PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9293816-B2
Application Number: US-201213543054-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Electronic device plate antenna

Abstract:
An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may include a plate antenna. The electronic device may have a conductive housing such as a metal housing with an opening. A dielectric antenna window may be formed within the opening. A dielectric support structure such as a flexible printed circuit may overlap the opening. A conductive trace on the dielectric support structure may form an antenna resonating element plate for the plate antenna. The plate may have a periphery that is separated from adjacent portions of the metal housing by a gap. The antenna resonating element plate may have a rectangular shape with a bend that lies along an edge of the conductive housing. The dielectric antenna window may have a bend that also lies along the edge of the conductive housing.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus, comprising:
 a plate antenna having an antenna ground and a plate antenna resonating element with a periphery, wherein a dielectric gap separates the periphery of the plate antenna resonating element from the antenna ground; 
 a conductive electronic device housing having an opening in which the plate antenna resonating element is located and having portions that form the antenna ground; 
 a dielectric antenna window in the opening; 
 a dielectric support structure overlapping at least part of the opening, wherein the dielectric support structure is mounted against an inner surface of the dielectric antenna window with a layer of adhesive and the dielectric support structure has a first portion formed in a first plane, a second portion formed in a second plane that is substantially orthogonal to the first plane, and a third portion formed in a third plane that is substantially orthogonal to the first and second planes; 
 a conductive plate structure on the dielectric support structure, wherein the conductive plate structure is configured to form the plate antenna resonating element; and 
 an antenna feed trace for the plate antenna resonating element that is formed on the third portion of the dielectric support structure. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus defined in  claim 1  wherein the dielectric support structure comprises a flexible printed circuit. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus defined in  claim 2  wherein the flexible printed circuit includes at least a first layer of metal and a second layer of metal. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus defined in  claim 3  wherein a portion of the first layer of metal is configured to form the conductive plate structure. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus defined in  claim 4  wherein the second layer of metal is shorted to the antenna ground. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus defined in  claim 5  wherein the first layer of metal has an extending portion that extends from the conductive plate structure over the gap. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus defined in  claim 5  wherein the first layer of metal has first and second extending portions that extend from the conductive plate structure over the gap, the first extending portion has a first end attached to the conductive plate structure and a second end attached to the second layer of metal, and the second extending portion has a first end attached to the conductive plate structure and a second end that is coupled to a conductive line formed from the first layer of metal. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus defined in  claim 7  further comprising a transmission line coupled to the plate antenna, wherein the conductive line forms a positive signal conductor in the transmission line and a portion of the second layer of metal is configured to form a ground signal conductor in the transmission line. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus defined in  claim 1 , wherein the portions of the conductive electronic device housing that form the antenna ground have a surface that forms an exterior portion of the apparatus. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus defined in  claim 9 , wherein the dielectric support structure comprises polyimide, and the dielectric support structure comprises a portion that extends entirely across the dielectric gap. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus defined in  claim 1 , wherein the plate antenna resonating element is formed on the first and second portions of the dielectric support structure. 
     
     
       12. An electronic device, comprising:
 a metal housing having an opening and having portions that form an antenna ground; 
 a dielectric antenna window in the opening; and 
 a conductive antenna resonating element plate in the opening, wherein the conductive antenna resonating element plate and the antenna ground are configured to form a plate antenna, the metal housing has an edge, the opening overlaps the edge, the conductive antenna resonating element plate has a right-angled bend along the edge, the conductive antenna resonating element plate includes at least one additional opening that is formed within the conductive antenna resonating element, that overlaps the edge, and that enhances flexibility of the conductive antenna resonating element along the edge, and the at least one additional opening does not affect radio-frequency performance of the antenna. 
 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 12  wherein the conductive antenna resonating element plate and the portions of the metal housing that form the antenna ground are coplanar. 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the conductive antenna resonating element plate comprises a rectangular metal trace. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  further comprising a flexible dielectric on which the rectangular metal trace is formed. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one additional opening within the conductive antenna resonating element that overlaps the edge is completely surrounded by the conductive antenna resonating element plate. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device defined in  claim 16 , wherein the at least one additional opening within the conductive antenna resonating element that overlaps the edge has a size that is smaller than a quarter wavelength of the operating frequency of the conductive antenna resonating element plate.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates to wireless electronic devices and, more particularly, to plate antennas for wireless electronic devices. 
