Customizable antenna feed structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9287627-B2
Application number	US-201113223102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2011
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

Custom antenna structures may be used to compensate for manufacturing variations in electronic device antennas. An antenna may have an antenna feed and conductive structures such as portions of a peripheral conductive electronic device housing member. The custom antenna structures compensate for manufacturing variations that could potentially lead to undesired variations in antenna performance. The custom antenna structures may make customized alterations to antenna feed structures or conductive paths within an antenna. An antenna may be formed from a conductive housing member that surrounds an electronic device. The custom antenna structures may be formed from a printed circuit board with a customizable trace. The customizable trace may have a contact pad portion on the printed circuit board. The customizable trace may be customized to connect the pad to a desired one of a plurality of contacts associated with the conductive housing member to form a customized antenna feed terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
an antenna having a conductive antenna resonating element structure comprising a metal housing structure;
a conductive member that is electrically connected to the conductive antenna resonating element structure, wherein the conductive member comprises a bracket that is welded to the metal housing structure and that has at least first and second contacts at first and second locations along the metal housing structure that serve as first and second positive antenna feed terminals for the antenna;
custom antenna structures that compensate for manufacturing variations that affect antenna performance in the antenna, wherein the custom antenna structures include a printed circuit board with a conductive path connected to the conductive member through only a selected one of the first and second contacts, wherein the conductive path is formed on a surface of the printed circuit board and is coupled to a contact pad on the printed circuit board that connects the conductive path to the selected one of the first and second contacts, and wherein a portion of the printed circuit board overlaps the conductive member such that the surface of the printed circuit board is in direct contact with the conductive member; and
a screw that is received by threads in the metal bracket to hold the printed circuit board against the bracket.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:
a radio-frequency transceiver; and
a transmission line that is coupled between the antenna and the radio-frequency transceiver, wherein the transmission line has a positive signal conductor, and wherein the conductive path is configured to couple the positive signal conductor to the conductive member through the selected one of the first and second contacts.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic device has a rectangular periphery and wherein the metal housing structure comprises a peripheral conductive housing member that runs along at least part of the rectangular periphery.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the metal bracket is welded to the peripheral conductive housing member.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the first and second contacts comprise metal paint on the metal bracket.

6. A method for fabricating wireless electronic devices, comprising:
measuring antenna performance in a test device;
based on the measured antenna performance in the test device, fabricating a printed circuit board with a customized trace; and
manufacturing a wireless electronic device that includes an antenna having a conductive antenna resonating element structure and a conductive member that is electrically connected to the conductive antenna resonating element structure, wherein the conductive member has at least first and second contacts and wherein manufacturing the wireless electronic device comprises installing the printed circuit board within the wireless electronic device so that the customized trace overlaps and is in direct contact with the first contact without being in contact with the second contact and the second contact is in direct contact with the printed circuit board, and wherein the customized trace serves as an antenna feed terminal for the antenna.

7. The method defined in claim 6 wherein manufacturing the wireless electronic device comprises forming the antenna at least partly from a peripheral conductive housing member that runs along at least part of a peripheral edge in the wireless electronic device.

8. The method defined in claim 7 wherein the conductive member comprises a metal member and wherein manufacturing the wireless electronic device comprises welding the metal member to the peripheral conductive housing member.

9. An antenna, comprising:
a conductive antenna resonating element member comprising a peripheral conductive housing member that runs along at least part of a peripheral edge of an electronic device;
a metal member welded to the peripheral conductive housing member, wherein the metal member has a planar surface and first and second contact regions formed on the planar surface, and wherein the first and second contact regions are associated with respective locations for first and second positive antenna feed terminals for the antenna; and
a printed circuit board having an antenna feed signal trace with a contact pad that contacts the first contact region without contacting the second contact region.

10. The antenna defined in claim 9 wherein the conductive antenna resonating element member forms at least part of an inverted-F antenna arm.

11. The antenna defined in claim 9 , further comprising a screw, wherein the planar surface has threads interposed between the first and second contact regions, wherein the printed circuit board has an opening that overlaps the threads, and wherein the screw is configured to screw into the threads and hold the printed circuit board in direct contact with the bracket.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 3 , wherein the peripheral conductive housing member comprises opposing interior and exterior surfaces, wherein the metal bracket comprises a first surface that is substantially parallel to the interior surface of the peripheral conductive housing member, wherein the metal bracket comprises a second surface that is substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the metal bracket, and wherein the first and second contacts are formed on the second surface of the metal bracket.

Assignees

• Jarvis Daniel W
• Pascolini Mattia
• Nickel Joshua G
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Jarvis Daniel W
• Pascolini Mattia
• Nickel Joshua G

Classifications

• Y10T29/49004

  including measuring or testing of device or component part · CPC title

• H01Q9/0421 Primary

  with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element (H01Q9/0414 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q9/145

  by varying the electrical length · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q1/2283

  mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package · CPC title