Antenna Placement in Thin Laptop Hinges
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Solution Overview
Problem
The thinning of laptop hinge-up portions creates space constraints for coaxial cables, making it impossible to use them behind the display panel, and existing solutions like flat printed circuit cables result in significant signal losses at higher frequencies.
Innovation Solution
Placing lower frequency antennas above and higher frequency antennas below the display panel, using a signal splitter with bandpass filters or impedance matching circuits to divide a single signal into separate frequency bands for transmission via FPC RF cables and coaxial cables, minimizing crosstalk and interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coaxial cables are used to connect antennas behind the display panel, then signal transmission quality is improved, but the device thickness increases making it incompatible with thin hinge-up portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the antenna system into two separate antennas (first antenna above display, second antenna below display) fed by a single cable. This segmentation allows each antenna to be optimally positioned for its frequency band while using a thinner cable connection, resolving the conflict between signal quality and device thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-plane cable routing approach to a three-dimensional arrangement where antennas are positioned on opposite sides of the display panel. This dimensional change allows signal transmission without requiring thick cable routing space behind the display, enabling thin device design while maintaining signal quality.
2Length of moving object
If flat printed circuit cables are used instead of coaxial cables to reduce thickness, then device thickness is reduced, but signal loss increases significantly at higher frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent assigns different frequency bands to different antenna locations - lower frequency bands to the first antenna above the display and higher frequency bands to the second antenna below the display. This local quality differentiation allows the use of FPC cables where thickness matters while maintaining signal integrity by matching cable characteristics to frequency requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cable assembly with specific impedance characteristics as an intermediary between the FPC cable and the antennas. This intermediary component bridges the impedance mismatch between FPC cables and antenna inputs, reducing signal loss at higher frequencies while maintaining the thin profile enabled by FPC technology.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple antennas are placed in the hinge-up portion, then dual-band communication capability is improved, but space constraints in thin designs make installation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the third dimension by positioning antennas on opposite sides of the display panel (above and below) rather than placing them side-by-side in the limited hinge-up space. This dimensional approach enables dual-band capability while maintaining a thin profile, as the antennas occupy vertical space rather than horizontal space in the hinge-up portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal antenna system where a single cable assembly can feed multiple antennas at different frequency bands. This multi-functional design allows the same cable infrastructure to support both lower and higher frequency communications, maximizing adaptability within the constrained space of thin device designs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for multiple antennas in limited space with manageable signal losses, enabling effective dual-band communications even in thin laptop designs, with acceptable insertion loss across various frequency ranges.
Implementation Method 1
A signal splitter, such as a series of bandpass filters, or an impedance matching circuit, is used to divide a single signal from a transceiver circuit
Implementation Method 2
sending the lower frequency signals through an FPC RF cable to an antenna above the display, while sending the higher frequency signals to an antenna below the display
Data Source
AI summary
A computer device including integrated communications antennas is disclosed. In the computer device, a first antenna is disposed above a display panel in a hinge-up portion of the laptop computer, and a second antenna is disposed below the display panel. A signal divider circuit is coupled to a radio module, wherein the signal divider circuit is configured to send a first frequency range to the first antenna via a flat printed circuit radio frequency (FPC RF) cable, and a second frequency range to the second antenna.