Electronic device with satellite navigation system slot antennas

• US 9,379,445 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zhu, Jiang, Rajagopalan, Harish, Gomez Angulo, Rodney A., Li, Qingxiang, Schlub, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAUTURE, JOSEPH J
• Application Number:
  US14/180,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20150236426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/767, 343/860, 343/906
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/02 for antennas

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a satellite positioning system slot antenna. The slot antenna may include a slot in a metal housing. The slot may be directly fed or indirectly fed. In indirectly fed configurations, the antenna may include a near-field-coupled antenna feed structure that is near-field coupled to the slot. The near-field-coupled antenna feed structure may be formed from a planar metal structure. The planar metal structure may be a metal patch that overlaps the slot and that has a leg that protrudes towards the metal housing. A positive antenna feed terminal may be coupled to the leg and a ground antenna feed terminal may be coupled to the metal housing.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a satellite navigation system receiver;

a metal housing in which the satellite navigation system receiver is housed;

a slot antenna formed from a slot in the metal housing wherein the slot antenna is an indirectly fed slot antenna having a near-field-coupled antenna feed structure that is near-field coupled to the slot, wherein the antenna feed structure comprises a planar metal structure and a leg that extends from the planar metal structure towards a rear wall of the metal housing; and

a transmission line that conveys antenna signals from the slot antenna to the satellite navigation system receiver.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the metal housing forms a ground plane, wherein the slot is formed in the ground plane, and wherein the slot has at least one bend.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the slot antenna has at least one bend and the slot is an open slot having an open end at an edge of the metal housing.

4. An electronic device, comprising:

a satellite navigation system receiver;

a metal housing in which the satellite navigation system receiver is housed;

a slot antenna formed from a slot in the metal housing, wherein the metal housing has a rear housing wall and a sidewall, the slot has first and second segments, the first segment is formed in the rear housing wall, the second segment is formed in the sidewall, and the slot antenna is a directly fed slot antenna having a positive antenna feed terminal coupled to the metal housing on one side of the first segment and having a ground antenna feed terminal coupled to the metal housing on an opposing side of the first segment; and

a transmission line that conveys antenna signals from the slot antenna to the satellite navigation system receiver.

5. An electronic device, comprising:

a satellite navigation system receiver;

a metal housing in which the satellite navigation system receiver is housed;

a slot antenna formed from a slot in the metal housing wherein the metal housing has a rear housing wall and has a sidewall, wherein the slot has a first segment in the rear housing wall, a second segment in the rear housing wall, and a third segment in the sidewall and the slot has a first bend between the first and second segments and has a second bend between the second and third segments; and

a transmission line that conveys antenna signals from the slot antenna to the satellite navigation system receiver.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the slot antenna comprises a near-field-coupled antenna feed structure that is near-field coupled to the slot.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the near-field-coupled antenna feed structure comprises a planar metal structure.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the planar metal structure overlaps the second segment.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the near-field-coupled antenna feed structure comprises a leg that extends from the planar metal structure.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein a positive antenna feed terminal is coupled to the leg, a ground antenna feed terminal is coupled to the metal housing, the transmission line has a positive signal line that is coupled to the positive antenna feed terminal, and the transmission line has a ground antenna signal line that is coupled to the ground antenna feed terminal.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 further comprising an additional antenna.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a satellite navigation system receiver;

a metal housing; and

an indirectly fed slot antenna formed from a slot in the metal housing that provides antenna signals to the satellite navigation system receiver, wherein the metal housing has a rear housing wall and a sidewall, the slot has a segment formed in the sidewall that extends from a first edge of the sidewall to an opposing second edge of the sidewall, the slot serves as an antenna resonating element for the indirectly fed slot antenna, and the indirectly fed slot antenna comprises a near-field-coupled antenna feed structure that is near-field coupled to the slot.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the near-field-coupled antenna feed structure comprises a metal patch.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the metal patch overlaps the slot.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the slot comprises a closed slot having two closed ends.

16. A satellite navigation system slot antenna configured to receive satellite navigation system signals in an electronic device, comprising:

a slot antenna resonating element formed from a plastic-filled slot in a metal housing for the electronic device, wherein the metal housing has a rear housing wall and a sidewall, the slot has first and second segments, the first segment is formed in the rear housing wall, and the second segment is formed in the sidewall; and

a near-field-coupled antenna feed structure that is near-field coupled to the slot antenna resonating element, wherein the near-field coupled antenna feed structure comprises a metal patch that overlaps the slot.