Packaged wireless antenna for reducing effects of radio frequency interference

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaged wireless antenna for reducing the effects of radio frequency interference. Disclosed herein is a packaged antenna for reducing the effects of radio frequency interference (RFI) that may be coupled to the antenna at frequencies within the Wi-FI 5 / 6e bandwidth. The packaged antenna device may include an insulating housing and a metal layer disposed within a cavity of the housing. The packaged antenna device also includes an antenna device including a ground terminal and an antenna body, where the ground terminal is connected to the metal layer, where the antenna body is disposed over the metal layer and within the cavity. The packaged antenna device also includes a spacer between the metal layer and the antenna body, the spacer providing an offset distance between the metal layer and the antenna body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless antennas and, more particularly, to shielding wireless antennas from radio frequency interference. Background Art

[0002] In a computing system such as a desktop or workstation computer (typically a PC), integrating wireless antennas for high frequency bands, such as the Wi-Fi 6e band (e.g., 6-7.1 GHz), can be challenging due to strong sources of radio frequency (RF) interference (RFI) that originate from the computing system itself and affect the performance of the wireless antenna in the high gigahertz frequency range. For example, a memory subsystem of a computing system (e.g., double data rate 5 (DDR5) random access memory (RAM)) may generate RF noise that couples as RFI in the Wi-Fi 6e band. Typically, external antennas can be used to integrate existing computing systems to support Wi-Fi 6e transmissions, but even in external implementations, RF noise generated by the computing system may leak through the chassis (e.g., through vents / panel openings) and interfere with externally connected antennas. Shielding is typically used to reduce leakage, but chassis-level shielding may negatively impact the system's thermal dissipation and overall bill of materials (BOM) cost. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a device is provided, comprising: a shell formed of an insulating material; a metal layer arranged in a cavity of the shell; an antenna comprising a ground terminal and an antenna body, wherein the ground terminal is connected to the metal layer, wherein the antenna body is arranged above the metal layer and in the cavity; and a spacer between the metal layer and the antenna body, the spacer providing an offset distance between the metal layer and the antenna body.

[0004] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a computing system is provided, comprising: a computing device, comprising a shell and a wireless transceiver, wherein the shell surrounds the wireless transceiver and comprises a metal chassis; an external antenna device, outside the shell, wherein the wireless transceiver comprises a radio frequency (RF) antenna port, and the RF antenna port is configured to be connected to the external antenna device at the metal chassis, wherein the external antenna device comprises: an insulating shell, configured to be attached to the metal chassis; a metal layer, arranged in a cavity of the insulating shell, wherein the metal layer is separated from the metal chassis by a base of the insulating shell, wherein the base is surrounded by a wall, and the wall and the base together define the cavity of the insulating shell; an antenna, comprising a ground terminal and an antenna body, wherein the ground terminal is connected to the metal layer, wherein the antenna body is arranged above the metal layer and in the cavity; and a spacer, between the metal layer and the antenna body, the spacer providing an offset distance between the metal layer and the antenna body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] In the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals generally refer to the same parts in different views. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but generally emphasize illustrating the exemplary principles of the present disclosure. In the following description, various exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0006] Figure 1 shows an exploded view of an exemplary packaged antenna disclosed herein;

[0007] Figure 2 Exploded views showing different views of an exemplary packaged antenna;

[0008] Figure 3 An exemplary process for assembling the packaged antenna described herein is depicted;

[0009] Figure 4 An exploded view of an exemplary packaged antenna having perforations in a housing, a metal layer, a top cover, and a spacer is shown;

[0010] Figure 5 shows a graph of signal levels from about 5 GHz to about 7.2 GHz for a conventional antenna, a packaged antenna disclosed herein, and a noise floor; and

[0011] Figure 6 An example of a computing system including a chassis is shown, wherein a wireless transceiver is located inside the chassis and a packaged antenna is attached to the outside of the chassis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings that show exemplary details and features by way of illustration.

[0013] The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs.

[0014] In the drawings, it should be noted that unless otherwise described, like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures.

[0015] The phrases "at least one" and "one or more" may be understood to include quantities greater than or equal to one (e.g., one, two, three, four, […], etc.). With respect to a group of elements, the phrase "at least one of..." may be used herein to refer to at least one element of the group consisting of the elements. For example, with respect to a group of elements, the phrase "at least one of..." may be used herein to indicate a selection of: one of the listed elements, a plurality of the listed elements, a plurality of individually listed elements, or a multiple of a plurality of individually listed elements.

