Antenna, user equipment, window and vehicle

Abstract

An antenna, a user device, a window, and a vehicle are described. Some embodiments may include an antenna including: a radiating portion having a first mesh made of a conductive material; the feed part is provided with a second grid made of a conductive material; wherein the first grid is provided with a plurality of first grid holes, and the second grid is provided with a plurality of second grid holes; and at least one second grid hole is filled with a conductive material. Other embodiments may be described and / or claimed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various embodiments herein relate generally to the field of wireless communications, and more particularly, to an antenna, a user equipment, a window, and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Recent decades have witnessed a boom in portable user devices, including handheld devices (such as smart phones) and wearable devices (such as smart watches, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, extended reality (XR) devices, smart glasses or goggles). These devices are usually handheld during use, or "worn" on the user's body as an accessory or even clothing. The demand for the convenience of accessing the network "anytime, anywhere" is increasing, which requires user devices to support wireless communications such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellular communications such as 4G (fourth generation) or 5G (fifth generation). Therefore, antennas have become an important part of user devices. However, as devices become increasingly miniaturized and the requirement for the frequency range that antennas can support becomes wider, it is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve the required antenna performance and the optimal layout of the device's built-in antenna without changing the basic design of the device.

[0003] Therefore, in a user device having a transparent part (such as smart glasses, a head-mounted display, a smart phone, or a smart window), an antenna can be set on the transparent part (e.g., a lens, a window, etc.) to improve the size and installation space of the antenna without reducing the optical performance of the transparent part. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In some embodiments, the present disclosure may provide an antenna comprising: a radiating portion having a first grid made of a conductive material; and a feeding portion having a second grid made of a conductive material; wherein the first grid has a plurality of first grid holes, and the second grid has a plurality of second grid holes; wherein at least one second grid hole is filled with a conductive material.

[0005] In some other embodiments, the present disclosure may provide a user equipment, comprising: a lens; a transparent substrate disposed on the lens; and the antenna as described above, disposed on the transparent substrate.

[0006] In some other embodiments, the present disclosure may provide a user equipment, which includes a display and the antenna described above disposed on the display.

[0007] In some other embodiments, the present disclosure may provide a window comprising the antenna as described above.

[0008] In some other embodiments, the present disclosure may provide a vehicle including a window and the antenna as described above disposed on the window. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, features of the present disclosure; and wherein:

[0010] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a user equipment (UE) according to some embodiments;

[0011] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating a grid shape of an antenna according to some embodiments;

[0012] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating antennas in a UE according to some embodiments is shown;

[0013] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the connection between an antenna and a feeder (coaxial cable) according to some embodiments;

[0014] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing a connection between an antenna and a feed line (contact spring) according to some other embodiments;

[0015] Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an antenna in a UE taken along line AA according to some embodiments;

[0016] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating a UE according to some other embodiments; and

[0017] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a UE according to some other embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may be used in different figures to identify the same or similar elements. In the following description, for the purpose of explanation and not limitation, specific details such as specific structures, architectures, interfaces, technologies, etc. are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the claimed embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure that various aspects of the claimed embodiments can be practiced in other examples that depart from these specific details. In some cases, descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to avoid obscuring the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure with unnecessary details.

[0019] The various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the essence of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternative embodiments may be practiced utilizing only a portion of the described aspects. For purposes of explanation, specific quantities, materials, and configurations are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternative embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known features have been omitted or simplified to avoid obscuring the illustrative embodiments.

[0020] The phrases "in various embodiments," "in some embodiments," etc. are used repeatedly. These phrases generally do not refer to the same embodiment, but they may. The terms "including," "having," and "comprising" are synonymous unless the context dictates otherwise. The phrase "A or B" means (A), (B), or (A and B).

[0021] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 7 Various embodiments are briefly described.

[0022] In some embodiments, the antenna may be disposed on a transparent portion of the UE, such as a lens (e.g., a lens of glasses, an AR or VR device, etc.), a window (e.g., a window or door glass of a building or vehicle, etc.), or display glass (e.g., a display screen of a smartphone, a head-up display, or a see-through or transparent display screen of a digital signage, etc.). In these cases, the visibility of the antenna may be reduced to avoid reducing the transparency of the transparent portion or drawing unnecessary attention.

