PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9793599-B2
Application Number: US-201514640902-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Portable electronic device with antenna

Abstract:
An electronic device may have components mounted in a housing. The device may include wireless transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. A display may be mounted in the housing. The display may have a cover layer having an inner surface with a recess. The recess may run along a peripheral edge of the cover layer. An antenna structure such as an inverted-F antenna resonating element may be formed from a metal trace on a dielectric antenna carrier. The resonating element may be mounted in the recess without adhesive. Conductive vias may pass through the dielectric carrier. Metal members with dimples may be soldered to a flexible printed circuit and may be used to ground metal traces on the carrier and the flexible printed circuit to the housing when the carrier is attached to the housing with fasteners.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device having opposing front and rear faces, comprising:
 a metal housing with sidewalls surrounding the front face; 
 a display mounted in the housing; 
 a transparent display cover layer that covers the display and that is attached to the sidewalls of the metal housing, wherein the transparent display cover layer has an interior surface with a recess; and 
 an antenna having an antenna resonating element on a dielectric carrier, wherein the antenna resonating element is supported by the dielectric carrier and is mounted within the recess without adhesive. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the dielectric carrier has at least one opening. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 2  wherein the sidewalls have at least one threaded opening and wherein the electronic device further comprises a threaded fastener that passes through the opening in the dielectric carrier into the threaded opening in the sidewalls. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising at least one conductive via that passes from a first surface of the dielectric carrier to a second surface of the dielectric carrier. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 4  further comprising a flexible printed circuit on which metal traces form a transmission line. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 5  wherein the flexible printed circuit has at least one metal trace that is soldered to the conductive via. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 6  further comprising at least one impedance matching circuit mounted on the flexible printed circuit. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising a flexible printed circuit mounted to the dielectric carrier. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 8  further comprising at least one metal member mounted to the flexible printed circuit. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device defined in  claim 9  further comprising at least one fastener that mounts the dielectric carrier to the sidewalls so that the metal member is interposed between the flexible printed circuit and the sidewalls. 
     
     
       11. The electronic device defined in  claim 10  wherein the metal member has at least one dimple that is pressed against the sidewalls when the fastener mounts the dielectric carrier to the sidewalls. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a flexible printed circuit; and 
 metal members with dimples mounted to the flexible printed circuit. 
 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 12  further comprising:
 fasteners, wherein there are openings in the dielectric carrier and the flexible printed circuit that receive the fasteners and wherein the fasteners screw into the sidewalls and press the dimples against the sidewalls. 
 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein at least one of the metal members comprises a horseshoe-shaped metal member. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the antenna resonating element and the antenna ground form an inverted-F antenna, wherein the antenna resonating element has an antenna resonating arm with first and second segments, and wherein the electronic device further comprises an inductor mounted between the first and second segments. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  further comprising:
 a flexible printed circuit with an opening; 
 a metal member mounted adjacent to the opening; and 
 a metal trace on the dielectric carrier that forms a return path for the antenna that couples the antenna resonating element to the metal member. 
 
     
     
       17. An electronic device, comprising:
 a metal housing; 
 a dielectric layer mounted in the housing that has a groove; and 
 an antenna having an antenna resonating element in the groove and an antenna ground that is formed at least partly from the metal housing, wherein the antenna comprises an antenna carrier, metal traces on the antenna carrier that form the antenna resonating element, and openings in the antenna carrier through which fasteners pass to attach the antenna carrier to the metal housing. 
 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 17  further comprising:
 a flexible printed circuit with openings that receive the fasteners; and 
 metal members soldered to the flexible printed circuit adjacent to the openings, wherein the metal members are pressed against the metal housing when the antenna carrier is attached to the metal housing with the fasteners. 
 
     
     
       19. The electronic device defined in  claim 18  wherein the metal members have dimples that are pressed against the metal housing. 
     
     
       20. The electronic device defined in  claim 19  wherein the dielectric layer is a transparent display cover layer and wherein the antenna resonating element is supported in the groove without adhesive. 