[0016] The words "plurality" and "multiple" in the specification and claims clearly refer to numbers greater than one. Therefore, any phrase that explicitly refers to a number of elements (e.g., "plurality [elements]", "multiple [elements]") that explicitly refers to more than one of the elements. For example, the phrase "plurality" can be understood to include a number greater than or equal to two (e.g., two, three, four, five, […], etc.).

[0017] The phrases "group," "set," "collection," "series," "sequence," "grouping," and the like in the specification and claims, if any, refer to a quantity equal to or greater than one, i.e., one or more. The terms "proper subset," "reduced subset," and "smaller subset" refer to a subset of a set that is not equal to a set, e.g., a subset of a set that contains fewer elements than a set.

[0018] As used herein, the term "data" may be understood to include information in any suitable analog or digital form, for example, provided as a file, a portion of a file, a set of files, a signal or stream, a portion of a signal or stream, a set of signals or streams, etc. In addition, the term "data" may also be used to represent a reference to information, for example, in the form of a pointer. However, the term "data" is not limited to the above examples, and may take various forms and represent any information understood in the art.

[0019] For example, the term "processor" or "controller" used in this article can be understood as any type of technical entity (e.g., hardware, software and / or a combination of both) that allows processing data. Data can be processed according to one or more specific functions performed by a processor or controller. In addition, the processor or controller used in this article can be understood as any type of circuit, for example, any type of analog or digital circuit. The processor or controller can therefore be or include an analog circuit, a digital circuit, a mixed signal circuit, software, firmware, a logic circuit, a processor, a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an integrated circuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc., or any combination thereof. Any other type of implementation of each function that will be further described in detail below can also be understood as a processor, a controller or a logic circuit. It should be understood that any two (or more) of the processors, controllers or logic circuits described in detail herein can be implemented as a single entity with equivalent functions, etc., and on the contrary, any single processor, controller, or logic circuit described in detail herein can be implemented as two (or more) independent entities with equivalent functions, etc.

[0020] As used herein, "memory" is understood to be a computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable medium) that can store data or information for retrieval. Therefore, references to "memory" included herein may be understood to refer to volatile or non-volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state memory, magnetic tape, hard disk drives, optical disk drives, 3D XPoint TM etc., or any combination thereof. Registers, shift registers, processor registers, data buffers, etc. are also included in the term memory. The term "software" refers to any type of executable instructions, including firmware.

[0021] Unless expressly specified, the term "sending" includes direct transmission (point-to-point) and indirect transmission (through one or more intermediate points). Similarly, the term "receiving" includes direct reception and indirect reception. In addition, the terms "sending", "receiving", "communication" and other similar terms include physical transmission (e.g., transmission of radio signals) and logical transmission (e.g., transmission of digital data through logical software-level connections). For example, a processor or controller can send or receive data in the form of radio signals through a software-level connection with another processor or controller, where the physical transmission and reception are handled by radio layer components such as radio frequency (RF) transceivers and antennas, and the logical transmission and reception through software-level connections are performed by the processor or controller. The term "communication" includes one or both of sending and receiving, i.e., unidirectional or bidirectional communication in one or both directions of incoming and outgoing directions. The term "computing" includes "direct" calculations performed by mathematical expressions / formulas / relationships, as well as "indirect" calculations performed by lookup or hash table and other array indexing or searching operations.

[0022] As described above, integrating wireless antennas that are intended to operate in high frequency bands, such as the Wi-Fi 6e band (e.g., 6-7.1 GHz), into existing computing systems can be challenging due to strong sources of radio frequency (RF) interference (RFI) originating from the computing system itself. For example, a memory subsystem of a computing system (e.g., double data rate 5 (DDR5) random access memory (RAM)) may generate RF noise that couples as RFI in the Wi-Fi 6e band. This RFI may affect the performance of the wireless antenna, especially in the high gigahertz frequency range. Complex pad shielding between the chassis and the antenna may help reduce the effects of RFI, but this may be costly and reduce airflow through the chassis, leading to heat dissipation issues. Alternatively, the source of RFI can be adjusted (e.g., the DDR5 frequency can be reduced), but this may negatively affect the computing power of the computing system.

