Multi-feed slot antenna

Abstract

A multi-feed, front-shielded, coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, cavity-backed slot antenna is described. Various embodiments form an antenna element capable of millimeter waveform and / or microwave waveform transmission. The antenna includes a conductive plate, the conductive plate including an aperture. The aperture has a shape extending along an axis that bisects the aperture into a first half and a second half, the first half having a first geometric type and the second half having a second geometric type that is a bilaterally symmetrical shape type of the first geometric type. In an embodiment, the aperture is configured to radiate a waveform in a frequency range of approximately 600 megahertz (MHz) to 72 gigahertz (GHz) by applying multiple signal feeds to the conductive plate.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 353,218, filed on Mar. 14, 2019, entitled “Multiple Feed Slot Antenna,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] The evolution of wireless communications has placed greater demands on devices that incorporate corresponding wireless functionality. For example, increased transmission frequencies translate into smaller wavelengths. These smaller wavelengths pose challenges for the electronic circuitry associated with the transceiver path, such as size, accuracy, interference, and shielding. Further exacerbating these challenges, devices supporting wireless communications often have limited space within which to incorporate supporting hardware, placing additional constraints on how these features can be implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] While the appended claims set forth the features of the present technology with particularity, these technologies, together with objects and advantages thereof, are best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0005] Figure 1 is an overview of typical environments in which front-shielded, coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, cavity-backed slot antennas may be employed in accordance with one or more embodiments;

[0006] Figure 2 illustrates an example antenna unit according to one or more embodiments;

[0007] Figure 3 illustrates an example bottom shield structure according to one or more embodiments;

[0008] Figure 4 illustrates an example coplanar waveguide direct-fed slot antenna according to one or more embodiments;

[0009] Figure 5 illustrates an example top shield structure according to one or more embodiments;

[0010] Figure 6 illustrates the process of layering various structures to form antenna elements according to one or more embodiments;

[0011] Figure 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an antenna according to one or more embodiments;

[0012] Figure 8 illustrates an antenna array according to one or more embodiments;

[0013] Figure 9 illustrates example placement of antenna arrays according to one or more embodiments;

[0014] Figure 10 An example flow chart of using an antenna unit to perform electromagnetic wave transmission according to one or more embodiments is illustrated;

[0015] Figure 11 illustrates an example single-port slot antenna according to one or more embodiments;

[0016] Figure 12a and Figure 12b illustrates an example differentially driven two-port slot antenna according to one or more embodiments;

[0017] Figure 13 illustrates an example differentially driven two-port slot antenna according to one or more embodiments;

[0018] Figure 14 illustrates an example differentially driven two-port slot antenna according to one or more embodiments;

[0019] Figure 15 illustrates an example differentially driven two-port slot antenna according to one or more embodiments;

[0020] Figure 16 A flow chart illustrating utilizing a differentially driven two-port slot antenna in an antenna unit according to one or more embodiments; and

[0021] Figure 17 is an illustration of an example computing device that can be used to employ a front-shielded, coplanar waveguide directly-fed single-port or differentially driven two-port slot antenna in accordance with one or more implementations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Turning to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, the technology of the present disclosure is illustrated as being implemented in a suitable environment. The following description is based on the claimed embodiments and should not be considered limiting of the claims with respect to alternative embodiments not expressly described herein.

[0023] The technology described herein provides a front-shielded, coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, cavity-backed slot antenna. Various embodiments form an antenna element capable of transmitting electromagnetic waveforms, such as microwave or millimeter electromagnetic waveforms. Typically, microwave or millimeter electromagnetic waveforms reside in a frequency range between approximately 600 megahertz (MHz) and 72 gigahertz (GHz). The phrase "approximately between..." means that the frequency range can include actual frequency deviations from ideal and / or accurate values, wherein the frequency deviations are still operable to maintain successful wireless communication. The bottom shield structure of the antenna element defines a cavity, wherein various embodiments include one or more non-radiative damping structures within the cavity. Some embodiments include a slot antenna, such as a coplanar waveguide (CPW) direct-fed slot antenna, within the cavity defined by the bottom shield structure to form a cavity-backed slot antenna. Some embodiments connect a top shield structure to the bottom shield structure to enclose the slot antenna. In one or more embodiments, the top shield structure includes an aperture window to allow the transmission of electromagnetic waveforms, such as microwave or millimeter electromagnetic waveforms, radiated by the slot antenna to radiate outward from the antenna element.

[0024] Some embodiments provide a multiple-feed slot antenna by forming an aperture in a metal plate, wherein the aperture has a shape extending along at least one axis. The axis bisects the aperture into two portions, such that a first bisect portion has a first geometry type and a second bisect portion has a second geometry type that is bilaterally symmetric with respect to the first geometry type. In various embodiments, the aperture is configured to transmit a radiated electromagnetic waveform, such as a microwave or millimeter electromagnetic waveform, using multiple signal feeds.

[0025] Consider now an example environment in which various aspects described herein may be employed.

[0026] Sample Environment

[0027] Figure 1An example environment 100 is illustrated, which includes an example computing device 102 in the form of a mobile phone. Here, the computing device 102 includes wireless communication capabilities that facilitate bidirectional links between various computing devices through one or more wireless networks such as wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless telecommunications networks, wireless (Wi-Fi) access points, etc. Various embodiments of the computing device 102 support millimeter wave and / or microwave communication exchanges associated with fifth-generation wireless systems (5G). In an embodiment, microwave or millimeter electromagnetic waveforms reside in a frequency range of approximately 600 megahertz (MHz) and 72 gigahertz (GHz). The phrase "approximately between..." means that the frequency range can include actual frequency deviations from ideal and / or accurate values, wherein the frequency deviations are still operable to maintain successful wireless communication. For example, a waveform radiated at 599.999 MHz, which is operable to maintain successful wireless communication within a communication system, is considered to be "approximately" within the frequency range of 600 MHz to 72 GHz.

[0028] The computing device 102 includes one or more antenna elements 104, wherein each respective antenna corresponds to a front shield, coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, or cavity-backed slot antenna element. Although described in the context of a coplanar waveguide slot antenna, it will be appreciated that other types of slot antennas and / or antenna feed mechanisms may be utilized without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0029] Generally, a slot antenna refers to a conductive structure, including, for example but not limited to, a metallic structure, such as a flat metal plate, that includes apertures, holes, and / or slots. Applying a source signal to the metal structure causes the apertures to radiate electromagnetic waveforms, thereby implementing the antenna. The size, shape, and / or depth of the apertures within the metal plate typically corresponds to the desired resonant frequency of the resulting antenna.

[0030] Slot antennas can be modified alternatively or additionally to alter the associated radiation pattern. For example, generally speaking, a cavity-backed slot antenna includes a cavity that is free of electronic circuitry behind the metal plate of the slot antenna. This produces a unidirectional radiation pattern from the slot antenna.

[0031] As an alternative or additional modification, various slot antennas utilize a coplanar waveguide to feed a cavity-backed slot antenna to propagate high frequency signals, such as signals associated with millimeter wavelengths and / or micrometer wavelengths. Thus, a coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, or cavity-backed slot antenna refers to a slot antenna that includes a cavity behind the slot antenna and has a coplanar waveguide as a signal feed. Various embodiments utilize a single-port signal feed, while alternative or additional embodiments utilize a multi-port signal feed.

[0032] In various embodiments, the antenna unit 104 encloses a coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, cavity-backed slot antenna in a shield structure by overlaying a front shield structure on top of a bottom shield structure and slot antenna to form an antenna unit. The antenna unit also forms a closed shield unit with shielding surrounding the unit, in addition to shielding at locations corresponding to openings and / or apertures included in the top shield structure. Various embodiments place the aperture of the top shield over the radiating portion of the slot antenna to allow the radiated signal to exit the antenna unit at a desired location, while providing shielding in the area surrounding the aperture of the top shield structure. This allows the antenna unit to be mounted to equipment in non-traditional locations because the shielding prevents the radiated signal from leaking to unwanted locations, such as areas containing electronic circuitry.