     
     
       21. An electronic device, comprising:
 a metal housing; 
 a display in the metal housing; 
 a transparent cover layer that covers the display, wherein the transparent cover layer has a recess; 
 a flexible printed circuit that includes a transmission line; and 
 an antenna coupled to the flexible printed circuit, wherein the antenna has an antenna resonating element in the recess and has an antenna ground that is formed at least partly from the metal housing and at least partly from metal members on the flexible printed circuit that are pressed against the metal housing. 
 
     
     
       22. The electronic device defined in  claim 21  wherein:
 the metal members have dimples that are pressed against the metal housing; 
 the antenna comprises a dielectric antenna carrier; and 
 the antenna resonating element comprises metal traces on the antenna carrier that form an antenna resonating element arm. 
 
     
     
       23. The electronic device defined in  claim 22  further comprising a conductive via in the dielectric antenna carrier that is electrically coupled to the antenna resonating element arm. 
     
     
       24. The electronic device defined in  claim 22  wherein the antenna resonating element arm has first and second segments and wherein the antenna includes an inductor mounted between the first and second segments.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with wireless communications circuitry. 
     Electronic devices often include wireless communications circuitry. Radio-frequency transceivers are coupled to antennas to support communications with external equipment. During operation, a radio-frequency transceiver uses an antenna to transmit and receive wireless signals. 
     It can be challenging to incorporate wireless components such as antenna structures within an electronic device. If care is not taken, an antenna may consume more space within a device than desired or may exhibit unsatisfactory wireless performance. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved antennas for electronic devices. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may be provided with electrical components mounted in a housing. The electrical components may include a wireless transceiver, an antenna, and other wireless circuitry. 
     A display may be mounted in the housing. The display may have a transparent layer such as display cover layer that is mounted to housing sidewalls. The display cover layer may have an inner surface with a recess. The recess may have the shape of a groove that runs along a peripheral edge of the display cover layer. 
     An antenna structure such as an inverted-F antenna resonating element may be formed from a metal trace on a dielectric antenna carrier. The metal trace and carrier may be mounted to the housing using fasteners that pass through openings in the carrier. A flexible printed circuit may be coupled to the antenna carrier. The carrier may be mounted to the housing using only the fasteners. When the carrier is attached to the housing, the resonating element is mounted within the recess without need for adhesive. 
     The housing may be a metal housing that forms an antenna ground. An inverted-F antenna may be formed from the resonating element in the recess and the metal housing serving as antenna ground. Metal members with dimples may be soldered to the flexible printed circuit to facilitate grounding of ground traces on the flexible printed circuit to the housing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device with wireless communications circuitry in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device with wireless communications circuitry in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device with a planar display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device with a curved display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device with a display having a curved layer mounted to a planar layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an illustrative display layer showing how the interior surface of the display layer may be provided with a recess such as a peripheral groove in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of an illustrative antenna of the type that may have an antenna resonating element mounted within a display groove in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is schematic diagram of an illustrative inverted-F antenna with impedance matching circuits in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an electronic device structure having a recess such as a peripheral groove in which an antenna resonating element has been mounted in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of an illustrative antenna resonating element and associated flexible printed circuit and antenna feed structures in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative antenna resonating element of  FIG. 10  in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a rear perspective view of the illustrative antenna resonating element of  FIG. 10  in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An electronic device such as electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  may contain wireless circuitry. Device  10  may contain wireless communications circuitry that operates in long-range communications bands such as cellular telephone bands and wireless circuitry that operates in short-range communications bands such as the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth® band and the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi® wireless local area network bands (sometimes referred to as IEEE 802.11 bands or wireless local area network communications bands). Device  10  may also contain wireless communications circuitry for implementing near-field communications, light-based wireless communications (e.g., infrared light communications and/or visible light communications), satellite navigation system communications, or other wireless communications. Illustrative configurations for the wireless circuitry of device  10  in which wireless communications are performed over a 2.4 GHz communications band and/or 5 GHz communications band (e.g., a Bluetooth® and/or WiFi® link) are sometimes described herein as an example. 
     Electronic device  10  may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wristwatch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a device embedded in eyeglasses or other equipment worn on a user&#39;s head, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 1 , device  10  is a portable device such as a cellular telephone, media player, tablet computer, wristwatch device, or other portable computing device. Other configurations may be used for device  10  if desired. The example of  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative. 
