Slot antenna within existing device component

• US 8,489,162 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dou, Weiping, Bowen, James Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): HU, RUI MENG
• Application Number:
  US12/858,335
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562.1, 455/575.5, 455/575.7, 455/575.8, 455/90.3, 455/129, 455/269, 343/702, 343/746, 343767-771
• US Class Current: 455/575.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/106 Microstrip slot antennas patch antenna elements H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/378 Combination of fed elements with parasitic 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

Abstract

A user device having a slot antenna formed in metallic material of a structural member is described.

Claims

1. A user device, comprising:

a structural member associated with an electronic component of the user device, wherein the structural member is constructed from a material comprising metal;

a slot antenna disposed in the material of the structural member, wherein the slot antenna is a multi-band slot antenna comprising a first opening disposed substantially along a longitudinal axis of the multi-band slot antenna and a second opening disposed substantially along the longitudinal axis of the multi-band slot antenna;

an exciter operatively coupled to feed the multi-band slot antenna, wherein the exciter comprises a third opening coupled to the first opening and the second opening to form a single slot opening in the structural member, wherein the exciter has a non-linear shape, wherein the exciter is centered about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the multi-band slot antenna, wherein the exciter is co-planar with the slot antenna and comprises a first portion of the third opening configured to feed the first opening and a second portion of the third opening configured to feed the second opening; and

a feed line connector coupled to the exciter, wherein the feed line connector is to be coupled to a transmission line comprising at least one of a radio frequency (RF) cable, a waveguide, a wire, or a conductive trace.

2. The user device of claim 1, wherein the single slot opening has a substantially symmetric shape.

3. The user device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is a display and the structural member is a metallic support member that supports the display.

4. The user device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is a circuit board, and wherein the structural member is at least one of a metallic support member that supports the circuit board, a metal ground plane of the circuit board, or a metal back panel of an assembly that supports the circuit board.

5. The user device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is a user input device, and wherein the structural member is at least one of a metallic support member that supports the user input device, a metal ground plane of the user input device, or a metal back panel of an assembly that supports the user input device.

6. The user device of claim 1, wherein the structural member is a metallic housing of the user device.

7. The user device of claim 1, wherein the structural member is a housing of the user device, and wherein a first portion of the housing is constructed of a second non-metallic material and a second portion of the housing is constructed of the material, and wherein the slot antenna is formed in the second portion of the housing.

8. The user device of claim 1, wherein the structure member is a metallic bezel of the user device.

9. The user device of claim 1, wherein the material comprises metal alloy.

10. The user device of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless modem; and

a power amplifier coupled to the wireless modem and the slot antenna.

11. The user device of claim 1, wherein the first slot opening and the second slot opening are rectangular slot openings.

12. The user device of claim 1, wherein the non-linear shape is at least one of a circular shape, an oval shape, a C shape, a U shape, an inverted-U shape, an inverted-C shape, a loop shape, an arc shape, ring shape, a W shape, a M shape, or a horseshoe shape.

13. A method of manufacturing a user device, the method comprising:

providing a structural member of the user device, wherein the structural member is constructed of a metallic material;

forming a first slot opening of a slot antenna in the metallic material of the structural member, wherein the slot antenna is a multi-band slot antenna;

forming a second slot opening of the slot antenna in the metallic material;

forming a third opening of an exciter in the metallic material, wherein the exciter and the exciter is operatively coupled to feed the multi-band slot antenna, wherein the first opening, second opening, and third opening form a single slot opening in the metallic material, wherein the exciter has a non-linear shape, wherein the third opening is formed to be centered about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the slot antenna, wherein the exciter is co-planar with the slot antenna and comprises a first portion of the third opening configured to feed the first slot opening and a second portion of the third opening configured to feed the second slot opening, wherein the exciter is to be coupled to a feed line connector to be connected to a transmission line comprising

at least one of a radio frequency (RF) cable, a waveguide, a wire, or a conductive trace.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said forming the first slot opening comprises removing a first portion of the metallic material to form the first slot opening, wherein said forming the second slot opening comprises removing a second portion of the metallic material to form the second slot opening, and wherein said forming the third opening comprises removing a third portion of the metallic material to form the exciter.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said forming the first slot opening comprises constructing the structural member to have a first cavity in the metallic material to form the first slot opening, wherein said forming the second slot opening comprises constructing the structural member to have a second cavity in the metallic material to form the second slot opening, and wherein said forming the third opening comprises removing a third cavity in the metallic material to form the exciter.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said forming the first slot opening comprises constructing the structural member to have a first cavity in the metallic material to form the first slot opening, wherein said forming the second slot opening comprises constructing the structural member to have a second cavity in the metallic material to form the second slot opening, and wherein said forming the third opening comprises constructing the structural member to have a third cavity in the metallic material to form the exciter.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said forming the first slot opening, second slot opening and third opening comprises constructing the structural member to have a single cavity in the metallic material to form the single slot opening in the metallic material comprising the multi-band slot antenna and the exciter.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the structural member is a housing of the user device, and wherein said forming the first slot opening or the second slot opening comprises:

constructing the housing with a second non-metallic material;

forming a cavity in the non-metallic material of the housing; and

filling the cavity with the metallic material to form the respective one of the first slot opening or the second slot opening.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first opening and the second opening form at least one of a rectangular shape, a circular shape, an oval shape, a C shape, a U shape, an inverted-U shape, an inverted-C shape, a loop shape, an arc shape, ring shape, a W shape, a M shape, or a horseshoe shape.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-linear shape is at least one of a circular shape, an oval shape, a C shape, a U shape, an inverted-U shape, an inverted-C shape, a loop shape, an arc shape, ring shape, a W shape, a M shape, or a horseshoe shape.

21. A method of operating a user device, comprising:

applying a current at an exciter operatively coupled to a slot antenna formed in metallic material of a structural member associated with an electronic component of the user device, wherein the slot antenna is a multi-band slot antenna comprising a first opening and a second opening, wherein the exciter comprises a third opening comprising a non-linear shape and is centered about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the multi-band slot antenna, wherein the exciter is co-planar with the slot antenna and comprises a first portion of the third opening configured to feed the first opening and a second portion of the third opening configured to feed the second opening, wherein the first opening, second opening and third opening form a single slot opening in the metallic material;

exciting surface current flow at the slot antenna using the exciter, wherein the exciter is coupled to a feed line connector, wherein the feed line connector is coupled to a transmission line; and

radiating electromagnetic energy from the slot antenna due to the current to communicate information to another device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first opening and the second opening form at least one of a rectangular shape, a circular shape, an oval shape, a C shape, a U shape, an inverted-U shape, an inverted-C shape, a loop shape, an arc shape, ring shape, a W shape, a M shape, or a horseshoe shape.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the non-linear shape is at least one of a circular shape, an oval shape, a C shape, a U shape, an inverted-U shape, an inverted-C shape, a loop shape, an arc shape, ring shape, a W shape, a M shape, or a horseshoe shape.