Mobile device and antenna structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9716307-B2
Application number	US-201213672464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2012
Priority date	Nov 8, 2012
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A mobile device includes a dielectric substrate, a metal layer, a metal housing, a nonconductive partition, at least one connection element, and a feeding element. The metal layer is disposed on the dielectric substrate, and includes an upper element and a main element, wherein a slot is formed between the upper element and the main element. The metal housing is substantially a hollow structure, and has a slit, wherein the slit is substantially aligned with the slot of the metal layer. The connection element couples the upper element of the metal layer to the metal housing. The feeding element is coupled to the upper element of the metal layer or coupled to the metal housing. An antenna structure is formed by the feeding element, the upper element of the metal layer, the connection element, and the metal housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile device, comprising:
a dielectric substrate;
a metal layer, lying on the dielectric substrate, and comprising an upper element and a main element, wherein a first slot is formed between the upper element and the main element, and wherein both the upper element and the main element of the metal layer lie on the same physical dielectric substrate;
a metal housing, being substantially a hollow structure, and having a first slit, wherein the dielectric substrate and the metal layer are disposed inside the metal housing, and the first slit is substantially aligned or parallel with the first slot of the metal layer, and wherein a vertical projection of the first slit with respect to the dielectric substrate at least partially overlaps the first slot;
a first nonconductive partition, at least partially disposed in the first slit of the metal housing;
one or more connection elements, at least coupling the upper element of the metal layer to the metal housing; and
a first feeding element, electrically coupled to the upper element of the metal layer or electrically coupled to the metal housing,
wherein a first antenna structure is formed by the first feeding element, the metal layer, the connection element, the first slot, and the metal housing,
wherein the metal layer is disposed between the dielectric substrate and the metal housing, and
wherein the upper element of the metal layer or the metal housing is a main radiation element of the first antenna structure.

2. The mobile device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an end of the first feeding element extends across the first slot and is electrically coupled to the upper element of the metal layer or electrically coupled to the metal housing, and another end of the first feeding element is coupled to a signal source.

3. The mobile device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal housing comprises an upper cover and a middle cover, and the first slit partially or completely separates the upper cover from the middle cover.

4. The mobile device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first nonconductive partition is substantially a ring structure.

5. The mobile device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal layer further comprises a lower element, wherein a second slot is formed between the main element and the lower element.

6. The mobile device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the metal housing further has a second slit, the second slit is substantially aligned or parallel with the second slot of the metal layer, the mobile device further comprises a second nonconductive partition, and the second nonconductive partition is at least partially disposed in the second slit of the metal housing.

7. The mobile device as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a second feeding element electrically coupled to the lower element of the metal layer or electrically coupled to the metal housing, wherein the one or more connection elements couple the lower element of the metal layer to the metal housing, and a second antenna structure is formed by the second feeding element, the metal layer, the connection element, the second slot and the metal housing.

8. The mobile device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the metal housing comprises a middle cover and a lower cover, and the second slit partially or completely separates the middle cover from the lower cover.

9. The mobile device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second nonconductive partition is substantially a ring structure.

10. The mobile device as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a transparent panel, wherein the transparent panel is opposite to the middle cover of the metal housing and is located between the upper cover and the lower cover of the metal housing.

11. The mobile device as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising a third nonconductive partition and a fourth nonconductive partition, wherein the third nonconductive partition and the fourth nonconductive partition completely separate the transparent panel from the middle cover of the metal housing.

12. The mobile device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each of the third nonconductive partition and the fourth nonconductive partition substantially has an I-shape.

13. The mobile device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first nonconductive partition, the second nonconductive partition, the third nonconductive partition and the fourth nonconductive partition are integrally formed.

14. The mobile device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the upper cover of the metal housing comprises a first upper sub-cover and a second upper sub-cover, the first upper sub-cover is separated from the second upper sub-cover, the lower cover of the metal housing comprises a first lower sub-cover and a second lower sub-cover, and the first lower sub-cover is separated from the second lower sub-cover.

15. The mobile device as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising a fifth nonconductive partition and a sixth nonconductive partition, wherein the fifth nonconductive partition completely separates the first upper sub-cover from the second upper sub-cover, and the sixth nonconductive partition completely separates the first lower sub-cover from the second lower sub-cover.

16. The mobile device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each of the fifth nonconductive partition and the sixth nonconductive partition substantially has a U-shape.

17. The mobile device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the first nonconductive partition, the second nonconductive partition, the third nonconductive partition, the fourth nonconductive partition, the fifth nonconductive partition and the sixth nonconductive partition are integrally formed.

18. The mobile device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the second slot of the metal layer completely separates the lower element from the main element, the mobile device further comprises a conductive element, and the conductive element extends across the second slot and electrically couples the lower element to the main element.

19. The mobile device as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a transparent panel, wherein at least a portion of the transparent panel forms a portion or all of the first nonconductive partition and forms a portion or all of the second nonconductive partition.

20. The mobile device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein an area of the second nonconductive partition is greater than or equal to an opening area of the second slit of the metal housing.

21. The mobile device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a transparent panel, wherein at least a portion of the transparent panel forms a portion or all of the first nonconductive partition.

22. The mobile device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first slot of the metal layer comprises a first portion and a second portion, and the first portion is separated from the second portion.

23. The mobile device as claimed in claim 22 , wherein a length of the first portion is substantially equal to a length of the second portion.

24. The mobile device as claimed in claim 22 , wherein a length of the first portion is greater than a length of the second portion.

25. The mobile device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first slot of the metal layer completely separates the upper element from the main element, the mobile device further comprises a conductive element, and the conductive element extends across the first slot and electrically couples the upper element to the main element.

Assignees

• Htc Corp

Inventors

• Tsai Tiao-Hsing
• Chiu Chien-Pin
• Wu Hsiao-Wei
• Kuo Chao-Chiang

Classifications

• H01Q13/106

  Microstrip slot antennas (patch antenna elements H01Q9/0407) · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q1/2266

  disposed inside the computer · CPC title

• 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

• H01Q1/50

  Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors · CPC title