Electronic devices with millimeter wave antennas and metal housings

    公开(公告)号:US10862195B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-12-08

    申请号:US16357165

    申请日:2019-03-18

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more antennas. The antennas may include millimeter wave antenna arrays. Non-millimeter-wave antennas such as cellular telephone antennas may have conductive structures separated by a dielectric gap. In a device with a metal housing, a plastic-filled slot may form the dielectric gap. The conductive structures may be slot antenna structures, inverted-F antenna structures such as an inverted-F antenna resonating element and a ground, or other antenna structures. The plastic-filled slot may serve as a millimeter wave antenna window. A millimeter wave antenna array may be mounted in alignment with the millimeter wave antenna window to transmit and receive signals through the window. Millimeter wave antenna windows may also be formed from air-filled openings in a metal housing such as audio port openings.

    Electronic device antennas having multiple signal feed terminals

    公开(公告)号:US10833410B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-11-10

    申请号:US15902907

    申请日:2018-02-22

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may include a conductive housing and an antenna. The antenna may include an arm formed from a first segment of the housing. A gap may separate the first segment from a second segment. Respective first and second slots may separate an antenna ground from the first and second segments. The antenna may have a first positive antenna feed terminal on the first segment and a second positive antenna feed terminal on the second segment. A transmission line may include a signal conductor having a first branch coupled to the first positive antenna feed terminal and a second branch coupled to the second positive antenna feed terminal. A switch may be interposed on the second branch for switching the antenna between a first mode in which the second slot is directly fed and a second mode in which the second segment is indirectly fed by the first segment.

    Electronic Device having Adjustable Antenna Settings

    公开(公告)号:US20200274570A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-08-27

    申请号:US15930298

    申请日:2020-05-12

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may include control circuitry, sensors, and wireless circuitry having antennas. The sensors may generate sensor data that is used by the control circuitry to identify an operating environment for the device. The sensor data may include a grip map generated by a touch-sensitive display, infrared facial recognition image signals or other image signals, an angle of arrival of sound received by a set of microphones, impedance data from an impedance sensor, and any other desired sensor data. The control circuitry may use the sensor data, radio-frequency spatial ranging data, information about whether audio is being played over an ear speaker, and/or information about communications protocols in use to identify the operating environment. The control circuitry may adjust antenna settings for the wireless circuitry based on the identified operating environment to ensure that the antennas operate with satisfactory antenna efficiency regardless of operating conditions.

    Computer Stylus Having Integrated Antenna Structures

    公开(公告)号:US20200097102A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-03-26

    申请号:US16143009

    申请日:2018-09-26

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: A computer stylus may be provided that includes an elongated body with a tip and an opposing end coupled together by a shaft that includes a metal tube. The stylus may include a substrate at the end of the elongated body and conductive traces on the substrate. The conductive traces on the substrate may form an antenna ground, an antenna resonating element arm, and a return path. The antenna resonating element arm may be a helical structure that wraps around the substrate. The antenna ground formed from the conductive traces may be coupled to the metal tube using an intermediate metal layer. A cap structure formed at the opposing end and over the substrate may be interposed between the conductive traces and adhesive to protect the conductive traces from the adhesive. A metal portion of the cap structure may serve as an antenna signal reflector.

    Electronic device having coupler for tapping antenna signals

    公开(公告)号:US10571502B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-02-25

    申请号:US15784752

    申请日:2017-10-16

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Inventor: Mattia Pascolini

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. Control circuitry may be used to adjust transmit power levels for wireless signals, may be used to tune antennas, and may be used to adjust other settings for the wireless circuitry. The electronic device may have a coupler interposed between an antenna and wireless transceiver circuitry. The coupler and a receiver within the transceiver circuitry may be used to make measurements on tapped antenna signals such as transmitted signals and signals reflected from the antenna. By analyzing the tapped antenna signals, S-parameter phase and magnitude information may be gathered that provides insight into whether the electronic device is operating properly and whether an external object is adjacent to the antenna. If an external object is present, the electronic device may limit wireless transmit power and may adjust tunable components in the antenna to compensate for detuning from the external object.

    Electronic Device Wide Band Antennas
    108.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20200044316A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-02-06

    申请号:US16584106

    申请日:2019-09-26

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device such as a wristwatch may have a housing with metal sidewalls and a display having conductive display structures. The display structures may be separated from the sidewalls by a slot for an antenna that runs around the display module. A conductive interconnect may be coupled between the sidewalls and the display structures. A feed and tuning element may be coupled between the display structures and the sidewalls. A first length of the slot from the interconnect to the tuning element may radiate in a satellite band and a cellular band. A second length of the slot from the interconnect to the feed may radiate in a 2.4 GHz band. Harmonics of the second length may radiate in bands at and above 5.0 GHz. If desired clip and blade structures may form conductive paths for coupling antenna elements.

    Antenna Arrays Having Conductive Shielding Buckets

    公开(公告)号:US20190267718A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-08-29

    申请号:US15906979

    申请日:2018-02-27

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a sidewall, a display module separated from the sidewall by a gap a display cover, a conductive bucket mounted to the display cover within the gap, and a phased antenna array mounted to the bucket for conveying millimeter wave signals through the display cover. The sidewall may form part of an antenna for conveying non-millimeter wave signals. The array may include resonating elements on a substrate. The resonating elements may be fed using feed terminals coupled to alternating sides of the resonating elements. Dielectric layers having a dielectric constant lower than that of the display cover may be provided on a surface of the display cover within the bucket. The array may operate with satisfactory efficiency despite the small amount of available space within the device, electromagnetic interference from the sidewall and the display module, and dielectric loading by the display cover.

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