Appliance including an antenna using a portion of appliance as a ground plane

An appliance comprising:

• a housing including an internal compartment, wherein at least a portion of the housing comprises an electrically conductive portion;
• an antenna for at least one of receiving RF signals and transmitting RF signals from/in a first direction, wherein the antenna comprises an active component and a connection to said electrically conductive portion such that said electrically conductive portion serves as a ground plane of said antenna, wherein the ground plane is positioned behind the active component relative to the first direction;
• a coaxial cable having a center pin and a metal sheath surrounding the center pin;
• and
• a conductive plate electrically coupled to said center pin;
• wherein said housing further comprises a door frame and a door assembly detachably mounted to said door frame and having a closed position and an open position for allowing user ingress into said internal compartment,
• wherein said active component of said antenna is disposed at said door assembly, and
• wherein said conductive plate is mounted to said door frame and is spaced apart but proximate to said door assembly when said door assembly is in the closed position such that said conductive plate is capacitively coupled to said active component of said antenna when said door assembly is in the closed position.

An appliance comprising:

• a housing including an internal compartment;
• a door assembly having a closed position and an open position for allowing user ingress into said internal compartment;
• a window provided in said door assembly for allowing viewing of the internal compartment from outside the compartment, said window including:
• an interior glass substrate having an interior surface facing said internal compartment and an exterior surface;
• an exterior glass substrate having an interior surface facing said exterior surface of said interior glass substrate and an exterior surface;
• and
• at least one transparent conductive layer;
• and
• an antenna for at least one of receiving RF signals and transmitting RF signals from/in a first direction, wherein said antenna comprises an active component and a connection to said at least one transparent conductive layer such that said at least one transparent conductive layer serves as a ground plane of said antenna,
• wherein the active component is positioned between the interior glass substrate and the exterior glass substrate and the at least one transparent conductive layer is disposed behind the active component relative to the first direction.

An appliance comprising:

• a housing including an internal compartment, wherein at least a portion of the housing comprises an electrically conductive portion, wherein said housing comprises a light fixture for illuminating said internal compartment;
• and
• an antenna for at least one of receiving RF signals and transmitting RF signals from/in a first direction, wherein the antenna comprises an active component and a connection to said electrically conductive portion such that said electrically conductive portion serves as a ground plane of said antenna,
• wherein said active component of said antenna is disposed in said light fixture, and wherein the ground plane is positioned behind the active component relative to the first direction,
• wherein said light fixture includes a transparent cover, and
• wherein said active component of said antenna is disposed on a surface of said transparent cover that faces said internal compartment, wherein said transparent cover includes a transparent conductive coating on an opposite surface, and wherein said electrically conductive portion is said transparent conductive coating such that said transparent conductive coating constitutes said ground plane of said antenna.