Patent Application
20110151780
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system wireless communication, and more particularly to a system and method for integration of an antenna in an information handling system housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Improvements in processing capability of components used to build information handling systems have supported greater processing capability in smaller housings. One result of this is a trend for end users to purchase portable information handling systems as replacements for desktop information handling systems. Portable information handling systems typically have an integrated keyboard, display and power source so that the system operates free from any fixed assets, such as peripheral devices or electrical outlet power sources. End users have migrated to portable information handling systems because of the convenience of using a system “on the go.” One additional feature that has contributed to the adoption of portable information handling systems by end users is the ability for the portable systems to communicate through wireless networks, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs) configured according to IEEE 802.11(g). End users have learned to look for “hot spots” that allow Internet access through a WLAN and thus allow the end user to communicate with work or home network resources. Other types of wireless communication resources are sometimes included that further enhance the convenience of portable systems. For example, access through cellular telephone wireless wide area networks (WWANs) allow end users Internet access over a wider area without reliance on hot spots. More recently, portable information handling systems have included television antenna resources that allow a portable system to receive and display television shows received through television station transmissions.
One difficulty with supporting wireless communication at a portable information handling system is including antenna structures to transmit and receive the wireless communications. An antenna structure competes for space within a portable housing that has limited space. Integration of a television antenna presents a substantial problem because of the low frequency transmissions involved and the corresponding large antenna structure needed for such low frequencies. In some instances, integration of an antenna structure leads to increased housing size, which increases the size, weight and cost of the information handling system. One method for integrating an antenna in an information handling system is to insert-mold the antenna structure into the housing. For example, a printed film having an antenna material and structure is insert-molded into plastic parts that cover the housing for decorative purposes in a process generally known as In-Mold Decoration (IMD). A patterned metallic film on the non-cosmetic side of the film is shaped for an antenna addressed to a desired frequency.
One difficulty with IMD antenna structures is connecting the antenna to the transceiver located within the information handling system housing. A coaxial cable typically interfaces the transceiver and antenna, however, a coaxial cable cannot route directly with an IMD antenna structure without a negative impact on the cosmetic appearance of the information handling system. One method used to interface a cable with an IMD antenna structure is to use an insert molded metal contact that touches the metal film of the IMD structure. However, this method provides an unreliable connection in production and introduces defects to the cosmetic surface.
Therefore a need has arisen for a system and method which interfaces a cable and an antenna structure of an information handling system.
In accordance with the present invention, a system and method are provided which substantially reduce the disadvantages and problems associated with previous methods and systems for interfacing a cable and an antenna structure of an information handling system. An antenna at the outer surface of an information handling system housing communicates with a transceiver disposed in the housing through capacitive coupling. Opposing conductive portions on the inner and outer surface of the housing communicate wireless signal energy without a physical conductive connection between the portions.
More specifically, an information handling system is built from plural processing components disposed within a housing. For example, a CPU, RAM, hard disk drive, chipset and transceiver disposed within a chassis portion of the housing cooperate to generate visual information for presentation at a display disposed within a lid portion of the housing. An antenna disposed the outer surface of the housing, such as in a film placed over the lid, receives wireless signal transmissions, such as High Definition television signals, and conducts the wireless signal transmissions to a capacitive pattern portion connected to the antenna. The capacitive pattern portion is disposed at the housing outer surface opposing a capacitive coupler disposed at the housing inner surface so that wireless signal energy inductively couples between the conductive material of the capacitive pattern portion and the capacitive coupler. A cable connected to the capacitive coupler provides the wireless signal energy to the transceiver so that the wireless signal is available at the information handling system, such as to present visual images of a television signal.
The present invention provides a number of important technical advantages. One example of an important technical advantage is that an antenna structure and cable communicate through a housing material without a physical connection by using capacitive coupling. By avoiding the need for a physical connection between an antenna and cable, the antenna integrates with cosmetic surfaces of the information handling system housing without degrading the appearance of the cosmetic surface. Further, production of information handling systems is simplified since a physical connection does not have to be made and tested during manufacture of the information handling system. Integration of an antenna in a cosmetic surface of a portable information handling system lid provides excellent exposure of the antenna structure for improved reception and transmission with a reduced cost of production.
The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.
Capacitively coupling an antenna at an outer surface of an information handling system with a receiver disposed within the information handling system allows reception of wireless signals without a physical connection between the receiver and the antenna. For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.
Referring now to
Information handling system 10 has a transceiver 36 which transmits and receives information using wireless signals. For example, transceiver 36 supports wireless communication through a wireless local area network or a wireless wide area network by transmitting and sending wireless signals. In one embodiment, transceiver 36 has only a receiver that receives wireless signals without a transmitter to transmit wireless signals. As an example, transceiver 36 includes a receiver that receives television signals, such as High Definition television signals transmitted from television stations. The television signals are processed by the processing components, such chipset 24 and CPU 18 using RAM 20, and presented at display panel 26 as visual images. In order to receive or transmit wireless signals, transceiver 36 uses an antenna 38 that is sized and tuned to handle wireless signals having the frequency of interest. For instance, television wireless signals have a relatively low frequency that calls for a relatively large length. To obtain an appropriate length in an area that can access wireless signals, antenna 38 is integrated with film 30 across surface area of lid outer surface 32. Antenna 38 is optionally built on the inside surface of film 30 so that antenna 32 will not be visible to an end user once film 30 is assembled over lid outer surface 32 to expose decorative outer surface 40.
Antenna 38 interfaces with transceiver 36 with capacitive coupling in which wireless signal energy inductively couples to opposing conductive structures located on outer surface 32 and inner surface 28 of lid 16. A capacitive pattern portion 42 physically connects with antenna 38 on lid outer surface 32, such as by incorporating the structure with antenna 38 during manufacture of film 30. A capacitive coupler 44 physically connects with a cable 46, such as a coaxial cable, which in turn physically connects with transceiver 36 so that wireless signal energy received at capacitive coupler 44 is communicated to transceiver 36 within housing 12. When film 30, lid 16 and display panel 26 are assembled, capacitive pattern portion 42 aligns with capacitive coupler 44 with lid 16 disposed between them so that capacitive pattern portion 42 and capacitive coupler 44 do not touch each other. Wireless signal energy picked up by antenna 38 is communicated to capacitive pattern portion 42 by the connection between antenna 38 and capacitive pattern portion 42, and then communicated to capacitive coupler 44 with inductive coupling. Wireless signal energy transmitted by transceiver 36 is communicated through cable 46 to capacitive coupler 44 and then communicated to capacitive pattern portion 42 with inductive coupling for transmission from antenna 38.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
