Narrow bezel multi-band antenna for tablet or laptop computer

Abstract

An antenna arrangement for a portable electronic device is disclosed, comprising: a ground plane having an edge; and a feed section, a ground coupling section, and an extended coupling section sequentially disposed along the edge. The feed section includes an RF feed portion on the ground plane and a feed line extending from the RF feed portion, the feed line having a first portion extending substantially perpendicularly from the edge of the ground plane, and a second portion extending substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane from one end of the first portion in a direction away from the ground coupling section. The ground coupling section includes: a first conductive element extending substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane and arranged to overlap or be adjacent to at least a portion of the second portion of the feed line of the feed section; and a conductive member connecting the first conductive element to the ground plane. The extended coupling section includes a conductive bend extending substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane, one end of the conductive bend being connected to or configured to couple to a portion of the ground coupling section, and the other end of the conductive bend being connected to the second conductive element extending substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a compact antenna device configured to be mounted in or behind the bezel of a low-profile laptop or tablet computer or a mobile handset, and to operate in the 5G and LTE WWAN bands with acceptable performance. Embodiments of this disclosure can be configured to be mounted in or behind the low-profile bezel of current-generation laptops, tablets, and mobile handsets. Background Technology

[0002] With current technological advancements in mobile telecommunications devices such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones, the trend is to support more wireless standards in thinner and more aesthetically pleasing devices.

[0003] The desire for thinner devices often necessitates the use of rigid metal housings, which do not provide a good path for RF signals to and from the antenna. Similarly, such devices strive to create a larger front real-estate area for the screen, meaning thinner and lower-profile bezels on the device casing. This presents an issue for wireless communication frequencies, and makes it challenging for any antenna design to function effectively when coupled with antennas positioned close to the device screen and other associated electronic components.

[0004] The use of plastic windows in metal covers or housings to allow RF signals to pass through easily can compromise the device's aesthetics and is sometimes associated with lower-end models in a range of devices. Other solutions include creating insulating grooves around the edges of the casing to create dipole or monopole antenna elements, such as those found in the Apple® iPhone® 4. However, such antennas are particularly susceptible to user interference during use due to short-circuiting across the element with hands or fingers, leading to signal degradation.

[0005] Another solution is to use a very small antenna assembly behind the non-metallic bezel of the device screen. These types of antennas occupy a small amount of free space, the outer edge of which is defined by a metal casing and the inner edge by the display. These types of antennas need to radiate signals through slots in the non-metallic material on the back of the device casing (which can be disguised as having a metallic finish) or through a non-metallic cover forming the screen bezel. Existing solutions with relatively large bezels (width > 10 mm) can provide good operation in the 2.4 GHz and 5.5 GHz WLAN bands. However, for more recent models with near-edge-to-edge screens, whose typical bezel widths are < 10 mm, and in some cases < 6 mm, performance in these bands can be challenging. Antennas requiring WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network) cellular functionality, not just WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), also present problems. WWAN requires antenna structures to operate at mobile 5G and LTE frequencies, which presents even greater challenges. This is particularly problematic in the low-frequency band around 600-700MHz, where traditional monopole components require large physical dimensions to achieve efficient performance, making it difficult to mount these monopole components into very compact bezel areas. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, an antenna device for a portable electronic device is provided, comprising:

[0007] A grounding plane with edges;

[0008] The feed section, grounding coupling section, and extended coupling section are arranged sequentially along the edge;

[0009] in:

[0010] i) The feed section includes an RF feed on a ground plane and a feed line extending from the RF feed, the feed line having a first portion extending substantially perpendicularly from the edge of the ground plane and a second portion extending substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane from one end of the first portion in a direction away from the ground coupling section;

[0011] ii) The grounding coupling section includes a first conductive element and a conductive member, the first conductive element extending substantially parallel to the edge of the grounding plane and arranged to overlap or run adjacent to at least a portion of a second portion of the feed line of the feed section, the conductive member connecting the first conductive element to the grounding plane; and

[0012] iii) The extended coupling section includes a conductive bend line extending approximately parallel to the edge of the ground plane, one end of which is connected to a first conductive element of the ground coupling section, and the other end of which is connected to a second conductive element extending approximately parallel to the edge of the ground plane.

