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.

    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.

    Electronic devices having printed circuits for antennas

    公开(公告)号:US10367570B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-07-30

    申请号:US15701233

    申请日:2017-09-11

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures and control circuitry. The antenna structures may include an antenna resonating element arm, an antenna ground, and an antenna feed coupled between the antenna resonating element arm and the antenna ground. The electronic device may include a tunable component configured to tune a frequency response of the antenna structures. The electronic device may also include a substrate, a radio-frequency transceiver on the substrate, control circuitry configured to generate control signals, a flexible printed circuit, and a connector. The connector may mechanically secure the flexible printed circuit to the substrate and may be electrically coupled to the transceiver and the control circuitry. The flexible printed circuit may include a radio-frequency transmission line coupled between the antenna feed and the connector and a control signal path coupled between the tunable component and the connector.

Patent Agency Ranking