apparatus comprising:

an electronic device having a first coupling structure; and

a removable antenna having a second coupling structure that is coupled to the first coupling structure and having an antenna resonating element, wherein at least one of the first and second coupling structures comprises an elastic coupling structure, wherein the removable antenna is configured to rotate into an extended position, wherein the first coupling structure comprises at least one ball and at least one biasing member that biases the ball, wherein the second coupling structure comprises a conductive member having a depression that is at least partly spherical, and wherein the ball is configured to electrically and physically couple with the depression.