[0023] The disclosed packaged antenna discussed in more detail below can help reduce the effects of RFI on the antenna without having to use complex gasket shielding between the chassis and the antenna, and without having to reduce the computing power of the computing system. The disclosed packaged antenna can be enclosed in a non-conductive (insulating) housing that isolates the antenna ground from the chassis ground. A metal layer can be formed inside the non-conductive housing (e.g., in a cavity), the antenna ground can be connected to the metal layer, and the body of the antenna can be spaced above the metal layer. A non-conductive (insulating) spacer can be used to provide spacing between the metal layer and the antenna body. A non-conductive (insulating) cover can be engaged with the non-conductive housing to enclose (encapsulate) the antenna in the cavity of the non-conductive housing. The packaged antenna is then connected to the antenna port on the chassis through the RF port. The packaged antenna can be fixed to the chassis through the non-conductive housing using mounting devices (e.g., fasteners, hooks, bolts, screws, latches, press fits, adhesives, etc.). Compared to traditional methods, the packaged antenna can provide a significant reduction in RFI (e.g., a 10dB reduction) while providing a low-cost, portable, and easily integrated RFI solution into existing computing systems without affecting the heat dissipation of the computing system and without having to reduce the computing power of the computing system.

[0024] Figure 1 An example exploded view of packaged antenna 100 is shown (an exploded stack-up starting at the bottom of the page view and breaking up toward the top of the page view). Packaged antenna 100 may include a housing 110 made of an insulating material such as a non-conductive plastic. Housing 110 may be tray-shaped such that a cavity is formed within the housing (e.g., housing 110 may include a base surrounded by walls that extend away from the base to provide depth to the cavity). Metal layer 120 (e.g., a metal barrier) may be placed within the cavity of housing 110 (e.g., within the cavity of housing 110). Figure 1 In the exploded view of , the metal layer 120 is stacked on the bottom surface of the cavity of the housing 110, on which the metal layer 120 will be placed).

[0025] The metal layer 120 may be shaped substantially the same as the interior cavity of the housing 110 so as to fit tightly within the cavity of the housing 110. The metal layer 120 may also be in a tray shape similar to the housing 110, where the metal walls extend up to the sides of the interior cavity of the housing 110, in which the metal layer 120 is placed. In addition, the metal layer 120 and the housing 110 may be perforated to allow airflow from outside the housing 110 into the cavity and through the metal layer 120. The spacer 140 may be placed above the metal layer 120 and inside the cavity (at Figure 1120, wherein the spacer 140 is stacked on the metal layer 120, wherein the spacer 140 is to be placed on the metal layer 120). The spacer 140 can provide an insulating offset to the antenna structure 130 so that the ground port 131 of the antenna structure 130 can be attached to the metal layer 120, and the body 132 of the antenna structure 130 can be placed on the spacer 140 to provide an insulating offset from the metal layer 120 (in Figure 1 , the antenna body 132 is stacked on the spacer 140, where the antenna body 132 will be placed on the spacer 140). The spacer 140 can also be made of a non-conductive material and can be made of the same or different material as the housing 110. The antenna structure 130 can also have an RF port 133 for connecting to a wireless transceiver (not shown).

[0026] Packaged antenna 100 may include a cover 150 (eg, a top cover) that is coupled to housing 110 to enclose antenna structure 130, spacer 140, and metal layer 120 within the cavity of housing 110. Figure 1 , the cover 150 is stacked over the antenna structure 130, where the cover 150 is to be placed over the antenna structure 130. For example, the cover 150 can have a press-fit relationship with the wall of the housing 110 so that it can be removably attached to the housing 110. It should be understood that the cover 150 can be attached to the housing 110 in other ways, such as by adhesive, one or more fasteners, thermal bonding (e.g., melting / welding), etc., so as to enclose the antenna structure 130, the spacer 140 and the metal layer 120 within the cavity of the housing 110. The cover 150 can also be made of a non-conductive material and can be made of the same or different material as the housing 110. Like the housing 110 and the metal layer 120, the cover 150 and / or the spacer 140 can also be perforated to allow airflow.

[0027] Figure 2 Shows something like Figure 1 An example exploded view of the packaged antenna 100 is a packaged antenna 200, except that Figure 2 The exploded view of FIG. 1 is viewed from a different angle, with the bottom of the packaged antenna 200 shown on the left side and the stack disintegrating toward the right side of the page view. The packaged antenna 200 may include a housing 210 made of an insulating material such as a non-conductive plastic, an adhesive (e.g., a non-conductive epoxy), foam, etc. The housing 210 may be in the shape of a tray so that a cavity is formed within the housing (in the Figure 2 The back side of the housing 210 (at Figure 2The leftmost side of the housing 210 may include a mounting device 215 (eg, a hook) for attaching the packaged antenna to a chassis of a computer system.

