Hinge barrel antenna system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9917347-B2
Application number	US-201514924477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 27, 2015
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A hinge barrel antenna system includes a first hinge device and a second hinge device that couple a chassis base to a display device. A hinge barrel extends between the first hinge device and the second hinge device. A hinge barrel support member is included in the hinge barrel and defines a first slot that extends through the hinge barrel support member. A feed structure is coupled to the hinge barrel support member adjacent the first slot by a circuit board. The first slot is dimensioned such that the combination of the first slot and the feed structure emit radio waves having a first predetermined frequency when the feed structure is activated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge barrel antenna system, comprising:
a first hinge device;
a hinge barrel extending from the first hinge device;
a hinge barrel support member that extends through the hinge barrel and engages the first hinge device to provide mechanical strength for the hinge barrel;
a first slot that is defined in the hinge barrel support member and that extends through the hinge barrel support member; and
a feed structure coupled to the hinge barrel support member adjacent the first slot, wherein the first slot is dimensioned such that the combination of the first slot and the feed structure emit radio waves having a first predetermined frequency when the feed structure is activated.

2. The hinge barrel antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second hinge device, wherein the hinge barrel extends through the hinge barrel and between the first hinge device and the second hinge device to provide mechanical strength for the hinge barrel.

3. The hinge barrel antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hinge barrel cover included on the hinge barrel and housing the hinge barrel support member, wherein the hinge barrel cover and the first slot are configured such that a specific absorption rate that is lower than a predetermined rate is produced when the feed structure is activated.

4. The hinge barrel antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a circuit board including the feed structure and mounted to the hinge barrel support member to couple the feed structure to the hinge barrel support member adjacent the first slot.

5. The hinge barrel antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second slot that is defined in the hinge barrel support member adjacent the feed structure and that extends through the hinge barrel support member, wherein the second slot is dimensioned such that the combination of the second slot and the feed structure emit radio waves having a second predetermined frequency that is different than the first predetermined frequency when the feed structure is activated.

6. The hinge barrel antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a radio cable coupled to the feed structure and extending through at least a portion of the hinge barrel.

7. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:
a chassis base that houses a wireless communication engine;
a display device that is coupled to the chassis base by a first hinge device;
a hinge support member that extends from the first hinge device to provide mechanical strength for a hinge barrel that is located adjacent an edge of each of the chassis base and the display device;
a first slot that is defined in the hinge support member and that extends through the hinge support member; and
a feed structure that is coupled to the wireless communication engine and positioned adjacent the first slot, wherein the first slot is dimensioned such that the combination of the first slot and the feed structure emit radio waves having a first predetermined frequency when the feed structure is activated by the wireless communication engine.

8. The IHS of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second hinge device, wherein the hinge support member extends between the first hinge device and the second hinge device to provide mechanical strength for the hinge barrel that is located adjacent the edge of each of the chassis base and the display device.

9. The IHS of claim 7 , further comprising:
a hinge cover housing the hinge support member, wherein the hinge cover and the first slot are configured such that a specific absorption rate that is lower than a predetermined rate is produced when the feed structure is activated.

10. The IHS of claim 7 , further comprising:
a circuit board including the feed structure and mounted to the hinge support member to couple the feed structure to the hinge support member adjacent the first slot.

11. The IHS of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second slot that is defined in the hinge support member adjacent the feed structure and that extends through the hinge support member, wherein the second slot is dimensioned such that the combination of the second slot and the feed structure emit radio waves having a second predetermined frequency that is different than the first predetermined frequency when the feed structure is activated.

12. The IHS of claim 7 , further comprising:
a radio cable coupled to the feed structure and extending through at least a portion of the hinge support member and the first hinge device.

13. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the first hinge device is configured to orient the chassis base and the display device in each of a laptop/notebook orientation and a tablet orientation, and wherein neither of the chassis base and the display device are located immediately adjacent the first slot in either of the laptop/notebook orientation and the tablet orientation.

14. A method for wireless communication, comprising:
providing a chassis base coupled to a display device by a hinge system that includes a hinge support member that defines a first slot and that extends from a first hinge device in the hinge system to provide mechanical strength for the hinge system;
orienting the chassis base relative to the display device into one of a first orientation and a second orientation using the hinge system, wherein neither of the chassis base and the display device are located immediately adjacent the first slot in either of the first orientation and the second orientation;
activating a feed structure that is included in the hinge system adjacent the first slot; and
emitting radio waves having a first predetermined frequency in response to the activation of the feed structure, wherein the first predetermined frequency is determined, at least in part, by dimensions of the first slot.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the hinge support member extends between the first hinge device and a second hinge device that are included on the hinge system to provide mechanical strength for the hinge system.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the hinge cover and the first slot are configured such that a specific absorption rate that is lower than a predetermined rate is produced when the feed structure is activated.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein a circuit board including the feed structure is mounted to the hinge support member to couple the feed structure to the hinge support member adjacent the first slot.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein a second slot is defined in the hinge support member adjacent the feed structure, and wherein radio waves having a second predetermined frequency that is different than the first predetermined frequency are emitted when the feed structure is activated, and wherein the second predetermined frequency is determined, at least in part, by dimensions of the second slot.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the feed structure is activated by a wireless communication engine in the chassis base through a cable that extends through at least a portion of the hinge system.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first orientation is a laptop/notebook orientation and the second orientation is a tablet orientation.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Bologna Benny
• Sanchez Anthony
• Gajiwala Priyank

Classifications

• H01Q1/2266 Primary

  disposed inside the computer · CPC title

• G06F1/1618

  the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure · CPC title

• H01Q13/10

  Resonant slot antennas · CPC title

• H01Q21/30

  Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system · CPC title

• H01Q1/084

  Pivotable antennas · CPC title