[0023] As a possible example, a thin film antenna can be used as an antenna provided on a transparent portion. The thin film antenna may include a transparent substrate (such as a transparent polyester film) and an antenna layer made of metal foil or the like and provided on the substrate. The antenna layer of the thin film antenna may be made of a metal, such as copper or silver, which has better conductivity than that of a conductive metal oxide. However, in such a thin film antenna, the antenna layer is opaque. In order to reduce the visibility of the antenna layer, the antenna layer may be formed in a grid shape. The grid may be a conductive fine line pattern formed by a plurality of metal wires, each having a width of, for example, 1 μm to 50 μm and a thickness of, for example, 1 μm to 10 μm. The grid can be manufactured by etching or printing processes, but making the grid finer or denser increases the difficulty of manufacturing compared to conductive metal oxides (such as ITO).

[0024] In order to manufacture a transparent antenna at a lower cost without reducing the radiation performance of the antenna, in an example, the mesh can be made more precise or stronger in the feed portion of the antenna and its vicinity. In another example, the antenna may include a feed portion, a mesh-shaped conductive mesh portion, and a conductive portion formed of a mesh finer than the conductive mesh portion, wherein the feed portion may be immediately followed by a conductive portion formed of a mesh finer than the conductive mesh portion, the conductive portion formed by the finer mesh portion is immediately followed by the conductive mesh portion, and wherein the conductive portion formed of a mesh finer than the conductive mesh portion is configured to be curved. However, in these examples, the mesh includes a finer mesh and a coarser mesh, and they are manufactured in different steps of etching or printing, which increases the difficulty of manufacturing. In addition, current flow failures (such as short circuits or open circuits) may occur due to narrow lines or the lines may be buried due to fine line spacing.

[0025] To this end, in some embodiments, an antenna is provided, comprising: a radiating portion having a first mesh made of a conductive material; and a feeding portion having a second mesh made of a conductive material; wherein the first mesh has a plurality of first mesh holes, and the second mesh has a plurality of second mesh holes; wherein at least one of the second mesh holes is filled with a conductive material. Therefore, the radiating portion having the first mesh can maintain high transparency. In the feeding portion having the second mesh, a portion of the second mesh holes is filled with a conductive material, thereby reducing the resistance in the feeding portion where current converges, thereby increasing the current density in the feeding portion. Thus, the antenna's radiation performance can be prevented from being degraded by the mesh. Furthermore, since the second mesh holes are filled with a conductive material, the process of making the second mesh in the feeding portion denser or stronger than the first mesh in the radiating portion can be omitted. The first and second meshes can be manufactured in the same etching or printing step or process, reducing the manufacturing complexity of the antenna. Furthermore, current flow failures (such as short circuits or open circuits) caused by narrow wires or buried wires caused by fine wire spacing can be prevented. Here, the antenna may also be referred to as a film antenna, a mesh antenna, an antenna element, or an antenna unit, etc. The radiating portion may also be referred to as an antenna electrode, an electrode pattern, a radiating unit, or a radiating component, etc. The feeding portion may also be referred to as a feeding point, a feeding portion, or a feeding unit, etc.

[0026] In some embodiments, the second grid holes include a plurality of second grid holes filled with a conductive material and a plurality of unfilled second grid holes, and the plurality of second grid holes filled with a conductive material and the plurality of unfilled second grid holes are arranged alternately. Thus, the second grid holes filled with a conductive material can be evenly arranged, and the current in the feeder can be more evenly distributed. In addition, since the second grid holes filled with a conductive material can be evenly arranged, the transparency can be uniform throughout the feeder, thereby preventing the feeder from attracting the user's attention due to its uneven visibility.

[0027] In some embodiments, the ratio of the number of second mesh holes filled with conductive material to the total number of second mesh holes is 20% to 70%. Therefore, the transparency of the feeder can be better balanced with the radiation performance of the antenna.

[0028] In some embodiments, at least one of the first grid holes located near the feed portion is filled with a conductive material. Therefore, the resistance near the feed portion where the current converges can be reduced, thereby increasing the current density near the feed portion. The vicinity of the feed portion may refer to the transition area between the feed portion and the radiating portion. The first grid hole near the feed portion may refer to the first grid hole within a preset distance from the boundary between the feed portion and the radiating portion. The preset distance may be a preset number of first grid holes in a direction away from the boundary. The preset distance and / or preset number may be set according to actual conditions. In some embodiments, the preset number may be set to 1, 2 or more.