[0028] The metal layer 220 may be placed in the cavity of the housing 210 (in Figure 2 , the metal layer 220 is stacked to the right of the housing 210, where the metal layer 220 will be placed in the cavity of the housing 210). The shape of the metal layer 220 can be substantially the same as the internal cavity of the housing 210 so as to fit tightly in the cavity of the housing 210. The metal layer 220 can also be a tray shape similar to the housing 110. In addition, the metal layer 220 and the housing 210 can be perforated to allow airflow from outside the housing 210 into the cavity and through the metal layer 220. The spacer 240 can be placed above the metal layer 220 and inside the cavity (at Figure 2 , the spacer 240 is stacked to the right of the metal layer 220, where the spacer 240 will be placed on the metal layer 220). The spacer 240 can provide an insulating offset to the antenna structure 230, so that the ground port 231 of the antenna structure 230 can be attached to the metal layer 220, and the body 232 of the antenna structure 230 can be placed on the spacer 240 to provide an insulating offset from the metal layer 220 (in Figure 2 , the antenna body 232 is stacked on the right side of the spacer 240, where the antenna body 232 will be placed on the spacer 240). The spacer 240 can also be made of a non-conductive material and can be made of the same or different material as the housing 210. The antenna structure 230 can have an RF port 233 for connecting to a wireless transceiver (not shown).

[0029] The packaged antenna 200 may include a cover 250 that engages with the housing 210 to enclose the antenna structure 230, the spacer 240, and the metal layer 220 within the cavity of the housing 210. The cover 250 may be engaged with the housing using a press fit (e.g., engaging a wall of the housing 210 so that it can be removably attached to the housing 210). It should be understood that the cover 250 may be engaged with the housing 210 in other ways, such as by an adhesive, one or more fasteners, thermal bonding (e.g., melting), etc., so as to attach the cover 250 to the housing 210 to enclose the antenna structure 230, the spacer 240, and the metal layer 220 within the cavity of the housing 210. The cover 250 may also be made of a non-conductive material and may be made of the same or different material as the housing 210. Like the housing 210 and the metal layer 220, the cover 250 and / or the spacer 140 may also be perforated to allow airflow.

[0030] Figure 3A progression of pictures associated with assembling a packaged antenna (e.g., packaged antenna 100, 200) is shown. At point 1, housing 310 may be formed of an insulating material. For example, plastic molding (e.g., injection molding) may be used to form housing 310 so that it has a cavity for later accommodating a metal layer (e.g., metal layer 320) and an antenna structure (e.g., antenna structure 330). At point 2, metal layer 320 may be placed within the cavity of housing 310 so as to form a metal barrier on the base (and walls) of the cavity within housing 310. Metal layer 320 may be inserted into the cavity of housing 310 in any manner. For example, metal layer 320 may be preformed and placed in the cavity, a metal material may be sputtered into the cavity to form metal layer 320 within the cavity, and the like. It should be understood that metal layer 320 and housing 310 may be perforated to allow airflow from outside housing 310 into the cavity and through metal layer 320.

[0031] At point 3, the spacer 340 and antenna structure 330 may be placed within the cavity of the housing, above the metal layer 320. The ground port 331 of the antenna structure 330 may be attached to the metal layer 320, and the antenna body 332 of the antenna structure 330 may be placed above the spacer 340, such that the spacer 340 provides an insulating offset between the metal layer 320 and the antenna body 332. The RF port 333 of the antenna structure 330 (providing an RF connection to a wireless transceiver (not shown)) may be fed through an opening in the housing 310. At point 4, the cover 350 may be attached to the housing 310 so as to enclose the antenna structure 330 (with the spacer 340 and the metal layer 320) within the cavity, while the RF port 333 extends outside the cavity (e.g., via an opening in the housing 310 or the cover 350). It should be understood that the cover 350 can be joined to the housing 310 in any manner, such as by adhesive, one or more fasteners, a press fit relationship, thermal bonding (e.g., melting), etc., to attach the cover 350 to the housing 310. As with the housing 310 and the metal layer 320, the cover 350 and / or the spacer 140 can also be perforated to allow airflow. Point 5 shows the resulting packaged antenna 300, which can be connected to the RF antenna port of a wireless transceiver (not shown) through the RF port 333.

