CN117748106A - Controlling antenna radiation patterns in an artificial reality device - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosed system may include a support structure including a ground plane connected to a ground line. The system may also include an antenna mounted to the support structure, and a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) including at least one antenna feed configured to drive the antenna. The system may also include a parasitic ground plane extension electrically connected to the ground plane. The parasitic ground plane extension may include specific electrical characteristics that modify the radiation pattern of the antenna using the flow of designed ground current. Various other apparatuses, mobile electronic devices, and methods of manufacture are also disclosed.

Description

Controlling antenna radiation patterns in an artificial reality device

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 63/376,730, filed on month 22 of 2022, and U.S. non-provisional application No. 18/057,963, filed on month 22 of 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and systems for controlling a radiation pattern of an antenna.

Background

The radiation pattern of the antenna may be controlled to improve the omni-directivity of the antenna radiation pattern by: adding or removing other antennas in the vicinity of a particular antenna, optimizing the location of a particular antenna within a mobile device, or using parasitic ground plane extensions. Modern mobile electronic devices typically include a grounded housing, and a printed circuit board (printed circuit board, PCB) with its own grounding system. Such a ground system (or "ground plane") may provide an electrical loop for a plurality of different electronic components including an antenna.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments described herein may be configured to maintain the total radiated power of a mobile device antenna while reducing the directivity of the antenna. In fact, some antennas may radiate electromagnetic waves in a more directional manner or in a more omni-directional manner due to their design. If the directivity of the antennas is too strong, these antennas may be more likely to exceed the gain limit (e.g., 5 dBi) than more omni-directional antennas. This problem may be compounded by the fact that the mobile device may have multiple such antennas radiating cooperatively. Thus, at least some of the various embodiments described herein may implement parasitic ground layer extensions to modify and shape the radiation pattern of one or more antennas on a given mobile device to reduce the directivity of the antenna. By reducing the directivity of the antenna, embodiments herein may make the antenna described herein more omni-directional, thereby ensuring that the gain limit is not exceeded in any given direction.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings illustrate various exemplary embodiments and are a part of the specification. Together with the following description, these drawings illustrate and explain various principles of the disclosure.

Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment in which a mobile electronic device establishes and implements different communication links between the mobile electronic device and other electronic devices.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a part of a mobile electronic device comprising at least two different antennas.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment in which the antenna is positioned in the center of the mobile electronic device to reduce gain.

Fig. 4A and 4B show the directivity pattern and the radiation pattern of a specific antenna.

Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment in which one or more antennas are added to or removed from an area near a particular type of antenna.

Fig. 6A and 6B show the directivity pattern and the radiation pattern of a specific antenna.

Fig. 7A and 7B illustrate embodiments of implementing parasitic ground layer extensions on a mobile electronic device.

Fig. 8A to 8D show the efficiency, directivity and gain patterns, and radiation patterns of a particular type of antenna.

Fig. 9 is a flow chart of an exemplary method for manufacturing a mobile electronic device including one or more of the plurality of antenna architectures described herein.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of exemplary augmented-reality (glasses) that may be used in connection with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11 is an illustration of an exemplary virtual-reality (VR) head-mounted device (head set) that may be used in connection with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers and descriptions refer to similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. While the exemplary embodiments described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the present disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the following appended claims.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and systems for controlling a radiation pattern of an antenna. The radiation pattern of the antenna may be controlled to improve the omni-directivity of the antenna radiation pattern by: adding or removing other antennas in the vicinity of a particular antenna, optimizing the location of a particular antenna within a mobile device, or using parasitic ground plane extensions. Modern mobile electronic devices typically include a grounded housing, and a printed circuit board (printed circuit board, PCB) with its own grounding system. Such a ground system (or "ground plane") may provide an electrical loop for a plurality of different electronic components including an antenna.

During operation, these antennas may be limited in terms of: how much power density can be radiated to the surrounding environment in a given direction. For example, some government regulations may limit the amount of gain of an antenna on a mobile electronic device to 5dBi. In some cases, compliance with these limitations may be achieved by reducing the operating power of the antenna and/or reducing the efficiency of the antenna. However, this may result in a reduction of the total radiated power of the antenna and may eventually reduce the quality of the antenna link.

Embodiments described herein may be configured to maintain the total radiated power of a mobile device antenna while reducing the directivity of the antenna. In fact, some antennas may radiate electromagnetic waves in a more directional manner or in a more omni-directional manner due to their design. If the directivity of the antennas is too strong, these antennas may be more likely to exceed the gain limit (e.g., 5 dBi) than more omni-directional antennas. This problem may be compounded by the fact that the mobile device may have multiple such antennas radiating cooperatively. Thus, at least some of the various embodiments described herein may implement parasitic ground layer extensions to modify and shape the radiation pattern of one or more antennas on a given mobile device to reduce the directivity of the antenna. By reducing the directivity of the antenna, embodiments herein may make the antenna described herein more omni-directional, thereby ensuring that the gain limit is not exceeded in any given direction.

As will be described further below, the antenna directivity may be reduced in a number of different ways. For example, in some cases, the directivity of antennas in a mobile device may be reduced by removing other antennas around a particular antenna whose directivity is to be controlled. For example, if other antennas are present in the vicinity of the antenna to be controlled (e.g., a WiFi antenna), the undesired radiation of these surrounding antennas may constructively or destructively interfere and the directivity of the controlled antenna may be increased or decreased accordingly (e.g., due to reflection). When one or more of these surrounding antennas are added or removed, the undesired radiation of the controlled antenna may be reduced, thereby reducing the directivity of the controlled antenna and allowing the controlled antenna to operate at a higher power level (if needed) without exceeding the gain limit.

Additionally or alternatively, antenna directivity may be reduced by placing the antenna closer to the center of the mobile electronic device than the antenna closer to the edge. In at least some embodiments, the center (or substantially near the center) of the mobile device may provide lower directionality (and thus lower gain) than the edges of the device. This may ensure that the antenna or any combination of antennas (e.g., wiFi, bluetooth, global positioning system (global positioning system, GPS), cellular, ultra Wideband (UWB), or other antennas) remains below the effective isotropic radiated power (effective isotropic radiated power, EIRP) or other specified radiation limit. In some cases, the antenna or group of antennas may be moved to different locations at or near the center of the mobile device to provide an optimal amount of gain for each particular antenna.

