TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The aspects of the disclosed embodiments relate generally to antenna assemblies and more particularly to an antenna assembly for a mobile communications device.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Mobile communications devices may employ patch antennas disposed over an outer glass layer on a display or back cover of the device. These patch antennas are formed by depositing a conductive material in an optically transparent mesh pattern on an outer surface of the apparatus. Typically, patch antennas disposed on an outer glass surface are capacitively coupled to internal electronics by forming capacitive plates from a metal or other conductive material on the inner and outer surfaces of the glass layer.

[0003] Constructing patch antennas with an optically transparent mesh pattern has the advantage of being mostly invisible thereby allowing the patch antennas to be disposed on a device’s display or back cover without interfering with display operation or device aesthetics. However, because a conductive mesh has a relatively high equivalent sheet resistance, patch antennas configured in this fashion generally present low performance in mobile communication applications.

[0004] Thus, there is a need for improved antenna structures capable of providing optically transparent patch antennas with improved performance. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus that addresses at least some of the problems described above.

SUMMARY

[0005] The aspects of the disclosed embodiments are directed to apparatus and methods for providing improved antenna performance in mobile communications apparatus.

[0006] According to a first aspect, the above and further implementations and advantages are obtained by an apparatus. In one embodiment the apparatus includes a case, one or more patch antennas, and a through glass via, wherein the case includes an outer surface adjacent to an inner surface. A patch antenna in the one or more patch antennas includes an optically transparent conductive mesh disposed on the outer surface, with a through glass via configured to galvanically connect the patch antenna with a conductive material disposed on the inner surface. Galvanically connecting the patch antenna with the inner conductive material provides improved antenna performance.

[0007] In a possible implementation form the apparatus includes a power divider having an outer conductive material disposed on the outer surface and an inner conductive material disposed on the inner surface, and one or more through glass vias, wherein a through glass via in the one or more through glass vias is configured to galvanically connect the outer conductive material with the inner conductive material. The use of multiple patch antennas coupled with a power divider reduces current losses in the patch antennas thereby improving performance of the antenna structure.

[0008] In a possible implementation form, the one or more patch antennas includes a plurality of patch antennas disposed on the outer surface, and a patch antenna in the plurality of patch antennas includes an optically transparent conductive mesh. The use of multiple patch antennas coupled with a power divider reduces current losses in the patch antennas thereby improving performance of the antenna structure.

[0009] In a possible implementation form, the power divider further includes a plurality of output runs and an input run, wherein a through glass via in the one or more through glass vias is configured to galvanically connect an individual one output run in the plurality of output runs with a corresponding one patch antenna in the plurality of patch antennas. Connecting each output run to a patch antenna with a through glass via (TGV) provides an easily implemented antenna structure with improved performance.

[0010] In a possible implementation form, the one or more through glass vias includes one through glass via, and the power divider is disposed on the outer surface. The one through glass via is configured to galvanically connect the input run with the inner conductive material. Using a single TGV connected to the input run allows the TGV to be placed near the edge of the display or back cover thereby reducing its impact on display usage or device aesthetics.

[0011] In a possible implementation form, the power divider comprises an optically transparent conductive mesh. Use of an optically transparent conductive mesh creates a power divider that is essentially invisible to the naked eye, thereby avoiding any negative impact on display operation or aesthetics of the apparatus.

[0012] In a possible implementation form, a grounding conductive material is disposed on the inner surface and is configured to provide an antenna ground plane. Placing the antenna ground plane on the inner surface facilitates easy alignment of the ground plane the patch antennas.

[0013] In a possible implementation form, the one or more patch antennas is disposed on a back of the apparatus and a ground plane comprises a mechanical conductive object disposed within the case. Using an internal mechanical component as the ground plane improves antenna performance by increasing the distance between the ground plane and the patch antenna.

[0014] In a possible implementation form, the plurality of patch antennas are disposed on a display of the apparatus and the ground plane comprises a display panel. Use of the display panel as the ground plane avoids adding additional components and provides improved antenna performance by increasing the distance between the ground plane and the patch antennas.

[0015] In a possible implementation form, a distance between the ground plane and a patch antenna is greater than a thickness of the case. Increasing distance between the antenna and the ground plane improves antenna performance.