[0032] In general, the dimensions of the elements of the packaged antenna may vary depending on the particular application. For example, for a Wi-Fi antenna that can operate in the Wi-Fi 6e band (e.g., 6-7.1 GHz), the metal layer (e.g., metal layers 120, 220, 320) may preferably have a length and width totaling at least 80 mm. For example, the length may be 40 mm and the width may be 40 mm (80 mm in total), or the length may be 30 mm and the width may be 50 mm (80 mm in total), or the length may be 80 mm and the width may be 80 mm (160 mm in total), or any other combination of length / width totaling at least 80 mm may be provided. To the extent that the metal layer includes a metal wall surrounding the metal layer and extending upward from the metal layer (e.g., like a tray), the height of the metal wall may be at least as long (e.g., high) as the offset between the metal layer and the antenna body (e.g., its height may be approximately the same as the thickness of the spacer that creates the offset between the metal layer and the antenna body). As an example, the offset between the metal layer and the antenna body may be approximately 5 mm, and the height of the metal wall may be approximately the same. The thickness of the housing (e.g., the depth of the cavity formed in the housing (e.g., housing 110, 210, 310)) should be large enough to be able to enclose the antenna device, metal layer (and metal wall), spacer, etc. in the cavity. In this sense, the wall height of the housing can also be about 5 mm, depending on the thickness of the metal layer, spacer, and antenna device.

[0033] The packaged antenna (e.g., packaged antenna 100, 200, 300) can be connected to the RF antenna port of a wireless transceiver. The wireless transceiver can be part of a computing device such as a desktop computer, a personal computer, a server, a workstation, an access point, a router, etc. In addition, the packaged antenna can be attached to the chassis of the computing device (e.g., as described above, for example, with respect to Figure 2 Because the housing of the packaged antenna is insulated, the ground of the packaged antenna will be insulated from the chassis ground, and the metal layer can provide protection for the computing device from RFI. As an example, assume that the computing device utilizes DDR5 RAM, where, under active memory workloads, the computing device generates significant RFI within the Wi-Fi 5 / 6e bandwidth (particularly, for example, approximately 6.6 GHz). For a conventional Wi-Fi 5 / 6e antenna of a wireless transceiver attached to a computing system through a chassis, RFI can be coupled to the conventional antenna. However, using the packaged antenna disclosed above, the amount of RFI coupled to the antenna can be reduced.

[0034] As described above, the housing, metal layer, cover, and / or spacer of a packaged antenna (eg, packaged antenna 100 , 200 , and / or 300 ) may be perforated to allow airflow therethrough. Figure 4An example perforation is shown in the package antenna 400 of FIG. Figure 1 4. The exploded view of packaged antenna 100 is the same as that of 410, except that housing 410, metal layer 420, cover 450, and spacer 440 have perforations therethrough. One perforation in cover 450 is labeled as perforation 451, one perforation in spacer 440 is labeled as perforation 441, one perforation in metal layer 420 is labeled as perforation 421, and three perforations in housing 410 are labeled as perforation 411, perforation 412, and perforation 413. As shown in housing 410, for example, the perforations can be in the wall of housing 410 (e.g., perforations 412, 413) and / or in the base of housing 410 (e.g., perforation 411). It should be understood that the perforations need not be the same shape, need not be the same size, need not be uniformly spaced, need not be placed in any particular location, or need not be placed on all components of the packaged antenna. Rather, the size, shape, number, and location of the perforations may vary depending on the desired design (eg, for desired airflow and / or desired attachment points to the chassis).

[0035] Can be Figure 5 An example of the reduction in RFI that can be coupled to an antenna can be seen in Figure 5 A graph 500 depicting signal levels within the Wi-Fi 5 / 6e bandwidth (e.g., from about 5 GHz to about 7.2 GHz) is shown. The bottom signal data 510 shows the noise floor of the antenna under test (e.g., when the computing system is off). The middle signal data 520 shows the signal coupled to the tested packaged antenna (e.g., packaged antenna 100, 200, 300) when the computing system is active (e.g., under a DDR5 memory workload). The top signal data 530 shows the signal coupled to the tested traditional antenna (e.g., an antenna without a package as discussed above) when the computing system is active (e.g., under a DDR5 memory workload). It can be seen from the error 535 that the RFI coupled to the packaged antenna is significantly less than the RFI of the traditional antenna (e.g., about 10 dB less). The packaged antenna can have an S11 of less than -6 dB, a peak gain of less than 3 dB, and an efficiency of -4.3 dB in the frequency range of 2.4 to 2.5 GHz. The packaged antenna may have an S11 of less than -6 dB, a peak gain of less than 5 dB, and an efficiency of -4.5 dB in a frequency range of 5.1 to 7.125 GHz.

