Antenna incorporated in a touchscreen display screen

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include a handheld device including communications circuitry operable to process communications signals, antenna elements electrically coupled to the communications circuitry and operable to wirelessly communicate radio signals capable of being processed by the communications circuitry, and a touch-sensitive display screen including conductive elements having dual functionality to sense touch inputs and operate as the plurality of antenna elements to wirelessly communicate radio signals capable of being processed by the communications circuitry.

1 . A handheld device comprising:
 communications circuitry operable to process communications signals;   a plurality of antenna elements electrically coupled to the communications circuitry and operable to wirelessly communicate radio signals capable of being processed by the communications circuitry; and   a touch-sensitive display screen including a plurality of conductive elements having dual functionality to sense touch inputs and operate as the plurality of antenna elements to wirelessly communicate radio signals capable of being processed by the communications circuitry.   
     
     
         2 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld device is a smartphone. 
     
     
         3 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive elements include capacitive sensors. 
     
     
         4 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive elements include a plurality of driving lines and a plurality of sensing lines. 
     
     
         5 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein antenna functionality of the plurality of conductive elements is enabled while the touch-sensitive display screen is being used as an touch-sensitive interface. 
     
     
         6 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein antenna functionality of the plurality of conductive elements is disabled while the touch-sensitive display screen is being used as an touch-sensitive interface. 
     
     
         7 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld device is a smartphone and antenna functionality of the plurality of conductive elements is disabled while the smartphone is being used to conduct a telephone call. 
     
     
         8 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive elements is configurable by a user to enable or disable antenna functionality in accordance with the configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld device includes an antenna element in addition to the plurality of antenna elements, the additional antenna element is not part of the touch-sensitive display screen. 
     
     
         10 . The handheld device of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of antenna elements is configured to augment antenna functionality of the additional antenna element. 
     
     
         11 . The handheld device of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of antenna elements is configured to intermittently augment antenna functionality of the additional antenna element. 
     
     
         12 . The handheld device of  claim 9 , wherein the additional antenna element is communicatively coupled to the communications circuitry. 
     
     
         13 . The handheld device of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of antenna elements are operable as Wi-Fi antenna elements and the additional antenna element is a cellular antenna element. 
     
     
         14 . The handheld device of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of antenna elements and the additional antenna element are interdependently enabled. 
     
     
         15 . The handheld device of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of antenna elements are independently enabled from the additional antenna element. 
     
     
         16 . The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of antenna elements are operable as Wi-Fi antenna elements, Bluetooth antenna elements, and cellular antenna elements. 
     
     
         17 . A smartphone device comprising:
 communications circuitry operable to process communications signals;   a plurality of antenna elements coupled to the communications circuitry; and   a touch-sensitive display screen including a plurality of conductive elements operable to control pixels for rendering an image on the touch-sensitive display screen and operable to wirelessly communicate radio signals capable of being processed by the communications circuitry.   
     
     
         18 . A smartphone device comprising:
 a touch-sensitive display screen including a plurality of conductive elements operable to sense touch inputs;   communications circuitry operable to process communications signals;   a plurality of antenna elements operable to wirelessly communicate radio signals capable of being processed by the communications circuitry, the plurality of antenna elements including:
 a plurality of dedicated antenna elements, and the plurality of conductive elements of the touch-sensitive display screen operable to augment antenna functionality of the plurality of dedicated antenna elements to collectively communicate radio signals wirelessly. 
   
     
     
         19 . The handheld device of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of conductive elements are enabled for antenna functionality depending on whether the touch-sensitive display screen is being used as an touch-sensitive interface. 
     
     
         20 . The handheld device of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of conductive elements are enabled for antenna functionality depending on a user specified criterion.