Antenna with passive antenna coupled to same

Abstract

A signal transfer method includes: transferring a first signal in a first frequency range between a metal member and a front-end circuit, the metal member extending at least proximate a portion of a perimeter of a device; and passing a second signal within a second frequency range between the metal member and an antenna element comprising a conductive coil by reactive coupling.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Wireless communication devices are becoming increasingly popular and complex. For example, mobile telecommunication devices have evolved from simple phones to devices with multiple communication capabilities (e.g., multiple cellular communication protocols, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth ® and other short-range communication protocols) smartphones, supercomputing processors, cameras, etc. Wireless communication devices have antennas that support various functions, such as communicating within a certain frequency range and receiving Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, also known as satellite positioning signals (SPS signals).

[0002] When multiple antennas are incorporated into a single wireless communication device, coupling between the antennas can degrade performance. For example, power from a transmitted communication signal can be received and dissipated by another antenna within the device (e.g., an antenna receiving GNSS signals, an antenna receiving and transmitting other communication signals, etc.). As another example, if two antenna systems use a common conductor for their respective radiators, power can flow between antenna systems in close proximity. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An example device includes: a metal frame member that extends along a portion of the perimeter of the device; a front-end circuit that is coupled to the metal frame member at a first point along the length of the metal frame member via an electrical connector, the front-end circuit being configured to perform at least one of the following: sending a first signal within a first frequency range to the metal frame member or receiving a second signal within the first frequency range from the metal frame member; and an antenna element that includes a conductive spiral that is configured to transduce a signal within a second frequency range between an electrical signal and a wireless signal, the antenna element being electrically separated from the metal frame member and configured to be electrically coupled to the metal frame member to pass a third signal within the second frequency range between the metal frame member and the antenna element, the second frequency range being different from the first frequency range.

[0004] A signal transmission method includes: transmitting a first signal within a first frequency range between a metal component and a front-end circuit, the metal component extending at least near a portion of the periphery of a device; and transmitting a second signal within a second frequency range between the metal component and an antenna element including a conductive coil through inductive coupling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 is a diagram of a communication system.

[0006] Figure 2A yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of simplified components of a mobile device is shown.

[0007] Figure 2B yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of simplified components of another mobile device is shown.

[0008] Figure 3 is a plan view of an example apparatus including an antenna system comprising a metal frame member antenna system and a coil antenna system capacitively coupled to the metal frame.

[0009] Figure 4 is a plan view of another example apparatus including an antenna system comprising a metal frame member antenna system and a coil antenna system capacitively coupled to the metal frame.

[0010] Figure 5 is a plan view of another example apparatus including an antenna system comprising a metal frame member antenna system and a coil antenna system capacitively coupled to the metal frame.

[0011] Figure 6 is a side view of an assembly including a coil antenna element.

[0012] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A top view of a coil antenna element is shown.

[0013] Figure 8 is a plan view of another example apparatus including an antenna system comprising a metal frame member antenna system and a plurality of coil antenna systems each capacitively coupled to the metal frame.

[0014] Figure 9 is a plan view of another example apparatus including an antenna system comprising a metal frame member antenna system and a plurality of coil antenna systems each capacitively coupled to the metal frame.

[0015] Figure 10 is a block diagram of the signal transmission method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] This article discusses a technique for transmitting signals to an antenna using a metal frame radiator and at least one passive antenna element that is reactance-coupled to the metal frame radiator. For example, a portion of the metal frame of a device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a wearable device such as a watch) is used as a radiator (for signal reception and / or signal transmission) by an antenna system. One or more passive antenna elements are reactance-coupled (e.g., capacitive or parasitic) to the metal frame to transmit signals from the metal frame to the antenna element and / or from the antenna element to the metal frame. The passive antenna element may include a conductive coil. The antenna system may operate over different frequency ranges. However, other configurations may be used.

[0017] The items and / or techniques described herein may provide one or more of the following capabilities, as well as other capabilities not mentioned. Multiple antenna systems may be arranged more compactly in a device than in the prior art. Multiple antenna systems may operate over different frequency ranges, wherein an antenna system uses at least a portion of a metal frame as a radiator, and one or more other antenna systems have one or more corresponding radiators that are reactively coupled to the metal frame. Multiple antenna systems may provide a wider bandwidth than in the prior art. For example, for a MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) system, the communication system bandwidth and / or data transfer rate may be increased. Other capabilities may be provided, and not every specific implementation according to the present disclosure necessarily provides any, let alone all, of the capabilities discussed. Furthermore, it may be possible to achieve the effects described above in ways other than those described, and the items / techniques described may not necessarily produce the effects described.

[0018] refer to Figure 1 The communication and positioning system 100 includes a mobile device 112, a network 114, a server 116, access points (APs) 118 and 120, and a satellite vehicle 122 (SV). The communication and positioning system 100 is a wireless communication system because its components can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via the network 114 and / or one or more of the access points 118 and 120 (and / or one or more other devices not shown, such as one or more base transceiver stations)) using wireless connections (at least sometimes using wireless connections). For indirect communication, the communication can be altered during transmission from one entity to another, for example, to modify header information of a data packet, change the format, etc. The mobile device 112 shown is a mobile wireless communication device (although they can communicate wirelessly and via wired connections), including wearable devices (e.g., watches), mobile phones (including smartphones), laptops, and tablet computers. Other mobile devices, whether currently existing or developed in the future, such as other forms of wearable devices, may also be used. Additionally, other wireless devices (whether mobile or not) may be implemented within the communication and positioning system 100 and may communicate with each other and / or with the mobile device 112, the network 114, the server 116, and / or the APs 118, 120. For example, such other devices may include Internet of Things (IoT) devices, medical devices, home entertainment and / or automation devices, automotive devices, etc. The mobile device 112 or other devices may be configured to communicate in different networks and / or for different purposes (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi communication, Wi-Fi communication at multiple frequencies, satellite communication and / or positioning, one or more types of cellular communication (e.g., GSM (Global System for Mobile), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), etc.), Bluetooth ®Communications, etc.). Mobile device 112 may be configured to receive positioning signals, such as satellite positioning signals from SV 122, and / or transmit signals to non-terrestrial networks (eg, to satellites therein).

