IP Library Granted Patent US 11,239,551
Granted Patent B2
US 11,239,551 · App. 16/741,495 · Granted Feb 1, 2022

System and method for an antenna system co-located at a speaker grill

Inventors: Suresh K. Ramasamy (Cedar Park, TX); Changsoo Kim (Cedar Park, TX); Timothy C. Shaw (Austin, TX); Geroncio O. Tan (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products, LP
H01Q1/44H01Q13/18H04R1/023
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,239,551
App. No.
16/741,495
Granted
Feb 1, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information handling system to wirelessly transmit and receive data may include a processor; a memory; an input/output (I/O) device; a wireless adapter; a metal C-cover to house a speaker grill, the speaker grill covering a speaker to emit audio waves; the speaker grill formed within the C-cover to emit a target radio frequency (RF), including: a slot formed around an operative antenna portion of the speaker grill forming a peninsula of the speaker grill in the C-cover; an antenna cavity formed on a back side of the peninsula, the antenna cavity including walls formed around the cavity in the back side of the peninsula; and a tuning module operatively coupled to the speaker grill to excite the speaker grill and dynamically switch frequencies based on the target frequency to be emitted by the speaker grill.

Claims (46)

1. An information handling system to wirelessly transmit and receive data comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

an input/output (I/O) device;

a wireless adapter;

a metal C-cover to house a speaker grill, the speaker grill covering a speaker to emit audio waves;

the speaker grill formed within the metal C-cover to emit a target radio frequency (RF), including:

a slot formed around an operative antenna portion of the speaker grill forming a peninsula of the speaker grill in the metal C-cover;

an antenna cavity formed on a back side of the peninsula, the antenna cavity including walls formed around the antenna cavity in the back side of the peninsula; and

a tuning module operatively coupled to the speaker grill to excite the speaker grill and dynamically switch frequencies based on the target RF to be emitted by the speaker grill.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein a width of the slot formed in the metal C-cover is selected to isolate portions of the peninsula as a RF transmitting device.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein a length of the slot formed in the metal C-cover around the operative antenna portion of the speaker grill is selected based on a lowest operating frequency to be emitted by the speaker grill.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein a length of the slot in the metal C-cover of the speaker grill is 160 mm.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein a width of the slot is 1.5 mm.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the antenna cavity is defined by a shielding wall formed at the C-cover, a sidewall of a D-cover, a back wall of the D-cover.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plastic trim ring wherein a perimeter of the speaker grill includes a trench and the slot with an undercut portion to receive the plastic trim ring.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the tuning module includes a tunable capacitor integrated circuit to alter a port termination of the speaker grill, a tuning of the speaker grill, a phase shift of the speaker grill, or any combination thereof.

9. A C-cover and D-cover assembly for an information handling system chassis comprising:

a speaker grill made of metal in the C-cover of a base chassis portion of the information handling system chassis, the speaker grill covering a speaker;

a slot formed through the C-cover and around a portion of the speaker grill and physically and operatively separating the portion of the speaker grill from the C-cover as an antenna;

a cavity formed on a back side of the separated portion of the speaker grill, the cavity including walls formed around and along a perimeter of the separated portion of the speaker grill by metal of the D-cover base wall, D-cover sidewalls, and a shielding wall insolating a remainder of the base chassis; and

a tuning integrated circuit operatively coupled to the speaker grill to excite the speaker grill and dynamically switch frequencies based on a target frequency to be emitted by the speaker grill.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising an antenna feed across the slot tied to the perimeter of the speaker grill forming a current path to the tuning integrated circuit.

11. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the length and width of the slot formed around the portion of the speaker grill is selected based on a lowest operating frequency to be emitted by the speaker grill.

12. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein a length of the slot along a single edge of the speaker grill is 40 mm and wherein a width of the slot is 1.5 mm.

13. The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) including the tunable integrated circuit;

an antenna feed; and

a connection point to operatively couple the tunable integrated circuit to the speaker grill.

14. The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a trim ring made of RF transparent material to fill the slot.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein an entire perimeter of the speaker grill includes a trench and the slot with an undercut portion to receive the trim ring.

16. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the tuning integrated circuit includes a tunable capacitor to alter a port termination of the speaker grill, a tuning of the speaker grill, a phase shift of the speaker grill, or any combination thereof.

17. An information handling system to transmit a communication signal comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

an input/output (I/O) device;

a wireless interface adapter including a tuning integrated circuit;

a speaker grill formed into a C-cover of the information handling system and operatively coupled to the tuning integrated circuit to receive excitation currents at the speaker grill, the speaker grill including:

a slot formed through the C-cover and around a portion of the speaker grill forming a peninsula on the speaker grill that operates as an antenna tuned to a target RF band based on the length of the slot; and

a cavity formed on a back side of the peninsula, the cavity including walls formed around and along a perimeter of the back side of the peninsula.

18. The information handling system of claim 16 , wherein the length and width of the slot formed around the portion of the speaker grill is selected based on a lowest operating wavelength to be emitted by the speaker grill.

19. The information handling system of claim 16 , further comprising:

an undercut formed within the slot; and

a plastic trim ring compression molded into the undercut and slot.

20. The information handling system of claim 16 , wherein the tuning integrated circuit includes a tunable capacitor to alter a port termination of the speaker grill, a tuning of the speaker grill, a phase shift of the speaker grill, or any combination thereof.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053311/0169) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052216/0758) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0680 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AF REEL 052243 FRAME 0773 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0152 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 26, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 052243/0773 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Mar 24, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052216/0758 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 13, 2020
From: RAMASAMY, SURESH K.; KIM, CHANGSOO; SHAW, TIMOTHY C.; TAN, GERONCIO O.
To: DELL PRODUCTS, LP
Reel/Frame 051500/0337 →