     In the example of  FIG. 1 , device  10  includes a display such as display  14  mounted in housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. Housing  12  may be formed using a unibody configuration in which some or all of housing  12  is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior housing surfaces, etc.). 
     Device  10  may have opposing front and rear faces surrounded by sidewalls. Display  14  may have a planar or curved outer surface that forms the front face of device  10 . The lower portion of housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as rear housing wall  12 R, may form the rear face of housing  12 . Rear housing wall  12 R may have a planar exterior surface (e.g., the rear of housing  12  may form a planar rear face for housing  12 ) or rear housing wall  12 R may have a curved exterior surface or an exterior surface of other suitable shapes. Light-based components or other electrical components may be mounted in rear wall  12 R or rear wall  12 R may be free of components. Sidewalls  12 W may have vertical exterior surfaces (e.g., surfaces that run vertically between display  14  and rear housing wall  12 R), may have curved surfaces (e.g., surfaces that bow outwardly when viewed in cross section), may have beveled portions, may have profiles with straight and/or curved portions, or may have other suitable shapes. Device  10  may have a rectangular display and rectangular outline, may have a circular shape, or may have other suitable shapes. 
     Display  14  may be a touch screen display that incorporates a layer of conductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensor components (e.g., resistive touch sensor components, acoustic touch sensor components, force-based touch sensor components, light-based touch sensor components, etc.) or may be a display that is not touch-sensitive. Capacitive touch screen electrodes may be formed from an array of indium tin oxide pads or other transparent conductive structures. 
     Display  14  may include an array of display pixels formed from liquid crystal display (LCD) components, an array of electrophoretic display pixels, an array of plasma display pixels, an array of organic light-emitting diode display pixels or other light-emitting diodes, an array of electrowetting display pixels, or display pixels based on other display technologies. 
     Device  10  may include buttons such as button  16 . There may be any suitable number of buttons in device  10  (e.g., a single button, more than one button, two or more buttons, five or more buttons, etc. Buttons may be located in openings in housing  12  or in an opening in a display (as examples). Buttons may be rotary buttons, sliding buttons, buttons that are actuated by pressing on a movable button member, etc. Button members for buttons such as button  16  may be formed from metal, glass, plastic, or other materials. 
     A schematic diagram showing illustrative components that may be used in device  10  is shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , device  10  may include control circuitry such as storage and processing circuitry  30 . Storage and processing circuitry  30  may include storage such as hard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solid state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in storage and processing circuitry  30  may be used to control the operation of device  10 . This processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processor integrated circuits, application specific integrated circuits, etc. 
     Storage and processing circuitry  30  may be used to run software on device  10 . For example, software running on device  10  may be used to process input commands from a user that are supplied using input-output components such as buttons, a touch screen such as display  14 , force sensors (e.g., force sensors that are activated by pressing on display  14  or portions of display  14 ), accelerometers, light sensors, and other input-output circuitry. To support interactions with external equipment, storage and processing circuitry  30  may be used in implementing communications protocols. Communications protocols that may be implemented using storage and processing circuitry  30  include internet protocols, wireless local area network protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11 protocols—sometimes referred to as WiFi®), protocols for other short-range wireless communications links such as the Bluetooth® protocol, etc. 
     Device  10  may include input-output circuitry  44 . Input-output circuitry  44  may include input-output devices  32 . Input-output devices  32  may be used to allow data to be supplied to device  10  and to allow data to be provided from device  10  to external devices. Input-output devices  32  may include user interface devices, data port devices, and other input-output components. For example, input-output devices may include touch screens, displays without touch sensor capabilities, buttons, force sensors, joysticks, scrolling wheels, touch pads, key pads, keyboards, microphones, cameras, buttons, speakers, status indicators, light sources, audio jacks and other audio port components, digital data port devices, light sensors, motion sensors (accelerometers), capacitance sensors, proximity sensors (e.g., a capacitive proximity sensor and/or an infrared proximity sensor), magnetic sensors, and other sensors and input-output components. 
     Input-output circuitry  44  may include wireless communications circuitry  34  for communicating wirelessly with external equipment. Wireless communications circuitry  34  may include radio-frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry formed from one or more integrated circuits, power amplifier circuitry, low-noise input amplifiers, passive RF components, one or more antennas, transmission lines, and other circuitry for handling RF wireless signals. Wireless signals can also be sent using light (e.g., using infrared communications). 
