Antenna incorporated in a display screen

Abstract

A handheld device can include an encasing, communications circuitry contained within the encasing, and a display screen associated with the encasing. The display screen can include a light emitting panel, a transparent panel, and an antenna panel disposed between the light emitting panel and the transparent panel. The antenna panel can include at least one antenna element electrically coupled to the communications circuitry. The antenna element is at least semitransparent to light emitted from the light emitting panel.

1 . A handheld device, comprising:
 an encasing;   communications circuitry contained within the encasing; and   a display screen associated with the encasing, the display screen including:
 a light emitting panel; 
 a transparent panel; and 
 an antenna panel disposed between the light emitting panel and the transparent panel, the antenna panel including at least one antenna element electrically coupled to the communications circuitry, and the antenna element being at least semitransparent to light emitted from the light emitting panel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld device is a smartphone. 
     
     
         3 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the display screen is a touch-sensitive display screen. 
     
     
         4 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the light emitting panel is a thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display panel. 
     
     
         5 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the antenna element is printed on the antenna panel. 
     
     
         6 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the antenna element is sprayed on the antenna panel. 
     
     
         7 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the antenna element is chemically grown on the antenna panel. 
     
     
         8 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the antenna element on the antenna panel is a first antenna element configured to intermittently augment a second antenna element that is not included in the display screen. 
     
     
         9 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the light emitting panel, the transparent panel, and the antenna panel are press-fit together to form the displays screen. 
     
     
         10 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the display screen is a touch-sensitive display screen and the antenna element is enabled only while the touch-sensitive display screen is being used as an touch-sensitive interface. 
     
     
         11 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the display screen is a touch-sensitive display screen and the antenna element is disabled while the display screen is not being used as a touch-sensitive interface. 
     
     
         12 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld device is a smartphone, the display screen is a touch-sensitive display screen, and the antenna element is disabled while the smartphone is being used for conducting a telephone call. 
     
     
         13 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the antenna element is configurable by a user to enable or disable antenna operations in accordance with the user configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent panel is a first transparent panel, the antenna panel is a first antenna panel, and the antenna element is a first antenna element, the encasing further comprising:
 a second transparent panel forming a portion of an exterior surface of the handheld device; and   a second antenna panel disposed behind the second panel relative to an exterior of the encasing and including a second antenna element being at least semitransparent to visible light.   
     
     
         15 . The handheld device of  claim 14 , wherein the second antenna element is communicatively coupled to the communications circuitry. 
     
     
         16 . The handheld device of  claim 14 , wherein the first antenna element is a Wi-Fi antenna element and the second antenna element is a cellular antenna element. 
     
     
         17 . The handheld device of  claim 14 , wherein the first antenna element and the second antenna element are dependently enabled. 
     
     
         18 . The handheld device of  claim 14 , wherein the first transparent panel is a glass panel and the second transparent panel is a glass panel. 
     
     
         19 . A handheld device, comprising:
 an encasing;   communications circuitry contained within the encasing; and   a display screen associated with the encasing, the display screen including:
 a transparent antenna panel including at least one antenna element that is electrically coupled to the communications circuitry and is at least semitransparent to light emitted by the display screen. 
   
     
     
         20 . A smartphone, comprising:
 an encasing having at least a portion that is at least semitransparent to visible light;   communications circuitry contained within the encasing; and   an antenna element integrated in the at least a portion of the encasing, wherein the antenna element is electrically coupled to the communications circuitry and is at least semitransparent to visible light.