Wireless Handheld Electronic Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018040943-A1
Application number	US-201715784814-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 21, 2007
Publication date	Feb 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A handheld electronic device may be provided that contains a conductive housing and other conductive elements. The conductive elements may form an antenna ground plane. One or more antennas for the handheld electronic device may be formed from the ground plane and one or more associated antenna resonating elements. Transceiver circuitry may be connected to the resonating elements by transmission lines such as coaxial cables. Ferrules may be crimped to the coaxial cables. A bracket with extending members may be crimped over the ferrules to ground the coaxial cables to the housing and other conductive elements in the ground plane. The ground plane may contain an antenna slot. A dock connector and flex circuit may overlap the slot in a way that does not affect the resonant frequency of the slot. Electrical components may be isolated from the antenna using isolation elements such as inductors and resistors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device having a periphery, a length, a width that is less than the length, and a height that is less than the width, the electronic device comprising:
an antenna ground; and peripheral conductive housing structures that surround the periphery of the electronic device and that have at least a portion that is separated from at least part of the antenna ground by a dielectric-filled opening, wherein the antenna ground and the portion of the peripheral conductive housing structures form part of an antenna, and the portion of the peripheral conductive housing structures extends across the width of the electronic device.

2 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a printed circuit structure coupled to the peripheral conductive housing structures.

3 . The electronic device defined in claim 2 , wherein the printed circuit structure comprises a flex circuit.

4 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a touch-sensitive display, wherein the peripheral conductive housing structures surround the touch-sensitive display.

5 . The electronic device defined in claim 4 , wherein the touch-sensitive display has a glass layer that extends across the length and the width of the electronic device.

6 . The electronic device defined in claim 5 , wherein the dielectric-filled opening has a first segment, a second segment extending from a first end of the first segment, and a third segment extending from a second end of the first segment, wherein the second and third segments extend perpendicular to the first segment.

7 . The electronic device defined in claim 5 , wherein the glass layer forms a front face of the electronic device, the electronic device further comprising:
a housing that forms a rear face of the electronic device.

8 . The electronic device defined in claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises glass.

9 . The electronic device defined in claim 8 , wherein the housing comprises metal.

10 . The electronic device defined in claim 7 , further comprising:
a camera module mounted to the housing.

11 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the dielectric-filled opening substantially extends across the width of the electronic device.

12 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising a signal terminal coupled to a first side of the dielectric-filled opening and a grounding terminal coupled to a second side of the dielectric-filled opening.

13 . An electronic device comprising:
a display; a housing having a substantially rectangular periphery; conductive structures that form a ground plane; and peripheral conductive structures that surround the substantially rectangular periphery, the display, and the conductive structures, and that have at least a portion that is separated from at least part of the ground plane by a dielectric-filled opening, wherein the dielectric-filled opening, the conductive structures, and the peripheral conductive structures form part of an antenna, and the dielectric-filled opening has a meandering shape.

14 . The electronic device defined in claim 13 , wherein the dielectric-filled opening comprises a first segment, a second segment extending from a first end of the first segment, and a third segment extending from a second end of the first segment, wherein the second segment extends parallel to the first segment and perpendicular to the first segment.

15 . The electronic device defined in claim 14 , wherein the first end of the first segment of the dielectric-filled opening opposes the second end of the first segment of the dielectric-filled opening.

16 . The electronic device defined in claim 15 , further comprising:
a printed circuit structure coupled to the peripheral conductive structures.

17 . The electronic device defined in claim 13 , wherein the display comprises a touch-sensitive display.

18 . The electronic device defined in claim 17 , wherein the display comprises a glass layer that forms a face of the electronic device and a hole is formed in the glass layer, the electronic device further comprising:
a speaker aligned with the hole.

19 . An electronic device having a rectangular periphery, a length, a width that is less than the length, and a height that is less than the width, the electronic device comprising:
a touch-sensitive display having a glass layer that extends substantially across the length and the width of the electronic device; and peripheral conductive structures that extend around the periphery of the electronic device, wherein at least some of the peripheral conductive structures form part of an antenna in the electronic device.

20 . The electronic device defined in claim 19 , further comprising:
a hole in the glass layer; and a speaker aligned with the hole.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hobson Phillip M
• Zadesky Stephen P
• Wang Erik L
• Tan Tang Yew
• Dinh Richard Hung Minh
• Mittleman Adam D
• Jenks Kenneth A
• Hill Robert J
• Schlub Robert W

Classifications

• H01Q5/371

  Branching current paths · CPC title

• H01Q5/40

  Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements · CPC title

• H01Q21/28

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

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title