The history of laptop computers began with IBM's first portable computer, the IBM 5100, introduced in 1975. Wireless internet connections and antenna designs for laptops were nonexistent until the release of the 802.11 protocol in 1997, which provided up to 2 Mbit/s link speeds. The 802.11b standard, introduced in 1999, allowed laptop connections on the 2.4 GHz band with speeds up to 11 Mbit/s [1]. Early laptops required an additional PCMCIA card for wireless connectivity, typically using monopole antennas with dual polarization [2]. Between 1999 and 2000, companies like IBM (ThinkPad T20 series) [3] and Apple (iBook) [4] introduced laptops with integrated WLAN antennas. This innovation led to more frequent appearances of WLAN antenna designs in the literature. In 2003, the 802.11g standard was introduced, offering speeds up to 54 Mbit/s using the 2.4 GHz frequency band [5]. The 802.11n standard, known as Wi-Fi 4, was released in 2007 and became widespread by 2009. It operated on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, utilizing MIMO technology to achieve data rates up to 600 Mbit/s [6]. Consequently, from 2001 to 2007, many dual-band antenna designs for WLAN 2.4/5 GHz bands in laptops appeared in the literature [7, 8]. In 2013, the 802.11ac standard, also known as Wi-Fi 5, was introduced, exclusively using the 5 GHz band and enhancing speeds through wider channel bandwidths of up to 160 MHz, supporting speeds up to several gigabits per second. From 2013 to 2019, antenna designs focused more on tablet computers with metallic frames rather than conventional laptop designs [9, 10].
In 2019, the advent of 802.11ax, commonly referred to as Wi-Fi 6, improved on previous standards by increasing efficiency and capacity. Wi-Fi 6 operates on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, offering speeds up to 9.6 Gbit/s. In 2020, Ofcom and the FCC announced the opening of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use to provide additional spectrum for increased bandwidth and reduced congestion. Consequently, the Wi-Fi Alliance extended Wi-Fi 6 into the 6 GHz band, making it usable for 802.11ax as well, now known as Wi-Fi 6E. At this time, many laptop antenna designs covering the entire Wi-Fi 6E spectrum—2.4 GHz (2400-2480 MHz), 5 GHz (5150-5925 MHz), and 6 GHz (5925-7125 MHz)—were reported [11, 12]. In 2021, Wi-Fi 7, also known as IEEE 802.11be, was first discussed and announced. It is expected to utilize techniques such as 320 MHz channel bandwidth and 4K-QAM, with speeds up to 30 Gbit/s, making it suitable for advanced applications such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and ultra-high-definition video streaming. As 2024 marks 25 years of Wi-Fi and the official release of Wi-Fi 7, this Keynote Talk will focus on the evolution of laptop antenna designs over this fascinating quarter century.
References
[1] [On-line] https://www.digitaldreamsjaipur.com/the-rise-of-laptops-1975-2020/
[2] Shyh-Tirng Fang, A novel polarization diversity antenna for WLAN applications, in IEEE Antennas Propag. Soc. Int. Symp. Dig., pp. 282-285, 2000.
[3] [On-Line] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_ThinkPad_T20_series
[4] [On-Line] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBook
[5] C.M. Su and K.L. Wong, “Narrow flat-plate antenna for 2.4 GHz operation,” Electronics Letts, 39, 4, February 2003, pp. 344-345.
[6] [On-line] https://www.draytek.co.uk/information/blog/blog-wifi-history
[7] Y. L. Kuo, T. W. Chiou, and K. L. Wong, “A novel dual-band printed inverted-F antenna,” Microwave and Opt Technol Letts, 31, 5, December 2001, pp. 353-355.
[8] C. M. Su, W. S. Chen, Y. T. Cheng, and K. L. Wong, “Shorted T-shaped monopole antenna for 2.4/5 GHz WLAN operation,” Microw. Opt. Technol. Lett., 41, May 2004, pp. 202-203.
[9] K. L. Wong and C. Y. Tsai, “Low-profile dual-wideband inverted-T open slot antenna for the LTE/WWAN tablet computer with a metallic frame,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., 63, 7, July 2015, pp. 2879-2886.
[10] C. Y. Tsai and K. L. Wong, “Half-loop frame antenna for the LTE metal-casing tablet device,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., 65, 1, January 2017, pp. 71-81.
[11] S. W. Su and C. C. Wan, “Asymmetrical, self-isolated laptop antenna in the 2.4/5/6 GHz Wi-Fi 6E Bands,” in Proc. Int. Symp. Antennas Propag., Taipei, Taiwan, pp. 1-2, 2021.
[12] C. Y. D. Sim, et.al. “Low profile laptop antenna design for Wi-Fi 6E band,” IEEE Antennas Wireless Propag. Lett., 22, 1, Jan. 2023. pp. 79-83