     Electronic devices such as computers, media players, cellular telephones, and other portable electronic devices often contain wireless circuitry. For example, cellular telephone transceiver circuitry and wireless local area network circuitry may allow a device to wirelessly communicate with external equipment. Antenna structures may be used in transmitting and receiving associated wireless signals. 
     It can be challenging to incorporate wireless circuitry such as antenna structures into an electronic device. Space is often at a premium, particularly in compact devices. Device housings are sometimes formed from metal, which can influence antenna performance. If care is not taken, antenna structures may not perform satisfactorily or may consume more space within an electronic device than desired. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved electronic device antenna structures. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include antenna structures for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. The wireless circuitry may also include one or more circuits such as radio-frequency transceiver circuits and impedance matching and filter circuitry. These circuits may be coupled to the antenna structures using transmission lines. 
     The antenna structures may include a plate antenna. The electronic device may have a conductive housing such as a metal housing with an opening. A dielectric antenna window may be formed within the opening. A dielectric support structure such as a flexible printed circuit may overlap the opening. A conductive trace on the dielectric support structure may form an antenna resonating element plate for the plate antenna. The antenna resonating element plate may be coplanar with adjacent portions of the conductive housing. 
     The antenna resonating element plate may have a periphery that is separated from adjacent portions of the metal housing by a gap. The antenna resonating element plate may have a rectangular shape with a bend that lies along an edge of the conductive housing. The antenna window may have a bend that also lies along the edge of the conductive housing. 
     Conductive traces on the dielectric support structure may be used in forming the antenna resonating element plate, an antenna feed, a transmission line that is coupled to the antenna feed, and a short circuit path that spans the gap and couples the antenna resonating element plate to ground. 
     Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device containing wireless circuitry in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device containing wireless circuitry in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an electronic device housing showing illustrative locations for plate antenna structures in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portion of a housing in an electronic device with a dielectric antenna window and a plate antenna that has been mounted in an interior portion of the electronic device under the dielectric antenna window in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram showing how plate antenna may be separated from a rectangular opening in a metal electronic device housing by a peripheral gap in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a plate antenna with a bend showing how openings may be formed in the plate antenna along the bend to promote flexibility in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of a plate antenna mounted under an overlapping dielectric window in a metal electronic device housing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a flexible printed circuit substrate of the type that may be used in forming a plate antenna with one or more bends in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram showing how conductive traces on a portion of the flexible printed circuit substrate of  FIG. 8  may be used in forming short circuit and antenna feed connections to a plate antenna resonating element in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices such as electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  often contain wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and associated antenna structures for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. Electronic device  10  may be a handheld electronic device such as a portable media player or cellular telephone, may be a portable computer such as a tablet computer or laptop computer, may be a desktop computer, television, wireless access point, set-top box, or other electronic equipment. The configuration of electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , electronic device  10  may have a housing such as housing  12 . Housing  12  may be formed from one or more housing structures. For example, housing  12  may be formed from one or more metal structures such as aluminum or stainless steel structures. Housing  12  may also include plastic structures, glass structures, ceramic structures, and structures formed from other materials. Housing  12  may, if desired, be formed using a unibody construction in which housing  12  or substantially all of housing  12  is formed from a single machined piece of material. Housing  12  may also be formed by joining two or more parts (e.g., first and second housing members, internal housing frame structures, etc.). To allow antennas to operate satisfactorily, one or more dielectric antenna window structures may be formed in housing  12  (e.g., plastic antenna windows or windows formed from other dielectric materials). 
     Device  10  may include one or more displays such as display  14 . In a configuration of the type shown in  FIG. 1 , device  10  may have planar front and rear faces and display  14  may be mounted on the front face (as an example). Displays may also be mounted on housing sidewalls, on the rear surface of a housing, on a hinged lid portion, or in other suitable locations within electronic device  10 . 
     Device  10  may include buttons such as buttons  16 . Buttons  16  may be used for turning on and off device  10 , for making volume adjustments when playing back media for a user, for making menu selections, and for otherwise facilitating user interactions with device  10 . Openings may be formed in device  10  for audio jacks, digital data ports, etc. Status indicator lights and other input-output devices may also be incorporated in device  10 , if desired. Wireless circuitry that includes one or more antennas may be used to wirelessly transmit and receive signals for device  10 . Antenna structures in device  10  may, for example, include one or more plate antenna structures. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing illustrative components that may be included in an electronic device such as electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , electronic device  10  may include control circuitry  22  and associated input-output circuitry  24 . 