[0013] The first conductive element of the ground coupling section is configured to electromagnetically couple with a second portion of the feed line of the feed section during antenna operation. This is achieved by having the first conductive element of the ground coupling section overlap or be adjacent to the second portion of the feed line of the feed section.

[0014] The feeder of the power supply section may have an L-shaped or inverted L-shaped configuration, comprising only the first and second portions. Alternatively, the feeder of the power supply section may have a π (π) or U-shaped configuration or any other suitable configuration, provided that it always includes a portion substantially parallel to and adjacent to a portion of the first conductive element of the ground coupling section in order to enable coupling with it.

[0015] The feed section is configured to act as a monopole antenna within a given frequency band, and also drives the ground coupling section and the extended coupling section so that it can operate in an additional frequency band.

[0016] The feed section may be equipped with one or more parasitic conductive elements, which may be connected to the ground plane and / or may extend from the first section, for example, in a direction substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane. One or more parasitic conductive elements may help to generate additional resonance and / or widen the operating frequency band of the feed section.

[0017] The feed section can be configured to cover an operating frequency of approximately 1.7 GHz to 6 GHz. In some embodiments, the feed line of the feed section can be configured to provide resonance at approximately 2.2 GHz, with a first parasitic element providing additional resonance at approximately 5.5 GHz. A second or more parasitic elements can be provided to extend the 5.5 GHz resonance down to 5 GHz, and / or extend the 2.2 GHz resonance down to 1.7 GHz.

[0018] The RF feed section of the feed section can be equipped with appropriate matching circuitry, such as a passive matching network.

[0019] The ground coupling section is parasiticly driven by the feed section and is configured to act as an antenna operating in a lower frequency band (e.g., covering 700MHz to 1GHz).

[0020] The conductive components of the ground coupling section can be directly connected to the ground plane, or connected via a tuning circuit. The tuning circuit may include one or more capacitors and / or inductors and / or RF switches and / or varactor diodes, or combinations thereof. The tuning circuit can provide a passive network to vary the electrical length. In this way, the electrical length of the ground coupling section can be adjusted to enable operation in even lower frequency bands, such as 500MHz to 600MHz.

[0021] The conductive components of the grounding coupling section may be substantially straight, or may include bent sections, such as U-shaped bent sections, to provide additional electrical length.

[0022] An extended coupling section, electrically connected to the ground coupling section, provides an alternative resonant structure with a longer electrical length than the ground coupling section. Conductive bends provide even greater electrical length. The extended coupling section, working in conjunction with the ground coupling section, can provide resonance in the frequency range of 900 MHz to 1 GHz.

[0023] Tuning circuitry can be provided in the bends of the extended coupling section to adjust the electrical length of the extended coupling section. The tuning circuitry may include one or more capacitors and / or inductors and / or RF switches and / or varactor diodes, or combinations thereof. The tuning circuitry may provide a passive network to change the electrical length.

[0024] In some embodiments, the extended coupling section may include a first conductive member and a second conductive element. The first conductive member extends from the first conductive element of the ground coupling section toward the edge of the ground plane at one end of the first conductive element away from the feed section, but does not contact the ground plane. A conductive bend extends from the first conductive member in a direction away from the feed section, generally parallel to the edge of the ground plane. One end of the conductive bend is connected to the second conductive member, which extends substantially perpendicular to the edge of the ground plane but does not contact the ground plane. The second conductive element extends from the second conductive member substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane in a direction toward the feed section. The conductive bend is disposed between the second conductive element and the edge of the ground plane.

[0025] In these embodiments, the first and second conductive elements may be substantially collinear. In other words, the first and second conductive elements may be arranged along substantially the same line that runs substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane.

[0026] In other embodiments, the extended coupling section may include a continuation of a first conductive element of the ground coupling section, extending away from the feed section and substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane. A conductive member extends from one end of the continuation of the first conductive element toward the edge of the ground plane but does not contact the ground plane. A conductive bend extends from the conductive member toward the feed section in a direction substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane, terminating at a second conductive element disposed between the edge of the first conductive element and the edge of the ground plane. The second conductive element may be disposed substantially parallel to the edge of the first conductive element and the ground plane.

[0027] In the context of this disclosure, it should be understood that a conductive bend extending in a direction generally parallel to the edge of the ground plane means that the total length of the bend extends in that direction, even if the bend undulates or bends in different directions at different points along its length. For example, the total length of the bend can be considered to extend in a direction corresponding to the best-fit or reasonably fitted straight line based on the wavy bend.