Still further, embodiments herein may reduce the directivity of an antenna by adding parasitic ground plane extensions to control the radiation pattern of the antenna. The parasitic ground plane extension may be a separate mechanical component that is fixed to or incorporated into the mobile electronic device. The parasitic ground plane extension may be designed to modify or shape the directivity of the radiation pattern of different antennas. In some cases, a single parasitic ground plane extension may be used, while in other cases, multiple parasitic ground plane extensions may be used in the same device. In some cases, the parasitic ground plane extension may be grounded to at least a portion of a frame or support structure of the mobile device. By controlling the directivity of each antenna, embodiments herein may allow higher radiated power while maintaining EIRP or other specifications.

In some cases, the size, shape, and/or arrangement of the parasitic ground layer extension may be specifically designed to control the shape of the radiation pattern by controlling the flow of ground current near the antenna. This ensures that the radiation pattern is more omnidirectional in nature and does not exceed the gain limit in any given direction. These embodiments will be further described below with reference to fig. 1 to 11.

In accordance with the general principles described herein, features from any of the various embodiments described herein may be used in combination with one another. These and other embodiments, these and other features, and these and other advantages will be more fully understood upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment 100 of a mobile electronic device. The mobile electronic device 101 may be designed to operate in conjunction with other mobile electronic devices or stationary electronic devices. These electronic devices may include smartphones, smartwatches, virtual Reality (VR) Head Mounted Displays (HMDs), augmented reality glasses, laptops, tablets, personal computers, internet of things (internet of things, ioT) devices (e.g., smartphones, refrigerators, coffee machines), or any other electronic device capable of wired or wireless communication. The mobile electronic device 101 may include different types of antennas to communicate over an internal link (e.g., wireless communication between local electronic devices) or over an interconnect link (e.g., wireless communication between remote electronic devices, including wireless connections to the internet). In some cases, mobile electronic device 101 may include a processor, controller, or other processing means for performing at least some amount of distributed processing on a local device connected via an internal link.

For example, the mobile electronic device 101 may provide processing power for a connected VR HMD (e.g., the virtual reality system 1100 of fig. 11) or an artificial reality device (e.g., the augmented reality system 1000 of fig. 10) or a smart watch. In this case, the HMD, glasses or smartwatch may hand over processing tasks to the mobile electronic device 101 where they will be processed. Then, once these tasks are completed, the mobile electronic device 101 may return the processing results to the local electronic device. In this way, the mobile electronic device 101 may communicate with local electronic devices, perform processing on these devices, and return the processing results to these devices. In addition, the mobile electronic device 101 may be connected to a cellular, global navigation satellite system (global navigation satellite system, GNSS) or other remote computer network to retrieve information and communicate the information to a local electronic device. In this manner, mobile electronic device 101 may act as a processing and/or communication hub for these local electronic devices.

In some cases, the local electronic device may include an artificial reality device. These artificial reality devices themselves may include many different types of electronic hardware. For example, in some cases, each artificial reality device may include a head mounted display that provides a virtual reality environment or augmented reality glasses that provide an augmented reality environment. In this case, the HMDs may fully cover both eyes of the user, and the user may be fully immersed in the virtual environment. In other cases, the artificial reality device may include augmented reality glasses or other similar devices. In this case, the augmented reality glasses may allow the user to still see the world around them, but may project virtual objects into the physical world. In this regard, the wearer of the augmented reality glasses may see real world objects, as well as virtual objects projected by the augmented reality glasses onto both eyes of the user. Smartphones, smartwatches, and other mobile electronic devices may be used in conjunction with these artificial reality devices and/or mobile electronic devices 101.

As described above, the mobile electronic device 101 may include multiple types of antennas, sensors, and other electronic components. These antennas may include WiFi antennas, bluetooth antennas, global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas or Global Positioning System (GPS) antennas, cellular antennas (e.g., 5G, 6G, 7G, etc.), ultra Wideband (UWB) antennas, near Field Communication (NFC) antennas, or other types of antennas. The mobile electronic device 101 may also include a microphone, speaker, battery, camera, printed Circuit Board (PCB), touch sensor, buttons, insulating or thermally conductive material for thermal management, instant location and mapping (simultaneous location and mapping, SLAM) sensor, or other components.

In the embodiment 100 of fig. 1, the mobile electronic device 101 may communicate with other local electronic devices or remote electronic devices. As shown in fig. 1, mobile electronic device 101 may communicate with many different types of devices through many different types of antennas or radios. These radios may establish internal links and interconnect links. As the term is used herein, an "internal link" may refer to a wireless communication link between a plurality of local electronic devices within a few hundred feet of the mobile electronic device 101. The term "interconnect link" may refer to a wireless communication link (e.g., a link to a satellite) between a plurality of remote electronic devices at any distance from mobile electronic device 101, including anywhere in the world or in space.

The interconnect link may be established using the following: cellular radio 102 (e.g., long term evolution (long term evolution, LTE), 5G, 6G, 7G, etc.), FR1 frequency radio (e.g., 617MHz to 7.125GHz, see 501 of fig. 5), FR2 frequency radio (e.g., 24.25GHz to 52.66GHz, see 502 of fig. 5), GNSS radio 103, wiFi radio, or other similar communication devices. The internal link may be established using the following: a WiFi or line of sight (LOS) radio (e.g., to a pair of artificial reality glasses 106 or to a smart watch 107, etc.) 104, a bluetooth radio 105, a Near Field Communication (NFC) radio, or other antenna designed to operate within a relatively short distance (e.g., within 1 to 300 feet).

In some embodiments, for example, if a smartphone is unable to make a cellular connection, the smartphone may use an internal link to connect locally to the mobile electronic device 101 and may use an interconnect link connection of the mobile electronic device to communicate with a remote electronic device. In at least some cases, each of these wireless connections may be established using different types of radios, including WiFi, bluetooth, NFC, LOS, or other radios. Thus, the mobile electronic device 101 may communicate with multiple different local electronic devices and/or remote electronic devices simultaneously using multiple different types of radios. In some cases, the combined gain of these antennas may be limited to a specified amount (e.g., 5 dBi). In such a case, embodiments herein may alter various characteristics of the mobile electronic device and/or its antenna to reduce gain and reduce directivity.

For example, fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a mobile electronic device 201, which mobile electronic device 201 may be similar or identical to mobile electronic device 101. The mobile electronic device 201 may include various electronic and mechanical components including a sensor such as the image sensor 202), and antennas such as the antenna 204 and the antenna 206. The antenna 204 and the antenna 206 may be fed by an antenna feeding section 203 and an antenna feeding section 205, respectively. The antenna feed may be electrically connected to and controlled by the main logic board 208. The antenna feed may include a tuner, an amplifier, an impedance matching circuit, a signal processor, or other feed components. In some embodiments, antennas 204 and 206 may be WiFi antennas, in some cases designed to operate simultaneously at the same frequency. In this case, the combined gain of the two antennas may approach or exceed the established limit.

