Antennas for electronic devices

• US 7,999,748 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Degner, Brett William, Ligtenberg, Chris, Kough, Douglas Blake
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US12/061,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 455/90, 455/557, 455/575
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/705 characterised by construction, mounting or arrangement of operating parts, e.g. push-buttons or keys
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/032 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/02 Other elements in moving part
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/122 with enlarged actuating area, e.g. of the elongated bar-type; Stabilising means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer

Abstract

Key antennas are provided for an electronic device such as a laptop computer. The electronic device may have radio-frequency transceivers that transmit and receive signals using the key antennas. An antenna resonating element may be mounted beneath a keycap of each key antenna. The antenna resonating element may be spirally wrapped and integrated into the keycap. The key antenna may function as an antenna and may also function as an input key for an electronic device. A flexible communications path may pass through a hole in a conductive housing of the electronic device and may be used to couple the antenna resonating element to the radio-frequency transceiver. The antenna resonating element may be coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver by a weak spring. The weak spring may form a portion of the antenna resonating element.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a communications path;

a radio-frequency transceiver that generates and receives radio-frequency signals that are conveyed over the communications path; and

a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, wherein a given one of the keys in the plurality of keys comprises a key antenna and wherein the key antenna comprises an antenna resonating element that is coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver over the communications path.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the given one of the keys further comprises:

a keycap; and

a scissor-arm mechanism that keeps the keycap level when the given one of the keys is pressed by a user.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the given one of the keys further comprises a rubber dome switch and wherein the rubber dome switch comprises portions that collapse when the given one of the keys is pressed by the user.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein a state of the electronic device is altered when the given one of the keys is pressed by a user and wherein the given one of the keys further comprises an indicator that indicates the state of the electronic device.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the given one of the keys further comprises a keycap, wherein the keycap comprises portions that define a translucent hole in the keycap, and wherein the indicator comprises a light source that illuminates the translucent hole in the keycap.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the communications path comprises a weak spring that flexes when the given one of the keys is pressed by a user.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the communications path comprises a flex circuit that flexes into the electronic device when the given one of the keys is pressed by a user.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a first membrane;

a second membrane, wherein the given one of the keys further comprises portions that bias the first membrane against the second membrane when the given one of the keys is pressed by a user.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the given one of the keys further comprises a keycap, wherein the antenna resonating element comprises a spirally wrapped wire, and wherein the spirally wrapped wire is integrated into the keycap.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the given one of the keys is a first given key in the plurality of keys, the electronic device further comprising:

at least one additional key antenna in a second given key in the plurality of keys; and

control circuitry that records the number of times each of the first and second given keys has been pressed by a user, wherein the radio-frequency transceiver is configured to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals using the key antenna in the one of the first and second given keys that has been pressed a minimum number of times by the user in a given period of time.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the given one of the keys is a first given key in the plurality of keys, the electronic device further comprising:

at least one additional key antenna in a second given key in the plurality of keys; and

control circuitry that is coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver that determines which key antenna is receiving strongest radio-frequency signals and that directs the radio-frequency transceiver to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals using the key antenna that is receiving the strongest radio-frequency signals.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a laptop computer having a processor coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the keyboard comprises a wireless keyboard.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 1 the keyboard comprises a wired keyboard with a universal serial bus cable, the electronic device further comprising:

a desktop computer with a universal serial bus port, wherein the universal serial bus cable and the universal serial bus port convey electrical signals between the wired keyboard and the desktop computer.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the radio-frequency transceiver in the wired keyboard is configured to generate and receive radio-frequency signals for the given one of the keys that correspond to the electrical signals that are conveyed over the universal serial bus cable.

16. A portable computer comprising:

a communications path;

a radio-frequency transceiver that generates and receives radio-frequency signals that are conveyed over the communications path; and

a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, wherein one of the keys in the plurality of keys comprises a key antenna and wherein the key antenna comprises an antenna resonating element that is coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver over the communications path.

17. The portable computer defined in claim 16 further comprising:

keyboard circuitry that generates a signal when one of the keys in the plurality of keys is pressed by a user.

18. The portable computer defined in claim 16 wherein the key antenna comprises a weak spring that flexes when the key antenna is pressed by a user.

19. The portable computer defined in claim 16 wherein the key antenna comprises a keycap and a spiral antenna resonating element located under the keycap.

20. An electronic device comprising:

keyboard circuitry;

a key antenna, wherein the key antenna is configured to generate a signal when the key antenna is pressed by a user and wherein the keyboard circuitry is configured to receive the signal when the key antenna is pressed by the user;

a radio-frequency transceiver; and

a communications path, wherein the communications path is configured to convey radio-frequency signals between the radio-frequency transceiver and the key antenna.

21. The electronic device defined in claim 20 wherein the electronic device comprises a portable computer.

22. The electronic device defined in claim 20 wherein the key antenna comprises an antenna resonating element, wherein the communications path comprises a flexible communications path that flexes when the key antenna is pressed by the user.

23. The electronic device defined in claim 22 wherein the key antenna comprises a multiband key antenna, wherein the radio-frequency transceiver comprises a multiband radio-frequency transceiver, and wherein the multiband key antenna and the multiband radio-frequency transceiver are configured to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals in at least two radio-frequency bands.