Antennas for handheld electronic devices

• US 8,350,761 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hill, Robert J., Schlub, Robert W., Zavala, Juan, Caballero, Ruben
• Primary Examiner(s): Wimer, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/650,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20080165065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/767, 343/846, 455/575.7
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• 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 5/371 Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

Handheld electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry having at least one antenna. The antenna may have a planar ground element and a planar resonating element. The planar ground element may have a rectangular shape that matches a rectangular housing shape for a handheld electronic device. A dielectric-filled slot may be formed in one end of the planar ground element. The planar resonating element may be located above the slot. The antenna may be a hybrid antenna that contains both a slot antenna structure formed from the slot and a planar inverted-F structure formed from the planar resonating element and the planar ground element. The antenna may be fed using a single transmission line or two transmission lines. With two transmission lines, one transmission line may be associated with the slot antenna structure and one transmission line may be associated with the planar inverted-F antenna structure.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device antenna comprising:

a ground plane that surrounds and encloses a dielectric-filled slot;

a planar resonating element located above the slot, wherein the handheld electronic antenna comprises a hybrid antenna in which the slot is used in forming a slot antenna portion of the hybrid antenna and in which the planar resonating element is used in forming a planar-inverted-F antenna portion of the hybrid antenna;

a first signal terminal that is electrically coupled to the planar resonating element;

a first ground terminal that is electrically connected to the ground plane, wherein the first signal terminal and first ground terminal serve as antenna feed points for the planar-inverted-F antenna portion of the hybrid antenna;

a second signal terminal that is electrically connected to the ground plane adjacent to the slot; and

a second ground terminal that is electrically connected to the ground plane adjacent to the slot, wherein the second signal terminal is different than the first signal terminal, wherein the second ground terminal is different than the first ground terminal, and wherein the second signal terminal and the second ground terminal serve as antenna feed points for the slot antenna portion of the hybrid antenna.

2. The handheld electronic device antenna defined in claim 1 wherein the slot comprises a rectangular slot having lateral dimensions, wherein the planar resonating element has at least one lateral dimension larger than the lateral dimensions of the slot, and wherein the planar resonating element is located less than 10 mm above the slot.

3. The handheld electronic device antenna defined in claim 1 wherein the planar resonating element comprises a conductor formed on a flex circuit substrate.

4. A hybrid handheld electronic device antenna with characteristics of both a planar inverted-F antenna structure and a slot antenna structure, comprising:

a ground plane antenna element, wherein portions of the ground plane antenna element define a closed dielectric-filled slot associated with the slot antenna structure and wherein the ground plane antenna element surrounds and encloses the closed slot;

a planar antenna resonating element that is located above the closed slot and that is associated with the planar inverted-F antenna structure; and

a first pair of antenna terminals through which a first transmission line conveys radio-frequency signals for the slot antenna structure; and

a second pair of antenna terminals through which a second transmission line that is different than the first transmission line conveys radio-frequency signals for the planar inverted-F antenna structure.

5. The hybrid handheld electronic device antenna defined in claim 4 wherein the planar resonating element comprises at least two arms and wherein at least one of the arms has a bend.

6. The hybrid handheld electronic device antenna defined in claim 4 wherein the planar resonating element comprises two arms and wherein each of the two arms has at least a 180°

bend.

7. A wireless handheld electronic device comprising:

storage that stores data;

processing circuitry coupled to the storage that generates data for wireless transmission and that processes wirelessly received data; and

wireless communications circuitry, wherein the wireless communications circuitry comprises transceiver circuitry, an antenna, and a transmission line, wherein the transmission line has a ground conductor and a signal conductor and conveys radio-frequency signals for the antenna between the transceiver circuitry and the antenna, wherein the antenna comprises a ground plane with a dielectric-filled slot and a planar resonating element located above the slot, and wherein the planar resonating element comprises a conductor formed on a flex circuit substrate, wherein the antenna comprises a hybrid antenna in which the slot in the ground plane is used in forming a slot antenna portion of the hybrid antenna and in which the planar resonating element is used in forming a planar-inverted-F antenna portion of the hybrid antenna, and wherein the hybrid antenna comprises;

a first terminal connected to the signal conductor;

a ground terminal that is electrically connected to the ground plane and the ground conductor;

a first antenna conductive path that electrically connects the first terminal to the planar resonating element so that the first terminal and the ground terminal serve as antenna feed points for the planar-inverted-F portion of the hybrid antenna;

a second terminal that is connected to the ground plane at a location different from the ground terminal; and

a second antenna conductive path that is electrically connected to the second terminal, wherein the first antenna conductive path and the second antenna conductive path convey signals between the signal conductor and the second terminal so that the ground terminal and the second terminal serve as antenna feed points for the slot antenna portion of the hybrid antenna.

