Waveguide structure

• US 9,685,700 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Komulainen, Mikko S., Lahti, Saku
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lam T
• Application Number:
  US14/751,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20160380346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 381353, 381340, 455272, 455101
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• 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 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00

Abstract

Described herein are architectures, platforms and methods for implementing an orientation-agnostic mm-wave antenna(s) that includes an integrated second mechanism on a waveguide structure of the mm-wave antenna. The second mechanism, for example, operates on a second signal and is co-running with an operation of the waveguide structure. The second mechanism may include an audio sub-system such as an audio speaker and/or an audio microphone, or other mechanisms such as a sound or a signal detector, signal transmitter/receiver, or the like.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a first mechanism comprised of a millimeter (mm) wave waveguide structure configured to transmit or receive a first signal, wherein the first signal includes one or more mm-wave radio frequency (RF) frequencies;

a second mechanism connected to the first mechanism, the second mechanism configured to radiate or receive a second signal; and

an isolating hardware configured to minimize coupling between the first signal and the second signal.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the millimeter (mm) wave waveguide structure is comprised of a physical parameter configured to have a cut-off frequency below about 60 GHz frequency.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the second mechanism comprises at least one of an audio microphone, an audio speaker, a signal detector, a Bluetooth (BT) transceiver, or a near field communications (NFC) transceiver.

4. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein the second signal is sent from the audio microphone or the audio speaker, the second signal comprises a low-frequency sound wave that generates a83ir pressure or modulates a movement of air within the first mechanism.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first signal and second signal are different.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the isolating hardware comprises an audio sealing structure disposed within a radio frequency (RF) signal feed, wherein the audio sealing structure is configured to prevent the second signal from entering the RF signal feed.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the isolating hardware comprises an RF sealing structure disposed within an audio signal feed of the second mechanism, the RF sealing structure is configured to prevent the first RF signal from coupling with the second signal.

8. The device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a switch mechanism configured to select a first and a second mm-wave waveguide structure that supports the first mechanism and the second mechanism, respectively.

9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the integrated second mechanism is configured to radiate or receive the second signal through a plurality of audio signal feed holes, wherein each audio signal feed hole comprises a diameter that is less than a wavelength of the first signal.

10. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the isolating hardware comprises a high-pass filter and a low-pass filter.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the integrated second mechanism radiates or receives the second signal through a plurality of audio signal feed holes, wherein each audio signal feed hole comprises a diameter that is less than a wavelength of the first signal.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the minimizing coupling using an isolating hardware, which blocks the first signal and the second signal from coupling with an audio signal feed and a radio frequency (RF) signal feed respectively.

11. A method of wireless communication in a portable device comprising:

transmitting or receiving a first signal in a millimeter-wave (mm-wave) wireless communication link through an open-end antenna of a waveguide structure;

transmitting or receiving of a second signal by a second mechanism that is integrated to the waveguide structure; and

minimizing coupling between the first signal in the mm-wave wireless communication link and the second signal.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the transmitting or receiving of the second signal comprises transmitting or receiving a signal from the second mechanism that comprises at least one of an audio microphone, an audio speaker, a signal detector, a Bluetooth (BT) transceiver, or a near field communications (NFC) transceiver.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the second signal is sent from the audio microphone or the audio speaker comprises a low-frequency sound wave that generates air pressure or modulates a movement of air within the waveguide structure.

16. An integrated mechanism in portable device comprising:

a waveguide structure configured to propagate a first signal for millimeter-wave (mm-wave) wireless communications;

a second mechanism that is integrated into the waveguide structure, wherein the second mechanism is configured to radiate or receive a second signal; and

an isolating hardware configured to minimize coupling between the first signal and the second signal.

17. The integrated mechanism as recited in claim 16, the second mechanism comprises at least one of an audio microphone, an audio speaker, a signal detector, a Bluetooth (BT) transceiver, or a near field communications (NFC) transceiver.

18. The integrated mechanism as recited in claim 17, wherein the second signal is sent from the audio microphone or the audio speaker comprises a low-frequency sound wave that generates air pressure or modulates a movement of air within the waveguide structure.

19. The integrated mechanism as recited in claim 16, wherein the isolating hardware comprises an audio sealing structure disposed within a radio frequency (RF) signal feed, the audio sealing structure is configured to prevent the second signal from entering the RF signal feed.

20. The integrated mechanism as recited in claim 16, wherein the isolating hardware comprises a radio frequency (RF) sealing structure disposed within an audio signal feed of the second mechanism, the RF sealing structure is configured to prevent the first signal from coupling with the second signal.

21. The integrated mechanism as recited in claim 16 further comprising a switch mechanism configured to select a first and a second mm-wave waveguide structure that act as the waveguide structure and the second mechanism, respectively.