[0016] In a possible implementation form, a patch antenna in the plurality of patch antennas includes one or more of a rectangular pattern, a square pattern, and a circular pattern. The disclosed antenna structures are flexible and can be applied to various antenna shapes and patterns.

[0017] In a possible implementation form, a patch antenna in the plurality of patch antennas comprises one of a loop antenna, a slot antenna, a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, and a planar inverted-F antenna. The disclosed antenna structures are appropriate for use with various types of antennas.

[0018] In a possible implementation form, the optically transparent conductive mesh is configured to transmit more than seventy percent of a received visible light. The given threshold provides an appropriate level of transparency to sustain invisibility to the human eye while also providing suitable conductive properties.

[0019] In a possible implementation form, the ground plane comprises a battery. The battery provides a suitable ground plane and avoids the cost associated with incorporating an additional conductive component.

[0020] In a possible implementation form, the plurality of patch antennas is configured to operate within a frequency range below ten gigahertz. Configuring the antennas to operate at frequencies below ten gigahertz allows the antenna to be tuned to any of the popular Wi-Fi and 5G frequency bands.

[0021] In a possible implementation form, the plurality of patch antennas is configured to operate within a frequency range between twenty-four gigahertz and forty-three-point-five gigahertz. Configuring the antennas to operate in this frequency range allows the antennas to be tuned to cover millimetre-wave TGV applications and millimetre -wave antenna arrays.

[0022] In a possible implementation form, the apparatus further includes a decorative layer disposed adjacent the inner surface, wherein a through glass via in the one or more through glass vias is capacitively coupled to the power divider via a pair of capacitive plates. Capacitive coupling avoids the need to accurately align of the decorative layer with the glass layer.

[0023] In a possible implementation form, the apparatus includes one or more of a mobile communications device, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, and a television. The disclosed antenna structures are appropriate for use in a wide range of communications apparatus.

[0024] In a possible implementation form, the power divider comprises one or more of a microstrip T-junction power divider, a microstrip line, a coplanar waveguide, and a grounded coplanar waveguide.

[0025] These and other aspects, implementation forms, and advantages of the exemplary embodiments will become apparent from the embodiments described herein considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the description and drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the disclosed invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Moreover, the aspects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In the following detailed portion of the present disclosure, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the example embodiments shown in the drawings, in which like references indicate like elements and:

[0027] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary apparatus employing one or more galvanically connected patch antennas incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments;

[0028] Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary apparatus having an antenna structure employing a power divider incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments;

[0029] Figure 3 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary antenna structure having a power divider disposed on an outer surface of the case incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments;

[0030] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary apparatus having an antenna structure disposed on a display and incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments;

[0031] Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary antenna structure employing capacitive coupling across a decorative layer and incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments; [0032] Figure 6 shows a graph illustrating improvements in total efficiency provided by an exemplary antenna structure incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments;

[0033] Figure 7 shows a graph illustrating improvements in radiation efficiency provided by an exemplary antenna structure incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments;

[0034] Figure 8 shows a graph illustrating matching of an exemplary antenna structure incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments;

[0035] Figure 9 shows a graph illustrating improvements in total efficiency provided by an exemplary antenna structure incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] Referring to Figure 1 there can be seen an exemplary apparatus 100 employing one or more galvanically connected patch antennas 102, 102b incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments. The exemplary apparatus 100 of the disclosed embodiments is directed to a communications apparatus having improved antenna structures configured to galvanically connect optically transparent patch antennas with internal components. The aspects of the disclosed embodiments improve antenna performance by reducing current density within patch antennas disposed on an outer surface 110 of a communications apparatus 100 and galvanically connecting the optically transparent patch antennas with internal components.

[0037] The exemplary communication apparatus 100 generally includes a case 114 having an outer surface 110 adjacent to an inner surface 112. One or more patch antennas 102, 102b are disposed on the outer surface 110 where a patch antenna 102 in the one or more patch antennas 102, 102b is formed with an optically transparent conductive mesh disposed on the outer surface 110. Although an optically transparent conductive mesh is generally referred to herein, the aspects of the disclosed embodiments are not so limited. In alternate embodiments, any suitable conductive material may be used to form a patch antenna in the one or more patch antennas. For example in one embodiment a metal such as copper may be used to form the conductive mesh.