     Control circuitry  22  may include storage and processing circuitry that is configured to execute software that controls the operation of device  10 . Control circuitry  22  may include microprocessor circuitry, digital signal processor circuitry, microcontroller circuitry, application-specific integrated circuits, and other processing circuitry. Control circuitry  22  may also include storage such as volatile and non-volatile memory, hard-disk storage, removable storage, solid state drives, random-access memory, memory that is formed as part of other integrated circuits such as memory in a processing circuit, etc. 
     Input-output circuitry  24  may include components for receiving input from external equipment and for supplying output. For example, input-output circuitry  24  may include user interface components for providing a user of device  10  with output and for gathering input from a user. As shown in  FIG. 2 , input-output circuitry  24  may include wireless circuitry  31 . Wireless circuitry  31  may be used for transmitting and/or receiving signals in one or more communications bands such as cellular telephone bands, wireless local area network bands (e.g., the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz IEEE 802.11 bands), satellite navigation system bands, etc. 
     Wireless circuitry  31  may include transceiver circuitry such as radio-frequency transceiver  26 . Radio-frequency transceiver  26  may include a radio-frequency receiver and/or a radio-frequency transmitter. Radio-frequency transceiver circuitry  26  may be used to handle wireless signals in communications bands such as the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi® bands, cellular telephone bands, and other wireless communications frequencies of interest. 
     Radio-frequency transceiver circuitry  26  may be coupled to one or more antennas in antenna structures  30  using circuitry  28  and transmission line structures such as transmission lines  29 . Transmission lines  29  may include coaxial cables, microstrip transmission lines, transmission lines formed from traces on flexible printed circuits (e.g., printed circuits formed from flexible sheets of polyimide or other layers of flexible polymer), transmission lines formed from traces on rigid printed circuit boards (e.g., fiberglass-filled epoxy substrates such as FR4 boards), or other transmission line structures. Circuitry  28  may include impedance matching circuitry, filter circuitry, switches, and other circuits. Circuitry  28  may be implemented using one or more components such as integrated circuits, discrete components (e.g., capacitors, inductors, and resistors), surface mount technology (SMT) components, or other electrical components. Antenna structures  30  may include inverted-F antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, monopoles, dipoles, or other suitable antennas. Configurations in which at least one antenna in device  10  is formed from a patch antenna structure are sometimes described herein as an example. 
     Sensors  32  may include an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, touch sensors such as a touch sensor array for a display and/or touch buttons, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and other sensors. 
     Buttons  34  may include sliding switches, push buttons, menu buttons, buttons based on dome switches, keys on a keypad or keyboard, or other switch-based structures. 
     Display  14  may be a liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode display, an electrophoretic display, an electrowetting display, a plasma display, or a display based on other display technologies. Display  14  may include a touch sensor array or may be insensitive to touch. 
     Device  10  may also contain other components  36  (e.g., communications circuitry for wired communications, status indicator lights, vibrators, speakers, microphones, cameras, etc.). 
     Antenna structures  30  may be formed using conductive structures such as patterned metal foil or metal traces. The conductive structures of antenna structures  30  may be supported by ceramic carriers, plastic carriers, and printed circuits (as examples). Conductive materials for antenna structures  30  such as metal may, for example, be supported on dielectric substrates such as injection-molded plastic carriers, glass or ceramic members, or other insulators. 
     If desired, patterned metal traces for an antenna may be formed on printed circuit substrates. An antenna may be formed, for example, using metal traces on a printed circuit such as a rigid printed circuit board or on a flexible printed circuit. Antenna structures that are formed on printed circuit substrates may be mounted on the inner surface of a dielectric antenna window in an opening in a metal electronic device housing. For example, a layer of adhesive or other attachment mechanism may be used in mounting a flexible printed circuit to the inner surface of a dielectric antenna window. Antenna structures may also be formed from traces that are deposited and patterned on the inner surface of a dielectric antenna window structure, may be formed on a dielectric carrier that is biased against the inner surface of an antenna window using foam or other biasing structures, or may be mounted in device  10  using other mounting schemes. 
