Dielectric window antennas for electronic devices
Logo antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable computers. An electronic device may have a housing with conductive housing walls. A logo antenna may be formed from an antenna resonating element such as a patch antenna resonating element, a monopole antenna resonating element, or other antenna resonating element structure. A conductive cavity may be placed behind the antenna resonating element. A dielectric antenna window that serves as a logo may be used to cover the antenna resonating element. The dielectric antenna window may be mounted in an opening in the conductive housing walls. A positive antenna feed terminal may be coupled to the antenna resonating element. A ground antenna feed terminal may be coupled to the cavity and portions of the conductive housing walls. The dielectric antenna window may be shaped in the form of a logo.
1. A portable computer with a logo antenna, comprising:
a lid;
a base pivotably connected to the lid;
a metal housing wall that forms a top surface for the lid;
a dielectric logo structure in the metal housing wall that serves as a dielectric antenna window for the logo antenna;
an antenna resonating element for the logo antenna that is mounted behind the dielectric logo structure, so that radio-frequency antenna signals pass from the antenna resonating element through the dielectric logo structure;
a ground antenna terminal connected to the metal housing wall.
2. The portable computer defined in claim 1 wherein the dielectric logo structure contains text.
3. The portable computer defined in claim 2 wherein the dielectric logo structure comprises a planar plastic member.
4. The portable computer defined in claim 1 wherein the dielectric logo structure comprises a logo-shaped plastic member.
5. The portable computer defined in claim 1 further comprising a conductive antenna cavity for the logo antenna that is mounted behind the antenna resonating element.
6. The portable computer defined in claim 5 wherein the antenna resonating element comprises a patch antenna resonating element.
7. A logo antenna, comprising:
metal antenna ground structures having a ground antenna feed terminal, wherein the metal antenna ground structures comprises metal housing walls in an electronic device;
an inverted-F antenna resonating element having first and second arms and having a positive antenna feed terminal; and
a logo-shaped dielectric antenna window that covers least part of the antenna resonating element.
8. The logo antenna defined in claim 7 wherein the logo-shaped dielectric antenna window comprises plastic.
9. The logo antenna defined in claim 7 wherein the metal antenna ground structures include an antenna cavity.
10. The logo antenna defined in claim 7 wherein:
a first portion of the metal antenna ground structures comprise the metal housing walls;
a second portion of the conductive antenna ground structures comprise a metal antenna cavity; and
the inverted-F antenna resonating element is interposed between the metal antenna cavity and the logo-shaped dielectric antenna window.
11. The logo antenna defined in claim 10 wherein the metal antenna cavity comprises a rectangular metal cavity with vertical sidewalls and a planar rear wall structure that lies parallel to the logo-shaped dielectric antenna window.