[0019] Also refer to Figure 2A , mobile device 200 (which is Figure 1 The illustrated example of one of the mobile devices 112 includes a top cover 210, a display layer 220, a printed circuit board (PCB) layer 230, and a bottom cover 240. The mobile device 200, as shown, may be a smartphone or tablet computer, but the embodiments described herein are not limited to such devices (for example, in other implementations of the concepts described herein, the device may be a router or customer premises equipment (CPE)). The top cover 210 includes a screen 214. The bottom cover 240 has a bottom surface 244. The sides 212, 242 of the top and bottom covers 210, 240 provide edge surfaces. The top and bottom covers 210, 240 form a housing that holds the display layer 220, the PCB layer 230, and other components of the mobile device 200 that may or may not be located on the PCB layer 230. For example, the housing may hold (e.g., house, contain), or be integrated with, the antenna system, front-end circuitry, transceiver circuitry, and processor discussed below. The housing may be substantially rectangular, having two sets of parallel edges in the illustrated embodiment, and may be configured to bend or fold. In this example, the housing has rounded corners, but the housing can be substantially rectangular with corners of other shapes (e.g., corners at straight angles (e.g., 45°), 90°, other non-straight corners, etc.). In addition, the size and / or shape of the PCB layer 230 may be disproportionate to the size and / or shape of either the top cover or the bottom cover, or otherwise disproportionate to the perimeter of the device. For example, the PCB layer 230 may have a cutout to accommodate a battery. In addition, the PCB layer 230 may include a sandwich board and / or a PCB daughter board. The daughter board may be selected to facilitate the design and / or manufacturing process, for example, to enhance functional separation or better utilize space within the housing. Embodiments of the PCB layer 230 other than the illustrated embodiments may be implemented.

[0020] Also refer to Figure 2B , mobile device 250 (which is Figure 1The illustrated example of a mobile device in mobile device 112 includes a top cover 260, a PCB layer 270, and a bottom cover 280. As shown, mobile device 200 may be a watch, but the embodiments described herein are not limited to such devices. Top cover 260 may include a window 262, for example, for viewing a time display (e.g., a digital and / or analog display such as watch hands and a watch face). Top cover 260 and bottom cover 280 form a housing that holds PCB layer 270 and other components of mobile device 200 that may or may not be located on PCB layer 270. For example, the housing may hold (e.g., house, contain) or be integrated with the antenna system, front-end circuitry, transceiver circuitry, and processor discussed below. The housing may have any of a variety of shapes (e.g., circular (as shown), rectangular, etc.). The size and / or shape of PCB layer 270 may be disproportionate to the size and / or shape of top cover 260 and / or bottom cover 280, or otherwise disproportionate to the perimeter of mobile device 250. For example, PCB layer 270 may have cutouts to accept a battery and / or be otherwise shaped to accommodate one or more other components of mobile device 250. Furthermore, PCB layer 270 may include a sandwich board and / or PCB daughter boards. The daughter boards may be selected to facilitate the design and / or manufacturing process, for example, to enhance functional separation or to better utilize space within the housing. Embodiments of PCB layer 270 other than those illustrated may be implemented.

[0021] Mobile devices increasingly have multiple antennas for various purposes, such as communication and positioning (e.g., GNSS). For example, it may be desirable for a mobile device (e.g., a wearable device such as a watch) to include multiple antennas that serve a wide bandwidth. The limited volume available in the device may make it difficult to meet this desire. For example, it may be desirable to provide an antenna for serving LMHB (low, medium, and high band) and GNSS (e.g., L1 / L2 / L5) in the 600 MHz to 2700 MHz band and an antenna for serving WiFi and / or Bluetooth in the 2400 MHz to 2500 MHz band. ® Another antenna.

[0022] As used herein, the term "user equipment" (UE) is not specific to or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT), unless otherwise specified. Generally speaking, a UE may be any wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, router, tablet, laptop, consumer asset tracking device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.) used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network and / or receive positioning signals, for example, from a satellite. A UE may be mobile or may be stationary (e.g., at certain times) and may communicate with a radio access network (RAN). As used herein, the term "UE" may be interchangeably referred to as an "access terminal" or "AT," "client device," "wireless device," "subscriber device," "subscriber terminal," "subscriber station," "user terminal" or UT, "mobile terminal," "mobile station," "mobile device," or variations thereof. Generally speaking, a UE may communicate with a core network via the RAN, and through the core network, the UE may connect to external networks such as the Internet and to other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for connecting to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible for the UE, such as through a wired access network, a WiFi network (eg, based on IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11, etc.), and the like.

[0023] The limited space available in UEs presents challenges for antenna design. For example, if a mobile phone has 10 or more antennas for LTE and sub-6 GHz bands, there may not be room for an additional antenna. Designing a single antenna to cover a wide frequency bandwidth is challenging because antenna frequency bandwidth scales with antenna size, with small antennas typically having narrow bandwidth. For example, for an antenna serving the GNSS L1 band, the antenna may be at least a quarter wavelength (e.g., approximately 50 mm), but a wearable device may have a longest linear dimension less than 50 mm. Alternatively, a single antenna may be desirable to serve GNSS L1 / L2 / L5 (e.g., 1170 MHz to approximately 1600 MHz), for example, to facilitate the selection of specific frequency bands for corresponding geographic regions (e.g., North America, Asia, specific countries, etc.). Furthermore, mechanical stability of UEs (e.g., mobile phones, wearable devices such as watches, etc.) can be challenging. For example, non-conductive (e.g., plastic) breaks in the UE's metal frame can be used to separate antennas, but too many breaks (e.g., to separate a large number of antennas) can weaken the frame's stability and potentially lead to thermal issues due to the inability to dissipate heat.

[0024] Also refer to Figure 3Device 300 includes a metal frame member 310, a front-end circuit (FEC) 320, and an antenna element 330. Device 300 may be an example of a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 250). Device 300 is an example, and other types of devices may be used and / or other numbers of antennas may be provided in device 300. In the illustrated example, FEC 320 is coupled to metal frame member 310 at point 312 of metal frame member 310 via an electrical connector 322 (e.g., a wire). FEC 320 may be configured to transmit and / or receive signals within a first frequency range to and from metal frame member 310, and metal frame member 310 may be configured to transduce signals within the first frequency range between an electrical signal (e.g., a current in metal frame member 310) and a wireless signal. For example, the first frequency range may include LMHB and GNSS frequencies. Even though antenna element 330 and metal frame member may be reciprocal signal transducers capable of radiating and receiving wireless signals, antenna element 330 or metal frame member 310 may be referred to as a radiating element. A discontinuity 370 (or breakpoint) (e.g., a piece of dielectric material, such as plastic) may be provided to prevent the metal frame member 310 from forming a loop, allowing the use of a loop antenna. The metal frame member 310 may be configured to have an appropriate continuous length depending on the type of antenna provided by the metal frame member 310. For example, the continuous length may be approximately one-quarter wavelength for a monopole antenna, approximately one wavelength for a self-resonant loop antenna, or a fraction (e.g., one-third, one-quarter) of a wavelength for a small loop antenna. The metal frame member 310 may provide a portion of the housing for the device 300 (e.g., a wearable device, such as a watch). For example, the metal frame member 310 may provide at least a portion of the side of a device (such as the mobile device 250). The metal frame member 310 may provide a portion of the top (e.g., the front of a watch) and / or the bottom (e.g., the back panel of a watch) of the device, or may only provide a portion of the side of the device. As another example, the metal frame member 310 may not be exposed to the exterior of the device 300. The metal frame member 310 may or may not provide structural support or integrity for the device 300. Additionally, while the discussion herein focuses on metal frame members, metal members can be used to transduce signals without the metal member forming a frame or part of a frame of the device. The metal member can extend along or near at least a portion of the perimeter of the device 300 (e.g., within but proximate to the perimeter, e.g., where at least a portion of an outer edge of the metal member is within 0.2 wavelengths (e.g., within 0.1 wavelengths) of a frequency in a first frequency range of the perimeter of the device 300). This can help improve the efficiency with which the metal frame member transmits and / or receives wireless signals.