     In configurations for device  10  in which housing  12  is formed from metal, one or more openings may be formed in housing  12  to accommodate antenna structures  30 .  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an illustrative housing configuration for electronic device  10 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , housing  12  may have a planar front surface such as rectangular front surface  12 F and may have a planar rear surface such as rear surface  12 R. Surfaces  12 F and  12 R may line in planes that are parallel to each other. If desired, surfaces  12 F and  12 R may be curved. Sidewall structures such as sidewalls  12 S may run vertically between surfaces  12 F and  12 R as shown in the example of  FIG. 3  or may have other shapes. As an example, sidewalls  12 S may be formed from curved portions of the housing walls that form front surface  12 F and rear surface  12 R and device  10  may have an oval cross-sectional shape (e.g., when viewed along longitudinal axis). In the example of  FIG. 3 , device housing  12  has a rectangular footprint (i.e., device housing  12  has a rectangular outline when the front face of device housing  12  is viewed in direction  40 ). This is merely illustrative. The footprint of device housing  12  (and the cross-sectional shapes of housing  12 ) may have circular outlines, oval outlines, rectangular outlines, outlines with straight edges, outlines with curved edges, and outlines with combinations of curved and straight edges. 
     In configurations for device  10  such as the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 3 , housing  12  may have edges such as front face peripheral edges  12 FP and rear face peripheral edges  12 RP. There may be, for example, four front peripheral edges  12 FP that form a rectangular periphery for the front surface of device  10  and four rear peripheral edges  12 RF that form a rectangular periphery for the rear surface of device  10 . Antenna structures  30  may be located in rectangular openings in the metal housing or in openings of other suitable shapes. As shown in  FIG. 3 , for example, antenna structures  30  may, if desired, be formed in one or more rectangular openings with bends along device housing edges such as edges  12 FP and  12 RP. Device housing  12  may be formed from metal and the openings for antenna structures  30  may be contain dielectric antenna windows such as plastic antenna windows that conform to the bent rectangular shape of the openings of  FIG. 3 . Four illustrative antenna window locations are shown in  FIG. 3  each of which has a single right-angle bend along a housing edge. This is merely illustrative. There may be any suitable number of antennas in device  10  (e.g., one antenna, two antennas, three antennas, or four or more antennas). Each antenna may be a plate antenna with a plate antenna resonating element that has a rectangular outline (when in a flattened state) or other types of antenna resonating element shapes may be used. Antenna resonating element structures (e.g., rectangular antenna plates) may have one bend, two bends, or more than two bends. Bends may be formed at right angles, may have curved bent shapes (e.g., gradually changing surfaces), or may be formed using other angles or other shapes. Bent antenna plate structures may be formed along side edges of housing  12  (e.g., housing edges that run parallel to longitudinal axis  38  of an elongated version of housing  12 ) or may be formed along end edges of housing  12  (e.g., housing edges that run perpendicular to longitudinal axis  38 ). Plate antenna structures may also be formed with no bends (e.g., when formed in an antenna window in rear housing surface  12 R). 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an end portion of device housing  12  showing how metal device housing  12  may have a rectangular opening such as rectangular opening  42 . Opening  42  may have a bend (e.g., a right angled bend) along end edge  12 E. Opening  42  may be filled with a dielectric antenna window such as plastic antenna window  44 . Rectangular plate antenna resonating element  46  may be mounted under dielectric antenna window  44  (i.e., so that the outline of resonating element  46  lies within the outline of window  44 ). Antenna structures  30  of  FIG. 4  may form a plate antenna. Metal housing  12  may have portions surrounding window  44  that form an antenna ground. A conductive plate structure such as rectangular antenna resonating element  46  may form a plate antenna resonating element that forms a plate antenna for device  10  in conjunction with the antenna ground. The conductive plate structure may be co-planar with the planar outer surface of housing  12  (i.e., antenna plate  46  may have a planar portion such as portion  46 - 1  that lies in the same plane as adjacent front housing surface portion  12 - 1  and may have a planar portion such as portion  46 - 2  that lies in the same plane as adjacent end wall housing surface portion  12 - 2 . Plate  46  may be coplanar with housing  12  in configurations in which plate  46  as no bends, in configurations in which plate  46  has one bend (e.g., as in  FIG. 4 ), and in configurations in which plate  46  has two or more bends. Because plate  46  is coplanar with device housing  12 , plate  46  can reside near the surface of housing  12  under antenna window  44 . 