In the embodiments described herein, and as will be explained further below, the gain and directivity of these antennas may be reduced in the following manner while still maintaining a minimum level of operating efficiency: other antennas near these WiFi antennas are removed or added near these WiFi antennas, one or both WiFi antennas are positioned at the center of the mobile device instead of being placed on the edge of the device, or parasitic elements are implemented to control the radiation pattern of the WiFi antennas. Here, it will be appreciated that although many of the embodiments described herein relate to WiFi antennas, the principles disclosed herein may be applied to generally any type of antenna operating at generally any frequency.

Fig. 3 illustrates an embodiment in which antenna directivity may be reduced by placing the antenna closer to the center of the mobile electronic device 301. As described above, when an antenna is placed near the edge of the mobile device 301, the antenna directivity (and thus the gain) may be high. However, in some cases, the gain may be limited for a given antenna or group of two or more antennas. In this case, instead of placing the antennas near the edges of the mobile device 301, one or more of the antennas 302 of the device may be positioned substantially in the center of the device. Since the centrally located antenna is surrounded by other components that may introduce interference, the gain (and directivity) of such an antenna may be reduced.

In some embodiments, the mobile electronic device 301 may include a base or frame (alternatively referred to herein as a "support structure"). The support structure 308 may extend substantially the entire length of the mobile device. In this regard, the center of the support structure 308 may be substantially the center of the mobile device. In some embodiments, various antennas 302 may be located in the center of mobile device 301. In some cases, the antenna moves from the edge 305 of the device to the center of the device. Other antennas (e.g., antenna 304) may still be located at the edge of the mobile device, fed by an antenna feed that is fixed to the mobile device's main logic board 303, which main logic board 303 also controls sensors (e.g., sensor 306) or other components.

By strategically repositioning some of the antennas of the mobile device to the center, the antennas may experience more signal shaping from surrounding components, resulting in less gain and lower directivity. This, in turn, may allow those antennas to operate under established EIRP or other constraints. Fig. 4A shows an embodiment 400 of a graph 401, the graph 401 showing example test results for an edge mounted antenna (402), example test results for a baseline antenna (403), and example test results for a center mounted antenna (404). As can be seen from graph 401, the edge-mounted antenna may experience the highest level of gain and directivity, while the baseline antenna experiences less gain and directivity, and the center-mounted antenna experiences the least amount of gain and directivity.

These results are translated to fig. 4B, which shows three antenna patterns for an antenna operating at 5.15 GHz. The middle radiation pattern 411 shows the radiation pattern of an edge mounted antenna, exhibiting a directivity of 6.61 dB. The upper radiation pattern 410 shows the radiation pattern of the baseline antenna, exhibiting a directivity of 4.87dB, while the lower radiation pattern 412 shows the radiation pattern of the center mounted antenna, which has a directivity of only 4.19 dB. Thus, it can be seen that the center mounted antenna experiences lower gain and lower directivity, which may allow the center mounted antenna to continue to operate even where EIRP or other radiated power limitations impose constraints on how the antenna is allowed to operate.

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of a mobile electronic device 501 that may include various electronic and mechanical components including an antenna 505, an antenna feed 509, a camera 504, and potentially other components. In some embodiments, the mobile electronic device 501 may include antennas that are located in the center of the device or potentially along an edge (e.g., edge 506). In some cases, the directivity of the antennas in the mobile electronic device 501 may be reduced by removing other antennas around the particular antenna whose directivity is to be controlled.

For example, if other antennas are present in the vicinity of the antenna to be controlled (e.g., wiFi antenna 508), the undesired radiation of these surrounding antennas (e.g., at 502 or 503) may constructively or destructively interfere with WiFi antenna 508. Further, the surrounding antennas at 502 or 503 may increase or decrease the directivity of the controlled antenna (e.g., due to reflection) accordingly. In this regard, one or more of the surrounding antennas may be added to or removed from the antenna architecture of the mobile device 501. In this way, undesired radiation of the controlled antenna may be reduced. This in turn may reduce the directivity of the controlled antenna and allow the controlled antenna to operate at higher power levels (if needed) without exceeding applicable gain limits (e.g., EIRP limits).

Fig. 6A and 6B illustrate embodiments 600A and 600B, embodiments 600A and 600B illustrating example test data comparing directivity of a controlled antenna with a baseline antenna. In the example shown in the graph 601, the directivity of the controlled antenna (602) is higher than the directivity of the baseline antenna (603). Thus, in this example, the directivity of the controlled antenna is increased by removing nearby antennas. Similarly, the radiation pattern 604 of fig. 6B shows directivity (6.61 dB) at 5.15GHz that is higher than the directivity (4.87 dB) of the baseline antenna (605) at the same frequency.

Other embodiments may exhibit reduced directivity, for example, by adding nearby antennas that will reshape the antenna radiation pattern, thereby changing directivity. Any of the above embodiments, including repositioning the antenna closer to the center of the mobile device, or adding or removing antennas beside the controlled antenna (e.g., within a maximum or minimum distance from the controlled antenna), may be used in conjunction with the parasitic ground plane extension embodiments described below with reference to fig. 7A-9.

Fig. 7A illustrates an embodiment of a system 700 that may include a support structure 701. The support structure may have a ground layer 707 connected to a ground line (electrical ground) 708. The system 700 may include various antennas including an antenna 704 mounted to a support structure 701. The system may also include a printed circuit board 703, the printed circuit board 703 having an antenna feed 702, the antenna feed 702 configured to drive an antenna 704. The system 700 may also include a parasitic ground plane extension 706. The parasitic ground plane extension 706 may be electrically connected to the ground plane 707 and may include various specific electrical characteristics as follows: the particular electrical characteristic uses the flow of the designed ground current to modify the radiation pattern of the antenna 704.

The parasitic ground plane extension 706 may be formed in different sizes and/or shapes and may be positioned at particular locations on the system 700 to control the flow of ground current in a specified manner. In particular, the parasitic ground layer extension 706 may be sized, shaped, positioned, or otherwise configured to direct the flow of ground current in a manner that reduces the directionality of the antenna 704 (or another antenna). In one embodiment, the parasitic ground layer extension 706 may be sized to include a larger surface area. This larger surface area may draw more ground current to the parasitic ground plane extension 706, thereby reshaping the radiation pattern of the antenna and ultimately changing the directivity of the antenna.