[0029] In some embodiments, near the feed portion, the density of the first grid holes filled with conductive material may be lower than the density of the second grid holes filled with conductive material. In some embodiments, the density of the second grid holes and / or the first grid holes filled with conductive material may gradually decrease in the direction away from the contact point between the feed line (e.g., coaxial cable) and the feed portion. In some embodiments, the density of the grid holes filled with conductive material may refer to the number of second grid holes or first grid holes filled with conductive material per unit area. In some other embodiments, if the second grid holes or the first grid holes are uniformly filled in the feed portion or filled near the feed portion, the density of the grid holes filled with conductive material may also refer to the ratio of the number of second grid holes filled with conductive material in the feed portion to the total number of second grid holes, or the ratio of the number of first grid holes filled with conductive material near the feed portion to the total number of first grid holes. In some embodiments, the density of the grid holes filled with conductive material may refer to the number of second grid holes or first grid holes filled with conductive material per unit length in a predetermined direction. In some other embodiments, if the second grid holes or the first grid holes are uniformly filled in the feed part or near the feed part in a predetermined direction, the density of the grid holes filled with conductive material may also refer to the ratio of the number of second grid holes filled with conductive material in the predetermined direction in the feed part to the total number of second grid holes, or the ratio of the number of first grid holes filled with conductive material in the predetermined direction near the feed part to the total number of first grid holes.

[0030] In some embodiments, the density of the first mesh is equal to the density of the second mesh. Therefore, the first and second meshes can be manufactured in the same etching or printing step or process, which reduces the difficulty of antenna manufacturing. The mesh density can refer to the number of first or second mesh holes per unit area.

[0031] In some embodiments, the density of the first grid is less than that of the second grid. Therefore, the first and second grids can be manufactured in separate steps or processes, such as etching or printing. While this increases the manufacturing difficulty somewhat, it can further reduce the resistance in the feeder where current converges. Furthermore, the holes in the second grid, where current flow failures due to narrow wires or buried wires due to fine wire spacing, can be filled with conductive material to prevent failure or burial.

[0032] In some embodiments, the conductive material includes metal.

[0033] In some embodiments, the antenna further includes a ground (GND) portion, the GND portion having a GND contact portion, wherein the GND contact portion is connected to the shield of the coaxial cable, and the feed portion is connected to the core of the coaxial cable at at least one second grid hole filled with a conductive material. In this case, the feed portion can be connected to the coaxial cable by various connection methods (such as soldering). Since the second grid hole is filled with the conductive material as described above, the connection between the feed portion and the coaxial cable can be stable. Here, the GND portion may also be referred to as a ground piece, a ground portion, a ground component, etc.

[0034] In some embodiments, the antenna further includes a GND portion having a GND contact portion, wherein the GND contact portion is connected to the contact spring, and the feed portion is connected to the contact spring at at least one second mesh hole filled with a conductive material. Since the second mesh hole is filled with the conductive material as described above, the connection between the feed portion and the contact spring can be stable.

[0035] In some embodiments, the first grid and the second grid are formed integrally. In this way, the first grid and the second grid can be integrally manufactured in the same step or process of etching or printing, which reduces the difficulty of manufacturing the antenna.

[0036] In some embodiments, a user device is provided, comprising a lens or reflector; a transparent substrate disposed on the lens or reflector; and an antenna as described above, disposed on the transparent substrate. The antenna can be used in any user device having a lens or reflector, including glasses, helmets, monocles, goggles, headbands, or VR / AR headsets. In some embodiments, the antenna is disposed on a surface of the transparent substrate facing away from the lens.

[0037] In some embodiments, the lens includes a display area, and the antenna is provided outside the display area. Therefore, the antenna may not interfere with the display of the image in the display area, and the display quality may be maintained. Here, the display area may refer to the area where the user's field of view is concentrated, and may also be referred to as the screen area or field of view area. As an example, when the UE is a device with a display (such as a VR head-mounted device), the display area may be the main screen area. As another example, when the UE is a device with a light projector (such as an AR device), the display area may be the area of ​​the user's field of view.

[0038] In some embodiments, the user device may further include a housing configured to support the lens and including a portion covering the edge of the lens. Furthermore, the antenna may further include a GND portion. The GND portion may be disposed between the edge and the portion covering the edge. Thus, the opaque GND portion may be disposed outside the transparent portion so as not to interfere with the transparent portion. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the GND portion may be a portion of the housing that covers the edge of the lens. Consequently, the space occupied by the antenna within the housing may be reduced, and the compactness of the user device may be improved.

[0039] In some embodiments, a user device is provided, comprising: a display or a window; and an antenna as described above, disposed on the display or window. The antenna can be used in any user device having a display or a window, including smartphones, smart windows, smart display cases, laptop computers, desktop computers, vehicle windows, or windshields.

[0040] In some embodiments, a window including an antenna is provided. The antenna comprises a radiating portion having a first mesh made of a conductive material; and a feeding portion having a second mesh made of a conductive material. The first mesh has a plurality of first mesh holes, and the second mesh has a plurality of second mesh holes. At least one of the second mesh holes is filled with a conductive material. The window can be a building window, a car window, or the like.

