Electronic device with near-field antenna operating through display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10461395-B2
Application number	US-201715625903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Apr 23, 2014
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a near-field communications loop antenna;
a display in the housing that overlaps the near-field communications loop antenna, wherein the near-field communications loop antenna wirelessly communicates using electromagnetic signals passing through the display, and the display comprises a display pixel layer that has an array of display pixels forming images for the display;
a ferromagnetic shielding layer, wherein the near-field communications loop antenna is interposed between the ferromagnetic shielding layer and the display pixel layer;
a display cover layer that overlaps the display; and
a dielectric layer having an inverted-F antenna resonating element formed separately from the near-field communications loop antenna, wherein the dielectric layer having the inverted-F antenna resonating element is mounted at an inner surface of the display cover layer.

2. electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising a wrist strap attached to the housing.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises a flexible printed circuit.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a wrist-watch.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Samardzija Miroslav
• Wang Yiren
• Ouyang Yuehui
• Hakim Joseph
• Li Qingxiang
• Schlub Robert W
• Caballero Ruben
• Yong Siwen
• De Jong Erik G

Classifications

• H01Q1/52

  Means for reducing coupling between antennas; Means for reducing coupling between an antenna and another structure (absorbing means H01Q17/00) · CPC title

• G04G21/04

  using radio waves (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title

• H01Q1/273

  Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals · CPC title

• H01Q21/28

  Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems {(multiple beam H01Q25/00)} · CPC title

• H05K5/03

  Covers · CPC title