[0028] In some embodiments, the respective segments of the antenna device are arranged in a straight line along a single edge of the ground plane.

[0029] In other embodiments, the corresponding sections of the antenna arrangement are positioned around the corner where two adjacent edges of the ground plane intersect. For example, the feed section may be positioned on one edge of the ground plane, and the ground coupling section and the extended coupling section may be positioned on adjacent, substantially perpendicular edges of the ground plane.

[0030] Various conductive elements, components, feed lines, and / or bends may be substantially coplanar with the ground plane, or disposed on one or more planes substantially parallel to the ground plane. In other embodiments, one or more of the various conductive elements, components, feed lines, and / or bends may be disposed in a plane substantially orthogonal to the ground plane. For example, one or more of the various conductive elements, components, feed lines, and / or bends may be formed as a metal strip having a length extending in a plane substantially coplanar or parallel to the ground plane, but having a width extending in a plane substantially orthogonal to the ground plane.

[0031] One or more of various conductive elements, components, feed lines, and / or bends can be formed or printed on a dielectric substrate. Laser direct structuring or similar techniques can be used. The dielectric substrate can be a solid substrate, such as a PCB substrate or the inner surface of a portable electronic device's housing, or it can be a flexible substrate that can wrap around a solid dielectric coil form or adhere to the inner surface of a portable electronic device's housing. In some embodiments, one or more of the various conductive elements, components, feed lines, and / or bends can be cut or stamped from a sheet of metal and effectively self-supporting. Combinations of the above can also be used.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first conductive element of the ground coupling section and the second conductive element of the extended coupling section (if present) may be formed to have a width extending through the thickness of the housing of the portable electronic device. The width can be increased by employing an L-shaped or U-shaped cross-section, for example, such that the first conductive element of the ground coupling section and the second conductive element of the extended coupling section (if present) are generally conformal to the internal contour of the edge region of the housing. Increasing the width of the first (and optionally the second) conductive element in this way can help improve the low-frequency band performance of the antenna arrangement. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] Figure 1 A rear view of the flip-top over-the-lap device is shown;

[0035] Figure 2 A front view of the flip-top over-the-lap device is shown;

[0036] Figure 3 A or D cover for a laptop / tablet with an RF window cutout is shown;

[0037] Figure 4 An antenna device according to a first embodiment is shown;

[0038] Figure 5 The simulated surface current at 700 MHz is shown;

[0039] Figure 6 The simulated surface current at 950 MHz is shown;

[0040] Figure 7 An antenna device according to a second embodiment is shown;

[0041] Figure 8 An antenna device according to a third embodiment is shown;

[0042] Figure 9An alternative device for the grounding portion of the second section is shown;

[0043] Figure 10 An antenna device according to a fourth embodiment is shown; and

[0044] Figure 11 The simulated S-parameters of the antenna device are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Laptops typically feature a clamshell design, consisting of a screen and a keyboard section, with the keyboard folding down to close with the screen. Tablets have a similar form factor but usually consist only of the screen section. The industry has specific terminology for the casing components used in these designs.

[0046] Figure 1 The rear view shows this laptop, whose casing includes different covers. In the industry, the cover 1 behind the screen is called the A cover, while the cover 2 under the laptop (the surface that contacts the device during normal use) is called the D cover.

[0047] Figure 2 A front view of the same laptop is shown, including the screen front cover 4, referred to as the B cover, which includes a bezel 400. Finally, the cover 3 surrounding the keyboard is referred to as the C cover.

[0048] Some embodiments of this disclosure are applicable to typical tablet computers that can dock with a keyboard or foldable tablet computers. In these embodiments, in standalone tablet mode, the main device will only have covers A and B. Furthermore, the motherboard and battery can be housed behind the screen, forming an all-in-one unit.

[0049] It will provide antenna designers with the location of the non-metallic cutouts in the A cover (back of the screen), the width of the B cover bezel and / or details of any cutouts in the keyboard section, such as the D cover (keyboard base), and the frequency band required for the antenna device to operate.

[0050] The antenna device of this disclosure can be configured to be installed in an opening approximately 100 mm long and 6 mm high. Now consider an antenna device configured to operate in the frequency band required for 5G WWAN.

