Housing and antenna architecture for mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11955696-B2
Application number	US-202117480255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2021
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A device includes a display and a housing. The housing surrounds the display and has four corners defining portions of an exterior surface of the device. The housing includes a first housing segment defining at least part of a first corner of the four corners and configured to operate as an antenna; a second housing segment defining at least part of a second corner of the four corners; and a third housing segment defining at least part of a third corner of the four corners. The third corner forms part of the housing diagonally opposite the second corner. The housing further includes a non-conductive housing component that structurally couples the first housing segment to another portion of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile phone, comprising:
a display;
a front cover positioned over the display;
a rear cover positioned behind the display;
a multi-segment housing positioned between and electrically insulated from the front cover and the rear cover, the multi-segment housing comprising:
a first segment defining a first corner and a first portion of a first side of the multi-segment housing, the first segment operable as a first antenna;
a second segment defining a second corner, a second portion of the first side, and a first portion of a second side, the second segment operable as a second antenna;
a first conductive segment defining a third portion of the first side;
a first non-conductive segment positioned between the first segment and the first conductive segment and defining a fourth portion of the first side;
a second non-conductive segment positioned between the second segment and the first conductive segment and defining a fifth portion of the first side; and
a third non-conductive segment defining a second portion of the second side.

2. The mobile phone of claim 1 , wherein the first non-conductive segment and the second non-conductive segment are defined by a contiguous non-conductive structure.

3. The mobile phone of claim 1 , wherein the multi-segment housing further comprises:
a third segment defining a third corner and a third portion of the second side, the third segment operable as a third antenna.

4. The mobile phone of claim 3 , wherein the third non-conductive segment fills a gap between the second segment and the third segment.

5. The mobile phone of claim 3 , wherein the first segment and the third segment have different lengths.

6. The mobile phone of claim 3 , wherein the multi-segment housing further comprises:
a fourth segment defining a fourth corner and operable as a fourth antenna.

7. The mobile phone of claim 3 , wherein the multi-segment housing further comprises:
a fourth segment defining a fourth corner and operable as a fourth antenna;
a fourth non-conductive segment positioned between the third segment and the fourth segment and defining a first portion of a third side; and
a fifth non-conductive segment positioned between the first segment and the fourth segment and defining a first portion of a fourth side; wherein,
the third non-conductive segment, the fourth non-conductive segment, and the fifth non-conductive segment are defined by a contiguous non-conductive structure.

8. The mobile phone of claim 1 , further comprising:
wireless communication circuitry; wherein,
the multi-segment housing further comprises:
a third segment operable as a third antenna; and
a fourth segment operable as a fourth antenna; and

the wireless communication circuitry is configured to communicate in a 4×4 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication mode using the first segment, the second segment, the third segment, and the fourth segment.

9. The mobile phone of claim 8 , wherein the wireless communication circuitry is further configured to communicate in a 2×2 MIMO wireless communication mode using the first segment and the third segment.

10. A mobile phone, comprising:
a display;
a housing extending around a perimeter of the display, the housing comprising:
a first antenna defining a first corner of the housing, a first portion of a first side of the housing, and a first portion of a second side of the housing, the first portion of the first side longer than the first portion of the second side;
a second antenna defining a second corner of the housing, a first portion of a third side of the housing, and a first portion of a fourth side of the housing; and
a set of electrical insulators including a first electrical insulator positioned on the first side of the housing adjacent a first end of the first antenna, a second electrical insulator positioned on the second side of the housing adjacent a second end of the first antenna, a third electrical insulator positioned on the third side of the housing adjacent a first end of the second antenna, and a fourth electrical insulator positioned on the fourth side of the housing adjacent a second end of the second antenna.

11. The mobile phone of claim 10 , wherein:
the first side is opposite the third side; and
the first portion of the first side is longer than the first portion of the third side.

12. The mobile phone of claim 11 , wherein the first portion of the fourth side is longer than the first portion of the second side.

13. The mobile phone of claim 10 , wherein the housing further comprises:
a third antenna defining a third corner of the housing, a second portion of the second side of the housing, and a second portion of the third side of the housing; and
the second portion of the second side is longer than the first portion of the second side.

14. The mobile phone of claim 13 , wherein the first portion of the first side is longer than the second portion of the third side.

15. The mobile phone of claim 10 , wherein the housing further comprises:
a first conductive segment defining a third corner of the housing; and
a second conductive segment defining a fourth corner of the housing.

16. The mobile phone of claim 15 , wherein at least one of:
the first conductive segment is operable as a third antenna; or
the second conductive segment is operable as a fourth antenna.

17. The mobile phone of claim 15 , further comprising:
wireless communication circuitry electrically coupled to the first antenna, the second antenna, and at least one of the first conductive segment or the second conductive segment.

18. The mobile phone of claim 10 , wherein:
the housing further comprises a third antenna defining a third corner of the housing, a second portion of the first side of the housing, and a second portion of the fourth side of the housing; and
the set of electrical insulators comprises a monolithic piece of material extending between the first antenna and the third antenna, and between the second antenna and the third antenna.

19. The mobile phone of claim 10 , wherein the housing further comprises:
a front cover attached to the housing; and
a rear cover attached to the housing; wherein,
the display is viewable through the front cover.

20. The mobile phone of claim 19 , further comprising:
a camera brace attached to the rear cover; wherein,
the first antenna extends along two sides of the camera brace.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Froese Kevin M
• Leutheuser Paul U
• Auclair Martin J
• Durning Christopher J
• Ham Jun
• Browning Lucy E
• Cohen Sawyer I
• Dinh Richard Hung Minh
• Parr Donald J

Classifications

• H05K5/10

  comprising several parts forming a closed casing · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q5/30

  Arrangements for providing operation on different wavebands · CPC title

• H04M1/0283

  for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate · CPC title

• H05K5/0017

  with operator interface units · CPC title