     Wireless communications circuitry  34  may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry  90  for handling various radio-frequency communications bands. For example, circuitry  34  may include wireless local area network transceiver circuitry that may handle 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for WiFi® (IEEE 802.11) communications, wireless transceiver circuitry that may handle the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth® communications band, cellular telephone transceiver circuitry for handling wireless communications in communications bands between 700 MHz and 2700 MHz or other suitable frequencies (as examples), or other wireless communications circuits. If desired, wireless communications circuitry  34  can include circuitry for other short-range and long-range wireless links if desired. For example, wireless communications circuitry  34  may include 60 GHz transceiver circuitry, circuitry for receiving television and radio signals, paging system transceivers, near field communications (NFC) circuitry, satellite navigation system receiver circuitry, etc. In WiFi® and Bluetooth® links and other short-range wireless links, wireless signals are typically used to convey data over tens or hundreds of feet. In cellular telephone links and other long-range links, wireless signals are typically used to convey data over thousands of feet or miles. To conserve power, it may be desirable in some embodiments to configure wireless communications circuitry  34  so that transceiver  90  handles exclusively short-range wireless links such as 2.4 GHz links and/or 5 GHz links (e.g., Bluetooth® and/or WiFi® links). Other configurations may be used for wireless circuitry  34  if desired (e.g., configurations with coverage in additional communications bands). 
     Wireless communications circuitry  34  may include one or more antennas such as antenna  40 . Antenna  40  may be formed using any suitable antenna type. For example, antenna  40  may be an antenna with a resonating element that is formed from loop antenna structures, patch antenna structures, inverted-F antenna structures, slot antenna structures, planar inverted-F antenna structures, helical antenna structures, hybrids of these designs, etc. 
     Transmission line paths such as transmission line  92  may be used to couple antenna  40  to transceiver circuitry  90 . Transmission line  92  may be coupled to antenna feed structures associated with antenna structures  40 . As an example, antenna structures  40  may form an inverted-F antenna or other type of antenna having an antenna feed with a positive antenna feed terminal such as terminal  98  and a ground antenna feed terminal such as ground antenna feed terminal  100 . Positive transmission line conductor  94  may be coupled to positive antenna feed terminal  98  and ground transmission line conductor  96  may be coupled to ground antenna feed terminal  92 . Other types of antenna feed arrangements may be used if desired. The illustrative feeding configuration of  FIG. 2  is merely illustrative. 
     Transmission line  92  may include coaxial cable paths, microstrip transmission lines, stripline transmission lines, edge-coupled microstrip transmission lines, edge-coupled stripline transmission lines, transmission lines formed from combinations of transmission lines of these types, etc. Filter circuitry, switching circuitry, impedance matching circuitry, and other circuitry may be interposed within the transmission lines, if desired. Circuits for impedance matching circuitry may be formed from discrete components (e.g., surface mount technology components) or may be formed from housing structures, printed circuit board structures, traces on plastic supports, etc. Components such as these may also be used in forming filter circuitry. 
     Electrical components for forming circuitry such as storage and processing circuitry  30  and input-output circuitry  44  of  FIG. 2  may be mounted in housing  12 . Consider, as an example, the cross-sectional side view of device  10  of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of a device such as device  10  of  FIG. 1  taken along line  18  and viewed in direction  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , display  14  of device  10  may be formed from a display module such as display module  102  (sometimes referred to as a display) mounted under a cover layer such as display cover layer  112  (as an example). Display  14  (display module  102 ) may be a liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode display, a plasma display, an electrophoretic display, a display that is insensitive to touch, a touch sensitive display that incorporates and array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensor structures, or may be any other type of suitable display. Display cover layer  112  may be layer of clear glass, a transparent plastic member, a transparent crystalline member such as a sapphire layer, a ceramic, fused silica, a transparent layer formed from one or more different types of materials, or other clear structure. Layer  112  may form the front face of device  10 . If desired, the outermost layer of display  14  (e.g., display layer  112 ) may be used as a substrate for an array of color filter elements (i.e., layer  112  may be a color filter layer), as a substrate for thin-film transistor circuitry (i.e., layer  112  may be a thin-film transistor layer), or may be a substrate that includes both thin-film transistor circuitry and color filter circuitry (as examples). 
