Abstract:
An antenna device arranged to facilitate communications within a computer system includes a core wound with an antenna thereon, the antenna further being connected with an electronic board. The core has a high magnetic permeability so as to increase the magnetic field intensity and enhance the efficiency of the antenna device. The wound-core antenna can dramatically reduce the length of the antenna so as to enable the device to fit into a miniature wireless device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an antenna device, and particularly to an antenna device having reduced size to enable the antenna to be mounted in a wireless input/output device such as a computer mouse or keyboard, for enabling wireless communications between the wireless input/output device and a host computer.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    As is well-known, antenna devices are necessary for wireless communication facilities to receive and transmit signals. In general, such antennas are made up of a conductor whose length is determined by wavelengths of the signals to be transmitted or received. However, the wavelength limitation presents problems in the case of wireless computing equipment, in which space is at a premium. In that case, it is known to for the antenna as a coil, in order to reduce the space occupied by the antenna.  
           [0003]    The present invention also utilizes an antenna coil, but with the added feature of a solid, magnetically permeable core. The magnetically-permeable core increases the efficiency of the antenna device without increasing the antenna&#39;s footprint, thereby making the antenna especially suitable for enabling communication between a host computer and its peripherals.  
           [0004]    It is of course known to include wireless receivers, transmitters, or transceivers in a host computer and in peripherals and other devices such as computer mouses, keyboards, game pads, and the like that must communicate with the host computer. However, the known antenna is usually printed on a printed circuit board (PCB), or is simply formed by using a metal wire instead. Such an antenna will still occupy a large space within a wireless device, and thus the device cannot be made as small as possible.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,621 discloses a closed loop antenna printed on a PCB mainly along the peripheral of the wireless device to form an enclosed space. While such antennas may be highly efficient, the ability of the antenna to receive appropriate signals is dependent on the area of the loop, which in turn may limit the size of the peripheral device in which the antenna is situated.  
           [0006]    Another example of a conventional loop antenna is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,050. As disclosed therein, the problem of space occupied by this antenna is solved by extending the antenna along the periphery of a keyboard to increase the area of the loop, and by connecting the loop antenna with a metal plate to close the loop, resulting in a structure that is difficult to implement.  
           [0007]    Finally, International Patent Publication WO02-07260, discloses a printed antenna that is further connected with a three-dimensional antenna loop within a wireless input device. This antenna also occupies a relatively large space inside of the device in which it is positioned, limiting further miniaturization of the device.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is accordingly a primary objective of the present invention is to provide an antenna device that is efficient enough to enable transmission or reception of signals typical of communications within a computer system, and yet that is sufficiently small to meet demands for miniaturization of computer system components.  
           [0009]    According to the present invention, the antenna device is formed by an antenna coil wrapped around a magnetically permeable core, with one or both ends of the antenna being connected to an electronic board within a host computer or corresponding peripheral device to enable communications between the host computer and the peripheral device (or, more generally, between any two devices in a computer system).  
           [0010]    The magnetically permeable core may have a variety of shapes and sizes, including by way of example and not limitation, round, square, solid, or hollow bar shapes, and may be made of any suitable magnetically permeable material including, by way of example and not limitation, ferrite. In addition, the antenna may be made of copper or a similarly conductive material.  
           [0011]    The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the antenna according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the antenna according to the second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the antenna according to the third embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the antenna according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the antenna according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the antenna according to the present invention as applied to a computer mouse.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the antenna according to the present invention as applied to a computer keyboard.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a system of carrying out wireless communication between a computer system and a computer peripheral device utilizing the antenna of the invention\ 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]    In general, the antenna of the invention is in the form of a winding wrapped around a magnetically permeable core. The core may, for example, be made of ferrite or a similar material, and is part of the antenna device installed within a wireless pointing device, wireless input device, wireless output device, wireless receiver, or transceiver, for use in a host computer or in a computer peripheral or electronic device such as a computer mouse, keyboard, or PC camera etc. The core is used to increase the magnetic field intensity and promotes the efficiency of an antenna device. As a result, the length and volume of the antenna can be dramatically reduced to fit into a miniaturized computer-communicating device.  
         [0021]    The first embodiment seen in FIG. 1A has a core  20  wound with an antenna  10 . The length of the antenna  10  depends on the bandwidth of the wireless communicating device, in which it is utilized, and whether the antenna is a single pole or dipole antenna. In general, according to principles well-known in the wireless transmission are, the length of the antenna depends on ¼ or n+¼ multiples of the center wavelength to be received or transmitted, where n is an integer. In order to minimize the length of the antenna, the preference is for a length of about ¼ of the wavelength.  
         [0022]    Referring to FIG. 1B, the core may be in the shape of a cylinder or other hollow solid without loss of efficiency. In practical usage, the shape of the core is not limited to round, square, solid or hollow bars, examples of which are illustrated in FIG. 2A, which shows a square core  60  wound with antenna  50 ; FIG. 2B, which shows a hollow square core  80  wound with antenna  70 ; and FIG. 3, which shows a flat square core  100  winded with antenna  90 .  
         [0023]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although the winding direction of the antenna corresponding to the illustrated cores may either be clockwise or anti-clockwise according to practical conditions, and that the antenna may be made of a variety of suitable conductive materials, including but not limited to copper.  
         [0024]    Please refer to FIG. 4 showing a practical use in a computer mouse  200 . The antenna-wound core can be located at position A, B or C, since the core only occupies a small internal space of the mouse.  
         [0025]    Please refer to FIG. 5 showing another practical use in a computer keyboard  300 . Again, the wound core antenna can be located at a number of positions A, B or C, because the core only occupies a small internal space of the keyboard.  
         [0026]    Please refer to FIG. 6 showing a wireless interconnection between a computer  110  and a peripheral device  120 . The peripheral device  120  has an electronic board  122  (such as a wireless transmitter or transceiver board) arranged to transmit communication signals via antenna  123  to computer  110 . The computer  110  also has an electronic board  115  (such as a wireless receiver or transceiver board) arranged to receive the communication signals via antenna  116 . Conversely, communication signals sent by the computer system  110  are also received by the peripheral device  120 .  
         [0027]    As illustrated in FIG. 6, both ends of the preferred antenna  116  (or  123 ) are connected with the electronic board  115  (or  122 ) so as to form an antenna loop. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that just one end of the antenna  116  ( 123 ) may be connected with the electronic board  115  (or  122 ) when an amplifying circuit (not shown) is located at board  115  (or 122 ).  
         [0028]    The computer system  110  of FIG. 6 has a CPU  111  to store commands in memory  112  via data bus  117  in order to save information in storage  113 . The CPU  111  commands input/output unit  114  to receive an input, and then outputs information via data bus  117  so as to send wireless signals generated by the electronic board  115  via the antenna device  116 .  
         [0029]    The peripheral device  120  also has a CPU  124  to store commands in memory  121  via data bus  126 , the CPU  124  commanding other components  125  to output information via data bus  126  so as to send wireless signals generated by the electronic board  122  from the antenna device  123 . Either the computer system  110  or the peripheral device  120  is a known skill in the state art.  
         [0030]    Pursuant thereto, the present invention easily fits into a minimized wireless device; no matter whether it is installed in connection with a transceiver, receiver or a transmitter.  
         [0031]    Having thus described the present invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention, it nevertheless should be appreciated that the preferred embodiments may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.