Still further, in some embodiments, the parasitic ground layer extension 706 may be formed in a wider or broad shape that draws more ground current to the parasitic ground layer extension 706, and thus may reduce the directivity of the antenna. Conversely, in other embodiments, the parasitic ground layer extension 706 may be formed in the following shape: the shape is narrower and draws less ground current to the parasitic ground plane extension 706. Such an embodiment may reduce the gain or directivity of the antenna, but to a lesser extent.

In some cases, the parasitic ground plane extension 706 may be positioned at a particular location within the support structure (e.g., near the antenna 704 or far from the antenna, or closer to the ground plane or farther from the ground plane, etc.). In such an embodiment, for example, if the parasitic ground plane extension 706 is positioned closer to the antenna 704, the parasitic ground plane extension 706 may reduce the directivity of the antenna. If the parasitic ground plane extension 706 is positioned farther from the antenna 704, the parasitic ground plane extension 706 may still reduce directivity, but may do so to a lesser extent. In some cases, a specified maximum distance may be established for the parasitic ground plane extension 706, beyond which the parasitic ground plane extension begins to fail. In this case, the parasitic ground plane extension 706 may be positioned within a specified maximum distance from the location of the antenna.

In some embodiments, the parasitic ground layer extension 706 may be grounded to the support structure 701. In other embodiments, the parasitic ground layer extension 706 may be electrically grounded to the ground of the PCB 703. Alternatively, in some cases, the parasitic ground plane extension 706 may be electrically connected to the ground plane of the PCB 703 and the ground plane of the support structure 701. Other ground structures may also be used with the parasitic ground plane extension 706. As described above, the ground layer of the mobile device may have a ground current flowing therethrough. The parasitic ground plane extension 706 may be designed to alter the flow of these currents to shape the radiation pattern of the antenna (e.g., wiFi antenna).

For example, a larger or wider design may cause the parasitic ground layer extension 706 to draw more ground current through the ground layer. Drawing these currents may reduce the directivity of one or more associated antennas more than, for example, a parasitic ground plane extension of smaller or narrower design. Still further, the parasitic ground plane extension 706 may be positioned closer to or farther from the antenna whose gain and/or directivity is to be controlled. The combination of size, shape, and/or location may greatly affect the extent to which the parasitic ground plane extension 706 reduces the directivity and gain of the associated antenna.

Such results are shown in embodiments 800A-800D of fig. 8A-8D. For example, graph 801 of fig. 8A shows the overall operating efficiency of an antenna with a parasitic element (e.g., 802) and an antenna without a parasitic element (e.g., 803), where an antenna implementing a parasitic element exhibits overall efficiency comparable to an embodiment without a parasitic element. This ensures that the total radiated power remains the same in both cases. The graph 805 of fig. 8B shows a significant decrease in directivity measured over a frequency range, with a baseline antenna shown in line 806 and an antenna with parasitic elements shown in line 807. Similarly, in fig. 8C, graph 810 shows that the gain is significantly reduced when the antenna with parasitic element (line 812) is compared to the baseline antenna (line 811). Furthermore, the radiation patterns 815 and 816 of fig. 8D show that directivity decreases significantly from 6.61dB in the baseline antenna (e.g., 815) to 4.41dB in the antenna (e.g., 816) implementing the parasitic element. Thus, as can be seen in these graphs, the parasitic ground plane extension element may provide a measurable and significant difference compared to an embodiment that does not use such an element.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a method of manufacture for providing, forming, creating, or otherwise generating a mobile device: the mobile device includes one or more of the plurality of antenna architectures described herein. The various steps illustrated in fig. 9 may be performed by any suitable manufacturing equipment, including 3D printers, and may be controlled by computer executable code and/or a network computing system. In one example, each of the plurality of steps shown in fig. 9 may represent the following algorithm: the architecture of the algorithm includes and/or is represented by a plurality of sub-steps, examples of which are provided in more detail below.

The manufacturing method 900 of fig. 9 may include: at step 910, a support structure (e.g., support structure 701 of fig. 7) is provided having a ground layer 707 connected to ground line 708. The method 900 of manufacturing may further include: at step 920, at least one antenna 704 is mounted to the support structure, and at step 930, a printed circuit board 703 is provided that includes at least one antenna feed 702 configured to drive the antenna. At step 940, the method 900 of manufacturing may include electrically connecting the parasitic ground layer extension 706 to a ground layer. In this case, the parasitic ground layer extension 706 may include one or more of the following specific electrical characteristics: the one or more specific electrical characteristics modify the radiation pattern of the antenna using the flow of the designed ground current.

In some cases, the method 900 of manufacturing may be implemented to produce a mobile electronic device. Such a mobile device may include a support structure having a ground plane connected to a ground line. The mobile device may further include at least one antenna mounted to the support structure and a printed circuit board including an antenna feed configured to drive the antenna. Still further, the mobile device may include a parasitic ground plane extension electrically connected to the ground plane. The parasitic ground layer extension may include the following specific electrical characteristics: this particular electrical characteristic uses the flow of the designed ground current to modify the radiation pattern of the antenna. In addition to or as an alternative to parasitic ground plane extensions, embodiments described herein may reduce directivity of an antenna or group of antennas by moving one or more antennas of a plurality of antennas to the center of the device and/or by adding or removing antennas in an area surrounding the controlled antenna. In this way, the directivity of the antenna or group of antennas may be controlled to allow efficient operation while still remaining under specified gain limits.

Example embodiment

Example 1: a system may include: a support structure including a ground plane, the ground plane being connected to a ground line; at least one antenna mounted to the support structure; a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) comprising at least one antenna feed configured to drive the antenna; and a parasitic ground plane extension electrically connected to the ground plane, wherein the parasitic ground plane extension includes one or more specific electrical characteristics of: the one or more specific electrical characteristics modify the radiation pattern of the antenna using the flow of the designed ground current.

Example 2: the system of example 1, wherein the flow of the designed ground current is configured to direct the flow of the ground current in a manner that reduces the directivity of the antenna.

Example 3: the system of example 1 or 2, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is formed with a size that reduces directivity of the antenna.

Example 4: the system according to any one of examples 1 to 3, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is formed in a shape that reduces directivity of the antenna.

Example 5: the system of any of examples 1-4, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is positioned at a particular location within the support structure such that a location of the parasitic ground layer extension reduces a directivity of the antenna.

Example 6: the system of any of examples 1-5, wherein a location of the parasitic ground layer extension within the support structure is within a specified maximum distance from a location of the antenna.