[0033] The computing device 102 can include a single antenna element and / or multiple antenna elements. In some scenarios, the computing device 102 places multiple antenna elements in different locations to create a specific radiation pattern. As an example, a first antenna element can be placed at the back of the computing device, a second antenna element can be placed at the front of the computing device, a third antenna element can be placed at the left side of the computing device, and so on. As another example, multiple antenna elements can form an antenna array, as further described herein. In one or more embodiments, each respective antenna element includes a bottom shield structure 106, a slot antenna 108, and a top shield structure 110.

[0034] The bottom shield structure 106 represents a housing structure that forms and / or defines a cavity devoid of electronic circuitry. For example, in some embodiments, the shape of the bottom shield structure 106 corresponds to an open, three-dimensional (3D) rectangular box having a flat rectangular plate at the bottom and extended edges that collectively form a cavity within the rectangular box. The bottom shield structure 106 can be formed from any suitable type of material, such as copper alloy, steel, aluminum, copper, tin, etc. In some embodiments, the material selected for the bottom shield structure can be based on the characteristics of the adjacent circuitry, the desired electromagnetic radiation mode and / or frequency to be shielded, cost, etc. As an example, steel metal has better low-frequency shielding performance than copper alloy. Conversely, copper alloy has better higher-frequency shielding performance than steel. Therefore, for high-frequency shielding, various embodiments use copper alloy to form the bottom shield structure. In alternative or additional embodiments, the bottom shield structure is formed from steel to shield low-frequency signals. The thickness, size, and shape of the bottom shield structure can alternatively or additionally be based on the characteristics of the desired electromagnetic radiation mode and / or frequency to be shielded. As an example, the thickness and shape of the structure can form a cavity of a predetermined size, shape, and / or volume to achieve a desired performance factor (e.g., transmission bandwidth, resonant frequency, etc.). In some embodiments, the bottom shield structure 106 includes a damping structure, such as a 3D rectangular plate, for suppressing, eliminating, and / or diverting lossy resonances, as further described herein.

[0035] The slot antenna 108 represents a slot antenna placed atop and / or within the cavity of the bottom shield structure 106. In one or more embodiments, the slot antenna 108 is formed using a flat, conductive metal plate that includes one or more apertures, slots, and / or holes. The number, size, and / or shape of the one or more apertures formed in the flat metal plate can be based on any suitable characteristics, such as a desired resonant frequency and / or a desired resonant frequency range for the corresponding slot antenna. As a simplified example, various embodiments include rectangular slots within the metal plate, where the slots have a length corresponding to the desired resonant frequency and a width corresponding to the desired bandwidth. However, other shapes may also be utilized, such as an annular slot, an annular slot with a coplanar waveguide feed, a rectangular annular slot, a tapered slot, etc. Thus, the slot antenna 108 represents any suitable configuration of a slot antenna. Various embodiments layer dielectric material between the slot antenna 108 and the bottom shield structure 106 to add support for the antenna element.

[0036] The top shield structure 110 represents a top shielding layer that is effectively connected and / or sealed to the bottom shield structure 106 to provide signal shielding from signals radiated by the slot antenna within the antenna element. In various embodiments, the top shield structure 110 includes an aperture, hole, and / or slot that partially opens the enclosed structure to allow the radiated waveform to propagate outward from the antenna element through the opening. Thus, the aperture can be placed on the radiating portion of the slot antenna 108 to control where signals exit the antenna element and where the antenna element provides shielding. Similar to the bottom shield structure, various embodiments layer the dielectric between the slot antenna 108 and the top shield structure.

[0037] The computing device 102 also includes one or more wireless link components 112, which generally represent any combination of hardware, firmware, and / or software components for maintaining a wireless link (e.g., protocol stack, signal generation, signal routing, signal demodulation, signal modulation, etc.). For example, the wireless link components 112 may include a protocol stack, a transceiver path, a modulator, a demodulator, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), etc. The wireless link components 112 are electronically and / or magnetically coupled to the antenna unit 104, enabling the computing device 102 to wirelessly communicate with other devices, such as with the computing device 114 via the communication cloud 116.

[0038] The communication cloud 116 generally represents any suitable type of communication network that facilitates bidirectional links between various computing devices. This may include mobile phone networks, WLANs, sensor networks, satellite communication networks, terrestrial microwave networks, and the like. Thus, the communication cloud 116 may include multiple interconnected communication networks, each of which includes multiple interconnected elements, examples of which are provided herein. In this example, the communication cloud 116 enables computing device 102 to communicate with computing device 114, which generally represents any type of device capable of facilitating wireless communication, such as a server, a desktop computing device, a base station, a cellular mobile phone, a smartwatch, and the like.

[0039] Having described an example operating environment in which aspects of the various embodiments described herein may be utilized, consider now a general discussion of a front-shielded, coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, cavity-backed slot antenna in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0040] Front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antenna

[0041] As more and more devices incorporate wireless communication capabilities, existing wireless communication systems are straining their resources. For example, when more devices share the same frequency band, the shared spectrum can become oversaturated. To address this strain, various communication systems, such as 5G, are expanding into higher-frequency spectrum. These higher-frequency bands not only pose challenges for successful signal transmission and reception, but they can also negatively impact hardware by making electronics less energy efficient, placing higher demands on signal processing, introducing more phase noise, and impacting device form factors. For example, the form factor of computing devices can be negatively impacted by adding telescopic antennas that support these higher frequencies but increase the size and bulk of the device. When computing devices have a fixed size to accommodate various types of hardware, this can lead to competition for space between components. Consequently, there is a trade-off between including new functionality and the corresponding space available to implement that functionality.

[0042] To illustrate, consider a computing device that includes various types of electronic devices that use printed circuit boards (PCBs). Without proper isolation from the circuitry included in the PCB, the RF signal feed may cause degradation to the point where the signal no longer functions successfully. Therefore, the positioning of the antenna array and / or the RF signal feed relative to the PCB may include setbacks or gaps to maintain a predetermined isolation level, wherein the setbacks and / or gaps are free of electronics. As an example, a coaxial cable may be utilized to transmit an independent signal feed to each respective antenna of an antenna array that includes setbacks. However, the frequency of the RF feed may drive the use of a larger setback relative to the frequency to maintain a signal of the same quality. In other words, higher frequencies increase the size of the setback relative to other frequencies to maintain a working signal. In turn, these setbacks consume more space and leave less room for other electronic devices.

[0043] The technology described herein provides a front shield, coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, cavity-backed slot antenna. Various embodiments form an antenna unit capable of millimeter waveform and / or microwave waveform transmission using multiple layers. A bottom shield structure forms a first layer, wherein the bottom shield structure includes a bottom surface and side surfaces extending away from the bottom surface to form and / or define a cavity. Some embodiments include a lossy resonance damping structure within the cavity that weakens, eliminates or shifts the resonant frequency. The second layer includes a slot antenna, such as a coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, slot antenna located within the cavity to form a cavity-backed slot antenna. Some embodiments enclose the slot antenna by connecting and / or sealing the edges of the top shield structure to the bottom shield structure. Various embodiments include an aperture window in the top shield structure to allow millimeter waveforms and / or microwave waveforms radiated by the slot antenna to radiate outward from the antenna unit.

[0044] Now consider Figure 2 , which illustrates a front-shielded, coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, cavity-backed slot antenna according to one or more embodiments. In various scenarios, Figure 2 The examples described can be considered as Figure 1 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0045] Figure 2 The upper portion includes an antenna unit 200, which represents a front-shielded, coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, cavity-backed slot antenna. In one or more embodiments, the antenna unit 200 represents Figure 1 One or more antenna elements 104. In one or more embodiments, antenna element 200 radiates electromagnetic waveform transmissions associated with a communication system, such as microwave or millimeter electromagnetic waveforms, but it is recognized that the antenna element may be configured to radiate alternative or additional waveforms of varying lengths and / or frequencies without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter. Figure 2 The lower portion of the antenna unit 200 has been broken and expanded to illustrate the various layers, and the antenna unit includes: a bottom shield structure 202 that forms a cavity, a slot antenna 204, and a top shield structure 206. In summary, these components form a front shield, a coplanar waveguide, a direct-fed, and a cavity-backed slot antenna, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 Further described in .