[0041] In some embodiments, a vehicle may be provided, including a window and an antenna disposed on the window. The antenna includes a radiating portion having a first mesh made of a conductive material; and a feeding portion having a second mesh made of a conductive material. The first mesh has a plurality of first mesh holes, and the second mesh has a plurality of second mesh holes. At least one of the second mesh holes is filled with a conductive material. The vehicle window may be a windshield, a side window, or a rear window.

[0042] In some embodiments, a head-mounted device is provided, comprising: a lens or a display; and an antenna disposed on the lens or the display. The antenna comprises: a radiating portion having a first mesh made of a conductive material; and a feeding portion having a second mesh made of a conductive material; wherein the first mesh has a plurality of first mesh holes, and the second mesh has a plurality of second mesh holes; wherein at least one of the second mesh holes is filled with the conductive material.

[0043] In some embodiments, the radiating portion of the antenna may include a first radiating portion and a second radiating portion. The first radiating portion may be configured to operate at a first frequency, and the second radiating portion may be configured to operate at a first frequency and a second frequency. Thus, the antenna may support multi-band communications.

[0044] In some embodiments, the first frequency may be higher than the second frequency.

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a user equipment (UE) according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 1 , UE 10 is shown as a head-mounted device, such as an AR head-mounted device or a VR head-mounted device. UE 10 includes an antenna 100, a housing 200, and a transparent portion 300 supported by the housing 200.

[0046] The antenna 100 is configured for various communications.

[0047] In some embodiments, the antenna 100 can be configured for cellular communications in accordance with, for example, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Evolved HSPA (E-HSPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC), and / or Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC). The antenna 100 can also be configured for cellular communications in accordance with Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), or Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN). The antenna 100 can be configured for cellular communications in accordance with Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), their derivatives, and any other wireless protocols designed for 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, and beyond.

[0048] In some embodiments of cellular communications, before being transmitted or after being received as electromagnetic waves, the wireless signal may be in the form of an oscillating current or an oscillating voltage, for example, on a radio frequency (RF) connector of antenna 100. The RF connector is used to electrically connect the antenna to an RF circuit so that the RF circuit provides power to the antenna. In practice, the RF connector may be implemented as an onboard wire, a separate cable, or the like.

[0049] In some embodiments, the RF circuit may be coupled to or part of the processing circuit and configured to convert an oscillating current or voltage into a signal compatible with the processing capabilities of the processing circuit, or vice versa. Generally, the conversion is achieved through modulation or demodulation. Specifically, the RF circuit modulates the oscillating current or voltage based on the signal generated by the processing circuit, and the antenna then converts the modulated oscillating current or voltage into a wireless signal for transmission. Similarly, the antenna converts the received wireless signal into an oscillating current or voltage, and the RF circuit demodulates the oscillating current or voltage to obtain a signal for processing by the processing circuit. In this embodiment, the processing performed by the processing circuit may include, but is not limited to, encoding or decoding visual signals, audio signals, or control signals. In practice, the processing circuit can be implemented in various ways. For example, the processing circuit can be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a dedicated chip, etc. As another example, the processing circuit can be a standalone chip mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), or can be integrated into another chip with multiple functions. The present disclosure is not limited to the above examples; any suitable chip can serve as the processing circuit as long as it can process wireless signals.

[0050] Figure 1 The RF circuit and processing circuit are not shown. Each of the RF circuit and the processing circuit may be a component included in the head-mounted device, or may not be a component included in the head-mounted device. In other words, the UE may have signal processing capabilities, or may be a plug-in unit for other devices capable of signal processing, without limitation herein.

[0051] In some embodiments, antenna 100 can be configured for Wi-Fi communication, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some of these embodiments, antenna 100 can be configured to receive and transmit orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication signals via a multi-carrier communication channel. OFDM signals or OFDMA signals may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers. In some of these multi-carrier embodiments, antenna 100 can be configured to transmit or receive signals according to specific communication standards and / or protocols, such as any of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards, including IEEE 802.1 ln-2009, IEEE 802.11-2012, IEEE 802.11-2016, IEEE 802.1 lac and / or IEEE 802.1 lac standards and / or proposed specifications for WLAN, but the scope of the various aspects is not limited in this respect. Antenna 100 can also be configured to transmit and / or receive communications according to other technologies and standards. In some embodiments, antenna 100 can be configured for efficient Wi-Fi communication according to the IEEE 802.11ax standard. In these embodiments, antenna 100 can be configured to communicate according to OFDMA technology, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0052] In some other embodiments, antenna 100 may be configured to transmit and receive signals transmitted using one or more other modulation techniques, such as spread spectrum modulation (e.g., direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) and / or frequency hopping code division multiple access (FH-CDMA)), time division multiplexing (TDM) modulation, and / or frequency division multiplexing (FDM) modulation, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0053] In some embodiments, the antenna 100 can be configured for Bluetooth (BT) communication and conform to a BT connection standard, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth 4.0, or Bluetooth 5.0, or any other iteration of the Bluetooth standard. In these embodiments, the antenna 100 can be configured to establish a BT synchronous connection-oriented (SCO) link and / or a BT low energy (BT LE) link. In some of these embodiments, the antenna 100 can be configured to establish an extended SCO (eSCO) link for BT communication. In some of these embodiments, the antenna 100 can be configured to perform BT asynchronous connectionless (ACL) communication.

