Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110006953 | CAVITY ANTENNAS FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES - Antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable computers. An electronic device may have a housing in which an antenna is mounted. The housing may have an antenna window for the antenna. The antenna window may be formed from dielectric or from antenna window slots in a conductive member such as a conductive wall of the electronic device housing. An antenna may have an antenna resonating element that is backed by a conductive antenna cavity. The antenna resonating element may have antenna resonating element slots or may be formed using other antenna configurations such as inverted-F configurations. The antenna cavity may have conductive vertical sidewalls and a conductive rear wall. The antenna cavity walls may be formed from conductive layers on a dielectric antenna support structure. | 01-13-2011 |
20110050508 | DUAL-BAND CAVITY-BACKED ANTENNA FOR INTEGRATED DESKTOP COMPUTER - An electronic device may have a housing with conductive housing walls. A dielectric antenna window may be formed in an opening in one of the conductive housing walls. A dielectric logo may form the dielectric antenna window. A dielectric support structure may have an outline that matches the dielectric logo. An antenna resonating element for an antenna may be formed on the dielectric support structure. An antenna cavity for the antenna may be formed by a conductive cavity structure. A pattern of voids in the dielectric support structure may reduce dielectric loading for the antenna. The conductive cavity structure may be formed from solderable plated metal. The conductive cavity structure may have a planar lip that is attached to the conductive housing walls using conductive adhesive. Rear wall portions of the conductive cavity structure may be oriented at a non-perpendicular non-zero angle with respect to the planar lip. | 03-03-2011 |
20120068893 | ANTENNA STRUCTURES HAVING RESONATING ELEMENTS AND PARASITIC ELEMENTS WITHIN SLOTS IN CONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS - Electronic devices may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The antenna structures may include antenna resonating elements such as dual-band antenna resonating elements that resonate in first and second communications bands. The antenna structures may also contain parasitic antenna elements such as elements that are operative in only the first or second communications band and elements that are operative in both the first and second communications bands. The antenna resonating elements and parasitic elements may be mounted on a common dielectric carrier. The dielectric carrier may be mounted within a slot or other opening in a conductive element. The conductive element may be formed from conductive housing structures in an electronic device such as a portable computer. The portable computer may have a clutch barrel with a dielectric cover. The dielectric cover may overlap and cover the slot and the dielectric carrier. | 03-22-2012 |
20130002517 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH MAGNETIC ANTENNA MOUNTING - An electronic device may have magnetically mounted antenna structures. The electronic device may have a dielectric member against which one or more antennas are mounted. The dielectric member may be a cover glass layer that covers a display in the electronic device, a dielectric antenna window, or other dielectric structure. Each antenna may have an antenna support structure. Conductive antenna structures for the antenna may be mounted to the antenna support structure. The antennas may be cavity-backed planar inverted-F antennas. Portions of each antenna support structure may be configured to receive magnets. The magnets may be attracted towards ferromagnetic structures mounted on the dielectric member. As the magnets are attracted towards the ferromagnetic structure, the antennas may be held in place against the dielectric member. | 01-03-2013 |
20130044033 | TEST SYSTEM WITH ADJUSTABLE RADIO-FREQUENCY PROBE ARRAY - Electronic device structures may be tested using a radio-frequency test system. The radio-frequency test system may include radio-frequency test equipment and an associated test fixture. The radio-frequency test equipment may be used in generating and measuring radio-frequency signals. The test fixture may contain adjustable structures that allow the positions of radio-frequency test probes to be adjusted. The test system may be configured to position radio-frequency probes in the test fixture so that some probe contacts form electrical connections with conductive antenna structures. The radio-frequency probes may contain other contacts that are positioned to form electrical connections with conductive electronic device housing structures. During radio-frequency testing, the test equipment in the test system may apply radio-frequency test signals to the device structures under test using the test probes. Corresponding radio-frequency test signals may be measured by the test equipment. | 02-21-2013 |
20130082895 | Antenna Structures with Molded and Coated Substrates - Electronic devices may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may be used in wirelessly transmitting and receiving radio-frequency signals. Antenna structures may be formed from molded dielectric substrates. Patterned conductive material may be formed on the dielectric substrates. The dielectric substrates may be formed from molded materials such as glass or ceramic. Sheets of dielectric or dielectric powder may be compressed to form a dielectric substrate of a desired shape. The patterned conductive material may be formed from metallic paint or other conductors. A hollow antenna chamber may be formed by joining molded dielectric structures. An antenna such as an indirectly-fed loop antenna or other antennas may be formed from the molded dielectric substrates and patterned conductors. | 04-04-2013 |
20130127672 | Distributed Loop Antennas with Extended Tails - Electronic devices may be provided with antenna structures such as distributed loop antenna resonating element structures. A distributed loop antenna may be formed on an elongated dielectric carrier and may have a longitudinal axis. The distributed loop antenna may include a loop antenna resonating element formed from a sheet of conductive material that extends around the longitudinal axis. A gap may be formed in the sheet of conductive material. The gap may be located under an opaque masking layer on the underside of a display cover glass associated with a display. The loop antenna resonating element may have a main body portion that includes the gap and may have an extended tail portion that extends between the display and conductive housing structures. The main body portion and extended tail portion may be configured to ensure that undesired waveguide modes are cut off during operation of the loop antenna. | 05-23-2013 |