[0038] In one embodiment, a through glass via (TGV) 104 is configured to galvanically connect the patch antenna 102 with a conductive material 106 disposed on the inner surface 112. The inner conductive material 106 may be configured as any desired conductive structure such as a connecting run, power divider, or other desired electric component.

[0039] The patch antennas 102, 102b, and when desired inner conductive material 106 may be formed as an optically transparent conductive mesh disposed on either or both of the outer surface 110 and the inner surface 112. Use of an optically transparent conductive mesh pattern allows the antenna structure 122 to be disposed on a display or back 108 of the apparatus 100 without significantly effecting use of the display or aesthetic qualities of the apparatus 100.

[0040] As used herein the term “case” 114 generally refers to a layer of glass or other insulating material that forms an outer layer of an apparatus enclosure. In one exemplary embodiment, the case 114 refers to a layer of glass, such as the toughened glass used to cover an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel or other type of display panel. In certain embodiments the case 114 refers to an outer layer of glass or other insulating material disposed on a back cover of the apparatus.

[0041] It will be appreciated that additional layers of material may, when desired, be added adjacent the inner surface 112 or outer surface 110 of the case 114 to enhance for example, structural integrity of the apparatus, provide additional protection for the toughened glass covering a display, or to provide decorative features to the back of the apparatus. As used herein, the thickness of the case refers to a thickness of the layer of glass or other insulating material forming the case 114.

[0042] As used herein the term “conductive mesh” refers to an area of conductive material disposed on a surface in a mesh pattern. The area of conductive material may form any desired antenna component such as a patch antenna, a conductive connecting run, and a power divider, etc. The mesh pattern may incorporate any suitable pattern of uniformly space openings.

[0043] For example, in one embodiment the mesh pattern may resemble a window screen pattern where two sets of parallel lines of conductive material are disposed on a surface perpendicular or at an angle to each other and configured to allow transparency and provide the desired electrical properties. Alternatively, the mesh pattern may include any suitable arrangement of conductive material configured to provide a uniform optical transparency while also exhibiting desirable electrical properties. The mesh pattern may include any pattern of lines and openings such as one or more of curved lines, circular lines, diagonal arrangements, wavy and zig zag lines, etc.

[0044] As used herein the term “optically transparent conductive mesh” generally refers to a conductive mesh configured to have a transmittance of greater than seventy percent (>70%). An optically transparent conductive mesh may be configured to allow more than seventy percent of a received visible light to pass through. In certain embodiments, in addition to transmittance, it may be beneficial to configure the optically transparent conductive mesh to impart minimal scattering of the received visible light. An optically transparent patch antenna or other area of optically transparent conductive mesh disposed on the display or back cover of a mobile communication device will be essentially undetectable to the human eye. [0045] The exemplary apparatus 100 is illustrated as having two patch antennas 102, 102b, however, it should be understood that any desired number of patch antennas may be advantageously employed without straying from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Optionally, the inner conductive material 106 may form a conductive run, a power divider, or other portion of an antenna structure as desired.

[0046] Figure 1 includes a cross sectional view 120 of the apparatus 100 illustrating positioning of the patch antenna 102, TGV 104, and inner conductive material 106 with relation to the case 114. The exemplary antenna structure 122 includes a patch antenna 102 disposed on the outer surface 110, and an inner conductive material 106 disposed on the inner surface 112, and a TGV 104 configured to galvanically connect the patch antenna 102 with the inner conductive material 106. Also shown in the cross-sectional view 120 is an internal mechanical component 116, such as a battery or display panel. As will be described further below, an internal mechanical component 116 can be used to improve antenna performance.

[0047] The TGV 104 is formed by creating a small hole or opening through the case 114 and filling or lining the hole with a conductive material, thereby creating a galvanic connection between the patch antenna 102 disposed on the outer surface 110, and conductive material 106 disposed on the inner surface. It is beneficial to keep the TGV 104 small in size, such as less than about twenty to thirty microns (< 20p - 30 p) in width or diameter. Making the TGV 104 small results in a TGV 104 that is not easily seen with the naked eye, thereby improving aesthetics of the apparatus 100.