[0025] The antenna element 330 may include a conductive spiral that is configured to transduce a signal in the second frequency range between an electrical signal and a wireless signal. For example, a wireless signal incident on the antenna element 330 may be transduced into a current in the conductive spiral (coil). The antenna element 330 may be a monopole antenna in the form of a coil, wherein the length of the antenna element 330 is approximately one quarter of the wavelength of a frequency in the second frequency range. The second frequency range may be different from the first frequency range, for example, the second frequency range includes some frequencies of the first frequency range and some frequencies outside the first frequency range, or only includes frequencies outside the first frequency range. The second frequency range may, for example, include Bluetooth ® The second frequency range may include higher frequencies than the first frequency range, for example, wherein all frequencies of the second frequency range are higher than any frequency of the first frequency range.

[0026] Antenna element 330 may be positioned proximate to but separated from metal frame member 310 to reactantly couple with metal frame member 310 to transmit signals within the second frequency range between metal frame member 310 and antenna element 330. For example, point 314 of metal frame member 310 closest to antenna element 330 may be separated from antenna element 330 by distance 340 to provide reactant coupling between antenna element 330 and metal frame member 310. For example, distance 340 may be less than one-tenth (0.1) of a wavelength of at least one frequency within the second frequency range. As another example, distance 350 may be less than one-fiftieth (0.02) of a wavelength of at least one frequency within the second frequency range. For example, distance 350 may be less than 5 mm (e.g., 3 mm to 4 mm), where the second frequency range includes frequencies between 2.4 GHz and 2.5 GHz.

[0027] Antenna element 330 may be reactively coupled to metal frame member 310 at approximately half a wavelength from where FEC 320 is connected to metal frame member 310, where metal frame member 310 functions as a monopole. For example, if metal frame member 310 is configured as a monopole, distance 350 along metal frame member 310 between point 312 and point 314 may be between 0.4 and 0.6 wavelengths of at least one frequency within the second frequency range, or between 0.45 and 0.55 wavelengths of at least one frequency within the second frequency range. As another example, if metal frame member 310 is configured as an IFA (inverted-F antenna), distance 350 may be between 0.15 and 0.35 wavelengths (e.g., between 0.2 and 0.3 wavelengths) of at least one frequency within the second frequency range. As another example, if the metal frame member 310 is configured as a loop antenna, the distance 350 may be between 0.4 wavelengths and 0.6 wavelengths (eg, between 0.45 wavelengths and 0.55 wavelengths) of at least one frequency within the second frequency range.

[0028] The metal frame member 310 and the antenna element 330 can operate over corresponding frequency ranges (e.g., non-overlapping frequency ranges, partially overlapping frequency ranges, or completely overlapping frequency ranges (e.g., one frequency range is completely within another frequency range)), for example, each frequency range corresponding to one or more standardized communication bands (e.g., LTE bands, 5G bands, WiFi bands, Bluetooth bands, etc.). ®frequency bands, etc.) and / or standardized positioning frequency bands (e.g., standardized positioning reference signal frequency bands (which may be standardized communication frequency bands) and / or standardized satellite positioning system frequency bands, such as GPS frequency bands, GNSS frequency bands, BeiDou frequency bands, etc.). For example, the frequency range of the metal frame member 310 may be lower than the frequency range of the antenna element 330. In one example implementation, the metal frame member 310 may be configured to operate at low, medium, and high frequency bands (LMHB) (e.g., B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B8, B12, B20, B28, B40, B41, etc.) frequencies and GNSS L1 band frequencies, and the antenna element 330 may be configured to operate at GNSS L1 and L2 band frequencies. In another example implementation, the metal frame member 310 may be configured to operate in a low band (LB) (e.g., B71, B12, B28, B20, B5, B8, etc.; Japan band (JPB) B11, B21, B32) frequency, and the antenna element 330 may be configured to operate in a GNSS frequency (e.g., L1 / L2 / L5). In another example implementation, the metal frame member 310 may be configured to operate in a mid-high band (MHB) (e.g., B1, B2, B3, B7, B40, B41, etc.) frequency, and the antenna element 330 may be configured to operate in a sub-6 GHz frequency (e.g., N77 / N78 / N79). In another example implementation, the metal frame member 310 may be configured to operate in a low, mid-high band, the antenna element 330 may be configured to operate in a GNSS frequency (e.g., L1 / L2 / L5), and another antenna element (e.g., as described with respect to Figure 8 and Figure 9 The LTE-M (LTE-M) SoCs discussed above can be configured to operate in sub-6 GHz frequencies (e.g., N77 / N78 / N79). Sub-6 GHz frequencies include N77, N78, and N79. LMHB frequencies include B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B8, B12, B20, B28, B40, and B41.

[0029] Also refer to Figure 4 , device 400 includes a metal frame member 410, a FEC 420, and an antenna element 430. Device 400 may be an example of a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 200). Device 400 is an example, and other types of devices may be used and / or other numbers of antennas may be provided in device 400. In the example shown, metal frame member 410 is rectangular, and Figure 3Metal frame member 310 is shown as being circular. These shapes are examples, and other shapes may be used. These shapes are shown because wearable devices typically have a circular or rectangular shape, but other shapes may be used, and apparatus 300 and / or apparatus 400 may be a wearable device or another type of device. Similar to apparatus 300, metal frame member 410 is configured to transduce signals within a first frequency range, and antenna element 430 is configured to transduce signals within a second frequency range. Additionally, FEC 420 is electrically connected to metal frame member 410 at point 412 on metal frame member 410 via electrical connector 422. Antenna element 430 is reactively coupled to metal frame member 410, the antenna element being closest to metal frame member 410 at point 414, where point 414 is proximal to metal frame member 410 but separated from metal frame member 410 by a distance 440, such as less than one-tenth of a wavelength of at least one frequency in the second frequency range. Additionally, point 412 can be displaced from point 414 by a distance 450 along the length of metal frame member 410, the distance being approximately half a wavelength of at least one frequency in the second frequency range (e.g., 0.4 to 0.6 of a wavelength or 0.45 to 0.55 of a wavelength), wherein metal frame member 410 functions as a monopole. Furthermore, similar to device 300, device 400 can include a discontinuity 470 (or break point), e.g., a piece of dielectric material, such as plastic, that separates portions (here, ends) of metal frame member 410 to prevent metal frame member 410 from forming a conductive loop.