[0054] In some embodiments, the antenna 100 can be configured to communicate over various channel bandwidths including: a center frequency of approximately 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, a bandwidth of approximately 1 MHz, 2 MHz, 2.5 MHz, 4 MHz, 5 MHz, 8 MHz, 10 MHz, 16 MHz, 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz continuous bandwidth, or a non-continuous bandwidth of 80+8Q MHz (160 MHz), but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in these respects. In an example where the antenna 100 complies with the Wi-Fi standard, the frequency band of the antenna can range from 2.4 GHz to 2.48 GHz, or from 5.15 GHz to 7.15 GHz. In another example where the antenna 100 complies with Bluetooth, the frequency band can range from 2.4 GHz to 2.485 GHz.

[0055] In some embodiments, antenna 100 may be configured as various types, including a monopole antenna, a slot antenna, a loop antenna, an inverted-L antenna, an inverted-F antenna, a meander antenna, etc., although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0056] The housing 200 may be configured to protect the components housed therein. In practice, the housing 200 may have various designs in different application scenarios, and may have another part or other parts in addition to the parts depicted in the drawings. In some embodiments, the housing may include a cover, shell, or box of the device. In some embodiments (for example, when the UE is a head-mounted device), the housing 200 may include a frame, temples, etc. In some embodiments, at least one surface of the housing 200 may be curved, bent, or twisted. In some examples, at least a portion of the housing 200 may be solid, or filled with material and / or components. Various components may be provided in the housing 200 based on the overall design or overall architecture, so that each component occupies a corresponding space in the housing 200. To simplify the description, Figure 1 Components other than the antenna 100 and the transparent portion 300 are not depicted.

[0057] The housing 200 may include or be made of a conductive material. In some embodiments, a portion of the housing 200 made of a conductive material (such as a frame) may constitute a GND portion as described later. In some embodiments, the conductive material may include a metal. In some embodiments, the metal may include aluminum, magnesium, iron, titanium, etc. In other embodiments, the metal may include an alloy such as stainless steel, a magnesium-aluminum alloy, etc. The scope of these embodiments is not limited in these respects. In some embodiments, the housing 200 may include a metal frame. In these embodiments, the housing 200 may provide a sense of luxury to the UE 10.

[0058] In some embodiments, the housing 200 may also include a non-conductive material. In some embodiments, the non-conductive material may include plastic, ceramic, glass, rubber, etc. In some embodiments using plastic, the plastic may include acrylic or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), etc. The scope of these embodiments is not limited in these respects.

[0059] The transparent portion 300 is configured to transmit light or display an image to the UE. The transparent portion 300 can be implemented in various forms. In some embodiments, the transparent portion 300 may include a lens. In some embodiments, the transparent portion 300 may include a transparent substrate or a transparent layer of a display. In some embodiments, the transparent portion 300 may include a window. In some embodiments, the transparent portion 300 may include a substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB) or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). The scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some embodiments, the antenna 100 may be provided on the transparent portion 300, specifically on the substrate, via an optically clear adhesive (OCA).

[0060] The transparent portion 300 may include a non-conductive material. In some embodiments, the non-conductive material may include a polymer, glass, or the like. In some embodiments using a polymer, the polymer may include polyimide (PI), acrylic acid or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or the like. The scope of these embodiments is not limited in these respects.

[0061] In some embodiments, the transparent portion 300 may further include a conductive material. In some embodiments, the conductive material may include a metal oxide. In some embodiments, the metal oxide may include indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO), etc.

[0062] In some embodiments, the transparent portion 300 may include a display area 400 for displaying images. The antenna 100 may be disposed outside the display area 400 on the transparent portion 300 to prevent interference with the display area and thereby prevent degradation of imaging quality.

