IP Library Granted Patent US 8,487,815
Granted Patent B2
US 8,487,815 · App. 12/901,641 · Granted Jul 16, 2013

Mobile wireless communications device antenna assembly with antenna element and floating director element on flexible substrate and related methods

Inventors: Yihong Qi (St. Agatha, CA); Ying Tong Man (Waterloo, CA); Adrian Cooke (Kitchener, CA)
Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,487,815
App. No.
12/901,641
Granted
Jul 16, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a circuit board carried by the portable housing and having a ground plane thereon, wireless communications circuitry carried by the circuit board, and an antenna assembly carried by the housing. More particularly, the antenna assembly may include a flexible substrate, an electrically conductive antenna element on the flexible substrate and connected to the wireless communications circuitry and the ground plane, and a floating, electrically conductive director element on the flexible substrate for directing a beam pattern of the antenna element.

Claims (37)

1. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a housing;

wireless communications circuitry carried by said housing; and

an antenna assembly carried by said housing and coupled to said wireless communications circuitry, said antenna assembly comprising

a flexible substrate,

an electrically conductive antenna element on said flexible substrate and comprising a first loop portion, and

a floating, electrically conductive director element on said flexible substrate and extending outwardly from said first loop portion and configured to direct a beam pattern.

2. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said flexible substrate includes a wrap-around portion adjacent a bottom of said housing.

3. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 2 wherein portions of said electrically conductive antenna element and said floating, electrically conductive director element are on said wrap-around portion.

4. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 3 wherein said electrically conductive antenna element further comprises a first feed point for said wireless communications circuitry and a second feed point for a ground plane both coupled to said first loop portion.

5. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive antenna element further comprises a second loop portion for a frequency range different than a frequency range of said first loop portion and laterally extending outwardly from said first loop portion.

6. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 5 wherein said electrically conductive antenna element has a generally rectangular shape with a plurality of slotted openings therein defining the first and second loop portions.

7. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said floating, electrically conductive director element has an elongate shape.

8. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said housing has a top, bottom, and first and second sides; and wherein said floating, electrically conductive director element extends along one of said first and second sides from the bottom of said housing toward the top.

9. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said floating, electrically conductive director element has a generally rectangular shape with a lower end laterally adjacent said first loop portion and a cut-out adjacent an upper end thereof.

10. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a housing;

wireless communications circuitry carried by said housing; and

an antenna assembly carried by said housing and coupled to said wireless communications circuitry, said antenna assembly comprising

a flexible substrate,

an electrically conductive antenna element on said flexible substrate and comprising a first loop portion for a first frequency range and a second loop portion for a second frequency range different than the first frequency range and laterally extending outwardly from said first loop portion, and

an elongate floating, electrically conductive director element on said flexible substrate and extending vertically outwardly from said first loop portion and configured to direct a beam pattern.

11. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 10 wherein said flexible substrate includes a wrap-around portion adjacent a bottom of said housing.

12. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11 wherein portions of said electrically conductive antenna element and said elongate floating, electrically conductive director element are on said wrap-around portion.

13. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 10 wherein said electrically conductive antenna element further comprises a first feed point for said wireless communications circuitry and a second feed point for a ground plane both coupled to said first loop portion.

14. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 10 wherein said electrically conductive antenna element has a generally rectangular shape with a plurality of slotted openings therein defining the first and second loop portions.

15. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 10 wherein said housing has a top, bottom, and first and second sides; and wherein said floating, electrically conductive director element extends along one of said first and second sides from the bottom of said housing toward the top.

16. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 10 wherein said elongate floating, electrically conductive director element has a generally rectangular shape with a lower end laterally adjacent said first loop portion and a cut-out adjacent an upper end thereof.

17. A method for making a mobile wireless communications device comprising:

mounting an antenna assembly in a housing, the antenna assembly comprising

a flexible substrate,

an electrically conductive antenna element on the flexible substrate and comprising a first loop portion, and

a floating, electrically conductive director element on the flexible substrate and extending outwardly from the first loop portion and configured to direct a beam pattern; and

connecting wireless communications circuitry to the electrically conductive antenna element.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein mounting the antenna assembly comprises wrapping a wrap-around portion of the flexible substrate around a bottom of the housing; and wherein portions of the electrically conductive antenna element and the floating, electrically conductive director element are on the wrap-around portion.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the electrically conductive antenna element further comprises a second loop portion for a frequency range different than a frequency range for the first loop portion and laterally extending outwardly from the first loop portion.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the floating, electrically conductive director element has an elongate shape.

Assignments (4)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 19, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064270/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064104/0103 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 22, 2014
From: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 034030/0941 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2010
From: QI, YIHONG; MAN, YING TONG; COOKE, ADRIAN
To: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 025118/0991 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 11863324 · Sep 28, 2007
Related Publication 20110025567A1 · Feb 3, 2011