Example 7: the system of any of examples 1-6, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is grounded to the support structure.

Example 8: the system of any of examples 1-7, wherein one or more different antennas within a specified minimum distance of the parasitic ground plane extension are removed from the system.

Example 9: the system of any one of examples 1 to 8, wherein one or more different antennas within a specified maximum distance of the parasitic ground plane extension are added to the system.

Example 10: the system of any of examples 1-9, wherein the antenna is located substantially in a center of the support structure.

Example 11: the system of any one of examples 1 to 10, wherein the PCB has a ground line, and wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is electrically connected to the ground line of the PCB.

Example 12: the system of any one of examples 1 to 11, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is electrically connected to a ground line of the PCB and a ground layer of the support structure.

Example 13: a mobile electronic device may include: a support structure including a ground plane, the ground plane being connected to a ground line; at least one antenna mounted to the support structure; a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) comprising at least one antenna feed configured to drive the antenna; and a parasitic ground plane extension electrically connected to the ground plane, wherein the parasitic ground plane extension includes one or more specific electrical characteristics of: the one or more specific electrical characteristics modify the radiation pattern of the antenna using the flow of the designed ground current.

Example 14: the mobile electronic device of example 13, wherein the flow of the designed ground current is configured to direct the flow of the ground current in a manner that reduces the directivity of the antenna.

Example 15: the mobile electronic device of example 13 or 14, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is formed with a size that reduces directivity of the antenna, and wherein the size of the parasitic ground layer extension depends on an amount of conductive material surrounding the antenna.

Example 16: the mobile electronic device of any of examples 13-15, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is formed in a shape that reduces directivity of the antenna, and wherein the shape of the parasitic ground layer extension depends on an amount of conductive material surrounding the antenna.

Example 17: the mobile electronic device of any of examples 13-16, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is positioned at a particular location within the support structure such that a location of the parasitic ground layer extension reduces a directivity of the antenna.

Example 18: the mobile electronic device of any of examples 13-17, wherein the PCB has a ground line, and wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is electrically connected to the ground line of the PCB.

Example 19: the mobile electronic device of any of examples 13-18, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is electrically connected to a ground line of the PCB and a ground layer of the support structure.

Example 20: a method of manufacture may include: providing a support structure comprising a ground layer, the ground layer being connected to an electrical ground; mounting at least one antenna to the support structure; providing a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) comprising at least one antenna feed configured to drive the antenna; and electrically connecting a parasitic ground plane extension to the ground plane, wherein the parasitic ground plane extension includes one or more specific electrical characteristics of: the one or more specific electrical characteristics modify the radiation pattern of the antenna using the flow of the designed ground current.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may include or be implemented in conjunction with various types of artificial reality systems. An artificial reality is a form of reality that has been somehow adjusted before being presented to a user, which may include, for example, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality (mixed reality), or some combination and/or derivative thereof. The artificial reality content may include entirely computer-generated content, or computer-generated content in combination with collected (e.g., real-world) content. The artificial reality content may include video, audio, haptic feedback, or some combination thereof, any of which may be presented in a single channel or multiple channels (e.g., stereoscopic video that brings three-dimensional (3D) effects to the viewer). Additionally, in some embodiments, the artificial reality may also be associated with applications, products, accessories, services, or some combination thereof, e.g., for creating content in the artificial reality, and/or otherwise for the artificial reality (e.g., performing an activity in the artificial reality).

The artificial reality system may be implemented in a variety of different form factors and configurations. Some artificial reality systems may be designed to operate without a near-eye display (NED). Other artificial reality systems may include NEDs that also provide visibility to the real world (e.g., augmented reality system 1000 in FIG. 10), or that visually immerse the user in artificial reality (e.g., virtual reality system 1100 in FIG. 11). While some artificial reality systems may be stand-alone systems, other artificial reality systems may communicate with and/or cooperate with external devices to provide an artificial reality experience to a user. Examples of such external devices include a handheld controller, a mobile device, a desktop computer, a device worn by a user, a device worn by one or more other users, and/or any other suitable external system.

Turning to fig. 10, the augmented reality system 1000 may include an eyeglass device 1002 having a frame 1010 configured to hold a left display device 1015 (a) and a right display device 1015 (B) in front of both eyes of a user. The left display device 1015 (a) and the right display device 1015 (B) may act together or independently to present an image or series of images to a user. Although the augmented reality system 1000 includes two displays, embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in an augmented reality system having a single NED or more than two nes.

In some embodiments, the augmented reality system 1000 may include one or more sensors, such as sensor 1040. The sensor 1040 may generate measurement signals in response to movement of the augmented reality system 1000 and may be located substantially on any portion of the frame 1010. Sensor 1040 may represent one or more of a variety of different sensing mechanisms, such as a position sensor, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a depth camera assembly, a structured light emitter and/or detector, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the augmented reality system 1000 may or may not include the sensor 1040, or may include more than one sensor. In embodiments where the sensor 1040 includes an IMU, the IMU may generate calibration data based on measurement signals from the sensor 1040. Examples of sensors 1040 may include, but are not limited to: accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, other suitable types of sensors that detect motion, sensors for error correction of the IMU, or some combination thereof.

In some examples, the augmented reality system 1000 may also include a microphone array having a plurality of acoustic transducers 1020 (a) through 1020 (J), collectively referred to as acoustic transducers 1020. The acoustic transducer 20 may represent a transducer that detects changes in air pressure caused by sound waves. Each acoustic transducer 1020 may be configured to detect sound and convert the detected sound into an electronic format (e.g., analog format or digital format). The microphone array in fig. 10 may for example comprise ten acoustic transducers: acoustic transducers 1020 (a) and 1020 (B), which may be designed to be placed within respective ears of a user; acoustic transducers 1020 (C), 1020 (D), 1020 (E), 1020 (F), 1020 (G), and 1020 (H), which may be positioned at different locations on frame 1010; and/or acoustic transducers 1020 (I) and 1020 (J) that may be positioned on the corresponding neck strap 1005.

In some embodiments, one or more of the acoustic transducers 1020 (a) to 1020 (J) may be used as an output transducer (e.g., a speaker). For example, acoustic transducer 1020 (a) and/or acoustic transducer 1020 (B) may be an ear bud, or any other suitable type of headphones or speakers.

