Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120176278 | ANTENNA STRUCTURES WITH ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO DEVICE HOUSING MEMBERS - Electronic devices may be provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include antenna structures that are formed from an internal ground plane and a peripheral conductive housing member. A conductive path may be formed that connects the peripheral conductive housing member and the internal ground plane. The conductive path may include a flex circuit. A metal structure may be welded to the peripheral conductive housing member. A solder pad and other traces in the flex circuit may be soldered to the metal structure at one end of the conductive path. At the other end of the conductive path, the flex circuit may be attached to the ground plane using a bracket, screw, and screw boss. | 07-12-2012 |
20120176279 | STRUCTURES FOR FORMING CONDUCTIVE PATHS IN ANTENNAS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICE STRUCTURES - Electronic devices may be provided that contain conductive paths. A conductive path may be formed from an elongated metal member that extends across a dielectric gap in an antenna. The antenna may be formed from conductive structures that form an antenna ground and conductive structures that are part of a peripheral conductive housing member in the electronic device. The gap may separate the peripheral conductive housing member from the conductive structures. A conductive path may also be formed using one or more springs. A spring may be welded to a conductive member and may have prongs that press against an additional conductive member when the spring is compressed. The prongs may have narrowed tips, curved shapes, and burrs that help form a satisfactory electrical contact between the spring prongs and the additional conductive member. | 07-12-2012 |
20120176754 | ANTENNA STRUCTURES WITH ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO DEVICE HOUSING MEMBERS - Electronic devices may be provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include antenna structures that are formed from an internal ground plane and a peripheral conductive housing member. A conductive path may be formed that connects the peripheral conductive housing member and the internal ground plane. The conductive path may include a flex circuit. The flex circuit can include a solder flow barrier to constrain flow of solder. A metal structure may be welded to the peripheral conductive housing member. A solder pad and other traces in the flex circuit may be soldered to the metal structure at one end of the conductive path. At the other end of the conductive path, the flex circuit may be attached to the ground plane using a bracket, screw, and screw boss. | 07-12-2012 |
20120178382 | ENGAGEMENT FEATURES AND ADJUSTMENT STRUCTURES FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES WITH INTEGRAL ANTENNAS - Electronic devices may be provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include antenna structures that are formed from an internal ground plane and a peripheral conductive housing member. The internal ground plane and peripheral conductive housing member may be separated by a gap. The internal ground plane may be formed from sheet metal structures having engagement features such as tabs bent upwards at an angle. Plastic structures may be insert molded over the engagement features. When the internal ground plane is mounted in the electronic device, the plastic structures may bridge the gap between the internal ground plane and the peripheral conductive housing member. An adjustable structure such as a washer with a selectable thickness may be mounted to the peripheral conductive housing member opposing conductive structures across the gap. The thickness may be adjusted to adjust antenna performance. | 07-12-2012 |
20120178503 | RESONATING ELEMENT FOR REDUCING RADIO-FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE IN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An electronic device may be provided with a display and wireless circuits. The wireless circuits may include antenna structures and radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that transmits and receives radio-frequency signals using the antenna structures. A ground plane for the antenna structures may be located in the center of the electronic device under the display. A resonating element may be used to reduce signal interference that otherwise arises when simultaneously operating the display and the antenna structures. The resonating element may be implemented using an L-shaped structure have an arm that extends parallel to one of the edges of the display. | 07-12-2012 |
20130231046 | Electronic Device With Shared Near Field Communications and Sensor Structures - An electronic device may have electrical components such as sensors. A sensor may have sensor circuitry that gathers sensor data using a conductive structure. The sensor may be a touch sensor that uses the conductive structure to form a capacitive touch sensor electrode or may be a fingerprint sensor that uses the conductive structure with a fingerprint electrode array to handle fingerprint sensor signals. Near field communications circuitry may be included in an electronic device. When operated in a sensor mode, the sensor circuitry may use the conductive structure to gather a fingerprint or other sensor data. When operated in near field communications mode, the near field communications circuitry can use the conductive structure to transmit and receive capacitively coupled or inductively coupled near field communications signals. A fingerprint sensor may have optical structures that communicate with external equipment. | 09-05-2013 |
20140055961 | Printed Circuit Boards with Recesses - Printed circuit boards are provided with recess-mounted components. The components may be mounted within recesses in the surface of a printed circuit board substrate that are larger than the component. A solder stencil may be used to mount the components in a recess. The solder stencil may have curved portions between a planar portion and a depressed portion. The difference in the lateral width of the recess and the lateral width of the component may be configured to allow the planar portion and the depressed portion to be placed against the surface of the printed circuit board without damaging edges of the recess during solder application processes. The recess may be formed by placing a dummy component having a size and shape that is larger than the size and shape of the recess-mounted component against a portion of the printed circuit board during board formation operations. | 02-27-2014 |
20140078389 | Camera Accessory for Angled Camera Viewing - An electronic device may have front and rear surfaces. A front-facing camera may be formed on the front surface and a rear-facing camera may be formed on the rear surface. A display may be mounted on the front face of the electronic device. The cameras may nominally point along axes that run parallel to surface normals for the front and rear surfaces. A removable camera accessory with reflector structures may be mounted over a camera to deflect light and thereby point the camera in an off-axis direction. The removable camera accessory may be supported in a stand or other support structure. Magnetic structures and other structures may be used in coupling the electronic device to the support structures and may be used in coupling the camera accessory to the electronic device. | 03-20-2014 |
20140266926 | Engagement Features and Adjustment Structures for Electronic Devices with Integral Antennas - Electronic devices may be provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include antenna structures that are formed from an internal ground plane and a peripheral conductive housing member. The internal ground plane and peripheral conductive housing member may be separated by a gap. The internal ground plane may be formed from sheet metal structures having engagement features such as tabs bent upwards at an angle. Plastic structures may be insert molded over the engagement features. When the internal ground plane is mounted in the electronic device, the plastic structures may bridge the gap between the internal ground plane and the peripheral conductive housing member. An adjustable structure such as a washer with a selectable thickness may be mounted to the peripheral conductive housing member opposing conductive structures across the gap. The thickness ma be adjusted to adjust antenna performance. | 09-18-2014 |
20140285386 | Structures for Forming Conductive Paths in Antennas and Other Electronic Device Structures - Electronic devices may be provided that contain conductive paths. A conductive path may be formed from an elongated metal member that extends across a dielectric gap in an antenna. The antenna may be formed from conductive structures that form an antenna ground and conductive structures that are part of a peripheral conductive housing member in the electronic device. The gap may separate the peripheral conductive housing member from the conductive structures. A conductive path may also be formed using one or more springs. A spring may be welded to a conductive member and may have prongs that press against an additional conductive member when the spring is compressed. The prongs may have narrowed tips, curved shapes, and burrs that help form a satisfactory electrical contact between the spring prongs and the additional conductive member. | 09-25-2014 |