[0048] Referring now to Figure 2 there can be seen a diagram of the exemplary apparatus 200 having an antenna structure 214 employing a power divider 212 incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments. The exemplary apparatus 200 is similar to the exemplary apparatus 100 described above and with reference to Figure 1 where like reference numerals indicate like elements.

[0049] The exemplary apparatus 200 of the disclosed embodiments incorporates a plurality of patch antennas 202a, 202b coupled with a power divider 212 adapted to divide power between the plurality of patch antennas 202a, 202b. By coupling the plurality of patch antennas 202a, 202b with a power divider 212, antenna area may be increased without modifying the resonant frequency. Current density in the patch antennas 202a, 202b may be decreased, thereby reducing antenna losses and improving antenna performance.

[0050] While, the exemplary apparatus 200 is illustrated as having two patch antennas, the aspects of the disclosed embodiments are not so limited. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the exemplary apparatus 200 may include any number of patch antennas without straying from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] Using multiple patch antennas coupled with a power divider consumes additional space on a display or back of a mobile communications device. This is not a concern because modem communications apparatus tend to have ample space available on the display and back of the case, so minimizing antenna area is not an important design consideration.

[0052] As an aid to understanding, Figure 2 also includes a side elevation 220 illustrating positional relationships among the plurality of patch antennas 202a, 202b, TGV 204, power divider 212, and the case 114. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the plurality of patch antennas 202a, 202b are disposed on the outer surface 110 of the case 114, and the power divider 212 is disposed on an inner surface 112. As can be seen in the side elevation 220, the patch antenna 202, or other conductive material 216 disposed on the outer surface 110, is galvanically connected to the power divider 212 or other conductive material 218 disposed on the inner surface 112 with a TGV 204.

[0053] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the power divider 212 is implemented as a microstrip T-junction power divider. An appropriate microstrip T-junction power divider may, for example, include a fifty-ohm (50Q) input run 210 divided into two fiftyohm (50Q) output runs 206a, 206b. Impedance matching is achieved in this example by introducing an impedance matching section 208 between the output runs 206a, 206b and the input run 210. The impedance matching section 208 may have a length of one-quarter wavelength (X/4) with an impedance of thirty- five ohms (35 Q). Where the wavelength X, corresponds to a desired center frequency of the antenna.

[0054] Alternatively, the power divider 212 may be implemented using a microstrip line, coplanar waveguide (CPW), grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW), or any suitable power divider implementation configured to reduce the current density in each patch antenna. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that any appropriate power divider may be advantageously employed without straying from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. [0055] In certain embodiments, each output run 206a, 206b is connected to a respective one of the patch antennas 202a, 202b with a corresponding TGV 204a, 204b. The power divider 212 may, as is shown in the illustrated embodiment 200, be formed of conductive material disposed on the inner surface 112 in an optically transparent mesh pattern. Alternatively, portions of the power divider 212 may be disposed on either or both of the inner surface 112 and the outer surface 110 as desired. [0056] Patch antennas constructed using optically transparent conductive mesh patterns result in relatively high equivalent sheet resistance thereby producing a patch antenna with high conductor losses. Conductor losses in metal P _c increase proportionally with the sheet resistance R _s and current density J _e as shown in Equation 1 :

Coupling multiple patch antennas with a power divider reduces the current density in each patch antenna resulting in a corresponding reduction in conduction losses in the antenna structure 214.

[0057] In conventional antenna designs, two feed runs are typically coupled to a single antenna element resulting in circular polarizations. In contrast, the embodiments disclosed herein use a single feed run 206a, 206b, coupled to each patch antenna 202a, 202b, thereby reducing the current density in each patch antenna 202a, 202b and reducing losses.

[0058] Figure 3 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary antenna structure 300 having a power divider 312 disposed on an outer surface 110 of the case 114. The exemplary antenna structure 300 is similar to the exemplary antenna structure 214 described above where like reference numerals indicate like elements. The exemplary antenna structure 312 illustrates an alternative arrangement where the input run 310, output runs 306, and impedance matching section 308, are disposed on the outer surface 110, with a single TGV 304 configured to galvanically connect the input run 310 with a conductive material 318 disposed on the inner surface. The exemplary power divider 312 allows the TGV 304 to be positioned near an edge of the case 114 where it will be less visible and have less of an impact on display usage or aesthetics of a mobile communications apparatus.