[0063] In some embodiments (for example, when the UE is an AR device), the UE 10 may include an image light projection device mounted on the housing 200 (for example, mounted on a frame or temple). In this case, the transparent portion 300 may have an image light incident area on which the image light from the image light projection device is incident, and the antenna 100 may be disposed outside the image light incident area, thereby preventing the antenna from interfering with the image light incident area and thereby preventing degradation of imaging quality.

[0064] In some embodiments (for example, when the UE is an AR device), the UE 10 may further include a functional lens detachably connected to the housing 200 (for example, connected to a frame). The functional lens may include a myopia lens, a hyperopia lens, a polarized lens, etc.

[0065] In some embodiments, the antenna 100 may be implemented by wires in a mesh shape. Figure 2 Schematic diagram showing the mesh shape of antennas according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the antenna mesh can be shaped as Figure 2 The lattice shape shown in (a) or formed as Figure 2 In some embodiments, the line width may be in the range of 1 μm to 50 μm, and the spacing between the lines may be in the range of 100 μm to 300 μm.

[0066] Figure 3A schematic diagram of an antenna in a UE according to some embodiments is shown. Antenna 100 includes: a radiating portion 110 having a first mesh 111 made of a conductive material; and a feeding portion 120 having a second mesh 121 made of a conductive material. The first mesh 111 has a plurality of first mesh holes 1111, and the second mesh 121 has a plurality of second mesh holes 1211. At least one second mesh hole 1211 is filled with a conductive material. Therefore, the radiating portion 110 having the first mesh 111 can maintain high transparency. In the feeding portion 120 having the second mesh 121, a portion of the second mesh holes 1211 are filled with a conductive material, thereby reducing the resistance in the feeding portion 120 where current converges, thereby increasing the current density in the feeding portion 120. Therefore, the radiation performance of the antenna 100 can be prevented from being degraded by the mesh. Furthermore, since the second mesh holes 1211 are filled with a conductive material, the process of making the second mesh 121 in the feed section 120 denser or stronger than the first mesh 111 in the radiating section 110 can be omitted, and the first mesh 111 and the second mesh 121 can be manufactured in the same step or process of etching or printing, which reduces the difficulty of manufacturing the antenna. In addition, current flow failures (such as short circuits or open circuits) caused by narrow wires, or buried wires caused by fine wire spacing, can be prevented. In some embodiments, the first mesh 111 and the second mesh 121 can be a conductive film, a conductive sheet, or a conductive wire, and can be implemented in various forms. In some embodiments, the first mesh 111 and the second mesh 121 can be located on a printed circuit board (PCB) or a flexible printed circuit (FPC) in the transparent portion 300. For example, the first mesh 111 and the second mesh 121 can be a metal pattern printed on a flexible film. Devices, components, circuits, or controllers for collecting signals from the antenna, sending signals to the antenna, or controlling the antenna can be provided on the printed circuit board (PCB) or the flexible printed circuit (FPC).

[0067] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 As shown, the second grid holes 1211 include a plurality of second grid holes 1211 filled with a conductive material (shown in black) and a plurality of unfilled second grid holes 1211 (shown in white), and the plurality of second grid holes 1211 filled with a conductive material and the plurality of unfilled second grid holes 1211 are arranged alternately. Therefore, the second grid holes 1211 filled with a conductive material can be evenly arranged, and the current in the feeder 120 can be more evenly distributed. In addition, since the second grid holes 1211 filled with a conductive material can be evenly arranged, the transparency can be uniform throughout the feeder 120, thereby suppressing the feeder 120 from attracting the user's attention due to its uneven visibility.

[0068] In some embodiments, the ratio of the number of second mesh holes 1211 filled with conductive material to the number of second mesh holes 1211 may be in the range of 20% to 70%, 30% to 60%, or 40% to 50%. If the ratio is lower than 20%, the resistance in the feeder 120 may be too high to achieve high performance. If the ratio is higher than 70%, the transparency of the feeder 120 may be too low to attract the user's attention.

[0069] In some embodiments, the conductive material may include a metal. In some embodiments, the metal may include copper, silver, aluminum, magnesium, iron, titanium, etc. In other embodiments, the metal may include an alloy, such as a copper alloy, a silver alloy, stainless steel, a magnesium-aluminum alloy, etc. The scope of these embodiments is not limited in these respects.

[0070] In some embodiments, at least one of the first grid holes 1111 located near the feeding portion is filled with a conductive material, such as Figure 3 As shown in (b). Therefore, the resistance near the feeder where the current converges can be reduced, thereby increasing the current density near the feeder. In addition, the current distribution from the feeder to the radiation portion can be gradually changed.