20130293425 | Antenna Structures Having Slot-Based Parasitic Elements - Electronic devices may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The antenna structures may include antenna resonating elements and antenna ground plane structures. An electronic device may have antennas formed from the antenna resonating elements and an antenna ground plane. The antenna ground plane may have slot structures. The slot structures may be configured to form a slot-based parasitic antenna element to minimize coupling between the antennas in a device. The slot-based parasitic antenna element may be located between the antennas in a device. The slots structures from which a parasitic antenna element is formed may include open slots and closed slots. Slots may have one or more arms and one or more bends. Slots may be formed in internal housing members, traces on dielectric carriers, and other conductive structures. | 11-07-2013 |
20130321216 | Antenna Structures in Electronic Devices With Hinged Enclosures - Electronic devices may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The antenna structures may include antenna resonating elements, parasitic antenna resonating elements, and antenna ground structures. The antenna structures may include metal traces that are wrapped around an elongated plastic carrier. The plastic carrier may have metal traces that are coupled to a metal bracket using solder that protrudes through a hole in the metal bracket. A printed circuit board may be mounted between the metal bracket and a metal housing. The metal housing may have a protruding ridge portion that is gripped between prongs on the metal bracket. A cover may cover the metal traces on the elongated plastic carrier. The antenna structures may be mounted between hinge structures that couple upper and lower housing structures. The antenna structures may be configured to operate with comparable performance when the upper and lower housing structures are open and closed. | 12-05-2013 |
20130328730 | Methods for Forming Elongated Antennas With Plastic Support Structures for Electronic Devices - Electronic devices may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may include an antenna support structure covered with patterned antenna traces. An antenna support structure may be mounted in an electronic device so that a surface of the antenna support structure that is covered with patterned antenna traces lies flush with a planar surface of the electronic device housing. A display cover layer or other planar structure may be attached to the surface of the antenna support structure and the planar surface of the housing adhesive. Injection molding and extrusion techniques may be used in forming a support structure with elongated parallel cavities. An injection molding tool may have a mold core supported by a support structure at one end, supporting engagement features at the ends of mating mold core structures, or support pins. Molded interconnect devices may be soldered to laser direct structuring components to form antennas. | 12-12-2013 |
20130335285 | Conductive Gaskets With Internal Cavities - Electronic devices may be provided with conductive structures such as displays and conductive housing walls. Conductive gaskets may be used to form electrical paths between opposing conductive structures in an electronic device. During device assembly, a conductive gasket may be compressed between opposing conductive structures. The conductive gasket may be formed from a conductive gasket wall structure. The conductive gasket wall structure may surround and at least partly enclose an air-filled cavity. Conductive gasket wall structures may be formed from conductive fabric, dielectric sheets coated with metal, or other conductive wall materials. The interior of a conductive gasket may be hollow and completely devoid of supporting structures or may contain internal structures for biasing the conductive gasket wall outwards. Planar gaskets and gaskets with other cross sections may be provided. | 12-19-2013 |
20140361931 | Cavity Antennas With Flexible Printed Circuits - An antenna with a curved shape may be mounted behind a curved antenna window. The antenna may have an antenna resonating element such as an inverted-F antenna resonating element and may have an antenna ground. The antenna resonating element may be formed from patterned metal traces on a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may have ground traces that run along a peripheral edge of the flexible printed circuit. The antenna ground may be formed from a metal can with walls surrounding a cavity having an opening. The metal can may have a lip formed from bent portions of the walls. The flexible printed circuit may be soldered to the lip so that the ground traces are shorted to the can. A cable connector may be mounted on a bent tab in the flexible printed circuit that extends through a notch in the lip. | 12-11-2014 |
20140361932 | Electronic Devices With Antenna Windows on Opposing Housing Surfaces - An electronic device housing may have a base unit and a lid. Aligned antenna windows may be formed on opposing upper and lower surfaces of the base unit along a hinge. Antenna structures that are located between respective upper and lower antenna windows on the upper and lower surfaces may be based on a pair of antennas that are coupled to switching circuitry that can select which antenna to switch into use or may be based on an antenna having a position that may be adjusted relative to the upper and lower antenna windows using a mechanical coupling to the lid or using a positioner. A sensor such as a lid position sensor may monitor how the lid is positioned relative to the base unit. Information from the lid position sensor may be used in adjusting the antenna structures to optimize performance. | 12-11-2014 |
20140370821 | Methods and Apparatus for Testing Electronic Devices with Antenna Arrays - A wireless electronic device may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may be formed from an antenna ground and an array of antenna resonating elements formed along its periphery. The antenna resonating elements may be formed from metal traces on a dielectric support structure that surrounds the antenna ground. The electronic device may be tested using a test system for detecting the presence of manufacturing/assembly defects. The test system may include an RF tester and a test fixture. The device under test (DUT) may be attached to the test fixture during testing. Multiple test probes arranged along the periphery of the DUT may be used to transmit and receive RF test signals for gathering scattering parameter measurements on the device under test. The scattering parameter measurements may then be compared to predetermined threshold values to determine whether the DUT contains any defects. | 12-18-2014 |