[0059] An important part of any antenna structure is the antenna ground plane. One embodiment of a suitable antenna ground plane for the patch antenna 202 is may be formed by disposing a grounding conductive material 302 on the inner surface 112. The grounding conductive material 302 may include any suitable metal or other conductive material and may be disposed in an optically transparent mesh pattern when is desired.

[0060] Disposing the grounding conductive material 302 on the inner surface 112 results in a distance 306 between the patch antenna 202 and the antenna ground plane equal to the thickness 308 of the case 114. In certain embodiments, it may be advantageous to increase the distance 306 between the antenna 202 and the antenna ground plane. Mobile communications apparatus often include large conductive mechanical components 116 such as a battery or display panel at some distance below the case 114. Employing one of these mechanical components 116 as the antenna ground plane allows the distance 306 between the antenna 202 and the antenna ground plane to be increased beyond the thickness 308 of the case 114, thereby providing a corresponding improvement in antenna performance. Suitable mechanical components 116 can include internal components such as a battery or display panel. In one embodiment, the display panel can be an OLED type display panel.

[0061] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary apparatus 400 having an antenna structure 414 disposed on a display 404 and incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments. The exemplary apparatus 400 is similar to the exemplary apparatus 200 described above where like reference numerals indicate like elements. The exemplary apparatus 400 depicts the side of a display 404 for a mobile communications apparatus, such as a smart phone, tablet, phablet, TV, or other mobile communications apparatus. In the exemplary apparatus 400, an antenna structure 414 includes a plurality of patch antennas 402a, 402b coupled to a power divider 406 disposed on the side of the display 404 of the apparatus 400. Disposing the antenna structure 414 on the display 404 of a mobile communication device helps prevent a hand of a user from covering the plurality of patch antennas 402a, 402b while the device is in use. Alternatively, the patch antennas may be placed on either or both of sides of the display 404 or a back 108 of the case 114.

[0062] Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary antenna structure 500 employing capacitive coupling across a decorative layer and incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments. To more clearly show the decorative layer 502 and how antenna signals are capacitively coupled across the decorative layer 502, the exemplary antenna structure 500 is illustrated in a cross-sectional view. In certain embodiments, it may be desirable to include a decorative layer, beneath and adjacent to the case 114. Including a decorative layer 502 can improve aesthetics of the apparatus.

[0063] In the illustrated embodiment 500 a pair of capacitive plates 508, 510 are placed adjacent each other on either side of the decorative layer 502. An inner capacitive plate 510 is disposed adjacent an inner side 504 of the decorative layer 502. An outer capacitive plate 508 is disposed on the inner surface 112 of the case 114 and is conductively coupled with the TGV 204. The outer capacitive plate 508 may be aligned with the TGV 204 as illustrated in the exemplary antenna structure 500. Alternatively, the outer capacitive plate 508 may be offset from the TGV 204 and conductively coupled with conductive material (not shown) disposed on the inner surface 110. In one embodiment, conductive material 506 may be disposed on an inner surface 504 of the decorative layer and conductively coupled with the inner capacitive plate [0064] In certain embodiments, it may be desirable to avoid capacitive coupling. When this is the case, the capacitive plates 508, 510 need not be included. The TGV 204 may be extended through the decorative layer 502 to create a galvanic connection between the patch antenna 202 and the conductive material 506 disposed on the inner surface 504 of the decorative layer 502. [0065] Performance improvements provided by the exemplary antenna structures described above are applicable to frequency bands commonly used by mobile communications apparatus. For example, Wi-Fi bands 5 & 6 use frequencies in the five gigahertz (5GHz) and six gigahertz (6GHz) frequencies. The newer N77 band, commonly referred to as the 5G frequency band, is used for the newly emerging fifth generation mobile networks. When used with frequency bands above about twenty-four gigahertz it may be beneficial to configure the plurality of antennas 202a, 202b as an antenna array.

