Radio-frequency transparent window

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9627749-B2
Application number	US-201615078949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A patch for a device in an electronic housing including an aluminum layer having a threshold thickness, a non-conductive layer on a first side of the aluminum layer, and a radio-frequency (RF) transparent layer on a second side of the aluminum layer is provided. A method for manufacturing an antenna window including a patch as above is also provided, the method including determining a thickness of the aluminum layer adjacent to an anodized aluminum layer. A method for manufacturing an antenna window including coating an aluminum layer having a threshold thickness on a radio-frequency (RF) transparent layer to form an RF transparent laminate is also provided. A method for manufacturing an antenna window including removing a thickness of aluminum is also provided. A method for manufacturing an antenna window including disposing a mask on an aluminum substrate and anodizing the aluminum substrate to a selected thickness is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A housing for an electronic device capable of radio frequency (RF) wireless communication, the housing comprising:
a substrate formed of a material that passes RF energy in accordance with a substrate thickness, the substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
an RF transmissive layer formed from the material at the first surface, the RF transmissive layer overlaying at least a portion of the substrate, the portion of the substrate overlaid by the RF transmissive layer comprising (i) a first region characterized as having a first substrate thickness that prevents passage of RF energy and (ii) a second region comprising a recess at the second surface such that the second region has a second substrate thickness that allows passage of RF energy; and
an RF transparent material that fills the recess.

2. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the second thickness is a threshold thickness to provide a RF transmissivity and structural support for the housing.

3. The housing of claim 2 , wherein the RF-transmissivity is at least 4%.

4. The housing of claim 3 , wherein the threshold thickness is based an antenna in an interior portion of the housing.

5. The housing of claim 4 , wherein the antenna can be used to transmit or receive the RF wireless communication of any one of the following including, Wi-Fi (802.11g at 2.4 GHz, and 802.11a at 5 GHz), Blue-tooth, cellular phone networks and North America 4G LTE at 700 MHz.

6. The housing of claim 5 , further comprising one or more additional portions overlaid by the RF transmissive layer comprising respective recesses corresponding to one or more additional antenna each associated with a radio frequency.

7. The housing of claim 6 , wherein each of the recesses has a different threshold thickness corresponding to the radio frequency of the associated antenna.

8. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the second surface is overlaid with an additional RF transmissive layer formed from the material.

9. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the RF transparent material is a polymer.

10. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the threshold thickness is less than or equal to 100 nm.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a housing overlaid by an radio-frequency (RF) transmissive layer on a first side, the housing having a first thickness that prevents transmission of RF energy, the housing having an antenna window comprising:
a recess formed in a second side of the housing, opposite the first side, resulting in a corresponding portion of the housing having a second thickness that allows transmission of RF energy; and,
an RF transparent material that fills the recess.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the second thickness is less than or equal to 100 nm.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the supporting RF transparent material is a thermosetting polymer.

14. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the housing is aluminum and the RF transmissive layer is anodized aluminum.

15. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the second thickness has an RF-transmissivity of at least 60%.

16. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the recess is formed by machining or etching.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the window is configured to correspond with an antenna in an interior portion of the housing associated with a radio frequency.

18. An electronic device, comprising:
radio-frequency (RF) antennae, each antenna associated with a RF frequency band (RFB) suitable for receiving and transmitting a corresponding RF signal; and,
a housing formed of RF opaque material and comprising RF transmissive portions corresponding to each of the antenna, wherein the transmissive portions each comprise an RF transmissive layer and a threshold thickness of RF opaque material selected to be RF transmissive for the RF signal corresponding to the antenna, the threshold thickness being different for each RF transmissive portion.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the threshold thickness for each RFB is selected such that a RF-transmissivity for each respective RF signal is at least 60%.

20. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the RFB can be any one of the following including, Wi-Fi (802.11g at 2.4 GHz, and 802.11a at 5 GHz), Blue-tooth, cellular phone networks and North America 4G LTE at 700 MHz.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Misra Abhijeet
• Tryon Brian S
• Kuehmann Charles J
• Lynch Stephen B
• Wright James A

Classifications

• H01Q1/44

  using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna {, e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspect}(H01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/42 Primary

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title