Electronic devices having dielectric resonator antennas with parasitic patches

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12155134-B2
Application number	US-202016851848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2020
Priority date	Apr 17, 2020
Publication date	Nov 26, 2024
Grant date	Nov 26, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array and a display cover layer. The phased antenna array may include a probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna that radiates through the cover layer. The antenna may include a dielectric resonating element that is excited by one or two feed probes. One or more floating parasitic elements and/or grounded parasitic elements may be patterned onto the dielectric resonating element. The parasitic elements may create boundary conditions on the dielectric resonating element that serve to isolate the antenna from cross polarization interference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a display having a display cover layer mounted to the housing; and
a probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna in the housing and configured to convey radio-frequency signals in a frequency band greater than 10 GHz through the display cover layer, wherein the probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna comprises:
a parasitic element configured to isolate the probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna from cross-polarization interference.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna further comprises:
a feed probe on a dielectric resonating element, wherein the feed probe is configured to excite the dielectric resonating element to resonate in the frequency band.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the dielectric resonating element comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall opposite the first sidewall, and a fourth sidewall opposite the second sidewall, the feed probe being coupled to the first sidewall.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the parasitic element is coupled to the third sidewall and is aligned with the feed probe.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a substrate, wherein the dielectric resonating element is mounted to the substrate; and
a radio-frequency transmission line on the substrate and coupled to the feed probe, wherein the dielectric resonating element has a first end at the display and an opposing second end at the substrate, the probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna further comprising:
an additional parasitic element coupled to the dielectric resonating element at the first end of the dielectric resonating element.

6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna further comprises:
an additional feed probe coupled to the second sidewall of the dielectric resonating element, wherein the additional feed probe is configured to excite the dielectric resonating element; and
an additional parasitic element configured to isolate the probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna from cross-polarization interference, wherein the additional parasitic element is coupled to the fourth sidewall and is aligned with the additional feed probe.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the dielectric resonating element has a first end at the feed probe and has an opposing second end, the probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna further comprising:
a first floating conductive patch coupled to the first sidewall at the second end;
a second floating conductive patch coupled to the second sidewall at the second end;
a third floating conductive patch coupled to the third sidewall at the second end, wherein the third floating conductive patch is aligned with the first floating conductive patch; and
a fourth floating conductive patch coupled to the fourth sidewall at the second end, wherein the fourth floating conductive patch is aligned with the second floating conductive patch.

8. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the parasitic element is coupled to the second sidewall.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna further comprises:
an additional parasitic element configured to isolate the probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna from cross-polarization interference, wherein the additional parasitic element is coupled to the fourth sidewall.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the third sidewall is free of conductive material.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a substrate, wherein the dielectric resonating element is mounted to a surface of the substrate;
a radio-frequency transmission line on the substrate and coupled to the feed probe; and
ground traces on the surface of the substrate, wherein the parasitic element and the additional parasitic element are coupled to the ground traces.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises peripheral conductive housing structures that extend around a periphery of the electronic device, the display cover layer is mounted to the peripheral conductive housing structures, and the electronic device further comprises:
a notch in the peripheral conductive housing structures, wherein the probe-fed dielectric resonating antenna is aligned with the notch and is configured to convey the radio-frequency signals through the notch.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises peripheral conductive housing structures that extend around a periphery of the electronic device, the display cover layer is mounted to the peripheral conductive housing structures, the display comprises a display module configured to emit light through the display cover layer, the display module comprises a notch, the notch has edges defined by the display module and the peripheral conductive housing structures, and the electronic device further comprises:
an audio speaker aligned with the notch; and
an image sensor aligned with the notch, wherein the probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna is aligned with the notch and is configured to convey the radio-frequency signals through the notch.

14. An antenna comprising:
a dielectric resonating element having a bottom surface, a top surface, and first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls extending from the bottom surface to the top surface, wherein the first sidewall opposes the third sidewall and the second sidewall opposes the fourth sidewall;
a feed probe coupled to the first sidewall, wherein the feed probe is configured to excite the dielectric resonating element to resonate in a frequency band greater than 10 GHz; and
a floating parasitic patch coupled to the third sidewall and overlapping the feed probe.

15. The antenna of claim 14 , further comprising:
an additional feed probe coupled to the second sidewall, wherein the additional feed probe is configured to excite the dielectric resonating element to resonate in the frequency band; and
an additional floating parasitic patch coupled to the fourth sidewall and overlapping the additional feed probe.

16. The antenna of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric resonating element has a first end at the bottom surface and a second end at the top surface, the feed probe, the additional feed probe, the floating parasitic patch, and the additional floating parasitic patch being located at the first end of the dielectric resonating element.

17. The antenna of claim 16 , further comprising:
at least one floating parasitic patch coupled to the dielectric resonating element at the second end of the dielectric resonating element.

18. An antenna comprising:
a dielectric resonating element having a bottom surface, a top surface, and first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls extending from the bottom surface to the top surface, wherein the first sidewall opposes the third sidewall and the second sidewall opposes the fourth sidewall;
a feed probe coupled to the first sidewall, wherein the feed probe is configured to excite the dielectric resonating element to resonate in a frequency band greater than 10 GHz;
a grounded parasitic patch coupled to the second sidewall; and
an additional parasitic patch coupled to the dielectric resonating element.

19. The antenna of claim 18 , wherein the additional parasitic patch is grounded, is coupled to the fourth sidewall, and overlaps the grounded parasitic patch.

20. The antenna of claim 19 , wherein the dielectric re

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Avser Bilgehan
• Rajagopalan Harish
• Edwards Jennifer M
• Paulotto Simone

Classifications

• H01Q5/35

  using two or more simultaneously fed points · CPC title

• H01Q5/385

  Two or more parasitic elements · CPC title

• H04M1/0266

  for a display module assembly · CPC title

• H01Q1/38

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title