The configuration of the individual acoustic transducers 1020 in the microphone array may vary. Although the augmented reality system 1000 is shown in fig. 10 as having ten acoustic transducers 1020, the number of acoustic transducers 1020 may be greater or less than ten. In some embodiments, using a greater number of acoustic transducers 1020 may increase the amount of audio information collected and/or increase the sensitivity and accuracy of the audio information. In contrast, using a smaller number of acoustic transducers 1020 may reduce the computational power required by the associated controller 1050 to process the collected audio information. In addition, the location of each acoustic transducer 1020 in the microphone array may vary. For example, the locations of the acoustic transducers 1020 may include defined locations on the user, defined coordinates on the frame 1010, orientations associated with each acoustic transducer 1020, or some combination thereof.

Acoustic transducers 1020 (a) and 1020 (B) may be positioned on different parts of the user's ear, such as behind the outer ear (pinna), behind the tragus, and/or within the auricle (auricle) or ear socket. Alternatively, there may be additional acoustic transducers 1020 on or around the ear in addition to the acoustic transducer 1020 in the ear canal. Positioning the acoustic transducer 1020 near the ear canal of the user may enable the microphone array to collect information about how sound reaches the ear canal. By positioning at least two acoustic transducers of the plurality of acoustic transducers 1020 on both sides of the user's head (e.g., as binaural microphones), the augmented reality system 1000 may simulate binaural hearing and capture a 3D stereoscopic field around the user's head. In some embodiments, acoustic transducers 1020 (a) and 1020 (B) may be connected to augmented reality system 1000 through wired connection 1030, while in other embodiments acoustic transducers 1020 (a) and 1020 (B) may be connected to augmented reality system 1000 through a wireless connection (e.g., a bluetooth connection). In other embodiments, acoustic transducers 1020 (a) and 1020 (B) may not be used in conjunction with augmented reality system 1000 at all.

The plurality of acoustic transducers 1020 on the frame 1010 may be positioned in a variety of different ways including along the length of the earstems (temple), across the bridge, above or below the left display device 1015 (a) and the right display device 1015 (B), or some combination thereof. The acoustic transducer 1020 may also be oriented such that the microphone array is capable of detecting sound over a wide range of directions around a user wearing the augmented reality system 1000. In some embodiments, an optimization process may be performed during manufacture of the augmented reality system 1000 to determine the relative positioning of the individual acoustic transducers 1020 in the microphone array.

In some examples, the augmented reality system 1000 may include or be connected to an external device (e.g., a pairing device), such as a neck strap 1005. The neck strap 1005 generally represents any type or form of mating device. Accordingly, the following discussion of neck strap 1005 may also apply to a variety of other paired devices, such as charging boxes, smartwatches, smartphones, bracelets, other wearable devices, hand-held controllers, tablet computers, laptop computers, other external computing devices, and the like.

As shown, the neck strap 1005 may be coupled to the eyeglass device 1002 via one or more connectors. These connectors may be wired or wireless and may include electronic components and/or non-electronic components (e.g., structural components). In some cases, the eyeglass device 1002 and the neck strap 1005 can operate independently without any wired or wireless connection therebetween. Although fig. 10 shows various components in the eyeglass apparatus 1002 and the neck strap 1005 located at example locations on the eyeglass apparatus 1002 and the neck strap 1005, the components may be located elsewhere on the eyeglass apparatus 1002 and/or the neck strap 1005 and/or distributed across the eyeglass apparatus and/or the neck strap in different manners. In some embodiments, the components of the eyeglass device 1002 and the neck strap 1005 can be located on one or more additional peripheral devices that are paired with the eyeglass device 1002, the neck strap 1005, or some combination thereof.

Pairing an external device (e.g., neck strap 1005) with an augmented reality eyewear device may enable the eyewear device to implement the form factor of a pair of eyewear while still providing sufficient battery power and computing power for the extended capabilities. Some or all of the battery power, computing resources, and/or additional features of the augmented reality system 1000 may be provided by, or shared between, the paired device and the eyeglass device, thereby generally reducing the weight, heat distribution, and form factor of the eyeglass device while still maintaining the desired functionality. For example, the neck strap 1005 may allow components to be included in the neck strap 1005 that would otherwise be included on the eyeglass device because they may bear a heavier weight load on their shoulders than they would bear on their heads. The neck strap 1005 may also have a large surface area through which to spread and dissipate heat to the surrounding environment. Thus, the neck strap 1005 may allow for greater battery power and greater computing power than would otherwise be possible on a stand-alone eyeglass device. Because the weight carried in the neck strap 1005 may be less invasive to the user than the weight carried in the eyeglass device 1002, the user may endure wearing a lighter eyeglass device and carrying or wearing a paired device for a longer period of time than a user would endure wearing a heavy, independent eyeglass device, thereby enabling the user to more fully integrate the artificial reality environment into his daily activities.

The neck strap 1005 may be communicatively coupled with the eyeglass device 1002 and/or to other devices. These other devices may provide certain functions (e.g., tracking, positioning, depth map construction (depth mapping), processing, storage, etc.) to the augmented reality system 1000. In the embodiment of fig. 10, the neck strap 1005 may include two acoustic transducers (e.g., acoustic transducers 1020 (I) and 1020 (J)) that are part of the microphone array (or potentially form their own microphone sub-arrays). The neck strap 1005 may also include a controller 1025 and a power supply 1035.

Acoustic converters 1020 (I) and 1020 (J) in the neck strap 1005 may be configured to detect sound and convert the detected sound into an electronic (analog or digital) format. In the embodiment of fig. 10, acoustic transducers 1020 (I) and 1020 (J) may be positioned on the neck strap 1005, increasing the distance between the neck strap acoustic transducers 1020 (I) and 1020 (J) and other acoustic transducers 1020 positioned on the eyeglass device 1002. In some cases, increasing the distance between the acoustic transducers 1020 in the microphone array may increase the accuracy of the beamforming performed by the microphone array. For example, if acoustic transducers 1020 (C) and 1020 (D) detect sound, and the distance between acoustic transducers 1020 (C) and 1020 (D) is, for example, greater than the distance between acoustic transducers 1020 (D) and 1020 (E), the determined source location of the detected sound may be more accurate than when the sound is detected by acoustic transducers 1020 (D) and 1020 (E).

The controller 1025 in the neck strap 1005 may process information generated by the various sensors on the neck strap 1005 and/or the augmented reality system 1000. For example, the controller 1025 may process information from the microphone array describing the sound detected by the microphone array. For each detected sound, the controller 1025 may perform a direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation to estimate from which direction the detected sound arrived at the microphone array. The controller 1025 may use this information to populate the audio dataset when the microphone array detects sound. In embodiments where the augmented reality system 1000 includes an inertial measurement unit, the controller 1025 may calculate all inertial and spatial calculations from the IMU located on the eyeglass device 1002. The connector may communicate information between the augmented reality system 1000 and the neck strap 1005, and between the augmented reality system 1000 and the controller 1025. The information may be in the form of optical data, electronic data, wireless data, or any other transmissible data. Moving the processing of information generated by the augmented reality system 1000 to the neck strap 1005 may reduce the weight and heat of the eyeglass device 1002, making the eyeglass device more comfortable for the user.