[0030] Also refer to Figure 5Device 500 includes a metal frame member 510, an FEC 520, an antenna element 530, tuning / matching circuits 524 and 532, a transceiver 580, and a processor 590. Even though metal frame member 510 is shown as circular, device 500 may be an example of device 300 or device 400 (or another device). Device 500 is an example, and other types of devices may be used and / or other numbers of antennas may be provided in device 500. Similar to devices 300 and 400, metal frame member 510 is configured to transduce signals within a first frequency range, and antenna element 530 is configured to transduce signals within a second frequency range. Furthermore, FEC 520 is electrically connected to metal frame member 510 via tuning / matching circuit 524 via electrical connector 522. Tuning / matching circuit 524 can be configured (e.g., with appropriate inductance, capacitance, and / or resistance) to tune the resonant frequency of metal frame member 510 and / or to match the impedance of metal frame member 510 and FEC 520. Similarly, tuning / matching circuit 532 can be configured (e.g., with appropriate inductance, capacitance, and / or resistance) to tune the resonant frequency of antenna element 530 and / or to match the impedance of antenna element 530 to ground 534. For example, the same component can perform both tuning the resonant frequency and impedance matching. As another example, one or more first components can be used to perform resonant frequency tuning, and one or more second components can be used to perform impedance matching. The first and second components can be completely different or can share one or more components. One or more of the first components can be adjustable (e.g., an adjustable inductor, variable resistor, and / or varactor), and / or one or more of the second components can be adjustable (e.g., an adjustable inductor, variable resistor, and / or varactor). Thus, each of the tuning / matching circuits can be configured to perform tuning, matching, or both. Similar to apparatus 400, when metal frame member 510 functions as a monopole, antenna element 530 is reactance-coupled to metal frame member 510 at a point approximately half the wavelength of at least one frequency in the second frequency range from where electrical connector 522 connects to metal frame member 510. Furthermore, similar to apparatuses 300 and 400, apparatus 500 may include a discontinuity 570 to prevent metal frame member 510 from forming a conductive loop.

[0031] Transceiver 580 and processor 590 are configured to provide transmit signals to be transmitted by metal frame member 510, provide transmit signals to be transmitted by antenna element 530, and / or receive and process signals from metal frame member 510 (possibly from antenna element 530). For signal transmission, processor 590 (possibly in conjunction with transceiver 580 and FEC 520) can provide a signal source to provide signals in a first frequency range to metal frame member 510 via tuning / matching circuit 524 and / or provide signals in a second frequency range to metal frame member 510 and, therefore, antenna element 530 via tuning / matching circuit 524 (e.g., via reactive coupling of signals in the second frequency range at hot spots (e.g., E-field peaks) in metal frame member 510). For signal reception, signals in the first frequency range incident on metal frame member 510 can be transduced into electrical signals by metal frame member 510 and provided to processor 590 via tuning / matching circuit 524, FEC 520, and transceiver 580 for appropriate processing. Signals within the second frequency range incident on antenna element 530 can be transduced into electrical signals by antenna element 530, which is reactively coupled to metal frame member 510, and provided to processor 590 for appropriate processing via tuning / matching circuit 524, FEC 520, and transceiver 580. The electrical signal (e.g., a portion of the energy of a wireless signal (e.g., a GNSS signal)) in antenna element 530 (e.g., reactively coupled from metal frame member 510 or transduced from such a signal) can be provided to tuning / matching circuit 532 and then provided to, for example, a ground 534 of the main PCB (e.g., PCB layer 230 or PCB layer 270) of device 500. Metal frame member 510 has a feed structure and can be configured to operate at a lower center frequency than antenna element 530. Metal frame member 510 can have radiation characteristics (e.g., radiation pattern, directivity, etc.) that are independent of antenna element 530. Antenna element 530 may have a dedicated ground structure coupled to a system (e.g., PCB) ground, separate from the ground structure of metal frame member 510 connected to the system ground. Antenna element 530 may be configured to operate at a higher center frequency than metal frame member 510. Antenna element 530 may have radiation characteristics (e.g., radiation pattern, directivity, etc.) that are independent of metal frame member 510.

[0032] Processor 590 may, for example, perform one or more functions based on processor-readable instructions stored in memory 592 (illustrated as part of processor 590 but may be entirely or partially external to processor 590). Memory 592 may be a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM). Memory 592 may store software, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that, when executed, may be configured to cause processor 590 to perform the various functions described herein. Alternatively, the software may not be directly executable by processor 590 but may be configured to cause processor 590 to perform these functions, for example, when compiled and executed. The description herein may refer to processor 590 performing functions, but this encompasses other implementations, such as those in which processor 590 executes software and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to processor 590 performing functions as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of device 500 performing the functions. Processor 590 may include memory with stored instructions in addition to and / or in lieu of memory 592. The functionality of processor 590 is discussed more fully herein.

[0033] One or more of the tuning / matching circuits 524 and 532 may have a variable impedance. For example, the tuning / matching circuit 524 and / or the tuning / matching circuit 532 may include a corresponding reactance (e.g., inductance and / or capacitance) that may be provided by a corresponding variable inductor and / or a corresponding variable capacitor (varactor diode). The processor 590 may be communicatively coupled to the tuning / matching circuit 524 and / or the tuning / matching circuit 532 to provide one or more corresponding control signals to control the variable impedance of the corresponding tuning / matching circuit 524 and 532.

[0034] The device may include an attachment mechanism configured to secure the device to a person. For example, the attachment mechanism may be a watch strap, an adjustable strap, or any of a variety of other attachment mechanisms. For example, the attachment mechanism 560 of the device 500 is a watch strap that includes flexible straps 561, 562 connected to frame arms 563, 564, respectively, and a pair of coupling devices 565, 566 configured to releasably couple to each other. The coupling devices 565, 566 may be, for example, mating portions of a buckle, mating portions of a hook-and-loop fastener, etc.

