Multisector parallel plate antenna for electronic devices

• US 8,223,077 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chiang, Bing, Springer, Gregory A., Kough, Douglas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US12/401,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 343/772, 343/786, 343/780, 343/776, 343/784, 343/783, 343/702
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• 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

Electronic device antennas with multiple parallel plate sectors are provided for handling multiple-input-multiple-output wireless communications. Each antenna sector in a multisector parallel plate antenna may have upper and lower parallel plates with curved outer edges and a straight inner edge. A vertical rear wall may be used to connect the upper and lower parallel plates in each antenna sector along the straight inner edge. Each antenna sector may have an antenna probe. The antenna probe may be formed from a monopole antenna loaded with a planar patch. The planar loading patch may be provided in the form of a conductive disk that is connected to the end of a conductive antenna feed member. The conductive member may be coupled to the center conductor of a transmission line that is used to convey radio-frequency signals between the antenna probe and radio-frequency transceiver circuitry. The antenna sectors may have interplate dielectric structures.

Claims

1. A multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna, comprising:

a plurality of parallel plate antenna sectors, each parallel plate antenna sector having a conductive upper plate, a conductive lower plate that is parallel to the upper plate, and a conductive rear wall structure that joins the upper and lower plates;

support posts that are connected between the upper and lower parallel plates in at least one of the parallel plate antenna sectors; and

interplate dielectric that surrounds the support posts, wherein the support posts comprise support posts in each of the parallel plate antenna sectors and wherein the support posts in each parallel plate antenna sector have a different pattern.

2. The multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna defined in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of parallel plate antenna sectors comprises a respective antenna feed.

3. The multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna defined in claim 2 wherein each of the antenna feeds comprises a monopole antenna probe.

4. The multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna defined in claim 2 wherein each of the antenna feeds comprises a monopole antenna probe having a loading patch, wherein the loading patch of each monopole antenna probe is located between the upper and lower plates of a respective one of the parallel plate antenna sectors.

5. The multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna defined in claim 4 wherein each loading patch comprises a loading disk.

6. The multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna defined in claim 5 wherein the loading disk in each parallel plate antenna sectors comprises a planar surface that is parallel to the upper and lower plates in that parallel plate antenna sector.

7. The multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna defined in claim 4 wherein the loading patch in the monopole antenna probe of each parallel plate antenna sectors comprises a planar surface that is parallel to the upper and lower plates in that parallel plate antenna sector.

8. The multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna defined in claim 1 wherein the multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna comprises a dual sector antenna in which the plurality of parallel plate antenna sectors comprises first and second parallel plate antenna sectors whose respective conductive rear wall structures are parallel to each other and wherein the conductive upper and lower plates comprise curved outer edges.

9. The multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna defined in claim 1 wherein the multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna comprises a four sector antenna in which the plurality of parallel plate antenna sectors comprises first, second, third, and fourth parallel plate antenna sectors and wherein the conductive upper and lower plates comprise curved outer edges.

10. The multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna defined in claim 1 wherein the multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna comprises an eight sector antenna and wherein the conductive upper and lower plates comprise curved outer edges.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

storage and processing circuitry that handles data signals for the electronic device;

wireless communications circuitry that transmits and receives the data signals, wherein the wireless communications circuitry comprises a multisector parallel plate antenna that has a plurality of parallel plate antenna sectors and wherein each parallel plate antenna sector has conductive first and second parallel plates; and

dielectric support posts between the first and second parallel plates of each of the parallel plate antenna sectors and wherein the dielectric support posts in each parallel plate antenna sector have a different pattern.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the storage and processing circuitry and wireless communications circuitry are configured to implement a multiple-input-multiple-output communications protocol in which data signals are transmitted and received with the plurality of parallel plate antenna sectors.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the first and second parallel plates in each parallel plate antenna sector comprise at least one straight edge and wherein each of the parallel plate antenna sectors comprises a planar conductive rear wall structure connected between the first and second parallel plates along the straight edge of that parallel plate antenna sector.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising an antenna probe in each parallel plate antenna sector, wherein the antenna probe comprises a monopole with a planar loading patch, wherein the loading patch of each antenna probe is parallel to the first and second parallel plates of the parallel plate antenna sector containing that antenna probe.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 12 further comprising:

switching circuitry that is coupled to each of the parallel plate antenna sectors.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

storage and processing circuitry that handles data signals for the electronic device; and

wireless communications circuitry that transmits and receives the data signals, wherein the wireless communications circuitry comprises a multisector parallel plate antenna, wherein the multisector parallel plate antenna comprises a plurality of parallel plate antenna sectors, and wherein each parallel plate antenna sector has;

a conductive upper plate having a curved outer edge and at least one straight edge;

a conductive lower plate having a curved outer edge and at least one straight edge;

a conductive planer rear wall that joins the conductive upper plate to the conductive lower plate along the straight edges of the conductive upper and lower plates; and

dielectric posts that are coupled between the conductive upper plate and the conductive lower plate, wherein the dielectric posts in a first one of the parallel plate antenna sectors are disposed in a first pattern relative to the first one of the parallel plate antenna sectors, wherein the dielectric posts in a second one of the parallel plate antenna sectors are disposed in a second pattern relative to the second one of the parallel plate antenna sectors, and wherein the first and second patterns are different.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising:

transceiver circuitry in the wireless communications circuitry; and

an antenna probe in each parallel plate antenna sector, wherein each antenna probe has a conductive member that is coupled to a transmission line center conductor that is coupled to the transceiver circuitry, wherein the conductive member in each antenna probe has an end, and wherein each antenna probe has a planar loading disk connected to the end of the conductive member of that antenna probe.

18. A multisector parallel plate electronic device antenna, comprising:

a plurality of parallel plate antenna sectors, each parallel plate antenna sector having a conductive upper plate, a conductive lower plate that is parallel to the upper plate, and a conductive rear wall structure that joins the upper and lower plates;

support posts that are connected between the upper and lower parallel plates in at least one of the parallel plate antenna sectors; and

interplate dielectric that surrounds the support posts, wherein the interpolate dielectric has a first dielectric constant and wherein at least one of the support posts has a second dielectric constant that is different from the first dielectric constant.