Abstract:
Handheld electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include antenna structures. An antenna may be located in an upper right corner of the handheld device as the handheld device is operated in a portrait mode. When the handheld device is rotated counterclockwise and operated in a landscape mode, the antenna is located in an unobstructed upper left corner of the device. The antenna may be formed from a strip of conductor. A proximal end of the strip of conductor may be connected to a transmission line. A distal end of the strip of conductor may be routed away from housing surfaces by bends formed in the strip. A printed circuit board in the handheld electronic device may have a hole. The distal end of the strip of conductor may be located adjacent to the hole.
Abstract:
A housing for a personal electronic device is described herein. The housing may include at least one modular subassembly configured to be arranged within an internal cavity of the housing. The at least one modular subassembly is aligned with a feature external to the housing, is affixed to an interior surface of the internal cavity, and is configured to function both as an antenna and as an internal support member of the housing.
Abstract:
An electronic device may have a housing in which an antenna and a proximity sensor formed from flex circuit structures are mounted. The flex circuit structures may include first and second flex circuit layers. The first and second flex circuit layers may include metal antenna structures and metal proximity sensor electrode structures. Solder may be used to attach electrical components to the flex circuit layers and may be used to electrically connect metal structures on the first and second flex circuit layers to each other. The first and second flex circuit layers may be laminated together using a compressive fixture. The compressive fixture may have a first fixture with a convex surface and a second fixture with a concave surface so that the laminated flex circuit layers are provided with a bend.
Abstract:
An electronic device may have a display. A display cover layer and a transparent inner display member may overlap a display pixel layer. The display pixel layer may have an array of display pixels for displaying images for a user. A touch sensor layer may be interposed between the display pixel layer and the transparent display member. A ferromagnetic shielding layer may be mounted below the display pixel layer. A flexible printed circuit containing coils of metal signal lines that form a near-field communications loop antenna may be interposed between the ferromagnetic shielding layer and the display pixel layer. A non-near-field antenna such as an inverted-F antenna may have a resonating element mounted on an inner surface of the display cover layer. The resonating element may be interposed between the transparent display member and the display cover layer.
Abstract:
A housing for a personal electronic device is described herein. The housing may include at least one modular subassembly configured to be arranged within an internal cavity of the housing. The at least one modular subassembly is aligned with a feature external to the housing, is affixed to an interior surface of the internal cavity, and is configured to function both as an antenna and as an internal support member of the housing.
Abstract:
An electronic device may be provided with shared antenna structures that can be used to form both a near-field-communications antenna such as a loop antenna and a non-near-field communications antenna such as an inverted-F antenna. The antenna structures may include conductive structures such as metal traces on printed circuits or other dielectric substrates, internal metal housing structures, or other conductive electronic device housing structures. A main resonating element arm may be separated from an antenna ground by an opening. A non-near-field communications antenna return path and antenna feed path may span the opening. A balun may have first and second electromagnetically coupled inductors. The second inductor may have terminals coupled across differential signal terminals in a near-field communications transceiver. The first inductor may form part of the near-field communications loop antenna.
Abstract:
An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may be coupled to non-near-field communications circuitry such as cellular telephone transceiver circuitry or wireless local area network circuitry. When operated at non-near-field communication frequencies, the antenna structures may be configured to serve as one or more inverted-F antennas or other antennas for supporting far field wireless communications. Proximity sensor circuitry and near-field communications circuitry may also be coupled to the antenna structures. When operated at proximity sensor frequencies, the antenna structures may be used in forming capacitive proximity sensor electrode structures. When operated at near-field communications frequencies, the antenna structures may be used in forming an inductive near-field communications loop antenna.