8. The wireless handheld electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the planar resonating element comprises a first resonating element arm and a second resonating element arm, wherein the first resonating element arm has a length, and wherein the second resonating element arm has a length that is different than the length of the first resonating element arm.

9. The wireless handheld electronic device defined in claim 7 further comprising a display coupled to the processing circuitry, wherein the wireless handheld electronic device comprises a device having music player capabilities.

10. A hybrid handheld electronic device antenna with characteristics of both a planar inverted-F antenna structure and a slot antenna structure, comprising:

a ground plane antenna element, wherein portions of the ground plane antenna element define a dielectric-filled slot associated with the slot antenna structure and wherein the ground plane antenna element completely encloses the slot; and

a planar resonating element that is located above the slot and that is associated with the planar inverted-F antenna structure, wherein the planar resonating element comprises a conductor formed on a flex circuit substrate.

11. The hybrid handheld electronic device antenna defined in claim 10 further comprising:

a pair of antenna terminals through which a single transmission line conveys radio-frequency signals for both the planar inverted-F antenna structure and the slot antenna structure.

12. The hybrid handheld electronic device antenna defined in claim 10 further comprising:

a first pair of antenna terminals through which a first transmission line conveys radio-frequency signals for the slot antenna structure; and

a second pair of antenna terminals through which a second transmission line that is different than the first transmission line conveys radio-frequency signals for the planar inverted-F antenna structure.

13. The hybrid handheld electronic device antenna defined in claim 10 wherein the planar resonating element comprises at least two arms and wherein at least one of the arms has a bend.

14. The hybrid handheld electronic device antenna defined in claim 10 wherein the planar resonating element comprises two arms and wherein each of the two arms has a 180°

bend.

15. Wireless communications circuitry comprising:

an antenna comprising a ground plane element having portions that define a dielectric-filled slot for a slot antenna and comprising a planar resonating element located above the slot for a planar inverted-F antenna; and

a connector having a ground terminal connected to the ground plane element at a first point and having a signal terminal, wherein the antenna comprises;

a first antenna path located between the signal terminal and the planar resonating element so that the ground terminal and the signal terminal serve as antenna feed terminals for the planar inverted-F antenna; and

a second antenna path located between the planar resonating element and a second point on the ground plane element so that the ground terminal and the second point on the ground plane element serve as antenna feed terminals for the slot antenna.

16. The wireless communications circuitry defined in claim 15 further comprising:

a wireless transceiver circuit; and

at least one coaxial cable connected between the wireless transceiver circuit and the connector, wherein the coaxial cable has an outer ground conductor connected to the ground terminal and has a signal conductor connected to the signal terminal.

17. The wireless communications circuitry defined in claim 15 further comprising:

a wireless transceiver circuit; and

at least one transmission line connected between the wireless transceiver circuit and the connector, wherein the transmission line has a ground conductor connected to the ground terminal and has a signal conductor connected to the signal terminal.

18. The wireless communications circuitry defined in claim 15 further comprising at least one wireless transceiver circuit that transmits and receives radio-frequency signals through the antenna using a coaxial cable.

19. The wireless communications circuitry defined in claim 15 further comprising a dielectric antenna support structure having a surface on which at least part of the planar resonating element is mounted, wherein the first antenna path and the second antenna path are supported by the dielectric antenna support structure.

20. The wireless communications circuitry defined in claim 15 further comprising at least one tuning element, wherein the slot is substantially rectangular, wherein the first antenna path and the second antenna path comprise strips of metal that are connected through the tuning element, and wherein the planar resonating element comprises two arms.

21. An antenna for use in a handheld device, comprising:

a ground plane, wherein portions of the ground plane define a dielectric-filled slot;

a planar resonating element that is located above the slot, wherein the slot forms a slot antenna portion of the antenna and wherein the planar resonating element forms a planar-inverted-F antenna portion of the antenna;

positive and ground antenna terminals that convey radio-frequency signals between the antenna and radio-frequency transceiver circuitry;

a first antenna path that conveys signals between the positive antenna terminal and the planar resonating element so that the positive and ground antenna terminals form antenna feed terminals for the planar inverted-F antenna portion of the antenna; and

a second antenna path that conveys signals between the planar resonating element and the ground plane at a point on the ground plane adjacent to the slot so that the point on the ground plane and the ground antenna terminal serve as antenna feed terminals for the slot antenna portion of the antenna.

22. The antenna defined in claim 21 wherein the ground plane surrounds and encloses the slot.

23. The antenna defined in claim 21 wherein the planar resonating element comprises a flex circuit, the antenna further comprising a dielectric antenna support structure having a surface on which at least part of the planar resonating element is mounted, wherein the first antenna path and the second antenna path are supported by the dielectric antenna support structure and are formed as part of the flex circuit.

24. The antenna defined in claim 21 further comprising at least one capacitor in the first antenna path.