Electronic devices with dielectric resonator antennas

    公开(公告)号:US11728569B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-08-15

    申请号:US17111131

    申请日:2020-12-03

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: H01Q9/0485 H01Q1/243 H01Q21/0075

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array and a display cover layer. The phased antenna array may include a dielectric resonator antenna. The dielectric resonator antenna may include a dielectric resonating element embedded in a lower permittivity dielectric substrate. The substrate and the resonating element may be mounted to a flexible printed circuit. A slot may be formed in ground traces on the flexible printed circuit and aligned with the resonating element. The slot may excite resonant modes of the resonating element. The resonating element may convey corresponding radio-frequency signals through the cover layer. A dielectric matching layer may be interposed between the resonating element and the cover layer. If desired, the slot may radiate additional radio-frequency signals and the matching layer may have a tapered shape. Dielectric resonator antennas for covering different polarizations and frequencies may be interleaved across the array.

    Multi-Layer Matching Structures for High Frequency Signal Transmission

    公开(公告)号:US20220109464A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-04-07

    申请号:US17223888

    申请日:2021-04-06

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may include a transmission line path having a signal conductor embedded in a substrate. A contact pad may be patterned on a surface of the substrate. A radio-frequency component may be mounted to the contact pad using solder. Multi-layer impedance matching structures may couple the signal conductor to the contact pad. The matching structures may include a set of via pads and a set of conductive vias coupled in series between the signal conductor and the contact pad. The area of the via pads may vary across the set of via pads and/or the aspect ratio of the conductive vias may vary across the set of conductive vias. The matching structures may perform impedance matching between the signal conductor and the radio-frequency component at frequencies greater than 10 GHz while occupying a minimal amount of space in the device.

    Electronic Devices Having Side-Mounted Antenna Modules

    公开(公告)号:US20220006198A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-01-06

    申请号:US17098108

    申请日:2020-11-13

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a sidewall and an antenna module pressed against an interior surface of the sidewall. The module may include a phased antenna array. The sidewall may have apertures aligned with respective antenna in the array. The antennas may convey radio-frequency signals in first and second frequency bands greater than 10 GHz and with vertical and horizontal polarizations. Each aperture may include a corresponding cavity with non-linear cavity walls. The antennas may excite resonant cavity modes of the cavities that cause the cavities to radiate the radio-frequency signals as waveguide radiators. At the same time, the apertures may form a smooth impedance transition between the antennas and free space for the radio-frequency signals of both the horizontal and vertical polarizations.

    Millimeter Wave Antennas Having Isolated Feeds

    公开(公告)号:US20200021019A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-01-16

    申请号:US16036770

    申请日:2018-07-16

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures that convey radio-frequency signals greater than 10 GHz. The antenna structures may include overlapping first and second patches. The first patch may include a hole. A transmission line for the second patch may include a conductive via extending through the hole. The via may be coupled to a first end of a trace. A second end of the trace may be coupled to a feed terminal on the second patch over an additional via. The hole may be located within a central region of the first patch to allow the via to pass through the hole without electromagnetically coupling to the first patch. If desired, adjustable impedance matching circuits may be used to couple selected impedances to the antenna feeds that help ensure that the first and second patch antennas are sufficiently isolated from each other.

    Electronic Device Antenna Arrays Mounted Against a Dielectric Layer

    公开(公告)号:US20190319367A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-10-17

    申请号:US15950677

    申请日:2018-04-11

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a dielectric cover layer, a dielectric substrate, and a phased antenna array on the dielectric substrate for conveying millimeter wave signals through the dielectric cover layer. The array may include conductive traces mounted against the dielectric layer. The conductive traces may form patch elements or parasitic elements for the phased antenna array. The dielectric layer may have a dielectric constant and a thickness selected to form a quarter wave impedance transformer for the array at a wavelength of operation of the array. The substrate may include fences of conductive vias that laterally surround each of the antennas within the array. When configured in this way, signal attenuation, destructive interference, and surface wave generation associated with the presence of the dielectric layer over the phased antenna array may be minimized.

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