Electronic Devices Having Antennas that Radiate Through Three-Dimensionally Curved Cover Layers

    公开(公告)号:US20220069458A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-03-03

    申请号:US17008862

    申请日:2020-09-01

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may have a cover layer and an antenna. A dielectric adapter may have a first surface coupled to the antenna and a second surface pressed against the cover layer. The cover layer may have a three-dimensional curvature. The second surface may have a curvature that matches the curvature of the cover layer. Biasing structures may exert a biasing force that presses the antenna against the dielectric adapter and that presses the dielectric adapter against the cover layer. The biasing force may be oriented in a direction normal to the cover layer at each point across dielectric adapter. This may serve to ensure that a uniform and reliable impedance transition is provided between the antenna and free space through the cover layer over time, thereby maximizing the efficiency of the antenna.

    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.

    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.

    Methods for Maintaining Line-of-Sight Communications

    公开(公告)号:US20190222991A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-07-18

    申请号:US16231120

    申请日:2018-12-21

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: H04W4/80 H01Q3/08 H01Q3/36 H04W16/28

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless communications circuitry and control circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include millimeter wave transceiver circuitry and a phased antenna array. The phased antenna array may transmit and receive millimeter wave signals. Beam steering circuitry may be coupled to the phased antenna array and may be adjusted to steer the millimeter wave signals in a particular direction. The control circuitry may track the location of an external device using sensor data. The control circuitry may control a mechanical positioner to mechanically adjust an orientation of the phased antenna array and/or may control the beam steering circuitry to steer the millimeter wave signals towards the location of the external device. In this way, a line of sight millimeter wave communications link may be maintained between the phased antenna array and the external device even if the external device moves over time.

    Wireless Charging System With Radio-Frequency Antennas

    公开(公告)号:US20190089185A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-03-21

    申请号:US15707932

    申请日:2017-09-18

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: A wireless power transmission system has a wireless power receiving device that is configured to receive power from a wireless power transmitting device. The power transmitting device may have a conductive housing portion at a front face and a reflector at a rear face that form a cavity for an antenna that is configured to transmit wireless charging signals to the power receiving device. The power transmitting device may be a desktop computer. The power receiving device may include an antenna that receives signals from the power transmitting device and rectifier circuitry that converts signals from the antenna to corresponding rectified direct current voltage signals that may be used to charge a battery in the power receiving device. The antenna may include a cavity formed from a conductive housing for the power receiving device. The power receiving device may be an accessory such as a keyboard, trackpad, or computer mouse.

    Antenna tuning components in patterned conductive layers

    公开(公告)号:US10200105B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-02-05

    申请号:US15638060

    申请日:2017-06-29

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may include a peripheral conductive housing wall. The housing wall may be patterned to form first and second continuous regions defining opposing edges of a patterned region. The patterned region may include slots that divide the wall into conductive structures between the first and second continuous regions. A tuning element for an antenna in the device may be formed from the conductive structures and the slots in the patterned region. The slots and the conductive structures in the patterned region may be configured to mitigate any excessive capacitances between the first and second continuous regions in one or more desired frequency bands to optimize antenna efficiency. The slots may be narrow enough so as to be invisible to the un-aided human eye. This may configure the first and second continuous regions to appear to a user as a single continuous piece of conductor.

    Electronic Device With Over-The-Air Wireless Self-Testing Capabilities

    公开(公告)号:US20180219637A1

    公开(公告)日:2018-08-02

    申请号:US15940758

    申请日:2018-03-29

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: H04B17/14 H04B17/19

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include antennas. The antennas may include phased antenna arrays for handling millimeter wave signals. Antennas may be located in antenna signal paths. The antenna signal paths may include adjustable components such as adjustable filters, adjustable gain amplifiers, and adjustable phase shifters. Circuitry may be incorporated into an electronic device to facilitate wireless self-testing operations. Wireless self-testing may involve use of one antenna to transmit an over-the-air antenna test signal that is received by another antenna. The circuitry that facilitates the wireless self-testing operations may include couplers, adjustable switches for temporarily shorting antenna signal paths together, mixers for mixing down radio-frequency signals to allow digitization with analog-to-digital converters, and other circuitry for supporting self-testing operations.

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