[0046] Figure 3 Pictured Figure 2 A more detailed view of the bottom shield structure 202. In various scenarios, Figure 3 The examples described can be considered as Figure 1 and Figure 2 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0047] The bottom shield structure 202 has a rectangular shape having a corresponding width 300, height 302, and depth 304, each of which represents an arbitrary value. Together, these dimensions form a structure that includes a cavity having a predetermined volume, generally represented herein as cavity 306. While these dimensions are described in the context of a rectangular shape, alternative or additional shapes may be utilized to form the bottom shield structure without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter. The volume of cavity 306 can be based on any suitable type of characteristics, such as a desired resonant frequency and / or bandwidth. In various embodiments, the cavity size and / or volume is selected to prevent the cavity from resonating at an operating resonant frequency of a corresponding slot antenna included in the antenna element (e.g., a slot antenna on the back side of the cavity).

[0048] exist Figure 3, each side structure of the bottom shield structure 202 that extends outward to form and / or define the cavity 306 has a thickness 308 that represents an arbitrary value. In the example bottom shield structure 202, each extended side has a uniform thickness relative to another extended side. However, alternative or additional embodiments may use extended sides of different thicknesses, where some extended sides have a greater or lesser thickness than other extended sides. For illustration, in one or more embodiments, the bottom shield structure 202 has dimensions in the range of 5 mm x 5 mm x 1 mm (e.g., 26 GHz to 40 GHz) at Ka-band.

[0049] The bottom shield structure 202 also includes a plate 310-1 and a plate 310-2 that protrude into the cavity 306. Various embodiments include plates for modifying resonant frequencies, such as by eliminating, attenuating, and / or shifting lossy resonances that may distort or cause losses in the frequency band of interest and / or predefined frequency bands. Thus, the inclusion of plates 310-1 and 310-2 helps to attenuate and / or suppress unwanted frequencies within the cavity 306 by interfering with and / or shielding unwanted modes. This, in turn, improves the propagation of desired frequencies at which the corresponding slot antenna resonates. Although the bottom shield structure 202 includes Figure 3 Although two rectangular plates are shown in FIG, the bottom shield structure may include any other number of plates of any other shape and / or size without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0050] Image 312 zooms in on panel 310-1 to illustrate various properties associated with the panel. While panel 310-1 and panel 310-2 are identical in shape, it is to be appreciated that the panels included in cavity 306 can have different shapes and / or sizes from one another. Here, panel 310-1 has a rectangular shape with corresponding width 314, height 316, and depth 318, each representing an arbitrary value. In various embodiments, the shape, size, and / or dimensions of panel 310-1 and other panels included in cavity 306 can be based on damping properties (e.g., suppressing or diverting unwanted lossy resonances). To illustrate, in one or more embodiments, panel 310-1 and / or panel 310-2 have dimensions within the range of 1.0 to 2.0 millimeters (mm) by 0.4 to 0.8 mm by 0.5 to 1.5 mm. In at least one embodiment, the plate has generally dimensions of 1.6 mm x 0.6 mm x 1 mm, where the phrase "generally" indicates that in actual embodiments the dimensions may deviate from these exact values ​​(e.g., within the ranges described above).

[0051] Now consider Figure 4 , which illustrates Figure 2 A more detailed view of the slot antenna 204. In various scenarios, Figure 4The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 3 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0052] The metal plate used to construct the slot antenna 204 follows the rectangular shape of the bottom shield structure 202. Here, the metal plate has a width 400, a height 402, and a depth 404, each of which represents an arbitrary value. For illustration, in one or more embodiments, the slot antenna and / or the metal plate have dimensions within the range of 4 mm to 6 mm by 4 mm to 6 mm by 0.01 mm to 0.04 mm. In at least one embodiment, the slot antenna and / or the metal plate typically have dimensions of 5 mm by 5 mm by 0.02 mm, where the phrase "typically" indicates that in actual embodiments, the dimensions may deviate from these exact values ​​(e.g., within the aforementioned ranges). As further described herein, the metal plate can be made of any suitable type of material, such as copper, copper alloys, aluminum, iron, nickel, tin, steel, etc., where the type of material can be based on various characteristics of the desired signal to be propagated (e.g., frequency, bandwidth, power, etc.). The metal plate includes an aperture 406 that radiates an electromagnetic waveform when excited with a signal feed. In one or more embodiments, aperture 406 is excited with a single feed / single port, while in alternative or additional embodiments, aperture 406 is excited with multiple signal feeds and / or multiple ports. In this example, aperture 406 has a shape corresponding to a coplanar waveguide, direct-fed, slot antenna, such that the waveguide is used to direct the excitation signal to the portion of aperture 406 that radiates and / or propagates the signal outward.

[0053] The size, shape, and dimensions of aperture 406 can be based on a desired radiation pattern, a desired resonant frequency, and the like. To further illustrate, consider now that image 408 includes a magnified portion of aperture 406. The aperture includes a pair of upper arms 410 extending toward each other, illustrated horizontally here. Each upper arm is connected to a corresponding downwardly extending leg (generally labeled herein as leg 412). The legs are connected together at the bottom by a horizontally extending bottom portion. Taken together, upper arms 410 and legs 412 form what visually resembles a pair of mirrored "7s" connected by a bottom portion. As can be seen, the span between the ends of the upper arms of the aperture corresponds to length 414, while the arms each have a width 416. Various embodiments base length 414 and / or width 416 on the wavelength of the desired resonant frequency and / or bandwidth. Similarly, the legs of the aperture have a gap 418 and are separated by a distance 420. In various embodiments, these values ​​are based on the desired resonant frequency, desired impedance, desired transmission bandwidth, and the like. To illustrate, in one or more implementations, the aperture 406 has dimensions in the range of 4 mm x 0.4 mm.

[0054] Go ahead and consider now Figure 5, which illustrates Figure 2 A more detailed view of the top shield structure 206. In various scenarios, Figure 5 The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 4 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0055] The top shield structure 206 follows Figure 2 The top shield structure 206 is rectangular in shape with respect to the bottom shield structure 202 and the slot antenna 204. Thus, the top shield structure 206 has a width 500, a height 502, and a depth 504, each of which represents an arbitrary value. In one or more embodiments, the top shield structure 206 has dimensions within the range of 5 mm × 5 mm × 0.7 mm. Various embodiments use metal plates (such as copper plates, aluminum plates, iron plates, nickel plates, tin plates, etc.) to construct the top shield structure 206. The top shield structure 206 also includes an aperture window 506, which in this case is rectangular in shape, and the aperture window 506 provides an opening for the signal radiated by the slot antenna 204 to leave the corresponding antenna element. In other words, the aperture window 506 allows the signal from the slot antenna to propagate outward from the antenna element, while the solid structure surrounding the aperture window 506 shields the signal from the surrounding area. Therefore, various embodiments cover the aperture window 506 over the radiating portion of the slot antenna to align the radiated signal with the opening.

[0056] The size, shape, and dimensions of the aperture window 506 may be based on any suitable type of characteristics, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 The slot, radiation pattern, radiation efficiency, etc. of the CPW direct-fed slot antenna 204. In this example, the rectangular shape of the aperture window 506 follows Figure 2 and Figure 4 The shape of the upper arm of the slot aperture 406 of the CPW direct-fed slot antenna 204. Image 508 constitutes an enlarged aperture window 506 to illustrate various properties of the aperture, such as length 510 and width 512, each representing arbitrary values. In one or more embodiments, aperture window 506 has dimensions within the range of 4 mm x 0.8 mm.

[0057] When combined together, Figure 2 The bottom shield structure 202, slot antenna 204 and top shield structure 206 form a multi-layer antenna unit that shields the surrounding area from signals radiated by the slot antenna, except for signals propagating outward from the aperture included in the top shield structure. For further demonstration, now consider Figure 6 , which illustrates the layering of these various components according to one or more implementations. In various scenarios, Figure 6 The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 5 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0058] Figure 6 The left side includes a structure 600, which is connected to Figure 1 The bottom shield structure 106 and / or Figure 2 The bottom shield structure 202 corresponds to the bottom shield structure 202. As can be seen, the structure 600 includes a cavity 602 for providing unidirectional radiation and a plate 604 for weakening, suppressing, diverting and / or eliminating unwanted resonance of the cavity 602. In an embodiment, the plate 604 can be formed using metal.

