Dynamically adjustable antennas for wearable devices

    公开(公告)号:US10484112B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-11-19

    申请号:US15442463

    申请日:2017-02-24

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device such as a wristwatch may include a housing with a dielectric rear wall. Wireless circuitry in the device may include an antenna formed on or over the rear wall. Matching circuitry may match the impedance of the antenna to the rest of the wireless circuitry. Processing circuitry may gather receive signal strength information and/or phase and magnitude information from radio-frequency signals received through the rear wall. The processing circuitry may track the position of the device and accumulate user statistics over time. The processing circuitry may determine whether changes in loading of the antenna through the dielectric rear housing wall have occurred based on the receive signal strength information, user statistics, and/or phase and magnitude information. If a change is detected, the processing circuitry may adjust the matching circuitry to mitigate any potential antenna detuning as a result of the change.

    Electronic device having multiband antenna with embedded filter

    公开(公告)号:US10290941B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-05-14

    申请号:US15008130

    申请日:2016-01-27

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display in a housing with a metal wall. An antenna may have an antenna ground formed from the wall and an antenna resonating element. Transceiver circuitry may be coupled to an antenna feed that extends between the antenna resonating element and the antenna ground. A return path may extend between the antenna resonating element and the antenna ground in parallel with the feed. The antenna resonating element may have segments that are coupled by a frequency dependent filter. At a first frequency, the filter may have a low impedance so that the antenna resonating element has a first effectively length. At a second frequency that is greater than the first frequency, the filter may have a high impedance so that the antenna resonating element has a second effective length that is shorter than the first effective length.

    Electronic Device Having Angle of Arrival Detection Capabilities

    公开(公告)号:US20210351494A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-11-11

    申请号:US17383275

    申请日:2021-07-22

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry that includes first, second, and third antennas used to determine the position and orientation of the electronic device relative to external equipment. The antennas may include patch elements on respective substrates mounted to a flexible printed circuit. Each substrate may include fences of conductive vias that are coupled to ground and that laterally surround the corresponding patch element. Control circuitry may identify phase differences between the first and second antennas and between the second and third antennas and may identify an angle of arrival of received ultra-wideband signals using the phase differences. The control circuitry may compare the phase differences to a set of predetermined surfaces of phase differences to identify environmental loading conditions for the antenna. The control circuitry may correct the angle of arrival using offsets identified based on the environmental loading conditions.

    Electronic Device Having Dual-Frequency Ultra-Wideband Antennas

    公开(公告)号:US20210135361A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-05-06

    申请号:US17147117

    申请日:2021-01-12

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with antennas for receiving signals in first and second ultra-wideband communications bands. The antennas may include a resonating element formed from conductive traces on a dielectric substrate. The substrate may be mounted to an underlying flexible printed circuit. A fence of conductive vias may extend from the resonating element, through the substrate and the flexible printed circuit, to a ground plane on the flexible printed circuit. The fence may form a return path for the antenna. A shielding ring may be formed on the substrate. Additional fences of vias may couple the shielding ring to the ground plane. If desired, the resonating element may include a patch that is not shorted to the ground plane. The fences of vias, the conductive traces, and the ground plane may form a continuous antenna cavity for the resonating element.

    Electronic Device Having Angle of Arrival Detection Capabilities

    公开(公告)号:US20200021011A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-01-16

    申请号:US16035325

    申请日:2018-07-13

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry that includes first, second, and third antennas used to determine the position and orientation of the electronic device relative to external equipment. The antennas may include patch elements on respective substrates mounted to a flexible printed circuit. Each substrate may include fences of conductive vias that are coupled to ground and that laterally surround the corresponding patch element. Control circuitry may identify phase differences between the first and second antennas and between the second and third antennas and may identify an angle of arrival of received ultra-wideband signals using the phase differences. The control circuitry may compare the phase differences to a set of predetermined surfaces of phase differences to identify environmental loading conditions for the antenna. The control circuitry may correct the angle of arrival using offsets identified based on the environmental loading conditions.

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