Proximity sensor antenna device and antenna structure thereof

An antenna structure includes a first conductor, a high-frequency blocking unit, and a second conductor. The first conductor includes a feeding segment, a coupling segment spaced apart from the feeding segment, and a DC blocking unit connected between the feeding segment and the coupling segment. The high-frequency blocking unit is connected to the coupling segment. The second conductor is spaced apart from the first conductor and couples with the coupling segment. An end of the second conductor is connected to a ground, and the second conductor is provided without connecting any capacitance member and any inductance member. The coupling segment is used as a capacitor electrode for detecting an external object. When the coupling segment is in a capacitor electrode mode, a capacitance value between the coupling segment and the external object is variable according to a distance between the coupling segment and the external object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to an antenna device; in particular, to a proximity sensor (P-sensor) antenna device and an antenna structure thereof.

2. Description of Related Art

For controlling radiation intensity generated by a hand-held electronic device to a user, a P-sensor is added to an antenna, which is applied to wireless wide area network (WWAN), in a hand-held electronic device for detecting a distance between the user and the antenna. A protection mechanism can be started by using the P-sensor to reduce radiation of the antenna, thereby decreasing the radiation intensity generated by the hand-held electronic device to the user.

Please refer toFIG. 1, which shows a conventional antenna structure1a. The conventional antenna structure1ahas a radiating portion11aconnected to a ground, and the radiating portion11acan be used as a capacitance electrode of a P-sensor2aby connecting to at least one capacitor12a. In other words, the conventional antenna structure1amust be provided with the capacitor12aconnecting the radiating portion11ato the ground, obviously causing the development of antenna structure to be restricted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure provides a proximity sensor antenna device and an antenna structure thereof to solve the problem of conventional antenna devices.

The present disclosure provides a proximity sensor antenna device including an antenna structure and a proximity sensor. The antenna structure includes a first conductor, a high-frequency blocking unit, and a second conductor. The first conductor has a feeding segment for connecting to a signal feeding cable, a coupling segment spaced apart from the feeding segment, and a direct current (DC) blocking unit connected between the feeding segment and the coupling segment. The high-frequency blocking unit is connected to the coupling segment of the first conductor. The second conductor is spaced apart from the first conductor. Moreover, an end of the second conductor is connected to a ground, and the second conductor is provided without connecting any capacitance member and any inductance member. The coupling segment of the first conductor is selectively in a coupling antenna mode and in a capacitance electrode mode. When the coupling segment is in the coupling antenna mode, the coupling segment is configured to couple with the second conductor through a radiofrequency signal. When the coupling segment is in the capacitance electrode mode, the coupling segment is configured to detect an external object, and a capacitance value between the coupling segment and the external object is variable according to a distance between the coupling segment and the external object. The proximity sensor is electrically connected to the high-frequency blocking unit. The proximity sensor is electrically connected to the coupling segment of the first conductor via the high-frequency blocking unit.

The present disclosure also provides an antenna structure of a proximity sensor antenna device. The antenna structure includes a first conductor, a high-frequency blocking unit, and a second conductor. The first conductor has a feeding segment for connecting to a signal feeding cable, a coupling segment spaced apart from the feeding segment, and a direct current (DC) blocking unit connected between the feeding segment and the coupling segment. The high-frequency blocking unit is connected to the coupling segment of the first conductor. The second conductor is spaced apart from the first conductor. Moreover, an end of the second conductor is connected to a ground, and the second conductor is provided without connecting any capacitance member and any inductance member. The coupling segment of the first conductor is selectively in a coupling antenna mode and in a capacitance electrode mode. When the coupling segment is in the coupling antenna mode, the coupling segment is configured to couple with the second conductor through a radiofrequency signal. When the coupling segment is in the capacitance electrode mode, the coupling segment is configured to detect an external object, and a capacitance value between the coupling segment and the external object is variable according to a distance between the coupling segment and the external object.

In summary, the high-frequency blocking segment connected to the P-sensor is connected to the coupling segment of the first conductor, so that the second conductor spaced apart from the first conductor does not need to be a capacitance electrode of the P-sensor and does not need to connect to any capacitance member or any inductance member. Thus, the antenna structure (or the P-sensor antenna device) of the present disclosure has a low producing cost and is different from the conventional antenna structure.

