Electronic devices having antennas with loaded dielectric apertures

    公开(公告)号:US12218424B2

    公开(公告)日:2025-02-04

    申请号:US17832421

    申请日:2022-06-03

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive sidewall. An aperture may be formed in the sidewall. The sidewall may have a cavity that extends from the aperture towards the interior of the device. The cavity may be filled with an injection-molded plastic substrate. A dielectric block having a dielectric constant greater than that of the injection-molded plastic substrate and the antenna layers may be embedded in the injection-molded plastic substrate. The dielectric block may at least partially overlap an antenna. The antenna may convey radio-frequency signals at a frequency greater than 10 GHz through the cavity, the dielectric block, the injection-molded plastic substrate, and the aperture. The dielectric block may increase the effective dielectric constant of the cavity, allowing the antenna to cover relatively low frequencies without increasing the size of the aperture.

    Ultra-wideband Antenna Assembly
    34.
    发明公开

    公开(公告)号:US20240079782A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-03-07

    申请号:US18458916

    申请日:2023-08-30

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: H01Q7/00 H01Q1/38 H01Q1/48

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a housing and an antenna. The antenna may be on a first substrate mounted to a second substrate. The housing may include a dielectric cover, a conductive plate on the dielectric cover, and a mid-chassis. The second substrate may be mounted to the mid-chassis. The antenna may include a conductive patch extending from a segment of a conductive ring on the first substrate. The conductive plate may have an opening aligned with the conductive patch. The first substrate may be separated from the dielectric cover by an air gap. A conductive gasket may couple the conductive ring to the conductive plate and may laterally surround the air gap and the opening. The antenna may convey ultra-wideband (UWB) signals through the air gap, the opening, and the dielectric cover layer.

    Impedance Transitions Between Boards for Antennas

    公开(公告)号:US20240079761A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-03-07

    申请号:US18458835

    申请日:2023-08-30

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: H01Q1/243 H01Q1/48 H01Q9/0407

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a flexible printed circuit and a rigid printed circuit mounted to the flexible printed circuit using a board-to-board (B2B) connector. The flexible printed circuit may include signal conductors coupled to one or more antennas on the rigid printed circuit through the B2B connector. A given one of the signal conductors may include a phase shifter segment on the flexible printed circuit and/or a thick impedance matching segment on the rigid printed circuit that help to form a smooth impedance transition from the flexible printed circuit to the rigid printed circuit and the antenna(s). The B2B connector may include signal contacts interleaved with a ground contacts. The B2B connector may include ground bars laterally surrounding the signal and ground contacts to maximize the strength of mechanical coupling between the flexible printed circuit and the rigid printed circuit.

    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.

    Electronic Devices Having Multiple Phased Antenna Arrays

    公开(公告)号:US20220094078A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-03-24

    申请号:US17031780

    申请日:2020-09-24

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may include first and second phased antenna arrays that convey radio-frequency signals at frequencies greater than 10 GHz. The second array may have fewer antennas than the first array. Control circuitry may control the first and second arrays in a diversity mode and in a simultaneous array mode. In the diversity mode, the first array may form a first signal beam while the second array is inactive. When the first array is blocked by an object or otherwise exhibits unsatisfactory performance, the second array may form a second signal beam while the first array is inactive. In the simultaneous mode, the first and second arrays may form a combined array that produces a third signal beam. The combined array may maximize gain. Hierarchical beam searching operations may be performed. The arrays may be distributed across one or more modules.

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