[0036] Figure 6An example of a computing system 601 is shown that includes a chassis 690, where a wireless transceiver and a processing system (e.g., a processor, memory, a motherboard, an input / output module, etc.) are located inside the chassis 690. At the chassis 690, an RF port can be used to connect an external antenna, where a packaged antenna 600 (e.g., the packaged antennas 100, 200, 300 discussed above) can be connected to the external antenna. The packaged antenna 600 can be removably mounted to the chassis 690, for example, via mounting devices such as screws, hooks, bolts, fasteners, press fits, adhesives, etc.

[0037] Example 1 is a device including a housing formed of an insulating material. The device also includes a metal layer arranged in a cavity of the housing. The device also includes an antenna, the antenna including a ground terminal and an antenna body, wherein the ground terminal is connected to the metal layer, wherein the antenna body is arranged above the metal layer and in the cavity. The device also includes a spacer between the metal layer and the antenna body, the spacer providing an offset distance between the metal layer and the antenna body.

[0038] Example 2 is the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the metal layer further comprises a metal wall connected to and surrounding the metal layer.

[0039] Example 3 is the apparatus of Example 2, wherein a height of the metal wall is at least as long as the offset distance.

[0040] Example 4 is the apparatus of Example 3, wherein the height of the metal wall is about 5 mm.

[0041] Example 5 is the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the offset distance is approximately 5 mm.

[0042] Example 6 is the device of any one of Examples 1 to 5, wherein the housing includes a housing base surrounded by a housing wall, the housing wall and the housing base together defining a cavity.

[0043] Example 7 is the device of Example 6, wherein the housing further comprises a top cover that engages with the housing wall to close the cavity.

[0044] Example 8 is the device of any of Examples 1 to 7, wherein the spacer comprises plastic, foam, and / or insulating epoxy.

[0045] Example 9 is the device of any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the metal layer is perforated.

[0046] Example 10 is the device of any of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the housing is perforated.

[0047] Example 11 is the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the antenna further comprises a radio frequency (RF) port configured to connect to an antenna port of the wireless transceiver.

[0048] Example 12 is the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 11, wherein the antenna comprises a Wi-Fi antenna (e.g., a WiFi 6e antenna).

[0049] Example 13 is the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 12, wherein the antenna is configured to send and / or receive RF signals in a frequency range of 5-7 GHz (e.g., Wi-Fi 5 and 6e bands).

[0050] Example 14 is the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 13, wherein the wireless transceiver is a Wi-Fi transceiver (e.g., WiFi 6e).

[0051] Example 15 is the device of any one of Examples 1 to 14, wherein the housing includes a housing base surrounded by a housing wall, the housing wall and the housing base together defining a cavity, wherein the housing base has a total length and width of at least about 80 mm.

[0052] Example 16 is the device of Example 15, wherein the length is about 40 mm and the width is about 40 mm.

[0053] Example 17 is the device of Example 15, wherein the length is about 30 mm and the width is about 50 mm.

[0054] Example 18 is the apparatus of any of Examples 1 to 17, further comprising a mounting device configured to removably attach the housing to a metal chassis of a computing system.

[0055] Example 19 is the apparatus of Example 18, wherein the mounting device comprises a screw, a hook, a bolt, a press fit, or an adhesive.

[0056] Example 20 is a computing system including a computing device, the computing device including a housing and a wireless transceiver, wherein the housing surrounds the wireless transceiver and includes a metal chassis. The computing system also includes an external antenna device outside the housing, wherein the wireless transceiver includes a radio frequency (RF) antenna port, and the RF antenna port is configured to be connected to the external antenna device at the metal chassis. The external antenna device includes an insulating housing, which is configured to be attached to the metal chassis. The external antenna device also includes a metal layer arranged in a cavity of the insulating housing, wherein the metal layer is separated from the metal chassis by a base of the insulating housing, wherein the base is surrounded by a wall, and the wall and the base together define the cavity of the insulating housing. The external antenna device also includes an antenna, the antenna including a ground terminal and an antenna body, wherein the ground terminal is connected to the metal layer, and wherein the antenna body is arranged above the metal layer and in the cavity. The external antenna device also includes a spacer between the metal layer and the antenna body, which provides an offset distance between the metal layer and the electrode body.