The power supply 1035 in the neck strap 1005 may provide power to the eyeglass device 1002 and/or the neck strap 1005. The power supply 1035 may include, but is not limited to: lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, primary lithium batteries, alkaline batteries, or any other form of electrical storage. In some cases, power supply 1035 may be a wired power supply. The inclusion of the power supply 1035 on the neck strap 1005 rather than on the eyeglass device 1002 may help better disperse the weight and heat generated by the power supply 1035.

As mentioned, some artificial reality systems may use a virtual experience to substantially replace one or more of the user's multiple sensory perceptions of the real world, rather than mixing artificial reality with real reality. One example of this type of system is a head mounted display system that covers a majority or all of a user's field of view, such as virtual reality system 1100 in fig. 11. The virtual reality system 1100 may include a front rigid body 1102 and a band 1104 shaped to fit around the user's head. The virtual reality system 1100 may also include output audio transducers 1106 (a) and 1106 (B). Further, although not shown in fig. 11, the front rigid body 1102 may include one or more electronic components including one or more electronic displays, one or more Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), one or more tracking emitters or detectors, and/or any other suitable device or system for generating an artificial reality experience.

The artificial reality system may include various types of visual feedback mechanisms. For example, the display devices in the augmented reality system 1000 and/or in the virtual reality system 1100 may include: one or more liquid crystal displays (liquid crystal display, LCD), one or more light emitting diode (light emitting diode, LED) displays, one or more micro LED displays, one or more Organic LED (OLED) displays, one or more digital light projection (digital light project, DLP) micro displays, one or more liquid crystal on silicon (liquid crystal on silicon, LCoS) micro displays, and/or any other suitable type of display screen. These artificial reality systems may include a single display screen for both eyes, or one display screen may be provided for each eye, which may provide additional flexibility for zoom adjustment or for correcting refractive errors of the user. Some of these artificial reality systems may also include multiple optical subsystems having one or more lenses (e.g., concave or convex lenses, fresnel lenses, adjustable liquid lenses, etc.) through which a user may view the display screen. These optical subsystems may be used for various purposes, including collimation (e.g., rendering an object at a greater distance than its physical distance), magnification (e.g., rendering an object larger than its physical size), and/or delivery of light (e.g., delivering light to an eye of a viewer). These optical subsystems may be used for direct-view architectures (non-pupil-forming architecture) (e.g., single lens configurations that directly collimate light but produce so-called pincushion distortion) and/or for non-direct-view architectures (pupil-forming architecture) (e.g., multi-lens configurations that produce so-called barrel distortion to counteract pincushion distortion).

Some of the artificial reality systems described herein may include one or more projection systems in addition to, or instead of, using a display screen. For example, a display device in the augmented reality system 1000 and/or in the virtual reality system 1100 may include a micro LED projector that projects light (e.g., using a waveguide) into a display device, such as a transparent combination lens that allows ambient light to pass through. The display device may refract the projected light toward the pupil of the user, and may enable the user to view both the artificial reality content and the real world simultaneously. The display device may use any of a variety of different optical components to achieve this end, including waveguide components (e.g., holographic elements, planar elements, diffractive elements, polarizing elements, and/or reflective waveguide elements), light-manipulating surfaces and elements (e.g., diffractive elements and gratings, reflective elements and gratings, refractive elements and gratings), coupling elements, and the like. The artificial reality system may also be configured with any other suitable type or form of image projection system, such as a retinal projector for a virtual retinal display.

The artificial reality systems described herein may also include various types of computer vision components and subsystems. For example, the augmented reality system 1000 and/or the virtual reality system 1100 may include one or more optical sensors, such as two-dimensional (2D) cameras or 3D cameras, structured light emitters and detectors, time-of-flight depth sensors, single beam rangefinders or scanning laser rangefinders, 3D LiDAR (LiDAR) sensors, and/or any other suitable type or form of optical sensor. The artificial reality system may process data from one or more of these sensors to identify the user's location, map the real world, provide the user with a background related to the real world surroundings, and/or perform various other functions.

The artificial reality system described herein may also include one or more input and/or output audio transducers. The output audio transducer may include a voice coil speaker, a ribbon speaker, an electrostatic speaker, a piezoelectric speaker, a bone conduction transducer, a cartilage conduction transducer, a tragus vibration transducer, and/or any other suitable type or form of audio transducer. Similarly, the input audio transducer may include a condenser microphone, a dynamic microphone, a ribbon microphone, and/or any other type or form of input transducer. In some embodiments, a single transducer may be used for both the audio input and the audio output.

In some embodiments, the artificial reality systems described herein may also include a haptic (i.e., tactile) feedback system, which may be incorporated into headwear, gloves, clothing, hand-held controllers, environmental devices (e.g., chairs, floor mats, etc.), and/or any other type of device or system. The haptic feedback system may provide various types of skin feedback including vibration, thrust, traction, texture, and/or temperature. Haptic feedback systems may also provide various types of kinesthetic feedback, such as motion and compliance. Haptic feedback may be achieved using motors, piezoelectric actuators, fluid systems, and/or various other types of feedback mechanisms. The haptic feedback system may be implemented independently of, within, and/or in combination with other artificial reality devices.

By providing haptic perception, auditory content, and/or visual content, an artificial reality system may create a complete virtual experience or enhance a user's real-world experience in various contexts and environments. For example, an artificial reality system may assist or extend a user's perception, memory, or cognition in a particular environment. Some systems may enhance user interaction with other people in the real world or may enable more immersive interaction with other people in the virtual world. The artificial reality system may also be used for educational purposes (e.g., for teaching or training in schools, hospitals, government institutions, military institutions, businesses, etc.), entertainment purposes (e.g., for playing video games, listening to music, watching video content, etc.), and/or for accessibility purposes (e.g., as a hearing aid, visual aid, etc.). Embodiments disclosed herein may implement or enhance the user's artificial reality experience in one or more of these contexts and environments, and/or in other contexts and environments.

As detailed above, the computing devices and systems described and/or illustrated herein generally represent any type or form of computing device or system capable of executing computer-readable instructions (e.g., those included in the modules described herein). In the most basic configuration of one or more computing devices, each of the one or more computing devices may include at least one storage device and at least one physical processor.

In some examples, the term "storage device" refers generally to any type or form of volatile or non-volatile storage device or medium capable of storing data and/or computer-readable instructions. In one example, a storage device may store, load, and/or maintain one or more of the modules described herein. Examples of storage devices include, but are not limited to, random access Memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), read Only Memory (ROM), flash Memory, hard Disk Drive (HDD), solid-State Drive (SSD), optical Disk Drive, cache Memory, variations or combinations of one or more of the above, or any other suitable Memory.

In some examples, the term "physical processor" refers generally to any type or form of hardware-implemented processing unit capable of interpreting and/or executing computer-readable instructions. In one example, a physical processor may access and/or modify one or more modules stored in the storage device described above. Examples of physical processors include, but are not limited to, microprocessors, microcontrollers, central processing units (Central Processing Unit, CPUs), field-programmable gate arrays (Field-Programmable Gate Array, FPGAs) implementing soft-core processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), portions of one or more of the above, variations or combinations of one or more of the above, or any other suitable physical processor.

Although the modules described and/or illustrated herein are illustrated as separate elements, these modules may represent portions of a single module or portions of a single application. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more of these modules may represent one or more software applications or programs that, when executed by a computing device, may cause the computing device to perform one or more tasks. For example, one or more of the modules described and/or illustrated herein may represent such modules: the modules are stored on and configured to run on one or more of the computing devices or systems described and/or illustrated herein. One or more of these modules may also represent all or part of one or more special purpose computers configured to perform one or more tasks.

Further, one or more of the modules described herein may convert data, physical devices, and/or representations of physical devices from one form to another. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the modules set forth herein may convert a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and/or any other portion of a physical computing device from one form to another by executing on, storing data on, and/or otherwise interacting with the computing device.

In some embodiments, the term "computer-readable medium" refers generally to any form of device, carrier, or medium capable of storing or carrying computer-readable instructions. Examples of computer readable media include, but are not limited to, transmission type media such as carrier waves, and non-transitory type media such as magnetic storage media (e.g., hard Disk drives, tape drives, and floppy disks), optical storage media (e.g., compact disks, CDs), digital video disks (Digital Video Disk, DVDs), and blu-ray disks), electronic storage media (e.g., solid state drives and flash memory media), and other distribution systems.

The process parameters and sequence of steps described and/or illustrated herein are given by way of example only and may be varied as desired. For example, although steps illustrated and/or described herein may be shown or discussed in a particular order, the steps need not be performed in the order illustrated or discussed. The various exemplary methods described and/or illustrated herein may also omit one or more of the steps described or illustrated herein or include additional steps in addition to those disclosed.

The previous description has been provided to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize various aspects of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. The exemplary description is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. In determining the scope of the present disclosure, reference should be made to any claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

The terms "connected to" and "coupled to" (and derivatives thereof) as used in the specification and claims, are to be interpreted as allowing both direct connection and indirect connection (i.e., through other elements or components) unless otherwise indicated. Furthermore, the terms "a" or "an," as used in the description and claims, are to be interpreted as meaning at least one of. Finally, for convenience in use, the terms "comprising" and "having" (and their derivatives) and the word "comprising" are interchangeable and have the same meaning as the word "comprising" as used in the specification and claims.

Claims (20)

1. A system, comprising:

a support structure comprising a ground plane, the ground plane being connected to a ground line;

at least one antenna mounted to the support structure;

a printed circuit board, PCB, the PCB comprising at least one antenna feed configured to drive the antenna; and

a parasitic ground plane extension electrically connected to the ground plane, wherein the parasitic ground plane extension includes one or more specific electrical characteristics of: the one or more specific electrical characteristics modify the radiation pattern of the antenna using the flow of a designed ground current.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow of the designed ground current is configured to direct the flow of the ground current in a manner that reduces the directivity of the antenna.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is formed with a size that reduces directivity of the antenna.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is formed in a shape that reduces directivity of the antenna.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the parasitic ground plane extension is positioned at a particular location within the support structure such that a location of the parasitic ground plane extension reduces directivity of the antenna.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a location of the parasitic ground layer extension within the support structure is within a specified maximum distance from a location of the antenna.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is grounded to the support structure.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more different antennas within a specified minimum distance of the parasitic ground plane extension are removed from the system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more different antennas within a specified maximum distance of the parasitic ground plane extension are added to the system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is positioned substantially in the center of the support structure.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the PCB has a ground line, and wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is electrically connected to the ground line of the PCB.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the parasitic ground plane extension is electrically connected to the ground plane of the PCB and the ground plane of the support structure.

13. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a support structure comprising a ground plane, the ground plane being connected to a ground line;

at least one antenna mounted to the support structure;

a printed circuit board, PCB, the PCB comprising at least one antenna feed configured to drive the antenna; and

a parasitic ground plane extension electrically connected to the ground plane, wherein the parasitic ground plane extension includes one or more specific electrical characteristics of: the one or more specific electrical characteristics modify the radiation pattern of the antenna using the flow of a designed ground current.

14. The mobile electronic device of claim 13, wherein the flow of the designed ground current is configured to direct the flow of the ground current in a manner that reduces the directivity of the antenna.

15. The mobile electronic device of claim 14, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is formed with a size that reduces directivity of the antenna, and wherein the size of the parasitic ground layer extension depends on an amount of conductive material surrounding the antenna.

16. The mobile electronic device of claim 14, wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is formed in a shape that reduces directivity of the antenna, and wherein the shape of the parasitic ground layer extension depends on an amount of conductive material surrounding the antenna.

17. The mobile electronic device of claim 14, wherein the parasitic ground plane extension is positioned at a particular location within the support structure such that a location of the parasitic ground plane extension reduces directivity of the antenna.

18. The mobile electronic device of claim 13, wherein the PCB has a ground line, and wherein the parasitic ground layer extension is electrically connected to the ground line of the PCB.

19. The mobile electronic device of claim 18, wherein the parasitic ground plane extension is electrically connected to the ground plane of the PCB and the ground plane of the support structure.

20. A method of manufacture, comprising:

providing a support structure comprising a ground plane, the ground plane being connected to a ground line;

mounting at least one antenna to the support structure;

providing a printed circuit board, PCB, the PCB comprising at least one antenna feed configured to drive the antenna; and

Electrically connecting a parasitic ground plane extension to the ground plane, wherein the parasitic ground plane extension includes one or more specific electrical characteristics of: the one or more specific electrical characteristics modify the radiation pattern of the antenna using the flow of a designed ground current.