[0051] exist Figure 3 The image shows an RF cutout 11 in cover A or D. A PCB 10 defining a conductive ground plane is also shown. In the latest generation of tablets and laptops, the typical dimensions of the RF cutout 11 (which is a hole in the cover that is transparent to RF signals) are typically less than 100 mm in length and less than 10 mm in height. Some elements of the antenna conductive pattern may be formed on a dielectric carrier or substrate 12, the dimensions of which are adapted to the cutout 11.

[0052] Figure 4 An antenna device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The device, partially formed on a dielectric carrier 12, includes three sections: i) a feed section 20, ii) a ground coupling section 21, and iii) an extension coupling section 22.

[0053] In this embodiment, the feed section 20 includes a generally inverted L-shaped feed line with an RF feed portion 200 on the ground plane and a vertical portion 201 extending from an edge 27 away from the ground plane, and a subsequent horizontal portion 202 extending parallel to the ground plane. The feed section 20 serves both as a coupled feed for adjacent antenna elements (described below) and as a monopole antenna itself. The feed section 20 is designed to cover frequencies in the range of 1.7 GHz to 6 GHz. The vertical portion 201 and the horizontal portion 202 of the feed line resonate in the 2.2 GHz band, and an extension element 24 extending horizontally from the vertical portion 201 couples and contributes to resonating near 5.5 GHz. A second grounded inverted L-shaped parasitic element 23 may be provided to help extend the resonance near 5.5 GHz down to 5 GHz. The feed section 200 may be equipped with associated matching circuitry, such as a passive network (not shown).

[0054] The ground coupling section 21 is formed by a vertical section 28 extending from the edge 27 of the ground plane and having a horizontally extending, generally U-shaped bend 204, which then connects to a horizontally extending top conductive portion 25 to couple or engage with the L-shaped sections 201, 202 of the feed line. This section is responsible for resonance in the low-frequency band covering 700MHz-1GHz and is excited by coupling with the feed section 20. The gap between the horizontal portion 202 of the feed line and the top conductive portion 25 of the ground coupling section 21 can be approximately 1mm, more preferably approximately 0.5mm. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the feed section 20 is shown as generally L-shaped. However, it can be U-shaped, π-shaped, or any other shape, as long as a portion of it is close enough to couple with the top conductor 25 of the ground coupling section 21.

[0055] In this embodiment, the extended coupling section 22 needs to be physically coupled to the ground coupling section 21, but in other embodiments, it may be configured to couple to the ground coupling section 21 during antenna device operation without being electrically connected to it. The extended coupling section 22 includes an extension to the top element 25 of the ground coupling section 21, and at a location away from the feed section 20, has a thick conductor element 203 that extends vertically downward toward the edge 27 of the ground plane but does not contact the ground plane. A fine bend line structure 26 extends horizontally from the thick conductor element 203 in a direction away from the feed section 20, providing the required electrical length. At the end of the bend line 26 is a final element 29, which is substantially L-shaped and extends vertically upward at the end of the bend line 26, and has a horizontal portion extending parallel to the bend line 26 toward the feed section. The extended coupling section 22 provides an alternative resonant structure with a longer electrical length than the ground coupling section 21, and works in cooperation and coordination with the ground coupling section 22 to provide resonance in the frequency range of 900MHz-1GHz.

[0056] A tuning element (not shown) can be used to connect the ground coupling section 21 to the ground plane. The tuning element can be one or more capacitors and / or inductors, RF switches, varactor diodes, or combinations thereof, to form a passive network to vary the electrical length. This allows for wider coverage in the low-frequency band down to 500-600 MHz. A tuner can also be placed along a length of the bend in the line element 26 extending the coupling section 22 to provide similar functionality.

[0057] Figure 9 It shows Figure 4 A variation of the embodiment, wherein the thick vertical section 28 of the ground coupling section 21 does not have a U-shaped bend, but extends straight down to the edge 27 of the ground plane. In this embodiment, the length of the bend line 26 of the extended coupling section 22 can be increased to compensate for the loss of electrical length in the vertical section 28.

[0058] Figure 5 It was shown at 700MHz Figure 4 The simulated surface current of the antenna device in the embodiment. Figure 5 The ground coupling section 21 of the antenna assembly is shown by a lighter shade, indicating the primary role of the ground coupling section in the resonance and highlighting the high concentration of surface current in this region. The main upright portion of the feed section 20 and the wide and zigzag portions of the extended coupling section 22 also contribute, as they contain lower levels of surface current.