[0057] Example 21 is the computing system of Example 20, wherein the metal layer further comprises a metal wall connected to the metal layer and surrounding the metal layer.

[0058] Example 22 is the computing system of Example 21, wherein a height of the metal wall is at least as long as the offset distance.

[0059] Example 23 is the computing system of Example 22, wherein the height of the metal wall is approximately 5 mm.

[0060] Example 24 is the computing system of Example 20, wherein the offset distance is approximately 5 mm.

[0061] Example 25 is the computing system of any of Examples 20 to 24, wherein the insulating housing further comprises a top cover that engages the wall to close the cavity.

[0062] Example 26 is the computing system of any of Examples 20 to 25, wherein the spacer comprises plastic and / or insulating epoxy.

[0063] Example 27 is the computing system of any of Examples 20 to 26, wherein the metal layer is perforated.

[0064] Example 28 is the computing system of any of Examples 20 to 27, wherein the insulating housing is perforated.

[0065] Example 29 is the computing system of any one of Examples 20 to 28, wherein the antenna further comprises a radio frequency (RF) port configured to connect to an RF antenna port of the wireless transceiver.

[0066] Example 30 is the computing system of any one of Examples 20 to 29, wherein the antenna comprises a Wi-Fi antenna (e.g., a WiFi6e antenna).

[0067] Example 31 is the computing system of any of Examples 20 to 30, wherein the antenna is configured to send and / or receive RF signals from a wireless transceiver in a frequency range of 5-7 GHz (e.g., Wi-Fi 5 and 6e bands).

[0068] Example 32 is the computing system of any one of Examples 20 to 31, wherein the wireless transceiver is a Wi-Fi transceiver (e.g., WiFi 6e).

[0069] Example 33 is the computing system of any of Examples 20 to 32, wherein the base has a length and a width totaling at least about 80 mm.

[0070] Example 34 is the computing system of Example 33, wherein the length is approximately 40 mm and the width is approximately 40 mm.

[0071] Example 35 is the computing system of Example 33, wherein the length is approximately 30 mm and the width is approximately 40 mm.

[0072] Example 36 is the computing system of any one of Examples 20 to 35, wherein the external antenna device further comprises a mounting device configured to removably attach the insulating housing to the metal chassis.

[0073] Example 37 is the computing system of Example 36, wherein the mounting device comprises a screw, a hook, a bolt, a press fit, or an adhesive.

[0074] Example 38 is a method of manufacturing an antenna, the method comprising forming a shell from an insulating material (e.g., by injection molding, etc.), wherein the shell has a cavity. The method also includes forming a metal layer arranged in the cavity of the shell (e.g., by sputtering, deposition, preforming and connection, etc.). The method also includes connecting a ground terminal of the antenna to the metal layer so that the antenna body of the antenna is above the metal layer (e.g., not contacting the metal layer) and in the cavity. The method also includes placing a spacer between the metal layer and the antenna to provide an offset distance between the metal layer and the antenna body.

[0075] Example 39 is the method of Example 38, wherein the metal layer further includes a metal wall connected to the metal layer and surrounding the metal layer.

[0076] Example 40 is the method of Example 39, wherein a height of the metal wall is at least as long as the offset distance.

[0077] Example 41 is the method of Example 40, wherein the height of the metal wall is about 5 mm.

[0078] Example 42 is the method of Example 38, wherein the offset distance is approximately 5 mm.

[0079] Example 43 is the method of any of Examples 38 to 42, wherein forming the shell includes forming a shell base surrounded by a shell wall, the shell wall and the shell base together defining a cavity.

[0080] Example 44 is the method of Example 43, further comprising attaching a top cover that engages the housing wall to close the cavity.

[0081] Example 45 is the method of any of Examples 38 to 44, wherein the spacer comprises plastic, foam, and / or insulating epoxy.

[0082] Example 46 is the method of any one of Examples 38 to 45, wherein the metal layer is perforated.

[0083] Example 47 is the method of any of Examples 38 to 46, wherein the shell is perforated.

[0084] Example 48 is the method of any one of Examples 38 to 47, wherein the antenna further comprises a radio frequency (RF) port configured to connect to an antenna port of a wireless transceiver.

[0085] Example 49 is the method of any of Examples 38 to 48, wherein the antenna comprises a Wi-Fi antenna (e.g., a WiFi 6e antenna).

[0086] Example 50 is the method of any of Examples 38 to 49, wherein the antenna is configured to send and / or receive RF signals in a frequency range of 5-7 GHz (e.g., Wi-Fi 5 and 6e bands).