     Device  10  may have inner housing structures that provide structural support to device  10  and/or that serve as mounting platforms for printed circuits and other structures. Structural internal housing members may sometimes be referred to as housing structures and may be considered to form part of housing  12 . 
     Electrical components  106  for forming circuitry such as circuitry  30  and  44  may be mounted within the interior of housing  12 . Components  106  may be mounted to printed circuits such as printed circuit  104 . Printed circuit  104  may be a rigid printed circuit board (e.g., a printed circuit board formed from fiberglass-filled epoxy or other rigid printed circuit board material) or may be a flexible printed circuit (e.g., printed circuit formed from a sheet of polyimide or other flexible polymer layer). Patterned metal traces within printed circuit board  104  may be used to form signal paths between components  106 . If desired, components such as connectors may be mounted to printed circuit  104 . Cables such as one or more flexible printed circuit cables may have mating connectors and may couple circuitry on printed circuits such as printed circuit  104  to display  102 , to antenna(s)  40  ( FIG. 2 ), etc. Flexible printed circuit cables may also be mounted to boards such as board  104  using solder or other conductive material. 
     The outermost layer of display  14  such as display cover layer  112  is preferably a transparent display layer that is formed from transparent structures that allow light from display  102  to pass through layer  112 . This allows images on display  102  to be viewed by viewer  108  in direction  110  during operation of device  10 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 3 , transparent display cover layer  112  has planar inner and outer surfaces. If desired, one or more of the surfaces of display  14  may be curved (e.g., concave, convex, etc.). As shown in the illustrative cross-sectional side view of  FIG. 4 , for example, display  14  may have a convex outer surface. In this type of configuration, display cover layer  112  may have a planar inner surface or a curved inner surface (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , display cover layer  112  may have more than one layer. In the  FIG. 5  example, display cover layer  112  has an outer layer such as layer  112 - 1  and an inner layer such as layer  112 - 2 . Layer  112 - 1  may have a convex outer surface and a planar inner surface (as an example). Layer  112 - 2  may have opposing planar outer and inner surfaces (as an example). Adhesive  120  (e.g., optically clear adhesive) may be used to attach layers  112 - 1  and  112 - 2  together. Display structure  102  (e.g., an organic light-emitting diode display or other display module) may be mounted to the interior surface of lower layer  112 - 2  (e.g., a planar inner surface) using adhesive or other attachment mechanisms. 
     It may be desirable to create recesses in structures such as housing  12  and/or display  14  to accommodate antenna structures. As an example, a recess such as groove  116  of  FIG. 6  may be formed in inner surface  114  of a dielectric layer such as display cover layer  112 . Groove  116  may run along one or more peripheral edges of display cover layer  112 . In the  FIG. 6  example, display cover layer  112  has a rectangular shape and four peripheral edges. Groove  116  runs along all four peripheral edges of display cover layer  112 . Configurations in which recesses such as groove  116  of  FIG. 6  have other shapes may also be used, if desired (e.g., configurations in which recess  116  runs along a single edge of display cover layer  112 , configurations in which recess  116  runs along two edges of display cover layer  112 , configurations in which recess  116  runs along three edges of display cover layer  112 , etc.). If desired, display  14  may be circular and recess  116  may form a circular or semicircular groove that runs along the curved edges of display  14  (e.g., recess  116  may be a circular groove or may form a groove that has a curved shape that runs along part of a curved peripheral edge in display  14 ). Recesses such as groove  116  may be formed by machining, etching, molding, water jet cutting, abrasion using fine particles of grit, or other fabrication techniques. The cross-sectional shape of groove  116  may be square, rectangular, or semicircular, may have curved shapes, may have shapes with straight sides and/or curved sides, etc. 