[0035] While the antenna elements 330, 430, 530 are shown as being positioned approximately half a wavelength clockwise from the respective connection points of the FECs 320, 420, 520, one or more of the antenna elements 330, 430, 530 may be coupled to the respective metal frame members 310, 410, 510 at another location. For example, the antenna elements may be coupled to the metal frame members approximately half a wavelength counterclockwise (anticlockwise) from the respective FEC connection points. As another example, the antenna elements may be coupled to the metal frame members at locations other than approximately half a wavelength from the respective FEC connection points to the metal frame members.

[0036] One or more of the antenna elements 330, 430, 530 may be arranged in an orientation different from that shown. As shown, each of the antenna elements 330, 430, 530 includes a conductive coil having a longitudinal axis (around which the coil is wound) that is approximately perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding metal frame member 310, 410, 510 (e.g., the plane of the top edge of the frame member 310, 410, 510 or the plane of the bottom edge of the frame member 310, 410, 510; in these examples, perpendicular to the page). Each of the conductive coils (spirals) defines a longitudinal axis (e.g., perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding metal frame member 310, 410, 510) that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding metal frame member 310, 410, 510. Figure 4 Axis 432 is shown).

[0037] The physical characteristics of the coils of the antenna elements 330, 430, 530 may affect the operating frequency range and center frequency of the respective antenna elements 330, 430, 530. For example, also refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7, a conductive coil 600 (which may be used for any of the antenna elements 330, 430, 530) has a coil diameter 610, a turns pitch 620, a conductor thickness 630, and a length 640. The length 640 is a function of the coil diameter 610 (and therefore the coil circumference, which in this example is a circle, but may be another shape, such as a rectangle, an octagon, a star / sun shape, etc.), the turns pitch 620, and the number of turns of the coil. In this example, the coil 600 has nine (9) turns. The coil 600 may have only an integer number of turns, or may have an integer number of turns and a fractional number of turns. The coil diameter 610, the turns pitch 620 (pitch), the conductor thickness 630, and the number of turns may be selected (e.g., during device design) depending on the desired frequency range and / or the center frequency of operation, which may vary within an implementable range. The length 640 may be approximately one-quarter of a wavelength of the frequency of the signal to be transduced (e.g., between 0.2 wavelengths and 0.3 wavelengths). For example, for transducing signals at 2.5 GHz, length 640 may be approximately 30 mm. Coil 600 may provide a low-profile antenna element. For example, height 670 of coil 600 configured for transducing signals at 2.5 GHz may be less than approximately 2 mm (e.g., between 1 mm and 2 mm). In other examples, length 640 may be approximately half the wavelength of the frequency of the signal to be transduced (e.g., between 0.45 and 0.55 wavelengths).

[0038] Coil 600 may be part of an assembly 650, which includes coil 600 and a fastener 660 comprising a cap 662, a shaft 663, and an end piece 664. Fastener 660 may take various forms, such as a rivet or a screw (e.g., having a threaded shaft and coil 600 positioned within or between the threads of the shaft) as shown. Fastener 660 may connect various components of a device (e.g., devices 300, 400, 500) and maintain physical relationships between device components (e.g., between multiple PCBs, between a PCB and a housing, between a PCB and a display layer, etc.). Fastener 660 may comprise a dielectric material, such as plastic, to allow coil 600 to receive and / or transmit wireless signals and / or to and / or receive signals from a metal frame member. Coil 600 may be configured as a conductive spiral disposed along the length of fastener 660 (e.g., along shaft 663 between cap 662 and end piece 664).

[0039] The use of antenna elements (e.g., antenna elements 330, 430, 530) as discussed can help improve the performance of the device (e.g., signal transmission performance for communication and / or positioning). Using antenna elements 330, 430, 530 as antenna elements in addition to metal frame members 310, 410, 510 can help provide additional operating frequencies for the device (e.g., providing a supplemental frequency range that is separate from or extends an existing operating frequency range (and thus multi-band operation)). For example, using antenna elements 330, 430, 530 can provide an operating frequency range that is unrelated to and / or independent of the operating frequency range of metal frame members 310, 410, 510. Antenna elements 330, 430, 530 can provide multiple desired operating frequencies based on selected physical properties. Using antenna elements 330, 430, 530 as antenna elements in addition to metal frame members 310, 410, 510 can help provide coverage over a wide bandwidth, for example, including WiFi / Bluetooth. ® and GNSS (e.g., L1 / L2 / L5). As another example, as further discussed herein, multiple antenna elements (e.g., multiple coil antenna elements) can be used to provide multiple operating frequency ranges, for example, in addition to the operating frequency range of the metal frame member. Using a helical coil as the antenna element can help conserve volume for the antenna and, therefore, facilitate miniaturization of the mobile device (e.g., a wearable device). Providing a matching circuit for an antenna element (e.g., antenna element 530) can help tune the device and, therefore, provide operation at one or more desired frequencies. The antenna elements 330, 430, 530 can provide flexibility regarding the location of the antenna elements 330, 430, 530 within the device (e.g., a wearable device), being able to be located anywhere within the device such that the antenna elements can be placed sufficiently close to the metal frame members 310, 410, 510 for reactive coupling.

[0040] Also refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 In addition to the metal frame radiator, multiple antenna elements may be provided in the device. Although the term "radiator" is used, due to the reciprocal nature of antennas, a radiator can be used to send signals (e.g., convert electrical signals into wireless signals) or receive signals (e.g., convert wireless signals into electrical signals). Figure 8As shown, device 800 may be similar to device 300, including an FEC 820 connected to metal frame member 810 at connection point 812 and an antenna element 830 (e.g., a conductive coil) reactively coupled to metal frame member 810 at coupling point 814 and connected to ground via tuning / matching circuit 832. Additionally, device 800 may include an antenna element 840 and tuning / matching circuit 842 connected to ground, and / or may include an antenna element 850 and tuning / matching circuit 852 connected to ground. Antenna elements 840, 850 may be reactively coupled to metal frame member 810 at appropriate locations along the length of metal frame member 810 based on the frequency range over which antenna elements 840, 850 are configured to operate. In this example, antenna element 840 (e.g., a conductive coil) is configured to operate over a higher frequency range than the frequency range over which antenna element 830 is configured to operate, and thus antenna element 840 is reactively coupled to metal frame member 810 at point 844 that is closer to connection point 812 than coupling point 814. Other numbers of antenna elements may be included in device 800 or other devices. Similarly, Figure 9 , device 900 may be similar to device 400 and include an FEC 920 connected to a metal frame member 910, an antenna element 930 (e.g., a conductive coil) reactively coupled to the metal frame member 910 and connected to ground via a tuning / matching circuit 932, an antenna element 940 (e.g., a conductive coil) reactively coupled to the metal frame member 910 and connected to ground via a tuning / matching circuit 942, and / or an antenna element 950 (e.g., a conductive coil) reactively coupled to the metal frame member 910 and connected to ground via a tuning / matching circuit 952. Other numbers of antenna elements may be included in device 900 or other devices. With the antenna elements 830, 840, 850, 930, 940, 950 having respective tuning / matching circuits 832, 842, 852, 932, 942, 952 and ground connections, the performance of the antenna elements 830, 840, 850, 930, 940, 950 may be independent of other radiators on the respective devices 800, 900. The operating frequency range of each of the antenna elements 830, 840, 850, 930, 940, 950 may depend on the configuration of each of the antenna elements 830, 840, 850, 930, 940, 950, for example, the total coil length of the conductive coil antenna elements.