[0066] In one embodiment the exemplary antenna structure 214 includes two rectangular patch antennas 202a, 202b coupled with a power divider 212. This antenna structure 214 may be configured for use with Wi-Fi bands 5 and 6 by sizing each patch antenna 202a, 22b to have an area of nine square millimetres (9mm ² ) with an equivalent sheet resistance of zero-point-five ohms (0.5Q) per square. The graphs 600, 700, and 800, described below, illustrate antenna performance improvements provided by the exemplary antenna structure 214 when configured for use with the Wi-Fi bands 5 and 6.

[0067] Referring to Figure 6, graph 600 illustrates improvements in total efficiency provided by the exemplary antenna structure 214. In graph 600, frequency is depicted in gigahertz (GHz) along a horizontal axis 602, increasing to the right, and total efficiency is depicted in decibels (dB) along a vertical axis 604 increasing upwards. Total efficiency of the exemplary antenna structure 214 is shown by the top plot 606. For comparison purposes, total efficiency of a conventional antenna structure is shown by the lower plot 608. Numerical data for a few sample data points is listed in box 610 and indicated on each plot 606, 608 using numbered triangular pointers. As can be seen from the graph 600, the exemplary antenna structure 214 improves total efficiency over a conventional antenna by as much as two decibels (2dB) when configured for use in the Wi-Fi bands 5 and 6.

[0068] Figure 7 shows graph 700 illustrating improvements in radiation efficiency provided by an exemplary antenna structure 214. In the graph 700, frequency is depicted in gigahertz (GHz) along a horizontal axis 702 increasing to the right, and radiation efficiency is depicted in decibels (dB) along a vertical axis 704 increasing upwards. Radiation efficiency of the exemplary antenna structure 214 is shown by the upper plot 706. For comparison purposes, radiation efficiency of a conventional antenna structure is shown by the lower plot 708. Selected sample data points are listed in box 710 and indicated on each plot 706, 708 using corresponding numbered triangular pointers.

[0069] Figure 8 shows graph 800 illustrating matching of an exemplary antenna structure incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments. In the graph 800, frequency is depicted in gigahertz (GHz) along a horizontal axis 802 increasing to the right and matching is depicted in decibels (dB) along a vertical axis 804 increasing upwards. Antenna matching of the exemplary antenna structure 214 is illustrated in the plot 806. For comparison purposes, matching of a conventional antenna structure is illustrated in plot 808.

[0070] The graphs 700 and 800 show that radiation efficiency of the exemplary antenna structure is improved nearly two decibels (2dB) while the matching is not heavily modified. It is also notable that the resonant frequency is not modified.

[0071] The exemplary antenna structure 214 can, when desired, be configured for use with the N77 frequency bands by adapting the patch antennas 202a, 22b to have dimensions of seventeen-point-five by fourteen-point-five millimetres (17.5mm x 14.5 mm), with an equivalent sheet resistance of zero-point-five ohms (0.5Q) per square. The graph 900 illustrates antenna performance improvements provided by the exemplary antenna structure 214 when configured for use with the N77 frequency bands.

[0072] Referring to Figure 9, graph 900 illustrates improvements in total efficiency provided by an exemplary antenna structure 214 incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments. In the graph 900 frequency is depicted in gigahertz (GHz) along a horizontal axis 902 increasing to the right, and total efficiency is depicted in decibels (dB) along a vertical axis 904 increasing upwards. Total efficiency of the exemplary antenna structure 214 is illustrated in the top plot 906. For comparison, total efficiency of a conventional antenna structure is illustrated in the lower plot 908. A few sample data points are listed in box 910 and indicated on each plot 906, 908 using numbered triangular pointers. The exemplary antenna structure 214 depicted in graph 900 is tuned for the N77 band, commonly referred to as the 5G frequency band used for fifth generation mobile networks, and has dimensions of seventeen-point-five by fourteen-point-five millimetres (17.5 x 14.5 mm).

[0073] The graph 900 shows that the achievable efficiency drops to about eight-point-five decibels (8.5 dB) over the illustrated frequency range. However, the exemplary antenna structure 214 still provides about atwo-point-five decibel (2.5 dB) total efficiency improvement over the frequency range as compared to a conventional patch antenna.

[0074] Thus, while there have been shown, described and pointed out, fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of devices and methods illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the presently disclosed invention. Further, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements, which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results, are within the scope of the invention.

Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.