[0087] Example 51 is the method of any of Examples 38 to 50, wherein the wireless transceiver is a Wi-Fi transceiver (e.g., WiFi 6e).

[0088] Example 52 is the method of any of Examples 38 to 51, wherein forming the shell includes forming a shell base surrounded by a shell wall, the shell wall and the shell base together defining a cavity, wherein the shell base has a total length and width of at least about 80 mm.

[0089] Example 53 is the method of Example 52, wherein the length is approximately 40 mm and the width is approximately 40 mm.

[0090] Example 54 is the method of Example 52, wherein the length is about 30 mm and the width is about 50 mm.

[0091] Example 55 is the method of any one of Examples 38 to 54, further comprising attaching a mounting device to the housing for removably attaching the housing to a metal chassis of the computing system.

[0092] Example 56 is the method of Example 55, wherein the mounting device comprises a screw, a hook, a bolt, a press fit, or an adhesive.

[0093] Although the present disclosure has been specifically shown and described with reference to certain aspects, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, the appended claims indicate the scope of the present disclosure, and therefore, are intended to include all changes within the equivalent meaning and scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A device comprising: a housing formed of an insulating material; a metal layer, arranged in the cavity of the housing; an antenna comprising a ground terminal and an antenna body, wherein the ground terminal is connected to the metal layer, wherein the antenna body is arranged on the metal layer and within the cavity; and A spacer is provided between the metal layer and the antenna body, wherein the spacer provides an offset distance between the metal layer and the antenna body.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The metal layer also includes a metal wall connected to and surrounding the metal layer.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The height of the metal wall is at least as long as the offset distance.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein: The height of the metal wall is 5 mm, and the offset distance is 5 mm.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The housing comprises a housing base surrounded by a housing wall, the housing wall and the housing base together defining the cavity.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The housing further includes a top cover engaged with the housing wall to close the cavity.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The spacer comprises plastic, foam and / or insulating epoxy.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The metal layer or the housing is perforated.

9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The antenna also includes a radio frequency (RF) port configured to connect to an antenna port of a wireless transceiver.

10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The housing comprises a housing base surrounded by a housing wall, the housing wall and the housing base together defining the cavity, wherein the housing base has a length and a width of at least 80 mm in total.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein: The length is 40 mm, and the width is 40 mm.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein: The length is 30 mm, and the width is 50 mm.

13. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a metal chassis and a mounting device, wherein: The mounting device is configured to removably attach the housing to the metal chassis.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein: The mounting means include screws, hooks, bolts, press fit or adhesive.

15. A computing system comprising: A computing device comprising a housing and a wireless transceiver, wherein the housing surrounds the wireless transceiver and comprises a metal chassis; an external antenna device external to the housing, wherein the wireless transceiver includes a radio frequency (RF) antenna port configured to connect to the external antenna device at the metal chassis, wherein the external antenna device includes: an insulating housing configured to be attached to the metal chassis; a metal layer disposed within the cavity of the insulating housing, wherein the metal layer is separated from the metal chassis by a base of the insulating housing, wherein the base is surrounded by a wall, the wall and the base together defining the cavity of the insulating housing; an antenna comprising a ground terminal and an antenna body, wherein the ground terminal is connected to the metal layer, wherein the antenna body is arranged on the metal layer and within the cavity; and A spacer is provided between the metal layer and the antenna body, wherein the spacer provides an offset distance between the metal layer and the antenna body.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein: The metal layer also includes a metal wall connected to and surrounding the metal layer.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein: The height of the metal wall is at least as long as the offset distance.

18. The computing system of claim 15, wherein: The insulating housing further includes a top cover engaged with the wall to close the cavity.

19. A computing system according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein: The antenna also includes a radio frequency (RF) port configured to connect to an RF antenna port of the wireless transceiver.

20. The computing system of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein: The antenna includes a Wi-Fi antenna.

21. The computing system of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein: The antenna is configured to transmit and / or receive RF signals from the wireless transceiver in a frequency range of 5-7 GHz.

22. The computing system of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein: The wireless transceiver is a Wi-Fi 6e transceiver.

23. The computing system of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein: The external antenna device also includes a mounting device configured to removably attach the insulating housing to the metal chassis.

24. The computing system of claim 23, wherein: The mounting means include screws, hooks, bolts, press fit or adhesive.

25. The computing system of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein: The base of the insulating housing has a total length and width of at least 80 mm.

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