In order to further appreciate the characteristics and technical contents of the present disclosure, references are hereunder made to the detailed descriptions and appended drawings in connection with the present disclosure. However, the appended drawings are merely shown for exemplary purposes, and should not be construed as restricting the scope of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

First Embodiment

Reference is made toFIGS. 2 through 4, which show a first embodiment of the present disclosure. References are hereunder made to the detailed descriptions and appended drawings in connection with the present disclosure. However, the appended drawings are merely provided for exemplary purposes, and should not be construed as restricting the scope of the present disclosure.

As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, the present embodiment discloses a proximity sensor antenna device (P-sensor antenna device)100for installing in an electronic apparatus (not shown), and the P-sensor antenna device100is provided to cooperate with a signal feeding cable200of the electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus can be a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a global positioning system (GPS), a hand-held electronic device (i.e., a smart phone), or a wearable apparatus (i.e., a smart watch).

The P-sensor antenna device100includes an antenna structure1and a proximity sensor module (P-sensor module)2electrically connected to the antenna structure1. The antenna structure1has a first conductor11, a high-frequency blocking unit12connected to the first conductor11, and a second conductor13.

The first conductor11has a feeding segment111for inputting signals, a coupling segment112spaced apart from the feeding segment111, and a direct current (DC) blocking unit113connected between the feeding segment111and the coupling segment112. The feeding segment111is configured to (electrically) connect the signal feeding cable200, and the coupling segment112is electrically connected to the feeding segment111via the DC blocking unit113. Specifically, the DC blocking unit113includes two coupling portions1131spaced apart from each other. The two coupling portions1131are respectively and integrally connected to the feeding segment111and the coupling segment112, and the two coupling portions1131are configured to couple with each other to generate a capacitance effect.

The feeding segment111and the coupling segment112are electrically connected to each other by using the two separately arranged coupling portions1131to couple with each other, so that the first conductor11can be formed by using a semiconductor process. That is to say, the first conductor11can be formed without installing an independent electronic component (e.g., a capacitor) which may affect a radiation effect of the antenna structure1, so that the production cost of the antenna structure1can be reduced.

In addition, the DC blocking unit113having the two coupling portions1131in the present embodiment is used as an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As shown inFIG. 4, the DC blocking unit113can be a capacitor connected between the feeding segment111and the coupling segment112.

The high-frequency blocking unit12is connected to the coupling segment112of the first conductor11, and the high-frequency blocking unit12in the present embodiment, such as an inductor, can generate an inductance effect. Moreover, a connection part of the high-frequency blocking unit12and the coupling segment112is preferably arranged close to the DC blocking unit113, such that most of the coupling segment112can be used as a capacitance electrode. The P-sensor2is connected to the high-frequency blocking unit12, and the P-sensor2is electrically connected to the coupling segment112of the first conductor11via the high-frequency blocking unit12.

The second conductor13is spaced apart from the first conductor11, and the second conductor13can be used to couple with the coupling segment112of the first conductor11through a radiofrequency (RF) signal. One end of the second conductor13is connected to a ground, and the other end of the second conductor13is a free end. It should be noted that the second conductor13in the present embodiment is not used as a capacitance electrode of the P-sensor2, so that the second conductor13is provided without having to connect to any capacitance member and any inductance member. Thus, the antenna structure1of the present embodiment has a low production cost (i.e., the numbers of the capacitance member and the inductance member are reduced) and is different from conventional antenna structures.

Specifically, the coupling segment112of the first conductor11is selectively in a capacitance electrode mode and in a coupling antenna mode. When the coupling segment112is in the capacitance electrode mode, the coupling segment112is configured to be an capacitance electrode for detecting an external object300(i.e., person), and a capacitance value between the coupling segment112and the external object300is variable according to a distance between the coupling segment112and the external object300. When the coupling segment112is in the coupling antenna mode, the coupling segment112is configured to couple with the second conductor13through a RF signal.

Moreover, when the coupling segment112is in the capacitance electrode mode, the DC blocking unit113is substantially identical to an open-circuit, so that a detecting signal received by the coupling segment112cannot travel into the feeding segment111. When the coupling segment112is in the coupling antenna mode, the high-frequency blocking unit12is substantially identical to an open-circuit, so that the RF signal cannot travel into the P-sensor2.