     One or more antennas for device  10  may be formed from an antenna resonating element that is fully or partly mounted in a recess such as recess  116 . In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 7 , antenna  40  is an inverted-F antenna that has an antenna resonating element located within recess  116 . Inverted-F antenna  40  of  FIG. 7  has antenna resonating element  122  and antenna ground (ground plane)  124 . Antenna ground  124  may be formed from a metal housing structure (e.g., housing  12  in a configuration in which some or all of housing  12  is metal), may be formed from conductive traces on a printed circuit board, may be formed from ground structures in other devices (e.g., display  102 ), and/or may be implemented using other suitable ground structures. Antenna resonating element  122  may have a main resonating element arm such as arm  120 . The length of arm  120  (which is sometimes referred to as a resonating element arm or resonating element) may be selected so that antenna  40  resonates at desired operating frequencies. For example, the length of arm  120  may be a quarter of a wavelength at a desired operating frequency for antenna  40 . Antenna  40  may also exhibit resonances at harmonic frequencies. 
     Arm  120  may be formed from metal traces on an antenna support. The antenna support may be, for example, a polymer (plastic) antenna carrier or other dielectric member. Metal trace  120  may be coupled to ground  124  by return path  126 . Return path  126  may be formed from a metal trace on the antenna carrier or may be formed from other conductive structures. Antenna feed  128  may include positive antenna feed terminal  98  and ground antenna feed terminal  100  and may be coupled parallel to return path  126  between the metal trace of resonating element arm  120  and ground  124 . If desired, inverted-F antennas such as illustrative antenna  40  of  FIG. 7  may have more than one resonating arm branch (e.g., to create multiple frequency resonances to support operations in multiple communications bands) or may have other antenna structures (e.g., parasitic antenna resonating elements, tunable components to support antenna tuning, etc.). For example, one end of arm  120  may form a high-band branch that resonates at 5 GHz and another end of arm  120  may form a low-band branch that resonates at 2.4 GHz. 
     The bandwidth of antennas such as antenna  40  of  FIG. 7  may be affected by the separation between ground  124  and antenna resonating element  122  (i.e., the distance between metal trace  120  and housing  12  in a configuration in which ground  124  is formed from housing  12 ). By providing recesses such as recess  116  in display cover layer  112 , the distance between ground  124  and antenna resonating element  120  can be enhanced without overly increasing the size of device  10  and housing  12 . 
     If desired, circuit components may be interposed in the antenna feed and/or portions of antenna  40 . As an example, antenna  40  may be an inverted-F antenna of the type shown in  FIG. 8 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , antenna  40  may include an electrical component such as component  160 . Component  160  may be an inductor or other circuit element. Component  160  may be formed within antenna resonating element arm  120  (e.g., component  160  may be interposed between portions  120 - 1  and  120 - 2  of arm  120 ). The value of component  160  (e.g., the inductance value for component  160 ) may be selected to adjust the effective length of arm  120  and thereby adjust the frequency response of antenna  40 . Component  160  may be a packaged discrete inductor such as an inductor packaged in a surface mount technology package or other package. 
     If desired, impedance matching circuits such as impedance matching circuits M 1  and M 2  may be coupled to feed  128 . For example, matching circuit M 1  may be coupled between arm  120  and ground  124  in parallel with terminals  98  and  100  and matching circuit M 2  may be coupled in series between positive feed terminal  98  and arm  120 . Other types of impedance matching circuitry, filter circuitry, antenna tuning circuits, and other antenna circuitry may be used in antenna  40  and feed  128  if desired. The configuration of  FIG. 8  is merely illustrative. 
     A cross-sectional side view of antenna  40  taken through an edge portion of device  10  is shown in  FIG. 9 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , display  14  may include display cover layer  112  and display module (display)  102 . Active area AA of display module  102  may have an array of pixels (e.g., organic light-emitting diode pixels in a configuration in which display module  102  is an organic-light-emitting diode display, liquid crystal display pixels, electrophoretic display pixels, etc.) for displaying images. Inactive display border area IA may form a ring that runs around the periphery of display  14  (e.g., a rectangular ring in configurations in which display  14  has a rectangular shape, a circular ring in configuration in which display  14  is circular, etc.). 
     A near-field communications loop antenna may be formed under display  102 . The near-field communications loop antenna may be formed from metal traces on a printed circuit substrate or other near-field communications antenna structures. 
     Components may be mounted in the interior of device  10  in a region such as region  137 . For example, a component such as an electromechanical actuator (e.g., a haptic feedback device, a piezoelectric actuator, a solenoid, a vibrator for issuing alerts, a device for imparting other vibrations or motions to device  10 , etc.) or other suitable electrical component(s) may be mounted in region  137 . 