[0059] Move to Figure 6 In the middle, structure 606 includes a slot antenna 608 that is layered on top of and / or into the cavity 602 of structure 600. Figure 6 6. In the embodiment of the present invention, slot antenna 608 corresponds to a CPW direct-fed slot antenna including a radiating arm 610, which corresponds to a portion of a slot antenna configured to propagate a waveform when a signal feed is applied to the antenna, although alternative or additional slot antenna types having different sizes and / or shapes may be utilized. Although not illustrated herein, various embodiments include a dielectric layer positioned between slot antenna 608 and the interior bottom surface of the bottom shield structure.

[0060] Move to Figure 6 On the right side, structure 612 corresponds to a closed antenna element, which includes a top shield structure 614 superimposed on top of structure 606, with portions of the top shield structure sealed to portions of the bottom shield structure. As further described herein, sealing top shield structure 614 to structure 606 creates an antenna element that provides comprehensive shielding of the surrounding area from signals radiated by slot antenna 608, in addition to signals propagating through aperture 616. The shielding provided by structure 600 attenuates rearward and / or side signal radiation, while top shield structure 614 provides selective shielding and selective signal propagation. Thus, when the various layers are combined (e.g., a bottom shield structure with a cavity, a slot antenna, and a top shield structure), the antenna element provides directional signal propagation at desired locations (e.g., space 616) and shielding at surrounding locations. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, this allows the antenna element to be placed closer to other types of electronic circuitry without negatively impacting their operation through signal leakage. This also saves space in the corresponding computing device by using less setback space than other antennas. This, in turn, allows computing devices to include other types of electronic circuitry within this space. Figure 6In FIG, the upper arm of the slot antenna is visible through the aperture 616, but alternative or additional embodiments include a dielectric layer that visibly obscures the slot antenna from view through the aperture.

[0061] To demonstrate, consider Figure 7 , which illustrates an example cross-sectional view of an antenna unit according to one or more embodiments. In various scenarios, Figure 7 The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 6 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0062] Figure 7 The upper portion of includes an example antenna unit 700. In various embodiments, the antenna unit 700 represents Figure 1 Antenna unit 104, Figure 2 The antenna unit 200 and / or Figure 6 Structure 612. Various embodiments layer the slot antenna between dielectric material(s).

[0063] To demonstrate, consider Figure 7 702, which represents a cross-section of antenna element 700 taken from centerline 704. As shown, the leftmost layer of cross-sectional antenna element 702 corresponds to bottom shield structure 706, which includes extended edges that create a cavity, as further described herein. Similarly, layer 708 corresponds to a slot antenna, which includes one or more apertures of any size and / or shape. Various embodiments layer a dielectric (such as dielectric layer 710) between the bottom shield structure and the slot antenna to add support to the structure. Any suitable type of dielectric can be utilized, such as plastic, porcelain, glass, ceramic, etc. Cross-sectional antenna 702 also includes a dielectric layer 712 located between the slot antenna, represented by layer 708, and top shield structure 714. Dielectric layer 712 can be made of the same material as dielectric layer 710 and / or a different material. Thus, various embodiments include a dielectric within the antenna element.

[0064] In various embodiments, the antenna unit can be combined with multiple antenna units to form an antenna array. This can be beneficial for high-frequency communication systems (such as 5G communication systems). For example, some 5G communication systems use additional spectrum that is considered high frequency relative to other communication systems, such as spectrum bands corresponding to millimeter wave lengths and / or micrometer wave lengths (e.g., typically 1 GHz to 300 GHz). These high frequencies (which also correspond to shorter wavelengths) present some challenges for devices that hope to support 5G communication systems because these high-frequency waveforms are prone to more free space loss, atmospheric absorption, shorter transmission range for a given power, and scattering relative to lower frequencies.

[0065] Although millimeter waves and / or microwave waves are more susceptible to attenuation in the transmission medium, these higher frequencies have smaller antenna lengths than lower frequencies. For example, referring to a dipole antenna, since each electrode has a length corresponding to the resonant frequency of λ Smaller wavelengths correspond to smaller antenna sizes. In turn, smaller antenna sizes make it more feasible to incorporate the corresponding antennas into computing devices, especially in scenarios where space is limited. Although described with respect to dipole antennas, other antennas generally exhibit performance that is the same size as the waveform length. Because millimeter waveform and / or microwave waveform antennas have smaller sizes relative to antennas associated with lower frequencies, various embodiments address the transmission challenges associated with millimeter and / or microwave waveforms (e.g., free space loss, scattering, short transmission range) by using antenna arrays. By using antenna arrays and corresponding beamforming signals, various devices can address the signal loss challenges posed by these higher frequencies. However, there is a trade-off between balancing the inclusion of an antenna in a device and the corresponding available space. Front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antennas help address this trade-off.

[0066] To illustrate, now consider Figure 8 , which illustrates an antenna array according to one or more embodiments. In various scenarios, Figure 8 The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 7 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0067] Figure 8 The upper portion of the bottom array structure 800 includes a single structure that is divided into four bottom shield structures for respective antenna elements: bottom shield structure 802-1, bottom shield structure 802-2, bottom shield structure 802-3, and bottom shield structure 802-4. In other words, the bottom array structure 800 is a single structure that forms four respective bottom shield structures and / or resonant plates for each respective antenna element, rather than placing four separate bottom shield structures (and respective resonant plates) adjacent to each other. Similar to the description regarding Figure 3 As described, some embodiments use metals to form a unitary structure, examples of which are provided herein. Figure 8 A single structure is shown forming multiple bottom shield structures for multiple antenna elements, but it is recognized that alternative or additional embodiments utilize separate antenna elements (e.g., multiple bottom shield structures rather than a single structure) to form an antenna array. The individual antenna elements can be adjacent to each other in a manner similar to that shown in bottom array structure 800 and / or can be positioned at different locations relative to each other.

[0068] Move to Figure 8, a top array structure 804 has been placed over the antenna elements of the bottom array structure 800 to complete the formation of an antenna array comprising four antenna elements. Thus, as further described herein, the top array structure 804 is sealed to the edges of the extended sides of each respective antenna element to provide comprehensive shielding around the array, with the exception of the aperture windows that allow signals to radiate away from the respective antenna elements. Thus, similar to the bottom shield structure, a single structure is used to form the top array structure 804, wherein the single structure includes four apertures: aperture window 806-1, aperture window 806-2, aperture window 806-3, and aperture window 806-4. Each respective aperture provides an opening for radiating a respective signal radiated from a respective slot antenna outwardly, while the remainder of the top array structure 804 provides signal shielding and / or attenuation for other surrounding areas. Some embodiments use a metallic material to form the top shield structure, examples of which are provided herein.

[0069] Various embodiments create separate apertures for each respective antenna slot, rather than having a single aperture spanning the top array structure 804. Thus, spacing 808-1 creates a significant separation between aperture windows 806-1 and 806-2, spacing 808-2 creates a significant separation between aperture windows 806-2 and 806-3, and spacing 808-3 creates a significant separation between aperture windows 806-3 and 806-4. This spacing prevents the single aperture spanning from aperture window 806-1 to aperture window 806-4 from adding unwanted resonances and / or modifying the radiation pattern emitted by the collective antenna elements. Here, the antenna array has a rectangular shape with an arbitrary width 810, an arbitrary height 812, and an arbitrary depth 814. In one or more embodiments, the antenna array has dimensions within the range of 5 mm x 5 mm x 0.7 mm. The shielding provided by the top array structure 804 and the bottom array structure 800 provides comprehensive signal isolation for other electronic components from the electromagnetic radiation generated by the antenna array. Size and shielding provide flexibility as to where antenna elements and / or antenna arrays may be placed in a computing device.