[0041] The devices 800 and 900 can be configured to operate over corresponding frequency ranges. In an example implementation, the metal frame members 810 and 910 can be configured to operate over the LMHB and GNSS L1 bands, and the antenna elements 830 and 930 can be configured to operate over the LB (B8) and GNSS L2 / L5 bands. In other example implementations, the metal frame members 810 and 910 can be configured to operate over the LMHB and GNSS L1 bands, the antenna elements 830 and 930 can be configured to operate over the LB band, and the antenna elements 840 and 940 can be configured to operate over the GNSS L2 / L5 bands. In other example implementations, the metal frame members 810 and 910 can be configured to operate over the LMHB and GNSS L1 bands, the antenna elements 830 and 930 can be configured to operate over the GNSS L5 / SOS band, and the antenna elements 840 and 940 can be configured to operate over a sub-6 GHz band (e.g., N78).

[0042] Using devices such as devices 300, 400, 800, and 900, multiple frequency ranges can be transmitted and / or received, thereby providing a wider bandwidth than existing devices. For example, the metal frame member can transduce LMHB signals, and one or more antenna elements (e.g., conductive coils) can transduce GNSS signals in the L1, L2, and / or L5 frequency bands. One or more antenna elements can be provided for transducing LB signals, and / or one or more antenna elements can be provided for transducing sub-6 GHz signals. The compact geometry of the coil antenna elements can facilitate inclusion of such antenna elements in compact devices. For example, various embodiments can have one or more performance characteristics that are superior to other antenna system configurations and / or can have a better phone space utilization factor than other antenna system configurations. Reactive coupling of one or more antenna elements to the metal frame member radiator can help achieve isolation between an antenna using the metal frame member as a radiator and an antenna using antenna elements that are reactively coupled to the metal frame member.

[0043] refer to Figure 10 , and further reference Figures 1 to 9 , signal transmission method 1000 includes the stages shown. However, method 1000 is an example and not limiting. Method 1000 can be modified, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, performing one or more stages concurrently, and / or splitting a single stage into multiple stages.

[0044] At stage 1010, method 1000 includes communicating a first signal within a first frequency range between a metal frame member extending along a portion of a perimeter of the device and a front-end circuit. For example, a signal may be communicated from FEC 320 (or FECs 420, 520, 820, 920) to metal frame member 310 (or to metal frame members 410, 510, 810, 910, respectively), and / or a signal may be communicated from metal frame member 310 (or to metal frame members 410, 510, 810, 910, respectively) to FEC 320 (or to FECs 420, 520, 820, 920, respectively).

[0045] At stage 1020, method 1000 includes transferring a second signal within a second frequency range between the metal frame member and an antenna element including a conductive coil via reactive coupling. For example, a signal may be transferred from metal frame member 310 (or metal frame members 410, 510, 810, 910) to antenna element 330 (or to antenna elements 430, 530, 830, 930, respectively), and / or a signal may be transferred from antenna element 330 (or to antenna elements 430, 530, 830, 930, respectively) to metal frame member 310 (or to metal frame members 410, 510, 810, 910, respectively).

[0046] Implementations of method 1000 may include one or more of the following features. In one example implementation, communicating the second signal includes capacitively coupling a second point of the metal frame member and the antenna element, the second point of the metal frame member being between 0.4 wavelengths and 0.6 wavelengths of at least one frequency within a second frequency range from a first point along the length of the metal frame member at which the first signal is communicated between the metal frame member and the front-end circuitry. For example, the signal may be capacitively coupled between metal frame member 310 and antenna element 330 at point 314 (and a nearby area of ​​metal frame member 310), which is approximately half a wavelength at the operating frequency of antenna element 330 from point 312 where FEC 320 is connected to metal frame member 310. In another example implementation, communicating the second signal includes capacitively coupling the second point of the metal frame member and the antenna element across a gap between the metal frame member and the antenna element that is less than one-tenth of a wavelength of at least one frequency within the second frequency range. For example, a signal may be transferred between metal frame member 310 and antenna element 330 via capacitive coupling at point 314, which is separated from antenna element 330 by less than 0.1 wavelength (e.g., 1 / 40, 1 / 50, etc.) of an operating frequency of antenna element 330. In another example implementation, the antenna element is a first antenna element and the conductive coil is a first conductive coil, and the signal transfer method further includes transferring a third signal within a third frequency range between the metal frame member and the second antenna element by capacitively coupling a third point of the metal frame member and a second antenna element including a second conductive coil, the third point of the metal frame member being between 0.4 and 0.6 wavelengths of at least one frequency within the third frequency range from the first point of the metal frame member, and the front-end circuitry being electrically connected to the metal frame member at the first point. For example, a signal may be passed between the metal frame member 810 and the antenna element 830, and a signal may be passed between the metal frame member 810 and the antenna element 840 at a point 844 that is approximately half a wavelength of the operating frequency of the antenna element 840 from the connection point 812 where the FEC 820 is electrically connected to the metal frame member 810.

[0047] Specific implementation examples

[0048] Specific implementation examples are provided in the following numbered clauses.

[0049] Clause 1. An apparatus comprising:

[0050] a metal member extending proximate at least a portion of a perimeter of the device;

[0051] a front-end circuit coupled to the metal member at a first point along the length of the metal member via an electrical connector, the front-end circuit configured to at least one of: transmit a first signal within a first frequency range to the metal member or receive a second signal within the first frequency range from the metal member; and

[0052] an antenna element comprising a conductive spiral configured to transduce a signal within a second frequency range between an electrical signal and a wireless signal, the antenna element being electrically separated from the metal member and configured to reactance couple with the metal member to pass a third signal within the second frequency range between the metal member and the antenna element, the second frequency range being different from the first frequency range.

[0053] Clause 2. An apparatus according to clause 1, wherein the second frequency range includes higher frequencies than the first frequency range, and the metal member is closest to the antenna element at a second point along the length of the metal member, and the second point is between 0.4 wavelengths and 0.6 wavelengths away from the first point along the metal member for at least one frequency within the second frequency range.