Specifically, when a detecting signal travels in the coupling segment112of the antenna structure1, the DC blocking unit113has a high impedance (such as an open-circuit) and the high-frequency blocking unit12has a low impedance (such as a short-circuit), and thus the coupling segment112can be used as a capacitance electrode of the P-sensor2. When a RF signal emitted from the second conductor13travels in the coupling segment112of the antenna structure1, the DC blocking unit113has a low impedance (such as a short-circuit) and the high-frequency blocking unit12has a high impedance (such as an open-circuit). Thus the high-frequency blocking unit12can be used to effectively isolate the P-sensor2from the RF signal traveling in the coupling segment112, and the first conductor11and the second conductor13are coupled through the RF signal so as to construct a mono-pole antenna.

When the external object300is far from the antenna structure1, a RF transmission function of the electronic apparatus (not shown) including the P-sensor antenna device100of the present disclosure is not affected by the P-sensor2. When the external object300is close to the antenna structure1, the capacitance value between the coupling segment112of the first conductor11and the external object300increases, causing the P-sensor2to emit a corresponding signal to the electronic apparatus so as to reduce the radiation of RF signal (e.g., Specific Absorption Rate) generated by the electronic apparatus. Thus, when a user closely operates the electronic apparatus, the near field electromagnetic radiation intensity generated by the electronic apparatus can comply with standards of different countries.

Second Embodiment

Reference is made toFIG. 5, which shows a second embodiment of the present disclosure. The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, and the identical features are not described. The different feature between the two embodiments is that the antenna1further includes a first inductance unit14and a first expanding electrode segment15.

Specifically, one end of the first inductance unit14is connected to the coupling segment112of the first conductor11, and the other end of the first inductance unit14is connected to the first expanding electrode segment15, so that the coupling segment112and the first expanding electrode segment15are configured to co-detect the external object300when the coupling segment112is in the capacitance electrode mode. That is to say, the coupling segment112and the first expanding electrode segment15are used as a capacitance electrode of the P-sensor2.

In addition, in other embodiments (not shown) of the present disclosure, the first inductance unit14can be connected to an end of the coupling segment112arranged away from the feeding segment111.

Third Embodiment

Reference is made toFIG. 6, which shows a third embodiment of the present disclosure. The third embodiment is similar to the second embodiment, and the identical features are not described. The different feature between the two embodiments is that the antenna1further includes a second inductance unit16and a second expanding electrode segment17.

Specifically, one end of the second inductance unit16is connected to the coupling segment112of the first conductor11, and the other end of the second inductance unit16is connected to the second expanding electrode segment17, so that the coupling segment112, the first expanding electrode segment15, and the second expanding electrode segment17are configured to co-detect the external object30when the coupling segment112is in the capacitance electrode mode. That is to say, the coupling segment112, the first expanding electrode segment15, and the second expanding electrode segment17are used as a capacitance electrode of the P-sensor2.

Moreover, the second inductance unit16is connected to an end of the coupling segment112arranged away from the feeding segment111(i.e., the left end of the coupling segment11as shown inFIG. 6). According to the second and third embodiments of the present disclosure, one of the first inductance member14and the second inductance member16can be connected to an end of the coupling segment112arranged away from the feeding segment111.

The Effect of the Present Disclosure

In summary, the high-frequency blocking segment connected to the P-sensor is connected to the coupling segment of the first conductor, so that the second conductor spaced apart from the first conductor does not need to be a capacitance electrode of the P-sensor and does not need to connect to any capacitance member or any inductance member. Thus, the antenna structure (or the P-sensor antenna device) of the present disclosure has a low production cost and is different from conventional antenna structures.

Moreover, the two coupling portions of the DC blocking unit are respectively and integrally connected to the feeding segment and the coupling segment, so that the first conductor can be formed by using a semiconductor process. That is to say, the first conductor can be formed without installing an independent electronic component (e.g., a capacitor) which may affect a radiation effect of the antenna structure, and the production cost of the antenna structure can be reduced.

In addition, the first expanding electrode segment and/or the second expanding electrode segment of the present disclosure can be used to effectively expand the area of the capacitance electrode of the P-sensor, thereby promoting the operating performance of the P-sensor.