[0070] To prove this, now consider Figure 9 , which illustrates an example of an antenna array utilizing a front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antenna according to one or more embodiments. Figure 9 The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 8 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0071] Figure 9The upper portion of the example computing device 900 includes a corresponding display device 902 that has been partially removed to expose the internal components of the computing device 900. In this example, the computing device 900 includes a PCB 904 having various types of embedded and / or attached electronic components. The PCB 904 also includes an antenna array 906 that corresponds to an array of front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antennas, such as those described with respect to FIG. Figure 8 Due to the unidirectional signal propagation and integrated shielding, the antenna array 906 can be positioned closer to various electronic components than an unshielded antenna array.

[0072] Move to Figure 9 PCB 904 positions antenna array 906 at location 908 below display device 902. Various embodiments place the antenna array in inactive area 910, which generally represents a portion of the display device devoid of electronic display circuitry, touch circuitry, and / or active display area. Alternatively or additionally, inactive area 910 corresponds to a cutout region of the display device. Therefore, antenna array 906 is generally positioned within the inactive area, generally indicated by location 908. This allows signals to radiate outward through these regions of the display device without disrupting operation of the display device. This placement allows the antenna array to be incorporated into the computing device without adding any protrusions to the device, such as those that would modify the rectangular shape of computing device 900. Therefore, various embodiments place the antenna array of a front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antenna directly below the display device without affecting the display device's operation and / or the computing device's form factor. In this example, antenna array 906 provides forward signal radiation that propagates outward and away from display device 902. However, the front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antenna can alternatively or additionally be positioned at other locations around the computing device 900, such as at the rear of the computing device, to provide signal propagation outward and away from the rear of the computing device. As another example, the front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antenna can be positioned at a side location of the computing device, such as at a metal strip that wraps around the outer perimeter of the computing device. Thus, the front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antenna provides flexibility as to where it can be positioned due to the corresponding shielding performance and directional signal propagation.

[0073] Now consider Figure 10 , which illustrates a method 1000 for transmitting millimeter waveforms and / or microwave waveforms using an antenna unit according to one or more aspects. The method can be performed by any suitable combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. In at least some embodiments, aspects of the method can be implemented by one or more appropriately configured hardware components and / or software modules, such as those described in connection with Figure 1 The computing device 102 is described. Although Figure 10 The methods described herein describe the steps in a particular order, but it should be understood that any specific order or hierarchy of steps described herein is provided for purposes of illustrating examples of sample methods. Other methods may be used to rearrange the order of the steps. Thus, the sequential steps described herein may be rearranged, and the illustrated order of the steps is not intended to be limiting.

[0074] In 1002, various embodiments form a cavity in a bottom shield structure. One or more embodiments use a rectangular metal surface and extend the sides of the rectangular surface outward to form the cavity. Although described in the context of a rectangular surface, other shapes may be utilized without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter. In some scenarios, the cavity includes damping panels that modify the resonant frequency, such as by eliminating, shifting and / or attenuating lossy resonances that may distort or cause losses in a desired, specific and / or predefined frequency band. As further described herein, the cavity can have any volume, size and / or shape.

[0075] At 1004, one or more embodiments layer a slot antenna within the bottom shield structure to form a cavity-backed slot antenna having a cavity. Thus, various embodiments provide a back-facing slot antenna having a cavity formed within the bottom shield structure. Any suitable type of slot antenna may be utilized, such as a CPW direct-fed slot antenna. Various embodiments layer a dual-port slot antenna within the bottom shield structure, as further described herein. Some embodiments layer a dielectric between the slot antenna / dual-port slot antenna and the bottom surface of the bottom shield structure to add support to the structure.

[0076] In 1006, one or more embodiments enclose the slot antenna by connecting a top shield structure to a bottom shield structure to form an antenna unit, such as by sealing the top shield structure to the bottom shield structure. This includes a top shield structure having an aperture window positioned on a portion of the slot antenna, the portion of the slot antenna being configured to radiate electromagnetic waveforms, such as waveforms having a frequency range of approximately 600 megahertz (MHz) to 72 gigahertz (GHz), millimeter waveforms associated with 5G communication systems, and / or microwave waveforms. The phrase "approximately between..." means that the frequency range can include actual frequency deviations from an ideal and / or accurate value, wherein the frequency deviations are still operable to maintain successful wireless communication. Similar to what is described herein, various embodiments layer a dielectric between the slot antenna / dual-port slot antenna and the top shield structure.

[0077] Once assembled, the antenna unit can be utilized to transmit millimeter waveforms and / or microwave waveforms, as described above and below. Alternatively or additionally, some embodiments combine the antenna unit with other antenna units to form an antenna array capable of beamforming. By forming the antenna unit by enclosing the slot antenna with the bottom shield structure and the top shield structure described herein, various embodiments create a cavity-backed slot antenna with a front shield that has unidirectional and / or single-hemispherical signal radiation. This provides flexibility as to where the antenna unit can be placed relative to other electronic circuit systems because the additional shielding and directional radiation protects the signal, which would otherwise result in performance degradation and / or inoperability. This also allows for a compact layout design where the electronic circuit system is placed because the setback area is minimized and / or non-existent due to the additional shielding.

[0078] Having described front-shielded, CPW, directly fed, cavity-backed slot antennas, consider now a discussion of single-port and dual-port slot antenna feeds in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0079] Single-port and dual-port slot antenna feeds

[0080] Various embodiments utilize a single feed and / or single port to excite the slot antenna, including in a front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antenna. To demonstrate, consider Figure 11 , which illustrates some example single-feed slot antennas according to one or more embodiments. In various scenarios, Figure 11 The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 10 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0081] Figure 11 The upper portion of the slot antenna 1100 includes a slot antenna 1100 that represents a CPW direct-fed slot antenna according to one or more embodiments. Figure 1 The slot antenna 108 and / or Figure 2 The slot antenna 204 is a slot antenna 1100. Thus, the slot antenna 1100 can be utilized in an antenna unit, as further described herein. In this example, the slot antenna 1100 is excited via a signal feed 1102, which represents a single feed and / or a single port. The signal feed can be applied to the CPW transmission of the corresponding slot antenna in any suitable manner, such as by electronically, magnetically, and / or capacitively coupling a microstrip, stripline, coaxial cable, etc. to the slot antenna and / or a wireless link component that generates the signal to be transmitted. Typically, the signal feed and / or signal port will be connected to the slot antenna through other circuitry (such as included in the Figure 9 The signals generated by the electronic circuit system on the PCB 904 are electrically connected to the corresponding gaps for subsequent propagation. Figure 11 , the signal feed 1102 is positioned an arbitrary distance 1106 away from the slot antenna's radiating arm 1104. In various embodiments, the positioning of where the signal feed is applied to the slot antenna is based on one or more characteristics associated with the system, such as impedance, resonant frequency, etc. associated with the slot antenna.

[0082] Move to Figure 11 In the lower portion, slot antenna 1108 represents a variation of a single feed antenna excited by signal feed 1110. In one or more embodiments, slot antenna 1100 represents Figure 1 The slot antenna 108 and / or Figure 2 The slot antenna 204. Thus, the slot antenna 1108 can be utilized in an antenna unit, as further described herein.

[0083] Application of the signal feed 1110 positions the feed an arbitrary distance 1112 from a radiating arm 1114 of the slot antenna, wherein the distance 1112 positions the signal feed 1110 closer to the radiating arm relative to the signal feed 1102 / distance 1106. Thus, positioning the signal feed relative to the radiating portion of the slot antenna can vary and / or be based on any suitable characteristics, examples of which are provided herein. While the slot antenna 1100 and the slot antenna 1108 illustrate a generally "U-shaped" or mirrored "7" aperture, it will be appreciated that other sizes and / or shapes can be utilized, as further described herein.

[0084] Single-port implementations offer simplicity in both cost and construction. For example, generating and routing a single signal to a slot antenna is simpler than multiple signals because a single-signal implementation utilizes less circuitry and space. However, achieving the desired effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) using a single signal and a single antenna can be challenging. Multiple signals excite multiple single-port antennas separately and can improve EIRP. Therefore, it may be necessary to apply multiple signal feeds and / or utilize multiple ports to excite the slot antenna to improve transmission power and / or signal strength. However, more signals translate into more antennas and space, which can drive the development of antennas that can utilize a smaller footprint relative to other antennas with the same transmission performance.