[0059] Figure 6 The simulated surface current of the antenna device at 950 MHz is shown. Figure 5The diagram illustrates high current concentrations in the upright portion of the feed section 20, the entire ground coupling section 21, and the thicker portions, bends, and end structures along the extended coupling section 22. This resonance utilizes the coupling and coordination of all sections of the antenna assembly.

[0060] Figure 7 A second embodiment of the antenna device according to this disclosure is shown. This device comprises the same three sections as the first embodiment: i) a feed section 20, ii) a ground coupling section 21, and iii) an extended coupling section 22. The difference in this embodiment involves the top conductor element 33 of the ground coupling section 21. In the second embodiment, this extends horizontally above the top of the feed section 20, and coupling occurs vertically across the gap 34, rather than horizontally as in the first embodiment.

[0061] Figure 8 An antenna device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Similar to the previous embodiments, the device includes three sections: i) a feed section 20, ii) a ground coupling section 21, and iii) an extended coupling section 22.

[0062] This embodiment has a different third extended coupling section. Instead of starting with an element that protrudes vertically downward from the top conductor of the ground coupling section 21, this embodiment relies on a single long top conductor element 40 that covers the length of the antenna assembly and bends to form a downward portion 42 at the end opposite the feed section 20. From this downward section, a bend line portion 32 extends horizontally toward the ground vertical portion of the ground coupling section 21 and has a straight portion 41 at the distal end of the bend line 32.

[0063] Figure 10 An antenna arrangement according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The arrangement includes three sections: i) a feed section 20; ii) a ground coupling section 21; and iii) an extended coupling section 22. The feed section 20 is located on one edge of a corner of the ground plane, while the ground coupling section 21 and the extended coupling section 22 are located on adjacent edges of the corner of the ground plane. The top conductor 25 of the ground coupling section 21 is bent 90 degrees around the corner of the ground plane to provide coupling with the top conductor 202 of the feed section.

[0064] This embodiment can be used in laptop devices with more space in the A-cover or D-cover, thus performance can be improved as the device length increases. The antenna device is also able to radiate more effectively in multiple directions, and the associated resonant elements can be connected to a larger area of ​​the device's ground plane to generate surface currents and radiate effectively.

[0065] It should be noted that all embodiments may benefit from the optional features described above, such as: a conductive element located in a plane orthogonal to the ground plane, or a tuner device placed on a ground element in the second segment, or a metal-stamped antenna conductive element, or an antenna conductive element entirely formed on a dielectric carrier, or a combination thereof.

[0066] It should also be noted that the embodiments described herein include an antenna device comprising a combination of a vertical conductive element formed on a dielectric carrier 12 and a horizontal top element formed from a stamped metal or device housing. However, all conductive elements may be formed on a dielectric carrier, or on a flexible substrate and wrapped around the carrier, or entirely formed from stamped metal elements.

[0067] It should also be noted that the conductor elements may be arranged in a plane orthogonal to the ground plane, rather than in the same plane as in the illustrated embodiment. This orientation will depend on the environmental constraints created by the enclosure of the device in which the antenna device is housed.

[0068] Also noteworthy is the width of the top conductor element, especially when it is formed as part of the device housing by directly forming a metal component (such as an LDS or similar) using a laser. In this case, the width of the top conductor can be increased by conformally forming an L-shaped or U-shaped cross-section around the edge of the housing. This width helps to correctly generate the low-frequency band in the antenna assembly.

[0069] Figure 11 The simulated S-parameter performance of a passive (untuned) antenna device is shown. S-parameter measurements indicate how much of the input signal is reflected back to the source. Therefore, high loss indicates resonance at a specific frequency, representing the signal emitted by the antenna source and thus incurring loss.

[0070] As can be seen, the antenna assembly exhibits well-defined resonances in the 700MHz–1GHz region; further in, broadband resonances cover 1.7–3.5 GHz; and there are further resonances at 5–5.7 GHz. These simulation results demonstrate good operation within the desired 5GWWAN band. Lower frequency bands in the 600–700MHz region can be addressed using tuners on the antenna assembly itself.

