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Apple Patents Nearly Invisible 'Microslot Antennas' Allowing for Smaller Devices
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Being published in an ARRL handbook would constitute "prior art", not a prior patent.
However, patents are routinely granted when they are nothing but an improvement on an earlier patent. Incorporating a slot antenna into a computer and/or a cell phone would be considered patentable, separate from a slot antenna patent (or prior art).
That's what I'm wondering. If they're only microns wide, it seems like they'd be terribly prone to distortion from even slight stresses on the case. Maybe they'd have a stiff, nonconductive backing reinforcement?
Some of the original patents for slot antennas date back to 1938. This particular implementation is not very novel, except the slot widths are less than I've used before (I've looked at 0.5mm designs previously). IIRC the efficiency goes down a bit with small slot widths (high Rrad i think). Loads of prior art on this.
Like they ripped off Apple's current antenna design right? Oh wait, nobody did this because it's crappy. Becaus of this "great" design (at least partly) iPhone is the only LTE-enabled phone on Verizon that is uncapable of simultaneous voice and data transfer. The only reason for such design is Apple's preference for form over function. Nobody else does it.
I'm betting the directionality concerns would prohibit you from placing this in a conductive medium such as aluminum.
Maybe 3-5 years from now, I'll not be bringing with me my broadband prepaid usb stick every-time I go out with my Macbook Pro. I mean, I have to insert the usb broadband connection, eject, insert, eject...
Year 2016: Inserting a broadband usb stick to your Mac is a thing of the past. 4G LTE, built-in on every Mac.
Read the AppleInsider article. The slots can be filled in with another material like plastic or epoxy.
You dont read the content before posting, do you? This patent was filed back in 2007.
Patents ENCOURAGE innovation because they protect companies that spend their own dollars on R & D.
That patent helps companies recover R & D costs. Without that patent other companies would swoop in and steal that idea at zero expense.... which would prohibit the inventor from recouping their R & D costs. If you don't have that patent protection, there is NO incentive for a company to spend billions of dollars trying to invent the next wheel. Their R & D expenses would essentially bring zero profit for them.... and would allow copycat companies a free ride. This would all STIFLE innovation by reducing the amount spent on R & D. Patents actually protect companies that work hard to find something new. Without that protection their R & D is basically a free gift to their competitors.
You ever squint and try and see the tiny holes the pulsing light on your laptop hides behind. Crazy!
This looks a bit like the drawing in:MacRumors said:
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/16/prototype-3g-macbook-pro-actually-had-a-magsafe-antenna/
...just with a different antenna.
Probably from the same Apple internal lab?
Just like a mailslot=basketball magnet. most dust is way bigger than a few microns.
Good, I've been wondering when they were going to make the iPhone 5 thinner. That sucker is way too thick for me!
Quit your bitching.
weird
I've never understood why this is such a big problem when the entire front of the device is glass. But those Apple engineers are pretty bright folks, so I suppose it is an issue.
I've never understood why this is such a big problem when the entire front of the device is glass. But those Apple engineers are pretty bright folks, so I suppose it is an issue.
Same here; It's reassuring to hear, there's all kinds research going on all the time, even if some of it, for various reasons, never makes it to market.
Maybe there's a way to also implement this antenna technology in an all-aluminum Time Capsule, and solve all the pre-mature failure problems with those units (due to built-in power supplies overheating).
Oh, right. I guess there's that, but what about the rest of the bezel? Although the new screens are all one part glass & all. Probably hard to get an antenna connected to the chips in that case.