[0085] Figure 12a and Figure 12b An example differentially driven two-port slot antenna according to one or more embodiments is illustrated. Figure 12a and Figure 12b The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 11 A continuation of one or more examples described. Figure 12aThe differentially driven dual-port slot antenna 1200 is included. In some scenarios, the differentially driven dual-port slot antenna 1200 represents Figure 1 The slot antenna 108 and / or Figure 2 The slot antenna 204. Thus, the slot antenna 1200 can be utilized in an antenna unit, as further described herein.

[0086] The differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1200 includes an aperture 1202 configured to resonate an electromagnetic waveform utilizing multiple signal sources / ports / feeds. Here, the aperture 1202 includes: a coplanar waveguide 1204-1 and a coplanar waveguide 1204-2, each associated with a respective signal feed; and a radiating arm 1206, which is configured to radiate an electromagnetic waveform. Because the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1200 is a two-port slot antenna, the coplanar waveguide 1204-1 corresponds to directing the wave to be associated with the signal feed 1208-1 toward the radiating arm 1206, and the coplanar waveguide 1204-2 corresponds to directing the wave to be associated with the signal feed 1208-2 toward the radiating arm 1206. In this example, the signal feed 1208-1 and the signal feed 1208-2 are positioned apart from the radiating arms, indicated here by an arbitrary distance 1210. Similar to the description regarding Figure 11 As described, the relative positions of the signal feeds to the radiating arms may be based on any suitable type of characteristic, examples of which are provided herein.

[0087] In various embodiments, signal feed 1208-1 and signal feed 1208-2 are driven by differential signal sources. A differential signal source transmits complementary signals that use the difference between the two signals to convey information. Thus, in some embodiments, signal feed 1208-1 represents a first complementary signal from the differential signal source, and signal feed 1208-2 represents a second complementary signal from the differential signal source. In-phase signal sources are related signals that have a fixed phase shift and / or offset (such as 90°) relative to each other, which together convey information about the components of the modulated signal. One such example includes an angle-modulated signal that can be decomposed into two amplitude-modulated sinusoidal signals offset by 90°. In this scenario, signal feed 1208-1 represents a first component (e.g., a first amplitude-modulated signal) and signal feed 1208-2 represents a second component (e.g., a second amplitude-modulated signal). Thus, the dual-port slot antenna can be driven by an in-phase source and / or a differential source.

[0088] In various embodiments, the geometry of the aperture 1202 follows a shape that can be considered a bilaterally symmetric shape type. Generally, a bilaterally symmetric shape type corresponds to a geometry that has the property of being divided into sections by an axis, wherein each section of the geometry is a mirror image of the other section. To illustrate, consider a differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1200 that is divided into a left-hand section and a right-hand section by the Y-axis (illustrated here by the dashed line). The geometry of the left-hand section of the aperture 1202 has a symmetric relationship with the right-hand section of the aperture 1202 such that the two sections are mirror images and / or symmetric about the Y-axis. Thus, various embodiments form an aperture having a bilaterally symmetric geometry. The differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1200 also has the additional property of having bilateral symmetry about the X-axis (also illustrated here by the dashed line).

[0089] Although aperture 1202 has bilateral symmetry around a single axis (e.g., the Y-axis or the X-axis), alternative or additional embodiments utilize geometric shapes having symmetry around multiple axes and / or defined by multiple axes to generate apertures. To further illustrate, consider again the Y-axis combined with the X-axis. The intersection of these axes defines four distinct regions that are 90° apart from each other in a 2-dimensional (2D) plane. Since aperture 1202 extends along the X-axis and the Y-axis, these axes also bisect the aperture into four separate portions. Thus, the X-axis bisects aperture 1202 into an upper portion and a lower portion, which are then bisected by the Y-axis, which divides the aperture into four geometric portions and / or shapes (e.g., an upper left portion, an upper right portion, a lower left portion, and a lower right portion).

[0090] Various embodiments use symmetry based on the intersection of multiple axes to characterize the shape of an aperture. To illustrate, consider the shape of aperture 1202 residing in quadrant 1212. In this embodiment, the shape of aperture 1202 residing in quadrant 1212 is diagonally inverted, corresponding to a 180° rotation about the X-axis and a 180° rotation about the Y-axis. This diagonal inversion forms the shape of aperture 1202 in diagonal quadrant 1214. This process is repeated for the other diagonal quadrants to form the overall shape of aperture 1202. While described in the context of X- and Y-axis quadrants with 90° spacing, other axes with different angular spacings may also be utilized. For example, various embodiments include apertures with inverted diagonal symmetry based on axes and / or intersections with 45° spacing, 30° spacing, and so on. Thus, one or more embodiments form an aperture using a symmetrical shape, where the shape is defined by the intersection of two axes and the symmetry occurs across the diagonal region.

[0091] Move to Figure 12b, the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1216 represents a variation of the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1200. Thus, in some embodiments, the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1216 represents Figure 1 The slot antenna 108 and / or Figure 2 The slot antenna 204 of FIG. 1 may be configured to provide a plurality of slot antennas 204 and may be utilized in an antenna unit as further described herein.

[0092] Similar to the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1200, the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1216 includes an aperture 1218 having bilaterally symmetrical geometry about the Y-axis, shown here with dashed lines. The aperture 1218 also has bilateral symmetry about the X-axis, also shown here with dashed lines. The differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1216 represents an example two-port slot antenna that positions the signal feed closer to the radiating portion of the aperture (e.g., the radiating arm 1220) relative to the signal feed applied to the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1200. This is in Figure 12b This is further demonstrated in FIG, wherein signal feed 1222-1 and signal feed 1222-2 are applied at an arbitrary distance 1224 from radiating arm 1220, where arbitrary distance 1224 is a distance shorter than arbitrary distance 1210. Thus, the positioning of the two-port signal feed relative to the radiating portion of the slot antenna aperture can be varied. Similar to the Figure 12a As described, the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1216 may be driven by a differential source.

[0093] Now consider Figure 13 , which illustrates an alternative configuration of a differentially driven two-port slot antenna according to one or more embodiments. Figure 13 The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 12b A continuation of one or more examples described. Figure 13 The differentially driven dual-port slot antenna 1300 is included. In some embodiments, the differentially driven dual-port slot antenna 1300 represents Figure 1 The slot antenna 108 and / or Figure 2 The slot antenna 204. Thus, the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1300 can be utilized in an antenna unit, as further described herein.

[0094] The geometry of the aperture 1302 in the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1300 has a bilaterally symmetrical shape type around the Y axis, which is represented here by the dashed line. Here, the bilaterally symmetrical shape type corresponds to an inverted diagonal bilaterally symmetrical shape type, in which the shapes of the symmetrical parts divided by the axis are inverted with respect to each other. Therefore, in Figure 13In the context of the present invention, the Y-axis divides aperture 1302 into two parts, wherein the shape of aperture 1302 on the left-hand side of the Y-axis corresponds to the inverted symmetric (mirror image) shape of aperture 1302 on the right-hand side of the Y-axis. Thus, aperture 1302 has an inverted bilaterally symmetric shape type around the Y-axis. The same is true for the inverted bilaterally symmetric shape type around the X-axis. Alternatively or additionally, aperture 1302 has inverted diagonal symmetry based on the region / quadrant defined by the intersection of the X-axis (also illustrated with a dashed line) and the Y-axis.

[0095] The aperture 1302 includes a waveguide 1304 that generally follows the shape of an "S" and radiating arms 1306 that extend outward from the endpoints of the "S" shape. Here, the phrase "generally follows the shape" means that the aperture has a shape that follows the shape of the letter "S" within predetermined boundaries and / or within predetermined deviations from the "S". Thus, the aperture has curves, angles, and / or changes in direction across its span that mimic the "S" within predetermined edges around the "S". Illustration 1308 demonstrates an example of this by superimposing the letter "S" on the aperture 1302. To drive the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1300, dual signal feeds are positioned between the radiating arms and the one or more waveguides. In Figure 13 In FIG, signal feed 1310-1 is overlaid on the waveguide of the upper curve of the "S", while signal feed 1310-2 is overlaid on the lower curve of the "S". Figure 12a and Figure 12b As described, the positioning of the dual-port signal feed relative to the radiating portion of the slot antenna can be varied, as can the type of signal source driving the ports. This design can achieve some phase shift compensation in a compact manner relative to other designs. In embodiments having a symmetrical design, the dual-port antenna is driven by a differential signal.

[0096] Now consider Figure 14 , which includes an alternative example differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1400, which, in various scenarios, represents Figure 1 The slot antenna 108 and / or Figure 2 The slot antenna 204 of FIG. 140 is a slot antenna having a plurality of ports. Thus, the differentially driven dual-port slot antenna 1400 can be utilized in an antenna unit, as further described herein. In various embodiments, Figure 14 The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 13 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0097] The geometry of aperture 1402 in differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1400 exhibits an inverted bilateral symmetry about the Y-axis, indicated here by the dashed line. The Y-axis divides aperture 1402 into two parts, where the shape of aperture 1402 on the left-hand side of the Y-axis corresponds to an inverted (mirror) shape of aperture 1402 on the right-hand side of the Y-axis. Thus, aperture 1402 exhibits inverted bilateral symmetry. The same applies to inverted bilateral symmetry about the X-axis. Alternatively or additionally, aperture 1402 exhibits inverted diagonal symmetry based on the region / quadrant defined by the intersection of the X-axis (also illustrated by the dashed line) and the Y-axis.

[0098] Aperture 1402 includes radiating arms 1404 aligned with each other and two separate waveguides: waveguide 1406-1 and waveguide 1406-2. Each waveguide directs the waveform from a different port to the radiating portion of the aperture. Thus, waveguide 1406-1 directs the signal from signal feed 1408-1 to the radiating arm of aperture 1402, and waveguide 1406-2 directs the signal from signal feed 1408-2 to the radiating arm. Similar to the description of FIG. Figure 12a and Figure 12b As described, the positioning of the dual-port signal feeds relative to the radiating portion of the aperture can be varied, as can the type of signal source driving the ports.

[0099] Move to Figure 15 In some embodiments, the example differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1500 represents Figure 1 The slot antenna 108 and / or Figure 2 The slot antenna 204 of FIG. 10 . Thus, the differentially driven dual-port slot antenna 1500 can be utilized in an antenna unit, as further described herein. Figure 15 The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 14 A continuation of one or more examples described.

[0100] The shape of the aperture 1502 of the differentially driven two-port slot antenna 1500 has a bilaterally symmetrical geometry about the Y-axis (represented here by the dashed lines). The aperture 1502 includes a radiating arm 1504-1 and a radiating arm 1504-2 corresponding to the portion of the aperture that radiates an electromagnetic waveform. The aperture 1502 also includes a waveguide 1506-1 and a waveguide 1506-2, which together generally follow the shape of the letter "W", wherein the radiating arms extend outward from the endpoints of the "W" shape. As further described herein, the phrase "generally follows the shape" refers to an aperture that follows the shape of the letter "W" within predetermined boundaries and / or within predetermined deviations from the "W". Thus, the aperture has curves, angles, and / or directional changes across its span that mimic the "W" within predetermined edges around the "W". Illustration 1508 illustrates an example of this by superimposing the letter "W" on the aperture 1502.

[0101] Similar to the other waveguides described herein, the waveguides direct waveforms from different signal ports to the radiating portion of aperture 1502. Thus, generally speaking, waveguide 1506-1 directs the signal from signal feed 1510-1 to radiating arms 1504-1 and 1504-2, and waveguide 1506-2 directs the signal from signal feed 1510-2 to radiating arms 1504-1 and 1504-2. Figure 14 As described, the location where the dual-port signal feed is positioned relative to the radiating portion of the slot antenna can be varied, as can the type of signal source driving the port.

[0102] Now consider Figure 16 , which illustrates a method 1600 for transmitting millimeter waveforms and / or microwave waveforms using an antenna unit according to one or more aspects. The method can be performed by any suitable combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. In at least some embodiments, aspects of the method can be implemented by one or more appropriately configured hardware components and / or software modules, such as those described in connection with Figure 1 The computing device 102 described and / or related Figures 12a to 15 The slot antenna described. Although Figure 16 The methods described herein describe the steps in a particular order, but it should be understood that any specific order or hierarchy of steps described herein is provided for purposes of illustrating examples of sample methods. Other methods may be used to rearrange the order of the steps. Thus, the sequential steps described herein may be rearranged, and the illustrated order of the steps is not intended to be limiting.

[0103] In 1602, one or more embodiments form a dual-port slot antenna. Although described in the context of a dual-port slot antenna, any number of signal ports may be formed without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter. This may include forming an aperture in a metal plate, wherein the aperture has a geometry with a bilaterally symmetrical shape type (e.g., bilaterally symmetrical, inverted bilaterally symmetrical), inverted diagonal symmetry, etc. Various embodiments shape the aperture to radiate a millimeter waveform and / or a microwave waveform by using multiple signal feeds, such as signal feeds from different signal sources, in-phase signal sources, etc.

[0104] In 1604, some embodiments enclose a dual-port slot antenna between a bottom shield structure and a top shield structure to form an antenna element. As further described herein, the top shield structure can include an aperture window that allows millimeter waveforms and / or microwave waveforms radiated by the dual-port slot antenna to propagate out of the antenna. The shape of the aperture window can be based on any suitable characteristics, examples of which are provided herein. Various embodiments layer the dual-port slot antenna between dielectric materials. In 1606, one or more embodiments feed the dual-port slot antenna using a differential signal with a corresponding feeding scheme, such as by using stripline, microstrip, coaxial cable, etc.

[0105] Once assembled, the dual-port antenna unit can be utilized to transmit millimeter waveforms and / or microwave waveforms, as described above and below. Alternatively or additionally, some embodiments combine the dual-port antenna unit with other dual-port antenna units to form an antenna array capable of beamforming. The use of a dual-port slot antenna allows for stronger signal propagation relative to a signal port slot antenna, such as waveforms in the frequency range of 600 megahertz (MHz) to 72 gigahertz (GHz), millimeter waveforms and / or microwave waveforms associated with 5G communication systems, etc. The phrase "approximately between..." means that the frequency range may include real frequency deviations from the ideal and / or accurate value, wherein the frequency deviation is still operable to maintain successful wireless communication. Therefore, incorporating a dual-port slot antenna into the antenna unit provides strong signal propagation with integrated shielding to surrounding electronics. In turn, this provides flexibility as to where the antenna unit can be positioned within the computing device.

[0106] Having described single-port and dual-port slot antennas, consider now a discussion of example devices that may be utilized in accordance with one or more approaches.

[0107] Example device

[0108] Figure 17Various components of an example computing device 1700 are illustrated, which is representative of any suitable type of computing device that can be used to implement various aspects of a front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antenna, as further described herein. Figure 17 The examples described can be considered as Figures 1 to 16 A continuation of one or more examples described. Figure 17 Various non-limiting example devices are included, including: mobile phone 1700-1, laptop computer 1700-2, smart TV 1700-3, monitor 1700-4, tablet computer 1700-5, and smart watch 1700-6. Thus, computing device 1700 represents any mobile device, mobile phone, client device, wearable device, tablet computer, computing, communication, entertainment, gaming, media playback, and / or other type of electronic device that includes a front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antenna, as further described herein. Wearable devices may include any one or a combination of the following: a watch, an armband, a wristband, a bracelet, a glove or a pair of gloves, eyeglasses, a jewelry item, an apparel item, any type of footwear or headwear, and / or other types of wearable devices.

[0109] Computing device 1700 includes one or more antenna elements 1702, which generally represent front-shielded cavity-backed slot antennas, such as front-shielded CPW direct-fed cavity-backed slot antennas, as further described herein. Accordingly, each of antenna elements 1702 includes a bottom shield structure 1704, a slot antenna 1706, and a top shield structure 1708.

[0110] The bottom shield structure 1704 represents a housing structure that forms and / or includes a cavity that is free of electronic circuitry. The bottom shield structure 1704 can be formed from any suitable type of material, examples of which are provided herein. Various embodiments base the thickness, size, and shape of the bottom shield structure, and the cavity formed by the bottom shield structure, on one or more characteristics, such as a desired electromagnetic radiation pattern, bandwidth, etc. Accordingly, some embodiments of the bottom shield structure 1704 include a damping structure to modify the resonance of the cavity, such as by eliminating, shifting, and / or suppressing lossy resonances.

[0111] Slot antenna 1706 represents a slot antenna placed on top of and / or within the cavity of bottom shield structure 1704. In one or more embodiments, slot antenna 1706 is connected and / or sealed to the cavity to form a cavity-backed slot antenna that propagates signals unidirectionally and / or in a single hemisphere. Various embodiments configure the slot antenna as a CPW direct-fed slot antenna. This can include single-port slot antennas and / or multi-port slot antennas, examples of which are provided herein. Various embodiments layer the dielectric material between slot antenna 1706 and bottom shield structure 1704.

[0112] Top shield structure 1708 represents a front shield layer that is connected and / or sealed to bottom shield structure 1704 to form a closed structure that collectively provides signal shielding around the antenna element. In various embodiments, top shield structure 1708 includes an aperture window that partially opens the closed structure to allow radiated waveforms to propagate outward from the antenna element through the opening in a unidirectional manner. Similar to the bottom shield structure, various embodiments layer the dielectric between slot antenna 1706 and top shield structure 1708.

[0113] The computing device 1700 also includes one or more wireless link components 1710, which are generally used here to represent hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof for establishing, maintaining, and communicating via wireless links. The wireless link component 1710 works in conjunction with the antenna unit 1702 to send, receive, encode, and decode corresponding messages transmitted via wireless signals. The wireless link component can be multi-purpose (e.g., supporting multiple different types of wireless links) or can be single-purpose. The computing device 1700 can include multiple types of wireless link components to support multiple wireless communication pathways, or only include a set of wireless link components configured for a single wireless communication pathway. In one or more embodiments, the wireless link component 1710 facilitates two-way wireless communications associated with millimeter waveform and / or microwave waveform communication systems (such as 5G communication systems).

[0114] Computing device 1700 also includes a processor system 1712, which represents any application processor, microprocessor, digital signal processor, controller, etc. that processes computer-executable instructions to control the operation of the computing device. The processing system can be implemented at least partially in hardware, which can include components of an integrated circuit or system-on-chip, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, a complex programmable logic device, and other implementations in silicon and other hardware. Alternatively or in addition, the electronic device can be implemented using any one or a combination of software, hardware, firmware, or fixed logic circuitry implemented in conjunction with processing and control circuitry. Although not shown, computing device 1700 can include a system bus, crossbar switch, link, or data transfer system that couples the various components within the device. The system bus can include any one or a combination of different bus structures, such as a memory bus or memory controller, a data protocol / format converter, a peripheral bus, a universal serial bus, a processor bus, or a local bus utilizing any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0115] Computing device 1700 also includes computer-readable media 1714, which includes memory media 1716 and storage media 1718. Applications and / or an operating system (not shown), embodied as computer-readable instructions on computer-readable media 1714, can be executed by processor system 1712 to provide some or all of the functionality described herein. For example, various embodiments can access operating system modules that provide high-level access to underlying hardware functionality by hiding implementation details (such as protocol messaging, display device configuration, register configuration, memory access, etc.) from calling programs. Various implementations of computer-readable media include one or more memory devices capable of data storage, examples of which include random access memory (RAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.), and disk storage devices. Thus, computer-readable media 1714 can be implemented, at least in part, as a physical device that stores information (e.g., digital or analog values) in a storage medium that does not include propagating signals or waveforms. Various embodiments may use any suitable type of media, such as electronic, magnetic, optical, mechanical, quantum, atomic, etc.

[0116] In view of the many possible aspects to which the principles of this discussion may be applied, it should be recognized that the embodiments described herein with respect to the figures are intended to be illustrative only and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the claims. Therefore, the technology described herein contemplates all such embodiments that may be within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An antenna unit, comprising: a bottom shield structure and one or more damping structures, the bottom shield structure defining a cavity and the one or more damping structures within the cavity; a conductive plate forming a dual-port slot antenna, the dual-port slot antenna being positioned within the cavity to form a cavity-backed slot antenna, the dual-port slot antenna including an aperture, the aperture having a shape extending along an axis, the axis bisecting the aperture into a first half and a second half, the first half having a first geometry type, and the second half having a second geometry type, the second geometry type being a bilaterally symmetric geometry type associated with the first geometry type, the aperture being configured to radiate a waveform in a frequency range of 600 megahertz (MHz) to 72 gigahertz (GHz) by applying a plurality of signal feeds to the antenna element; as well as a top shield structure operatively connected to the bottom shield structure to enclose the dual-port slot antenna, the top shield structure comprising one or more aperture windows configured to cover a radiating portion of the dual-port slot antenna and cause the waveform within a frequency range and radiated by the dual-port slot antenna to radiate outwardly from the antenna element; as well as A signal feed is configured to be applied to the conductive plate, is positioned at a portion of the two-port slot antenna different from the radiating portion, and electrically connects a signal to be transmitted to the two-port slot antenna.

2. The antenna unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a first dielectric layer positioned between a bottom surface of the shielding structure and the dual-port slot antenna; as well as A second dielectric layer is positioned between the dual-port slot antenna and the top shield structure.

3. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein The bilateral symmetry includes reverse bilateral symmetry.

4. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein The one or more damping structures include two rectangular plates.

5. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein The one or more aperture windows are positioned on the dual-port slot antenna associated with radiating the waveform within the frequency range. The antenna unit according to claim 1 , wherein: The shape of the aperture follows the letter "S".

7. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The shape of the aperture follows the letter "W".

8. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The shape of the aperture is inverse diagonally symmetrical.

9. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of signal feeds includes a dual-port signal feed.

10. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein The shape of the aperture is configured to radiate a fifth generation (5G) communication system waveform within the frequency range.

11. A computing device, comprising: at least one wireless link component operable to maintain at least one wireless link between the computing device and another device; a plurality of antenna units, each respective antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units comprising: respective bottom shield structures, the respective bottom shield structures forming respective cavities; a respective conductive plate forming a dual-port slot antenna, the respective dual-port slot antenna including an aperture, the aperture having a shape extending along an axis, the axis bisecting the aperture into a first half and a second half, the first half having a first geometry type and the second half having a second geometry type, the second geometry type being a bilaterally symmetric shape type associated with the first geometry type, the aperture being configured to radiate a waveform in a frequency range of 600 megahertz (MHz) to 72 gigahertz (GHz) by applying a plurality of signal feeds to the respective antenna elements; and a respective top shield structure having an aperture window positioned over a radiating portion of a respective dual-port slot antenna associated with radiating the waveform within the frequency range; and a plurality of signal feeds coupled to the at least one wireless link component and the plurality of antenna elements to form an antenna array, each of the plurality of signal feeds being configured to be applied to the conductive plate, positioned at a portion of a corresponding slot antenna different from the radiating portion, and electrically connecting a signal to be transmitted to the corresponding slot antenna.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein: Each respective cavity has a respective volume configured to modify a lossy resonance associated with the respective two-port slot antenna.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein: The computing device comprises a mobile phone.

14. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising a display device and a printed circuit board (PCB) of the mobile phone, wherein The plurality of antenna units are located on the PCB and positioned below the display device of the mobile phone.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein: The bilaterally symmetrical shape type includes an inversely bilaterally symmetrical shape type.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein: The respective shapes of the respective apertures follow the letter "S".

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein: The shape of the aperture follows the letter "W".

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein: The plurality of antenna elements comprises a unitary structure that is segmented to form at least each respective bottom shield structure.

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