US 7,071,883 B2 · Set-top box having an improved patch antenna

Abstract

A set top box is provided with a patch antenna to wirelessly communicate with other devices. In one embodiment, the set top box has a metallic enclosure with a non-metallic bezel covering the front of the device. A communication circuit board with an imprinted patch antenna is located in the interstitial space between the metallic enclosure and the non-metallic bezel. The communications board preferably comprises a thin (0.06 inch) FR-4 circuit board with etched copper cladding. The patch antenna preferably comprises a ground plane on one side of the circuit board, and a rectangular patch on the opposite side of the circuit board. The patch is side-fed by a microstrip feed. The dimensions of the antenna are selected to optimize the antennas performance in frequency range between 2.400 and 2.483 GHz when located in the above-described interstitial space.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A set-top box comprising:

a metallic enclosure having a front face;
a non-metallic bezel attached to the front face of the enclosure and defining an interstitial space between the front face and the bezel;
and
a communications board located in said interstitial space, wherein the communications board includes:
an FR-4 circuit board having a thickness of 0.06±10% inches;
and
a side-fed patch antenna having the circuit board as a dielectric spacer.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

09/903,242Filed 11 Jul 2001

Published

US 2003/0028902 A16 Feb 2003

Granted

4 Jul 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H01Q 1/2266
Used with computer equipment: disposed inside the computer
H01Q 9/0407
Resonant antennas: substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna
H04N 7/16
Television systems: analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
H04N 7/20
Television systems: adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Set-top box having an improved patch antenna

Life of this patent

Set-top box having an improved patch antenna

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9