     Antenna resonating element arm  120  of antenna  40  may be formed from metal traces on a dielectric carrier such as dielectric antenna carrier  148 . Carrier  148  may be a single unitary plastic member that is mounted within device  10  using fasteners without using adhesive or springs (as an example). Metal traces for antenna  40  may be formed on carrier  148  using laser direct structuring (e.g., a process in which portions of carrier  148  are selectively activated for metal plating using laser light) or other suitable metal trace patterning techniques. 
     Antenna  40  may be coupled to electrical components  106  on printed circuit  104  using a transmission line formed on flexible printed circuit  150  or other suitable signal path. Matching circuit components such as matching circuits M 1  and M 2  of  FIG. 8  may be mounted on flexible printed circuit  150  (e.g., using solder). Connector  152  may be used to couple flexible printed circuit  150  to printed circuit  104 . Antenna  40  may be formed from an antenna resonating element such as antenna resonating element  122  and antenna ground  124  of  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Antenna ground  124  may be formed from conductive structures in device  10  such as portions of housing  12  (e.g., metal housing  12 ) and ground structures on carrier  148  and flexible printed circuit  150 . 
     Fasteners  162  may be used to mount carrier  148  to housing  12 . Fasteners  162  may be formed from a conductive material such as metal to help form a conductive path between metal traces on carrier  148  and metal housing  12 . Fasteners  162  may be threaded metal fasteners such as screws or other suitable structures for mounting carrier  148  to housing  12 . One or more fasteners  162  may be used to secure carrier  148  to housing  12 . For example, two threaded screws may be received within two corresponding threaded holes in housing  12  to screw carrier  148  against housing  12 . Flexible printed circuit  150  may, if desired, have a portion that is interposed between carrier  148  and housing  12 . With this type of arrangement, carrier  148  and flexible printed circuit  150  may each have a pair of holes to accommodate fasteners  162 . 
     To hide internal device components from view in direction  110  by user  108 , peripheral portions of the inner surface of display cover layer  112  may be coated with a layer of opaque masking material. For example, portions of display cover layer  112  that overlap inactive border region IA of display  102  may be covered with opaque masking layer  146 . Layer  146  may cover groove  116  and portions of housing  12  up to the outermost edge of display cover layer  112  (as an example). Opaque masking layer  146  may be formed from black ink, white ink, polymers that are black, white, or have other colors, metals, etc. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , structure  142  may be interposed between the outer portion of display cover layer  112  and housing  12 . Adhesive or other attachment mechanisms may be used in mounting structure  142  in device  10  (see, e.g., adhesive layer  138  and adhesive layer  144 ). Adhesive such as layers  138  and  144  and/or other fastening mechanisms may be used to attach display cover layer  12  to sidewalls  12 W of housing  12 . Structure  142  may be a gasket, a force sensor that is used to detect when a user presses on display cover layer  112  to supply user input to device  10 , or other suitable structure. If desired, display cover layer  112  may be attached directly to sidewall  12 W with adhesive or other mounting arrangements may be used. The example of  FIG. 9  is merely illustrative. 
     Dielectric antenna carrier  148  may be an antenna trace support structure formed from a polymer such as a liquid crystal polymer or other dielectric material. Metal traces on flexible printed circuit cable  150  may form transmission line  92 . During operation, antenna signals may pass to and from the traces on carrier  148  through transmission line  92 . 
     Antenna carrier  148  may be secured within groove  116  in display cover layer  112  without using adhesive (as an example). During assembly, carrier  148  may be mounted to housing  12  using screws  162 . Following attachment of carrier  148 , layer  112  may be attached to housing  12  so that carrier  148  protrudes into groove  116  and is therefore mounted within groove  116  without need for adhesive. Opaque masking layer  146  (e.g., black ink) may cover the inner surface of groove  116  to hide carrier  148  and metal traces on carrier  148  such as trace  120  from view. Metal traces on carrier  148  such as trace  120  may be formed for resonating element  122  using laser-enhanced deposition (e.g., techniques in which selected portions of the surface of structure  148  are activated by application of laser light following which metal is electrochemically deposited on the active regions) or using other deposition and patterning techniques (e.g., shadow masks and evaporation, physical or chemical vapor deposition followed by selected laser ablation or etching, etc.). 
