Antenna apparatus with an integrated proximity sensor and methods
First Claim
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1. A method of operating an antenna with an integrated proximity sensor, the method comprising:
- detecting a change in capacitance at the proximity sensor via a discrete sensor element, the discrete sensor element being galvanically coupled to the integrated proximity sensor and capacitively coupled to a grounded antenna component;
capacitively coupling the grounded antenna component with both the discrete sensor element and a feed element of the antenna;
based, at least in part, on the detecting the change in capacitance by the proximity sensor, sending, from the proximity sensor, a message indicating a presence of a human body; and
lowering a transmit power of the antenna based, at least in part, on a receipt of the message.
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Abstract
Wireless wide area network (WWAN) antenna with integrated sensor and methods of using the same. In one embodiment, an antenna subsystem and proximity sensing subsystem share a grounded antenna component/parasitic element. The parasitic element can be used to broaden the operating band of the antenna feeding component and provide an input (via a capacitance change) to a proximity sensor. The parasitic element is, in one embodiment, coupled in parallel to the proximity sensor allowing for a reduction in noise due to increased isolation between the antenna subsystem and the sensing subsystem.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of operating an antenna with an integrated proximity sensor, the method comprising:
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detecting a change in capacitance at the proximity sensor via a discrete sensor element, the discrete sensor element being galvanically coupled to the integrated proximity sensor and capacitively coupled to a grounded antenna component; capacitively coupling the grounded antenna component with both the discrete sensor element and a feed element of the antenna; based, at least in part, on the detecting the change in capacitance by the proximity sensor, sending, from the proximity sensor, a message indicating a presence of a human body; and lowering a transmit power of the antenna based, at least in part, on a receipt of the message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A mobile apparatus, comprising:
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a radio frequency engine; a proximity sensor coupled to the radio frequency engine; one or more antenna feed elements coupled to the radio frequency engine; a grounded antenna element; and a sensor element galvanically coupled with the proximity sensor and capacitively coupled to the grounded antenna element, the grounded antenna element also being capacitively coupled to the one or more antenna feed elements; wherein the one or more antenna feed elements and the grounded antenna element are disposed on a first surface of a substrate; wherein the sensor element is disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface opposing the first surface. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An antenna apparatus, comprising:
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one or more antenna feed elements; a parasitic element capacitively coupled to the one or more antenna feed elements, the parasitic element configured to broaden an impedance bandwidth of the one or more antenna feed elements; a proximity sensor coupled to a processing engine; and a sensor element galvanically coupled to the proximity sensor and capacitively coupled to the parasitic element, the proximity sensor being configured to detect a change in capacitance in the parasitic element in a presence of a human body and further configured to lower an output power of at least one of the one or more antenna feed elements in response thereto, the proximity sensor configured to raise the output power of at least one of the one or more antenna feed elements in an absence of the human body. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An antenna apparatus, comprising:
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an antenna feed characterized by at least one resonating frequency; a grounded antenna component configured to broaden an impedance bandwidth for the antenna apparatus, the grounded antenna component being capacitively coupled to the antenna feed; a first sensing element capacitively coupled to the grounded antenna component such that the antenna feed and the first sensing element share the grounded antenna component; a proximity sensor galvanically coupled to the first sensing element, the proximity sensor being configured to detect a change in capacitance in the grounded antenna component. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification