JP4734472B2 - Electronics - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device mounted with an antenna.

  Electronic devices such as notebook personal computers include various antennas. Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing apparatus including a wireless module including an antenna. This wireless module includes an IF circuit, an RF circuit, and an antenna. A movable connector is provided in the middle of the transmission path connecting the IF circuit and the RF circuit.

  Patent document 2 is disclosing the antenna apparatus provided with the parabolic antenna. This antenna device includes a parabolic antenna whose parabolic axis is fixed in the vertical direction, and a reflection angle that has a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the parabolic axis of the parabolic antenna and is rotatable in the horizontal direction. And a board.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-209908 JP-A-8-256006

  Some antennas have a relatively strong directivity.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device capable of accurately transmitting a radio wave to a receiving device that receives radio.

Housing one of the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, where the upper wall, a rear wall extending from an end of the upper wall downwardly, and have a before being positioned on the opposite side wall and the rear wall the provided, and the main unit to be used is placed on the desk towards the rear wall to a communication partner, as well as have a display screen, the main unit rotatably coupled to the display screen on the A display unit rotatable between a closed position covered with a wall and an open position where the display screen is exposed ; a circuit board housed in a housing of the main unit and substantially parallel to the upper wall; An antenna mounted on the circuit board and disposed substantially parallel to the upper wall, and having directivity for emitting radio waves in a direction substantially orthogonal to the upper wall, and the antenna and the housing The radio wave disposed between the inner surface and the antenna is emitted from the rear wall. A reflection plate that reflects the radio wave toward the rear wall so as to pass through to the communication partner, and when viewed from a position facing the front wall, the display screen and the communication partner are the same It can be operated in a state positioned in the direction .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a radio wave can be exactly transmitted with respect to the receiver which receives radio | wireless.

1 is a perspective view of an electronic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device shown in FIG. 1. Sectional drawing of the modification of the electronic device shown in FIG. Sectional drawing of the electronic device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is an exemplary plan view of the electronic apparatus shown in FIG. 4. The perspective view of the 2nd reflecting plate shown in FIG. The perspective view which shows the attachment structure of the 2nd reflecting plate shown in FIG. Sectional drawing of the electronic device which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings applied to a notebook personal computer.
(First embodiment)
1 to 3 disclose an electronic apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 1 is a notebook personal computer.

  The electronic device 1 includes a main body unit 2, a display unit 3, and hinge portions 4a and 4b. The main unit 2 is an electronic device main body on which a main circuit board is mounted. The main unit 2 has a housing 5 formed in a flat box shape. The housing 5 has an upper wall 6, a peripheral wall 7, and a lower wall 8. The lower wall 8 is a wall portion facing the placement surface when the electronic device 1 is placed on the placement surface (for example, on a desk). The lower wall 8 extends so as to be substantially parallel to the placement surface.

  The upper wall 6 extends substantially parallel to the lower wall 8 (ie, substantially horizontal) with a space between the upper wall 6 and the lower wall 8. The upper wall 6 supports a keyboard 9 placed on the housing 5. The peripheral wall 7 stands up with respect to the lower wall 8 and connects the peripheral edge of the lower wall 8 and the peripheral edge of the upper wall 6.

  The housing 5 includes a housing base 11 including a part of the peripheral wall 7 and the lower wall 8, and a housing cover 12 including a part of the peripheral wall 7 and the upper wall 6. By combining the housing cover 12 with the housing base 11, the box-shaped housing 5 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the display unit 3 includes a display housing 13 and a display device 14 accommodated in the display housing 13. The display device 14 has a display screen 14a. The display screen 14 a is exposed to the outside of the display housing 13 through the opening 13 a on the front surface of the display housing 13.

  The display unit 3 is supported on the rear end portion of the housing 5 by, for example, a pair of hinge portions 4a and 4b. The display unit 3 is rotatable between a closed position where the display unit 3 is tilted so as to cover the upper wall 6 of the housing 5 from above and an open position where the display unit 3 is raised with respect to the upper wall 6.

  Next, the housing 5 of the main unit 2 will be described in detail. The peripheral wall 7 of the housing 5 has a front wall 16, a left side wall 17, a right side wall 18, and a rear wall 19. The front wall 16 is located at an end portion (front end portion) on the opposite side to the end portion where the hinge portions 4 a and 4 b are provided in the housing 5. The front wall 16 extends in the width direction (left-right direction) of the housing 5 and faces the user when the electronic device 1 is used. In this specification, the near side as viewed from the user is defined as the front and the far side is defined as the rear, and the left and right are defined based on the state viewed from the user.

  The rear wall 19 is located in an end portion (rear end portion) where the hinge portions 4 a and 4 b are provided in the housing 5. The rear wall 19 extends substantially parallel to the front wall 16. The left side wall 17 extends in the depth direction (front-rear direction) of the housing 5 so as to connect the left end portion of the front wall 16 and the left end portion of the rear wall 19. The right side wall 18 extends in the depth direction (front-rear direction) of the housing 5 so as to connect the right end portion of the front wall 16 and the right end portion of the rear wall 19.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a main circuit board 21 is accommodated in the housing 5. The main circuit board 21 is an example of the “circuit board” in the present invention. The “circuit board on which the antenna is mounted” in the present invention may be a circuit board (for example, a circuit board for an antenna) different from the main circuit board. The main circuit board 21 according to the present embodiment is mounted in the housing 5 in a substantially horizontal posture, for example.

  An antenna built-in chip 22 is mounted on the main circuit board 21. The antenna built-in chip 22 is an example of the “antenna” in the present invention. The antenna built-in chip 22 includes an RF chip 23 and a plurality of antenna elements 24 provided on the surface of the RF chip 23. The plurality of antenna elements 24 are arranged in an array, for example.

  The antenna built-in chip 22 is an antenna using a millimeter wave band or a microwave band, for example. A radio wave using a millimeter wave band or a microwave band has characteristics close to light and has a relatively strong directivity. The antenna built-in chip 22 has stronger directivity than, for example, a wireless LAN antenna. The antenna built-in chip 22 radiates a radio wave R (radio wave) in a direction in which the surface on which the antenna element 24 is printed faces.

  An example of the antenna built-in chip 22 is an antenna for WirelessHD (registered trademark). The antenna built-in chip 22 for WirelessHD can send uncompressed HD video by using a millimeter wave of 60 GHz band that can secure a wide band.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna built-in chip 22 is mounted on the main circuit board 21 and mounted in the housing 5 in a substantially horizontal posture. The antenna built-in chip 22 emits a radio wave R in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the main circuit board 21 (that is, a substantially vertical direction). The antenna built-in chip 22 according to the present embodiment emits a radio wave R toward the upper side of the main circuit board 21.

  Here, an example of a receiver that receives the radio wave R emitted from the antenna-mounted chip 22 is mounted on a display device such as a television. That is, the receiver often faces the electronic device 1 (that is, the antenna) from the lateral direction. The “lateral direction” in this specification means “a direction facing the periphery of the electronic device” and includes the front, rear, left side, and right side of the electronic device. Further, the “lateral direction” is not limited to the horizontal direction, and includes a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction (for example, obliquely upward rearward).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic apparatus 1 includes a reflector 31 that reflects the radio wave R emitted from the antenna built-in chip 22 and changes the direction of the radio wave R so as to face the receiver. . The reflecting plate 31 according to the present embodiment is accommodated in the housing 5 in a state where the posture is fixed. The reflector 31 is disposed, for example, above the antenna built-in chip 22 and faces the antenna built-in chip 22. The reflecting plate 31 is disposed in an inclined posture so as to rise rearward with respect to the horizontal.

  The reflecting plate 31 reflects the radio wave R emitted upward from the chip 22 with a built-in antenna toward the lateral direction of the electronic device 1, for example. That is, the reflecting plate 31 converts the radiation direction of the radio wave R by approximately 90 degrees, and changes the radio wave R directed upward to the radio wave R directed laterally. The reflector 31 according to the present embodiment reflects the radio wave R toward the back of the electronic device 1.

  The reflecting plate 31 reflects the radio wave R flying from the lateral direction with respect to the housing 5 and changes the direction of the radio wave R so that the radio wave R is directed to the antenna-containing chip 22. The reflector 31 according to the present embodiment changes the radio wave R flying from the rear to the radio wave R directed downward. The antenna built-in chip 22 receives the radio wave R whose direction is changed by the reflector 31 so as to go to the antenna built-in chip 22.

  An example of the reflecting plate 31 is a metal plate. The material of the reflecting plate 31 is not limited to the above, and can be widely used as long as it reflects the radio wave R in the millimeter wave band or the microwave band. The reflecting plate 31 may be formed of a synthetic resin material provided with a metal foil by, for example, a glass plate or metal plating or electrodeposition coating. As shown in FIG. 2, the reflecting plate 31 has an area larger than the antenna element mounting area M of the antenna built-in chip 22 in the radiation direction of the radio wave R of the antenna built-in chip 22 (vertical direction in the present embodiment). The “antenna element mounting area” refers to a region where the antenna element 24 is disposed in the antenna built-in chip 22 (that is, a region where a radio wave is emitted).

  As shown in FIG. 2, at least the rear wall 19 in the housing 5 is formed of a synthetic resin material through which the radio wave R can pass. In the case 5 according to the present embodiment, both the case base 11 and the case cover 12 are made of a synthetic resin material. The radio wave R reflected by the reflecting plate 31 passes through the housing 5 and is emitted to the outside of the housing 5.

  The housing 5 (for example, the housing cover 12) has a holding structure (not shown) that holds the reflecting plate 31, for example. Instead of providing the housing 5 with a holding structure, the reflecting plate 31 may be held by a holding structure installed on the main circuit board 21.

  According to the electronic device 1 having such a configuration, when the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted is mounted in the housing 5, the mounting structure in the housing 5 can be optimized. That is, for example, when mounting a relatively strong antenna such as WirelessHD, it is necessary to direct the radiation direction of the antenna toward the communication partner (receiver) as it is, and mounting of the antenna and the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted Position and posture are subject to various restrictions.

  For example, when the antenna built-in chip 22 is mounted in a vertically standing posture in order to emit the radio wave R in the lateral direction, the thickness of the housing 5 is set to the size of the RF chip 23 (for example, about 3 cm × A thickness of 3 cm) or more is required. That is, since the thickness of the mounting structure related to the antenna is restricted by the size of the RF chip 23, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the housing 5.

  Therefore, the electronic apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a reflecting plate 31 that reflects the radio wave R in an arbitrary direction by using a characteristic of reflecting the radio wave R such as a millimeter wave band or a microwave band. . By providing the reflection plate 31, restrictions on directivity are reduced, and the degree of freedom of the mounting position and posture of the antenna and the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted can be improved. When the degree of freedom of the mounting position and orientation of the antenna and the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted is increased, an optimal mounting structure suitable for, for example, downsizing and thinning of the housing 5 can be realized.

  If the reflecting plate 31 is built in the housing 5, the entire electronic device 1 can be made compact. By making the reflecting plate 31 a fixed type with a built-in housing, the holding structure of the reflecting plate 31 can be made relatively simple. If the reflector 31 has an area larger than the antenna element mounting area M of the antenna in the radiation direction of the radio wave R of the antenna, the radio wave R emitted from the antenna can be changed with high efficiency. it can.

  When the reflector 31 is disposed above the antenna and reflects the radio wave R emitted upward from the antenna in the lateral direction, the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted is substantially horizontal in the housing 5. Can be arranged. For example, since the antenna for WirelessHD has a relatively large chip size, if the circuit board on which the chip with built-in antenna 22 for WirelessHD is mounted can be arranged substantially horizontally in the housing 5, the housing 5 is thin. Greatly contributes to

  FIG. 3 shows one of the modifications of the electronic device 1 according to the embodiment. The housing 5 of the electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 3 is formed of a metal material. The rear wall 19 of the housing 5 includes an opening 35 that faces the reflecting plate 31. A cover member 36 made of a synthetic resin material is attached to the opening 35. The radio wave R reflected by the reflecting plate 31 passes through the cover member 36 and is emitted to the outside of the housing 5. Even with such a structure, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, an electronic apparatus 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure which has the same or similar function as the structure of the said 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted. The configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the electronic apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a second reflector 41 in addition to the reflector 31 (hereinafter referred to as the first reflector 31 for distinction). I have. The second reflecting plate 41 is provided outside the housing 5. The second reflecting plate 41 is detachably attached to the housing 5. The second reflecting plate 41 faces the first reflecting plate 31, further reflects the radio wave R reflected by the first reflecting plate 31, and changes the radiation direction of the radio wave R. The second reflecting plate 41 is movable with respect to the housing 5, and the user can manually adjust the posture of the second reflecting plate 41 to an arbitrary direction and angle, for example.

  The same applies to the reception of the radio wave R, and the radio wave R flying from the outside of the housing 5 is sequentially reflected by the second reflector 41 and the first reflector 31 and received by the antenna built-in chip 22. The The user can adjust the reception sensitivity by manually adjusting the posture of the second reflecting plate 41 to an arbitrary direction and angle.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the second reflector 41 includes a main body portion 42, a first hinge portion 43, and a pair of second hinge portions 44a and 44b. The main body 42 is formed in a plate shape and is formed of a material that can reflect the radio wave R. The first hinge portion 43 has a first rotation shaft 45. As shown in FIG. 7, the first rotation shaft 45 is inserted into an attachment hole 46 provided in, for example, the rear wall 19 of the housing 5 and can rotate with respect to the attachment hole 46. That is, the first rotation shaft 45 can rotate with respect to the housing 5 (in FIG. 6, it can rotate in the A direction).

  The second hinge portions 44 a and 44 b are connected to the main body portion 42. The pair of second hinge portions 44a and 44b sandwich the first hinge portion 43 therebetween. Between the 1st hinge part 43 and 2nd hinge part 44a, 44b, the 2nd rotating shaft 47 is provided, respectively. The second rotation shaft 47 is disposed, for example, perpendicular to the first rotation shaft 45, and can rotate about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the first rotation shaft 45 (in FIG. 6, It can be rotated in the B direction). The second reflecting plate 41 includes the first and second rotating shafts 46 and 47, so that the second reflecting plate 41 can be tilted in any of the vertical and horizontal directions. For example, FIG. 4 is an example in which the radio wave R is reflected obliquely upward. FIG. 5 shows an example in which the radio wave R is reflected sideways.

  According to the electronic device 1 having such a configuration, when the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted is mounted in the housing 5, the mounting structure in the housing 5 can be further optimized. That is, by providing the second reflecting plate 41 outside the housing 5, restrictions on directivity are further reduced, and the degree of freedom of the mounting position and posture of the antenna and the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted can be improved. it can.

  In particular, by providing the second reflecting plate 41 that is freely movable outside the housing 5, the radiation direction of the radio wave R can be freely directed to an arbitrary direction by adjusting the second reflecting plate 41. it can. For this reason, it is possible to greatly improve the degree of freedom of the mounting position and posture of the antenna and the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted.

  For example, in the case where a mobile device such as a notebook personal computer incorporates an antenna having relatively strong directivity, if the direction of the antenna is fixed, the mobile device casing itself needs to be directed toward the receiver. Therefore, the convenience as a mobile device is impaired, for example, the installation position and installation direction of the mobile device are restricted.

  However, by providing the second reflecting plate 41 that is freely movable outside the housing 5 as in the present embodiment, the degree of freedom of the installation position and installation direction of the mobile device can be improved. The convenience can be demonstrated.

  If the second reflecting plate 41 is detachable from the housing 5, the second reflecting plate 42 can be removed when the second reflecting plate 41 is not needed, such as when wireless communication is not performed. . Thereby, the convenience as a mobile device can further be improved.

  The second reflecting plate 41 has a first rotating shaft 45 that can rotate with respect to the housing 5, and a second rotating shaft 47 that is arranged perpendicular to the first rotating shaft 45. The second reflecting plate 41 can be tilted in any direction, up, down, left, and right, and restrictions on directivity are further reduced.

  Here, instead of providing the reflector 41 outside the housing 5, it is also conceivable that the circuit board itself on which the antenna is mounted is taken out of the housing 5 and a hinge structure is provided between the circuit board and the housing. It is done. However, in that case, since the circuit board needs a heat dissipation mechanism, the circuit board itself becomes large, and further, a cable for transmitting video data needs to be passed through the hinge structure that supports the circuit board. End up.

  On the other hand, by providing the second reflecting plate 41 outside the housing 5 as in the present embodiment, the structure that appears outside the housing 5 can be made relatively thin and small, and the hinge structure is also compared. It is small and simple and advantageous in size.

(Third embodiment)
Next, an electronic apparatus 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the structure which has the same or similar function as the structure of the said 1st and 2nd embodiment attaches | subjects the same code | symbol, and abbreviate | omits the description. The configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the electronic apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a circuit board 51 on which the antenna built-in chip 22 is mounted. The circuit board 51 is provided separately from the main circuit board 21 and is mounted in the housing 5 in an upright posture. The circuit board 51 and the antenna built-in chip 22 according to the present embodiment face the right side wall 18 of the housing 5, for example. The antenna built-in chip 22 emits a radio wave R in the lateral direction. The circuit board 51 and the antenna built-in chip 22 may be arranged so as to face the left side wall 17, the rear wall 19, or the front wall 16 of the housing 5.

  An example of the reflector 41 according to the present embodiment is the same as the second reflector 41 according to the second embodiment. That is, the reflection plate 41 is provided outside the housing 5 and is detachable from the housing 5. The reflecting plate 41 is movable with respect to the housing 5, and the user can manually adjust the posture of the reflecting plate 41 to an arbitrary direction and angle, for example. The reflection plate 41 includes first and second rotating shafts 46 and 47, and can be tilted in any of the vertical and horizontal directions. The reflector 41 reflects the radio wave R emitted from the antenna-mounted chip 22 in the lateral direction toward an arbitrary direction toward the receiver.

  According to the electronic device 1 having such a configuration, when the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted is mounted in the housing 5, the mounting structure in the housing 5 can be further optimized. That is, by providing the reflecting plate 41 outside the housing 5, restrictions on directivity are reduced, and the degree of freedom of the mounting position and posture of the antenna and the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted can be improved.

  In particular, by providing the reflector 41 that is freely movable outside the housing 5, the radiation direction of the radio wave R can be freely directed in an arbitrary direction by adjusting the reflector 41. For this reason, it is possible to greatly improve the degree of freedom of the mounting position and posture of the antenna and the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted.

  The electronic apparatus 1 according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to these. The components according to the first to third embodiments can be used in appropriate combination. Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the gist thereof in the implementation stage.

  For example, in the first and second embodiments, the reflector 31 reflects the radio wave R toward the back of the electronic device 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. As the reflecting plate 31, the radio wave R may be reflected in front of the electronic device 1, on the left side, or on the right side. Further, the reflecting plate 31 is not limited to the one that reflects the radio wave R in the horizontal direction, but may be one that reflects the radio wave R in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction (for example, obliquely upward rearward).

  In addition, the antenna is mounted on the lower surface of the circuit board and emits a radio wave downward, and the reflector 31 is disposed below the circuit board, and the radio wave emitted downward from the antenna is transmitted to the side of the electronic device 1. It may be a structure that reflects in the direction.

  In the second embodiment, the second reflector 41 is not limited to the one attached to the rear wall 19 of the housing 5, but is attached to the front wall 16, the left side wall 17, the right side wall 18, or the like. May be. In the third embodiment, the reflecting plate 41 is not limited to being attached to the right side wall 18 of the housing 5 but may be attached to the front wall 16, the left side wall 17, the rear wall 19, or the like. . The part to which the reflection plate 41 (second reflection plate 41) is attached may be anywhere as long as it is outside the housing 5.

  The reflection plate 41 (second reflection plate 41) may include only one of the first and second rotation shafts 46 and 47 and may be configured to be rotatable about one axis. The reflector 41 is not detachable from the housing 5 and may be fixed. On the other hand, the reflection plate 31 (first reflection plate 31) may be movably provided in the housing 5.

  In the second and third embodiments, the housing 5 is formed of a metal material, and an opening 35 is provided in a part of the housing 5 through which radio waves pass, and the opening 35 is formed of a synthetic resin material. A cover member 36 may be attached.

  R ... Radio wave, 1 ... electronic device, 5 ... housing, 21,51 ... circuit board, 22 ... chip with built-in antenna (antenna), 31 ... reflecting plate (first reflecting plate), 41 ... reflecting plate (second) , 45... First rotating shaft, 47... Second rotating shaft.

Claims (4)

A top wall, a rear wall extending downward from an end portion of the upper wall, with chromatic was a housing of this rear wall and front wall which is located opposite, toward the rear wall to the correspondent A main unit used on a desk ,
As well as have a display screen, the main unit pivotally connected to a closed position in which the display screen is covered by the top wall, the display can be rotated between an open position where the display screen is exposed Unit,
A circuit board housed in a housing of the main unit and substantially parallel to the upper wall;
An antenna that is mounted on the circuit board and is disposed substantially parallel to the upper wall, and having directivity from which radio waves are emitted in a direction substantially orthogonal to the upper wall;
The radio wave is disposed between the antenna and the inner surface of the housing, and reflects the radio wave toward the rear wall so that the radio wave emitted from the antenna passes through the rear wall toward the communication partner. And a reflecting plate
An electronic device operable when the display screen and the communication partner are positioned in the same direction when viewed from a position facing the front wall .   In the description of claim 1,
  The communication partner is an electronic device that is a display device on which the content transmitted by the radio wave is displayed. In the description of claim 1 or claim 2 ,
The antenna is an electronic device using millimeter waves or microwaves. In the description of claim 1 or claim 3 ,
The antenna is an electronic device having an RF chip and a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array on the surface of the RF chip.

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