[0071] In some embodiments, the density of the first grid 111 is equal to the density of the second grid 121. Figure 3 Therefore, the first grid and the second grid can be manufactured in the same step or process of etching or printing, which reduces the difficulty of manufacturing the antenna.

[0072] In some embodiments, the density of the first grid 111 is less than the density of the second grid 121. Figure 3 As shown in (c). Therefore, the first grid and the second grid can also be manufactured in a separate step or process of etching or printing. Although the manufacturing difficulty is increased to a certain extent, the resistance in the feeder where the current converges can be further reduced. In addition, the second grid holes where current flow failures due to narrow lines or where lines are buried due to fine line spacing can be filled with conductive material, thereby preventing failures or burials.

[0073] In some embodiments, the conductive material includes a metal. In some embodiments, the metal may include copper, silver, aluminum, magnesium, iron, titanium, etc. In other embodiments, the metal may include an alloy, such as a copper alloy, a silver alloy, stainless steel, a magnesium-aluminum alloy, etc. The scope of these embodiments is not limited in these respects.

[0074] In some embodiments, the antenna further includes a GND portion 130 having a GND contact portion 131 . Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the connection between an antenna and a feeder line (coaxial cable) according to some embodiments, Figure 5Schematic diagram showing the connection between an antenna and a feed line (contact spring) according to some other embodiments.

[0075] exist Figure 4 In the embodiment, the GND contact portion 131 is connected to the shield 511 of the coaxial cable 510, and the feeder 120 is connected to the core 512 of the coaxial cable 510 at at least one second mesh hole 1211 filled with a conductive material. In this case, the feeder 120 can be connected to the coaxial cable 510 by various connection methods (such as soldering). Since the second mesh hole 1211 is filled with the conductive material as described above, the connection between the feeder 120 and the coaxial cable 510 can be stable.

[0076] exist Figure 5 In the embodiment, the GND contact portion 131 is connected to the contact spring 520, and the feeder 120 is connected to the contact spring 520 at at least one second mesh hole 1211 filled with a conductive material. Since the second mesh hole 1211 is filled with the conductive material as described above, the connection between the feeder 120 and the contact spring 520 can be stable.

[0077] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the UE 10 may further include a portion (e.g., a frame of glasses) 210 covering an edge 310 of a transparent portion (e.g., a lens) 300, and the GND portion 130 may be disposed between the edge 310 and the portion 210 covering the edge. Thus, the GND portion 130, which may be opaque, may be disposed outside the transparent portion 300 so as not to interfere with the transparent portion 300. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the portion 210 may include or be made of a conductive material, and the GND portion 130 may be the portion 210 of the housing covering the edge 310 of the lens. Consequently, the space occupied by the antenna within the housing may be reduced, and the compactness of the UE 10 may be improved.

[0078] In some embodiments, the first mesh 111 and the second mesh 121 are integrally formed. In this way, the first mesh and the second mesh can be integrally manufactured in the same step or process of etching or printing, which reduces the difficulty of manufacturing the antenna.

[0079] Antenna 100 can be tuned to enable wireless communications in various frequency bands. Depending on the antenna, antenna 100 can be configured to enable multi-band (eg, dual-band) wireless communications in 2.4 GHz to 2.48 GHz and 5 GHz to 7 GHz.

[0080] Figure 6The figure shows the layer structure and antenna of a UE in a transparent portion 300 according to some embodiments, which is a cross-sectional view of the antenna in the UE 10 taken along line AA. In some embodiments, the UE 10 may be a head-mounted device, such as glasses, a helmet, monocles, goggles, a headband, or a VR / AR headset. The UE 10 may include a lens 500 (transparent portion 300), a transparent substrate 900 disposed on the lens 500, and an antenna 100 disposed on the transparent substrate 900. The UE 10 may also include an OCA layer 800 disposed between the lens 500 and the transparent substrate 900. The antenna 100 may be disposed on a surface of the transparent substrate 900 facing away from the lens 500. The UE 10 may also include another layer 910 disposed on the antenna 100, such as a solder resist layer and a functional layer (e.g., a near-vision layer). The other layer 910 may also be disposed between the antenna 100 and the lens 500 and / or on a side of the antenna 100 facing away from the lens 500. The other layer 910 may have multiple layers or a variety of layers. As an example, the other layer 910 may include both a solder resist layer and a functional layer. The functional layer may include at least one of a near-vision layer, a far-vision layer, a color filter layer, a polarization layer, etc. As an example, when the UE 10 is a head-mounted device such as an AR device, the functional layer may include a near-vision layer.

