Electronic devices with antenna windows on opposing housing surfaces

• US 9,680,202 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Guterman, Jerzy, Irci, Erdinc, Schlub, Robert W., Pascolini, Mattia
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALIH, AWAT M
• Application Number:
  US13/910,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 343702, 343767, 343872, 343873
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00

Abstract

An electronic device housing may have a base unit and a lid. Aligned antenna windows may be formed on opposing upper and lower surfaces of the base unit along a hinge. Antenna structures that are located between respective upper and lower antenna windows on the upper and lower surfaces may be based on a pair of antennas that are coupled to switching circuitry that can select which antenna to switch into use or may be based on an antenna having a position that may be adjusted relative to the upper and lower antenna windows using a mechanical coupling to the lid or using a positioner. A sensor such as a lid position sensor may monitor how the lid is positioned relative to the base unit. Information from the lid position sensor may be used in adjusting the antenna structures to optimize performance.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first housing structure having opposing upper and lower conductive surfaces;

at least one upper antenna window in the upper conductive surface that is completely surrounded by the upper conductive surface;

at least one lower antenna window on the lower conductive surface that is completely surrounded by the lower conductive surface;

a second housing structure that is coupled to the first housing structure and that rotates relative to the first housing structure; and

an antenna that is mounted within the first housing structure between the upper and lower antenna windows.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the first housing structure comprises a laptop computer base housing and the second housing structure comprises a laptop computer lid.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising:

a display in the laptop computer lid;

a keyboard in the laptop computer base housing; and

radio-frequency transceiver circuitry coupled to the antenna.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 further comprising:

an additional antenna between the upper and lower antenna windows.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the antenna is adjacent to the upper antenna window, the additional antenna is adjacent to the lower antenna window, and the electronic device further comprises switching circuitry coupled between the antenna, the additional antenna, and the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the switching circuitry is configured to switch a selected one of the antenna and the additional antenna into use to transmit and receive signals for the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 further comprising a lid position sensor configured to monitor how the laptop computer lid is positioned relative to the laptop computer base housing.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the switching circuitry is configured to switch the selected one of the antenna and the additional antenna into use based on information from the lid position sensor.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the laptop computer lid is configured to position the antenna adjacent to the upper antenna window in response to opening the laptop computer lid and is configured to position the antenna adjacent to the lower antenna window in response to closing the laptop computer lid.

9. The electronic device defined in claim further comprising a positioner that positions the antenna relative to the upper and lower antenna windows.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 further comprising a lid position sensor configured to monitor how the laptop computer lid is positioned relative to the laptop computer base housing, wherein the positioner is configured to position the antenna relative to the upper and lower antenna windows based on information from the lid position sensor.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a metal housing having opposing parallel planar upper and lower surfaces with respective upper and lower antenna windows;

upper and lower antennas, wherein the upper antenna is located between the upper antenna window and the lower antenna window, the lower antenna is located between the upper antenna window and the lower antenna window, the upper antenna is located adjacent to the upper antenna window, and the lower antenna is located adjacent to the lower antenna window;

a first transmission line structure directly connected to the upper antenna that conveys radio-frequency signals for the upper antenna; and

a second transmission line structure directly connected to the lower antenna that conveys radio-frequency signals for the lower antenna, wherein the upper antenna window is completely enclosed by the planar upper surface of the metal housing and the lower antenna window is completely enclosed by the planar lower surface of the metal housing.

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

radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that is coupled to the upper antenna through the first transmission line structure and that is coupled to the lower antenna through the second transmission line structure; and

switching circuitry that selectively switches a given one of the upper and lower antennas into use by the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising:

a housing structure that is configured to move relative to the metal housing; and

a sensor that detects movement of the housing structure relative to the metal housing.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the switching circuitry is configured to selectively switch the given one of the upper and lower antennas into use based on information from the sensor.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 further comprising a hinge that couples the housing structure to the metal housing, wherein the housing structure covers the upper antenna window in a closed position for the housing structure, the upper antenna window is uncovered by the housing structure in an open position for the housing structure, the switching circuitry is configured to switch the upper antenna into use in response to detecting with the sensor that the housing structure is in the open position, and the switching circuitry is configured to switch the lower antenna into use in response to detecting with the sensor that the housing structure is in the closed position.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 13, further comprising:

proximity sensor circuitry that is configured to identify when a given one of the upper and lower antennas is being blocked by an external object, wherein the switching circuitry is configured to switch the given one of the upper and lower antennas that is being blocked by the external object out of use by the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry in response to identifying, with the proximity sensor circuitry, that the given one of the upper and lower antennas is being blocked by the external object.

18. A laptop computer, comprising:

a conductive base housing having a keyboard and having opposing upper and lower conductive surfaces;

a lid that is coupled to the conductive base housing and that rotates relative to the conductive base housing;

a display in the lid; and

aligned upper and lower antenna windows formed respectively on the upper and lower conductive surfaces, wherein the upper antenna window is completely surrounded by the upper conductive surface and the lower antenna window is completely surrounded by the lower conductive surface.

19. The laptop computer defined in claim 18 further comprising additional aligned upper and lower antenna windows formed respectively on the upper and lower conductive surfaces.

20. The laptop computer defined in claim 18, further comprising a hinge that couples the conductive base housing to the lid, wherein the upper and lower antenna windows are interposed between the keyboard and the hinge.

21. The laptop computer defined in claim 20 further comprising:

radio-frequency transceiver circuitry;

switching circuitry coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry;

first antenna structures that are coupled to the switching circuitry and that are located between the upper and lower antenna windows; and

second antenna structures that are coupled to the switching circuitry and that are located between the additional upper and lower antenna windows.