[0054] Clause 3. The apparatus of clause 2, wherein:

[0055] The antenna element is a first antenna element, and the conductive spiral is a first conductive spiral; and

[0056] The device also includes a second antenna element, the second antenna element including a second conductive spiral, the second conductive spiral configured to transduce a signal within a third frequency range between an electrical signal and a wireless signal, the second antenna element being electrically separated from the metal component and configured to be reactance-coupled with the metal component to transfer a fourth signal within the third frequency range between the metal component and the second antenna element, the third frequency range being different from the first frequency range and the second frequency range.

[0057] Clause 4. An apparatus according to clause 3, wherein the third frequency range includes higher frequencies than the first frequency range and the second frequency range, and the metal member is closest to the second antenna element at a third point along the length of the metal member, and the third point is between 0.4 wavelengths and 0.6 wavelengths away from the first point along the metal member for at least one frequency within the third frequency range.

[0058] Clause 5. The device of any one of Clauses 1 to 4, wherein the metal member is a metal frame member extending along at least the portion of the perimeter of the device.

[0059] Clause 6. The apparatus of any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein a minimum separation between the antenna element and the metal member is less than one tenth of a wavelength of at least one frequency within the second frequency range.

[0060] Clause 7. The apparatus of Clause 6, wherein the minimum separation between the antenna element and the metal member is less than 1 / 50 of a wavelength of the at least one frequency within the second frequency range.

[0061] Clause 8. The device of clause 1, wherein a minimum separation between the antenna element and the metal member is less than 5 mm.

[0062] Clause 9. The device of any one of clauses 1 to 8, wherein the conductive spiral is disposed along a length of a fastener that maintains a physical relationship between components of the device.

[0063] Clause 10. The apparatus of Clause 9, further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the fastener maintains a physical relationship between the printed circuit board and another component of the apparatus.

[0064] Clause 11. The device of Clause 9, wherein the fastener comprises a dielectric material.

[0065] Clause 12. The apparatus of any of Clauses 1 to 11, further comprising a tuning circuit communicatively coupled to the antenna element and a ground conductor, the tuning circuit configured to tune a resonant frequency of the antenna element.

[0066] Clause 13. The device of any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the device is a wearable device comprising an attachment mechanism configured to secure the device to a person.

[0067] Clause 14. The device of any one of clauses 1 to 14, wherein the metal member defines a plane, and the conductive spiral defines a longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to the plane.

[0068] Clause 15. The apparatus of any of clauses 1 to 14, wherein the first frequency range includes low, medium, and high band frequencies, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) L1 band frequency, and the second frequency range includes GNSS L2 band frequencies and GNSS L5 band frequencies.

[0069] Clause 16. A signal transmission method, comprising:

[0070] communicating a first signal within a first frequency range between a metal member and the front-end circuitry, the metal member extending proximate at least a portion of a perimeter of the device; and

[0071] A second signal within a second frequency range is transferred between the metal member and an antenna element including a conductive coil by reactive coupling.

[0072] Item 17. A signal transmission method according to Item 16, wherein transmitting the second signal includes capacitively coupling a second point of the metal component and the antenna element, the second point of the metal component is between 0.4 wavelengths and 0.6 wavelengths of at least one frequency within the second frequency range from a first point along the length of the metal component, and the first signal is transmitted between the metal component and the front-end circuit at the first point.

[0073] Item 18. A signal transmission method according to Item 16, wherein transmitting the second signal includes capacitively coupling a second point of the metal component and the antenna element across a gap between the metal component and the antenna element, the gap being less than one tenth of the wavelength of at least one frequency within the second frequency range.

[0074] Item 19. A signal transmission method according to Item 16, wherein the antenna element is a first antenna element and the conductive coil is a first conductive coil, the signal transmission method further comprising: transmitting a third signal within a third frequency range between the metal component and the second antenna element by capacitively coupling a third point of the metal component and a second antenna element including a second conductive coil, the third point of the metal component being between 0.4 wavelengths and 0.6 wavelengths of at least one frequency within the third frequency range from the first point of the metal component, and the front-end circuit being electrically connected to the metal component at the first point.

[0075] Clause 20. The signal transmission method of any one of Clauses 16 to 19, wherein the metal member is a metal frame member extending along at least the portion of the perimeter of the device.

[0076] Other considerations

[0077] Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, configurations other than those shown may be used. Furthermore, due to the nature of software and computers, the functions described above may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof. Features that implement the functions may also be physically located at different locations, including being distributed so that parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0078] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term "comprising" specifies the presence of recited features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0079] Furthermore, as used herein, the use of "or" in a list of items (possibly followed by "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates a disjunctive list, such that, for example, a list of "at least one of A, B, or C," or a list of "one or more of A, B, or C," or a list of "A or B or C" means A or B or C, or AB (A and B), or AC (A and C), or BC (B and C), or ABC (i.e., A and B and C), or a combination having more than one feature (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.). Thus, a statement that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform a function with respect to at least one of A or B, or a statement that an item is configured to perform function A or function B, means that the item may be configured to perform the function with respect to A, or may be configured to perform the function with respect to B, or may be configured to perform the functions with respect to both A and B. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of A or B" or "a processor configured to measure A or B" means that the processor may be configured to measure A (and may or may not be configured to measure B), or may be configured to measure B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or may be configured to measure A and B (and may be configured to select which one or both A and B to measure). Similarly, a recitation of a component for measuring at least one of A or B includes a component for measuring A (which may or may not be able to measure B), or a component for measuring B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or a component for measuring A and B (which may be able to select which one or both A and B to measure). As another example, a recitation of an item (e.g., a processor) being configured to perform at least one of function X or function Y means that the item may be configured to perform function X, or may be configured to perform function Y, or may be configured to perform function X and function Y. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of X or Y" means that the processor may be configured to measure X (and may or may not be configured to measure Y), or may be configured to measure Y (and may or may not be configured to measure X), or may be configured to measure X and measure Y (and may be configured to select which or both of X and Y to measure).

[0080] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, a statement that a function or operation is "based on" an item or condition means that the function or operation is based on the stated item or condition, and may be based on one or more items and / or conditions other than the stated item or condition.

[0081] Substantial variations may be made depending on specific requirements. For example, customized hardware may also be used, and / or specific elements may be implemented in hardware, in software executed by a processor (including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or in both. In addition, connections to other computing devices such as network input / output devices may be employed. Unless otherwise indicated, components shown in the figures and / or discussed herein as being connected or communicating with each other (functionally or otherwise) are communicatively coupled. That is, these components may be connected directly or indirectly to enable communication therebetween.

[0082] The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may omit, substitute, or add various processes or components as appropriate. For example, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of the configurations may be combined in similar ways. Furthermore, technology is constantly evolving, and therefore many of the elements are examples and do not limit the scope of this disclosure or the claims.