[0081] It should be understood that the aforementioned embodiments and simulations of specific antenna configurations are merely examples. The UE can be implemented in forms other than a head-mounted device, such as a smartphone, a pager, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a smart window, a smart display cabinet, a smart windshield for a vehicle, or any computing device that supports wireless communication. Furthermore, in an embodiment, the UE is a head-mounted device. The head-mounted device can be implemented in forms other than glasses, such as a helmet, single-blade glasses, goggles, a headband, or a VR / AR headset. The antenna can also be applied to any other wearable device with a lens. The lens and module can also be implemented in other forms. For example, an electronic helmet can have a visor for carrying images projected from a projector, or other glasses can have a camera in the right or left front corner for capturing images. Furthermore, the antenna can have other shapes or sizes. Those skilled in the art can apply the various features of the antenna described in the above embodiments, mutatis mutandis, to other embodiments or implementations to achieve the beneficial effects described above.

[0082] As an example, Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a UE according to some other embodiments is shown. As another example, Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a UE according to some other embodiments is shown. Figure 7 In FIG, the UE may be a window 6100 of a building 600, and the antenna 100 may be set on the window 6100. Figure 8In the embodiment, the UE may be a window 7100 of the vehicle 700, such as a windshield, and the antenna 100 may be provided on the window 7100. As such, the antenna 100 may be applied to any UE including the transparent portion 300 or the transmitting portion.

[0083] The embodiments of the present disclosure are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment emphasizes the differences from other embodiments. Therefore, for the same or similar parts, one embodiment can refer to other embodiments.

[0084] Based on the description of the disclosed embodiments, those skilled in the art can implement or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments may be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but rather is intended to be broadly defined in accordance with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0085] Industrial Applicability

[0086] Various embodiments may be applied to various user devices, for example, head-mounted devices such as glasses, helmets, monocles, goggles, headbands, or VR, AR, MR, or XR headsets, and other user devices configured for wireless communication, such as smartphones, pagers, laptops, desktop computers.

Claims

1. An antenna, comprising: a radiation portion having a first mesh made of a conductive material; as well as a power feeder having a second mesh made of a conductive material; wherein the first grid has a plurality of first grid holes, the second grid has a plurality of second grid holes, and Wherein, at least one of the second grid holes is filled with a conductive material.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The second mesh holes include a plurality of second mesh holes filled with a conductive material and a plurality of second mesh holes that are not filled, and The plurality of second grid holes filled with conductive material and the plurality of unfilled second grid holes are arranged alternately.

3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein A ratio of the number of the second mesh holes filled with the conductive material to the total number of the second mesh holes is 20% to 70%.

4. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein At least one of the first mesh holes located near the feeding portion is filled with a conductive material.

5. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The density of the first grid is equal to the density of the second grid. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein: The density of the first grid is smaller than the density of the second grid.

7. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The conductive material includes metal.

8. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The antenna further includes a ground (GND) portion, namely a GND portion, the GND portion having a GND contact portion, and The GND contact portion is connected to a shield of a coaxial cable, and the feed portion is connected to a core of the coaxial cable at at least one second mesh hole filled with a conductive material.

9. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The antenna further includes a GND portion having a GND contact portion, and The GND contact portion is connected to a contact spring, and the feeding portion is connected to the contact spring at at least one of the second mesh holes filled with a conductive material.

10. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The first grid and the second grid are formed integrally.

11. A user equipment, comprising: lens; a transparent substrate, wherein the transparent substrate is disposed on the lens; as well as The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is provided on the transparent substrate.

12. The user equipment according to claim 11, wherein: The antenna is disposed on a surface of the transparent substrate facing away from the lens.

13. The user equipment according to claim 11, wherein: The lens includes a display area, and Wherein, the antenna is arranged outside the display area.

14. The user equipment according to claim 11, wherein: The lens further includes an image light incident area, and Wherein, the antenna is arranged outside the image light incident area.

15. The user equipment according to claim 11, further comprising: a housing configured to support the lens and including a portion covering an edge of the lens, The antenna further includes a ground portion, namely a GND portion, which is arranged between the edge and the portion covering the edge.

16. The user equipment according to claim 11, further comprising: a housing configured to support the lens and including a portion covering an edge of the lens, The antenna includes a ground portion, that is, a GND portion, and the GND portion is the portion covering the edge.

17. The user equipment according to claim 11, further comprising: a housing configured to support the lens; as well as A functional lens is detachably connected to the housing.

18. The user equipment according to claim 11, further comprising: A functional layer is provided on the transparent substrate.

19. A user equipment comprising: monitor; as well as The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is disposed on the display.

20. A window comprising the antenna according to claim 1.

21. A vehicle comprising a window and the antenna according to claim 1 disposed on the window.

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