[0071] The following numbered clauses can be used to understand various aspects and implementation methods:

[0072] 1. An antenna device suitable for portable electronic devices, comprising:

[0073] A ground plane having an edge, a first end, and a second end;

[0074] A power supply element, positioned at a first end toward a ground plane, and having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion connected to the ground plane for power supply, forming a first top conductor located at the far end of the vertical portion and positioned parallel to the ground plane in the direction toward the first end;

[0075] A grounding coupling element having a second top conductor extending parallel to a grounding plane and a vertical portion grounding the top conductor;

[0076] The top conductor is configured to couple with the horizontal portion of the feed element;

[0077] An extended coupling portion, formed by the downward vertical extension of the second top conductor of the grounding coupling element, is positioned toward the second end of the grounding plane;

[0078] The bent section extends horizontally in the direction toward the second end of the ground plane, and the end portion of the bent section has a vertical section connected to the third top conductor.

[0079] 2. The antenna device according to Clause 1, wherein the bent wire is electrically connected to the vertical extension of the ground coupling portion.

[0080] 3. The antenna device according to Clause 1, wherein the bent line is coupled to, but not directly connected to, the vertical extension of the ground coupling portion.

[0081] 4. The antenna arrangement according to any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the feed element has one or more parasitic elements arranged in close proximity for coupling.

[0082] 5. The antenna device according to any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein the top conductor element is electrically connected to form a long top conductor.

[0083] 6. The antenna device according to any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the first top conductor and the second top conductor are configured to be coupled with an overlap and gap of less than 1 mm.

[0084] 7. The antenna device according to any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the first top conductor and the second top conductor are configured to be coupled with an overlap and gap of 0.5 mm or less.

[0085] 8. The antenna device according to any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the vertical portion of the grounding coupling element is generally U-shaped and has a protrusion in the direction of the first end of the grounding plane.

[0086] 9. The antenna device according to any one of clauses 1 to 8, wherein the feed portion and the ground coupling and extension coupling portion are arranged around a 90-degree bend, with the feed portion on one side and the ground coupling and extension coupling portion on the other side.

[0087] 10. The antenna device according to any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the cross-section of the top conductor element is L-shaped, or is a portion oriented in an orthogonal plane.

[0088] 11. The antenna device according to Clause 10, wherein the top conductor element forms part of the device frame or housing.

[0089] 12. The antenna arrangement according to any one of clauses 1 to 11, wherein the vertical portion of the grounding coupling element is connected to the ground plane via a tuner.

[0090] 13. The antenna arrangement according to any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the bent wire element is connected to the ground plane via a tuner.

[0091] 14. The antenna device according to clause 12 or 13, wherein the tuner comprises: a varactor diode, an inductor, a capacitor, an RF switch, or a combination thereof.

[0092] 15. A portable electronic device including an antenna, comprising:

[0093] A ground plane having an edge, a first end, and a second end;

[0094] A power supply element, positioned at a first end toward a ground plane, and having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion connected to the ground plane for power supply, forming a first top conductor located at the far end of the vertical portion and positioned parallel to the ground plane in the direction toward the first end;

[0095] A grounding coupling element having a second top conductor extending parallel to the grounding plane and a vertical section grounding the top conductor;

[0096] The top conductor is configured to couple with the horizontal portion of the feed element;

[0097] An extended coupling portion, formed by the downward vertical extension of the second top conductor of the grounding coupling element, is positioned toward the second end of the grounding plane;

[0098] The bent section extends horizontally in the direction toward the second end of the ground plane, and the end portion of the bent section has a vertical section connected to the third top conductor.

[0099] Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words “comprising” and “including” and variations thereof mean “including, but not limited to”, and they are not intended to exclude other parts, additions, components, integers, or steps. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless the context requires otherwise. Specifically, where the indefinite article is used, this specification should be understood to contemplate both the plural and singular forms unless the context requires otherwise.

[0100] Features, integers, properties, compounds, chemical parts, or groups described in connection with specific aspects, embodiments, or examples of the invention should be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment, or example described herein, unless incompatible therewith. All features disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings), and / or all steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except for combinations in which at least some such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not limited to the details of any of the foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one or any novel combination of features disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings), or to any novel one or any novel combination of steps of any method or process so disclosed.