     An antenna support structure such as carrier  148  may have an elongated shape extending along a longitudinal axis (into the page in the example of  FIG. 9 ). The longitudinal axis of antenna trace support structure  148  may be aligned with the longitudinal axis of groove  116 . 
       FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of an illustrative dielectric antenna carrier structure for forming antenna  40 . Antenna carrier  148  of  FIG. 10  has a rectangular shape, but, in general, antenna carrier  148  may have any suitable shape that fits into groove  116  (e.g., shapes with curved surfaces, shapes with planar surfaces, shapes with combinations of curved and planar surfaces, etc.). The use of a rectangular box shape for carrier  148  of  FIG. 10  is merely illustrative. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , metal traces such as antenna resonating element arm  120  may be patterned on the surface of antenna carrier  148 . Arm  120  may have multiple segments such as segments  120 - 1  and  120 - 2  that are coupled to each other by a circuit component such as inductor  160 . Antenna carrier  148  may have openings such as holes  180  to accommodate fasteners  162 . Flexible printed circuit  150  may have metal traces such as positive transmission line trace  94 . Metal trace portion  170  may extend between metal-filled via  172  and antenna resonating element arm  120 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , via  172  may extend between front surface  190  of carrier  148  to rear surface  192  of carrier  148  and may short portion  170  to solder  174 . Solder  174  may be used to couple via  172  to trace  222  on printed circuit  150 . 
       FIG. 12  is a rear perspective view of antenna carrier  148  of  FIG. 10 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , flexible printed circuit  150  may be mounted to rear surface  192  so that metal trace  222  overlaps via  172 . Traces such as trace  222  couple matching circuits M 1  and M 2  to ground antenna feed terminal  100  and positive antenna feed terminal  98  and (through via  172  and trace  170  on the front of carrier  148 ) to resonating element  120 . Metal trace  96 ′ serves as part of antenna ground terminal  100  on flexible printed circuit  150  and is electrically coupled to transmission line ground path  96 . Opening  180 - 2  may pass through carrier  148  and flexible printed circuit  150 . Metal trace  96 ′ may overlap opening  180 - 2 . A metal grounding member such as horseshoe-shaped member  200  may be soldered to metal trace  96 ′. When one of fasteners  162  passes through opening  180 - 2  and screws into housing  12 , dimples  204  on member  200  are pressed against housing  12  and help ensure that member  200  and trace  96 ′ (and therefore path  96 ) are shorted to housing  12 . Metal trace  126 ′ may be electrically coupled to the ground end of return path  126 . Opening  180 - 1  may pass through carrier  148  and printed circuit  150  (and therefore through trace  126 ′). A metal member such as horseshoe-shaped member  202  may be soldered to metal trace  126 ′. Dimples  206  on member  202  may be pressed against housing  12  when one of fasteners  162  passes through opening  180 - 1  and screws carrier  148  and member  202  against housing  12 . The use of horseshoe shapes for members  200  and  202  helps maximize the distance between antenna ground (of which members  200  and  202  form a part) and antenna resonating element  120 , thereby helping to maximize antenna bandwidth. 
     Because a single antenna carrier (carrier  148 ) supports all antenna resonating element structures for resonating element  122  and is coupled to ground (housing  12 ) via fasteners  162 , antenna  40  can be efficiently and accurately assembled into device  10  without the need to use adhesive, springs, or mounting structures other than fasteners  162 . If desired, adhesive may be placed in groove  116  to help attach antenna  40 , springs may be used to couple signal traces on carrier  148  to housing  12  and/or flexible printed circuit  150 , and/or additional mounting structures may be used in mounting antenna  40  within device  10 . 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20150306
Publication Date: 20171017
Grant Date: 20171017
Priority Date: 20150306
Inventors: DI NALLO CARLO
DE JONG ERIK G.
NATH JAYESH
PASCOLINI MATTIA
TAN TANG Y.
WANG YIREN
WANG ZHEYU
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01Q5/321", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q5/335", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/243", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q5/328", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q9/42", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q9/42", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q5/335", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q5/328", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q5/328", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q5/321", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q5/321", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/44", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/36", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/243", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/243", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/22", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/50", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q9/42", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q5/335", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 55306631