Capacitively-coupled isolator assembly

• US 9,774,079 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Luyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, HAI V
• Application Number:
  US14/248,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 343700 MS, 343702, 343745, 343836, 343841
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

An isolator assembly includes a capacitively-coupled isolator assembly. In some implementations, the capacitively-coupled isolator element may provide multi-band isolation by having an electrically-floating conductive coupling element with a length that is ½ or ¼ of a carrier wavelength. In other implementations, multiple capacitively-coupled elements may be employed to achieve multi-band isolation.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a capacitively-coupled isolator assembly positioned between at least two antennas, the capacitively-coupled isolator assembly providing isolation between the at least two antennas and further including;

a grounded conductive element electrically connected to a ground plane electrically connected to the at least two antennas; and

an electrically-floating conductive coupling element capacitively coupled to the grounded conductive element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrically-floating conductive coupling element is surrounded by an insulating material.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the grounded conductive element has a first long side and a second long side and the electrically-floating conductive coupling element is capacitively-coupled to both long sides of the grounded conductive element.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, the electrically-floating conductive coupling element extends along both long sides of the grounded conductive element.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrically-floating conductive coupling element has a length of ¼

of a wavelength of a carrier wave signal radiated by the at least two antennas.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrically-floating conductive coupling element has a length of ½

of a wavelength of a carrier wave signal radiated by the at least two antennas.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the isolator assembly includes one or more tunable capacitors to adaptively tune a mode of resonance of the isolator assembly.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrically-floating conductive coupling element is a first electrically-floating conductive coupling element, the apparatus further comprising:

a second electrically-floating conductive coupling element capacitively coupled to the grounded conductive element, the second electrically-floating conductive coupling element having a different end-to-end length than the first electrically-floating conductive coupling element.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrically-floating conductive coupling element is a first electrically-floating conductive coupling element and further comprising:

a second electrically-floating conductive coupling element capacitively coupled to the grounded conductive element, the first electrically-floating conductive coupling element being routed between the grounded conductive element and the second electrically-floating conductive coupling element.

10. A method comprising:

positioning a capacitively-coupled isolator assembly between at least two antennas, the capacitively-coupled isolator assembly providing isolation between the at least two antennas electrically connected to a ground plane, wherein the capacitively-coupled isolator assembly includes a grounded conductive element electrically connected to the ground plane and an electrically-floating conductive coupling element capacitively coupled to the grounded conductive element.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the electrically-floating conductive coupling element is surrounded by an insulating material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the grounded conductive element has a first long side and a second long side and the electrically-floating conductive coupling element is capacitively-coupled to both long sides of the grounded conductive element.

13. The method of claim 12, the electrically-floating conductive coupling element extends along both long sides of the grounded conductive element.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically-floating conductive coupling element has a length of ¼

of a wavelength of a carrier wave signal radiated by the at least two antennas.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically-floating conductive coupling element has a length of ½

of a wavelength of a carrier wave signal radiated by the at least two antennas.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

adaptively tuning a mode of resonance of the isolator assembly using one or more tunable capacitors.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically-floating conductive coupling element is a first electrically-floating conductive coupling element and is routed between the grounded conductive element and a second electrically-floating conductive coupling element capacitively coupled to the grounded conductive element, the second electrically-floating conductive coupling element having a different end-to-end length than the first electrically-floating conductive coupling element.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically-floating conductive coupling element is a first electrically-floating conductive coupling element and is routed between the grounded conductive element and a second electrically-floating conductive coupling element capacitively coupled to the grounded conductive element.

19. A computing device comprising:

at least two antennas;

a capacitively-coupled isolator assembly positioned between the at least two antennas, the at least two antennas are electrically connected by a ground plane, the capacitively-coupled isolator assembly providing isolation between the at least two antennas and including a grounded conductive element electrically connected to the ground plane, a first electrically-floating conductive coupling element capacitively coupled to the grounded conductive element, and a second electrically-floating conductive coupling element capacitively coupled to the grounded conductive element, the second electrically-floating conductive coupling element having a different end-to-end length than the first electrically-floating conductive coupling element.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the first electrically-floating conductive coupling element is routed between the grounded conductive element and the second electrically-floating conductive coupling element.