[0083] A wireless communication system is a system in which communications between wireless communication devices (also called wireless communication devices) are transmitted wirelessly, that is, via electromagnetic and / or acoustic waves propagating through the air rather than through wires or other physical connections. A wireless communication system (also called a wireless communication system or wireless communication network) may not cause all communications to be transmitted wirelessly, but may be configured so that at least some communications are transmitted wirelessly. Furthermore, the term "wireless communication device" or similar terms does not require that the functionality of the device be used exclusively or even primarily for communication, that communications using the wireless communication device be exclusively or even primarily wireless, or that the device be a mobile device. Instead, it indicates that the device includes wireless communication capabilities (unidirectional or bidirectional), for example, including at least one radio component (each radio component being part of a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver) for wireless communication.

[0084] Specific details are provided in this description to provide a thorough understanding of example configurations (including specific implementations). However, the configurations can be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the configurations. This description provides example configurations and does not limit the scope, applicability, or configurations of the claims. Rather, the preceding descriptions of the configurations provide a description for implementing the described techniques. Various changes may be made to the function and arrangement of elements.

[0085] As used herein, the terms "processor-readable medium," "machine-readable medium," and "computer-readable medium" refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific manner. Using a computing platform, various processor-readable media may be involved in providing instructions / code to a processor for execution, and / or may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code (e.g., as signals). In many implementations, processor-readable media is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such media may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical and / or magnetic disks. Volatile media includes, but is not limited to, dynamic memory.

[0086] After describing several example configurations, various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents can be used. For example, the above elements can be components of a larger system, wherein other rules can take precedence over the application of the present disclosure or otherwise modify the application of the present disclosure. In addition, several operations can be taken before, during, or after considering the above elements. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the claims.

[0087] Unless otherwise indicated, “approximately” and / or “about” as used herein in reference to a measurable value (such as an amount, a duration of time, etc.) encompasses variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5% or +0.1% from the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein. Unless otherwise indicated, “substantially” as used herein in reference to a measurable value (such as an amount, a duration of time, a physical property (such as frequency), etc.) also encompasses variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5% or +0.1% from the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein.

[0088] A statement that a value exceeds (or is greater than or higher than) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value meets or exceeds a second threshold that is slightly greater than the first threshold, e.g., the second threshold is one value higher than the first threshold at the resolution of the computing system. A statement that a value is less than (or within or below) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value is less than or equal to a second threshold that is slightly less than the first threshold, e.g., the second threshold is one value lower than the first threshold at the resolution of the computing system.

Claims

1. A device, comprising: a metal member extending proximate at least a portion of a perimeter of the device; a front-end circuit coupled to the metal member at a first point along the length of the metal member via an electrical connector, the front-end circuit configured to at least one of: transmit a first signal within a first frequency range to the metal member, or receive a second signal within the first frequency range from the metal member; and an antenna element comprising a conductive spiral configured to transduce a signal within a second frequency range between an electrical signal and a wireless signal, the antenna element being electrically separated from the metal member and configured to reactance couple with the metal member to pass a third signal within the second frequency range between the metal member and the antenna element, the second frequency range being different from the first frequency range.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second frequency range includes higher frequencies than the first frequency range, and the metal member is closest to the antenna element at a second point along the length of the metal member, the second point being between 0.4 wavelengths and 0.6 wavelengths away from the first point along the metal member for at least one frequency within the second frequency range.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The antenna element is a first antenna element, and the conductive spiral is a first conductive spiral; and The device also includes a second antenna element, the second antenna element including a second conductive spiral, the second conductive spiral configured to transduce a signal within a third frequency range between an electrical signal and a wireless signal, the second antenna element being electrically separated from the metal component and configured to be reactance-coupled with the metal component to transfer a fourth signal within the third frequency range between the metal component and the second antenna element, the third frequency range being different from the first frequency range and the second frequency range.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the third frequency range includes higher frequencies than the first frequency range and the second frequency range, and the metal member is closest to the second antenna element at a third point along the length of the metal member, the third point being between 0.4 wavelengths and 0.6 wavelengths away from the first point along the metal member for at least one frequency within the third frequency range.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the metal member is a metal frame member extending along at least the portion of the perimeter of the device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a minimum separation between the antenna element and the metal member is less than one-tenth of a wavelength of at least one frequency within the second frequency range. 7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the minimum separation between the antenna element and the metal member is less than 1 / 50 of a wavelength of the at least one frequency within the second frequency range.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein a minimum separation between the antenna element and the metal member is less than 5 mm.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive spiral is disposed along a length of a fastener that maintains a physical relationship between components of the device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the fastener maintains a physical relationship between the printed circuit board and another component of the apparatus. The device of claim 9 , wherein the fastener comprises a dielectric material.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tuning circuit communicatively coupled to the antenna element and a ground conductor, the tuning circuit configured to tune a resonant frequency of the antenna element.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a wearable device comprising an attachment mechanism configured to secure the device to a person.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the metal member defines a plane and the conductive spiral defines a longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to the plane. 15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency range includes low, medium, and high band frequencies, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) L1 band frequency, and the second frequency range includes GNSS L2 band frequencies and GNSS L5 band frequencies.

16. A signal transmission method, comprising: communicating a first signal within a first frequency range between a metal member and the front-end circuitry, the metal member extending proximate at least a portion of a perimeter of the device; as well as A second signal within a second frequency range is transferred between the metal member and an antenna element including a conductive coil by reactive coupling.

17. The signal transmission method according to claim 16, wherein transmitting the second signal includes capacitively coupling a second point of the metal component and the antenna element, the second point of the metal component is between 0.4 wavelengths and 0.6 wavelengths of at least one frequency within the second frequency range from a first point along the length of the metal component, and the first signal is transmitted between the metal component and the front-end circuit at the first point.

18. The signal transmission method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the second signal comprises capacitively coupling a second point of the metal component and the antenna element across a gap between the metal component and the antenna element, the gap being less than one tenth of the wavelength of at least one frequency within the second frequency range.

19. The signal transmission method according to claim 16, wherein the antenna element is a first antenna element, and the conductive coil is a first conductive coil, the signal transmission method further comprising: A third signal within a third frequency range is transmitted between the metal component and a second antenna element comprising a second conductive coil by capacitive coupling a third point of the metal component and the second antenna element, wherein the third point of the metal component is between 0.4 wavelengths and 0.6 wavelengths of at least one frequency within the third frequency range from a first point of the metal component, and the front-end circuit is electrically connected to the metal component at the first point.

20. The signal transfer method of claim 16, wherein the metal member is a metal frame member extending along at least the portion of the perimeter of the device.

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