[0101] The reader’s attention is directed to all papers and documents that were submitted concurrently with or prior to this specification in connection with this application and that are open to public access together with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. An antenna arrangement for a portable electronic device, comprising: a ground plane having an edge; a feed section, a ground coupling section and an extension coupling section arranged in sequence along the edge; wherein: i) the feed section comprises an RF feed on the ground plane and a feed line extending from the RF feed, the feed line having a first portion extending substantially perpendicularly from the edge of the ground plane and a second portion extending substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane from one end of the first portion in a direction away from the ground coupling section; ii) the ground coupling section comprises a first conductive element having opposite first and second end portions, the first conductive element extending substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane, wherein the first end portion of the first conductive element is arranged to overlap or adjoin at least part of the second portion of the feed line of the feed section, and a conductive member connecting the first conductive element to the ground plane; and iii) the extension coupling section comprises a conductive meander line extending substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane, one end of the conductive meander line being connected to or configured to couple with the second end portion of the ground coupling section, the other end of the conductive meander line being connected to a second conductive element extending substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane and not being part of the ground coupling section.

2. The antenna device of claim 1, wherein, the conductive meander line is electrically connected to a portion of the ground coupling section.

3. The antenna device of claim 1, wherein, the conductive meander line is not electrically connected to the portion of the ground coupling section but is configured to couple with the portion of the ground coupling section during operation of the antenna arrangement.

4. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, the extension coupling section comprises a first conductive member extending from the first conductive element of the ground coupling section towards the edge of the ground plane away from the feed section but not contacting the ground plane, the conductive meander line extending from the first conductive member in a direction away from the feed section substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane, one end of the conductive meander line away from the first conductive member being connected to a second conductive member extending substantially perpendicularly to the edge of the ground plane but not contacting the ground plane, the second conductive element extending from the second conductive member substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane in a direction towards the feed section, the conductive meander line being disposed between the second conductive element and the edge of the ground plane.

5. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The extension coupling section includes a continuation of the first conductive element of the ground coupling section, the continuation extending away from the feed section and substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane, a conductive member extending from an end of the continuation of the first conductive element toward the edge of the ground plane without contacting the ground plane, and the conductive bend line extending from the conductive member in a direction substantially parallel to the edge of the ground plane toward the feed section, the bend line terminating at a second conductive element disposed between the first conductive element and the edge of the ground plane.

6. The antenna apparatus of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising one or more parasitic conductive elements disposed adjacent to the feed section and configured to couple with the feed section during operation of the antenna apparatus.

7. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The first conductive element of the ground coupling section is configured to overlap or run adjacent to the second portion of the feed line of the feed section, a gap between the first conductive element and the second portion of the feed line being no more than 1 mm.

8. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The conductive member of the ground coupling section connecting the first conductive element to the ground plane includes a bend section.

9. The antenna device of claim 8, wherein, The bend section is U-shaped and protrudes toward the feed section.

10. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1-3 and 9, wherein, The feed section, the ground coupling section, and the extension coupling section are sequentially arranged along a straight edge of the ground plane.

11. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1-3 and 9, wherein, The feed section, the ground coupling section, and the extension coupling section are sequentially arranged around a corner of the ground plane, the corner being defined by adjacent first and second edges of the ground plane.

12. The antenna device of claim 11, wherein, The feed section is disposed on a first edge of the ground plane, and the ground coupling section and the extension coupling section are disposed on a second edge of the ground plane.

13. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1-3, 9 and 12, wherein, The first conductive element of the ground coupling section and the second conductive element of the extension coupling section have at least portions disposed in a plane substantially orthogonal to the ground plane.

14. The antenna device of claim 13, wherein, The first conductive element of the ground coupling section and the second conductive element of the extension coupling section have at least portions with L-shaped or curved cross sections.

15. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1-3, 9, 12 and 14, wherein, The first conductive element of the ground coupling section and the second conductive element of the extension coupling section form part of a bezel or housing of the portable electronic device.

16. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1-3, 9, 12 and 14, wherein, The conductive member of the ground coupling section connects the first conductive element to the ground plane through a tuning circuit.

17. The antenna device of claim 16, wherein, The tuning circuit includes at least one of a varactor, a capacitor, an inductor, an RF switch, and combinations thereof.

18. The antenna device of claim 7, wherein, The gap between the first conductive element and the second portion of the feed line is no more than 0.5 mm.

19. A portable electronic device comprising the antenna apparatus of any one of claims 1-18.

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