     Plate antennas such as antenna  30  may be used in one of the housing walls of device housing  12 , may be provided with one or more bends (e.g., so that the antenna covers multiple housing walls), and/or may be provided with a gradually changing curve or other shape that allows antenna plate  46  to conform to the exterior shape of housing  12 . Regardless of the cross-sectional shape of plate antenna  30  (flat, flat with one or more bends, curved, etc.), plate antenna resonating element  46  may be separated from conductive housing  12  (i.e., antenna ground) by a gap G, as shown in the diagram of  FIG. 5 . In  FIG. 5 , plate antenna resonating element  46  and the surrounding antenna ground formed by nearby portions of housing  12  have been flattened to show how a dielectric-filled gap G may separate plate antenna resonating element  46  from surrounding portions of electronic device housing  12 . 
     A short circuit path such as short circuit path  48  may bridge gap G. Antenna  30  may have an antenna feed with a positive antenna feed terminal such as positive antenna feed terminal  52  and a ground antenna feed terminal such as ground antenna feed terminal  54 . Transmission line  29  in wireless circuitry  31  may have a positive signal conductor such as conductive line  56  that is coupled to positive antenna feed terminal  52  and may have a ground signal conductor such as conductive line  58  that is coupled to ground antenna feed terminal  54 . 
     Plate antenna  46  may be characterized by lateral dimensions such length L and width W. The size of dimensions L and W, and the magnitude of gap G may be selected to optimize antenna performance for antenna  30 . For example, length L may be configured to be about a quarter of a wavelength at operating frequencies of interest to enhance the size of the antenna resonant peak associated with those operating frequencies and thereby enhance antenna efficiency. At an illustrative operating frequency of 2.4 GHz, for example, the size of length L may be about 25-35 mm. The magnitude of width W may be selected to match the impedance of antenna  30  to a desired impedance (e.g., the impedance of transmission line  29 ). Width W may be, for example less than a quarter of a wavelength. The size of gap G may be, for example, between a tenth of a wavelength and a twentieth of a wavelength at the operating frequency of interest. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an end portion of device  10  showing how plate antenna  30  may be formed from an antenna resonating element that bends around at least one edge of housing  12  and that has one or more openings. As shown in  FIG. 6 , antenna resonating element  46  of plate antenna  30  may be formed from a rectangular conductive member (e.g., a bent metal rectangle) having a bend that runs along edge  12 E of electronic device housing  12 . Antenna resonating element  46  may be separated from adjacent portions of metal housing  12  (which form antenna ground) by gap G. Gap G may be filled with air, plastic, or other dielectric materials. As shown in  FIG. 6 , antenna resonating element  46  may have one or more openings such as openings  60  that run along edge  12 E. The size of openings  60  may be selected to be smaller than a quarter wavelength at the operating frequency of interest for antenna  30  to ensure that the presence of openings  60  do not affect antenna performance. Because some of the metal in antenna resonating element  46  along the bend on edge  12 E is removed when forming openings  60 , the flexibility of antenna resonating element  46  along edge  12 E may be enhanced by the presence of openings  60 . Enhanced resonating element flexibility may help resonating element  46  conform to the shape of housing  12 . There may be one opening  60 , two openings  60 , three openings  60 , or four or more openings  60 . The illustrative configuration of  FIG. 6  in which two openings  60  have been formed in antenna resonating element  46  overlapping the bend in resonating element  46  along housing edge  12 E is merely illustrative. 
     A perspective view of an illustrative plate antenna resonating element is shown in  FIG. 8 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , plate antenna resonating element  46  may have a dielectric substrate such as substrate  64  on which conductive traces may be formed (e.g., metal traces such as copper traces in the shape of a rectangular plate or other suitable plate shape). Substrate  64  may be formed from a flexible printed circuit material such as polyimide or a sheet of other polymer material. Substrate  64  may be bent along one or more bend lines such as bend line (axis)  62 . Axis  62  may be aligned with an edge of housing  12  such as edge  12 E of  FIG. 4 . Substrate  64  may have portions such as portions  68  and  70  that span gap G. Portion  70  may, for example, contain traces for forming a feed path for an antenna feed such as antenna feed  50  of  FIG. 5 . Portion  68  may contain traces for forming a short circuit path between the plate conductor of resonating element  46  and ground such as short circuit path  48  of  FIG. 5 . Portion  66  may contain transmission line conductive traces such as traces for forming conductive paths  56  and  58  of transmission line  29  of  FIG. 5 . The locations of antenna feed  50  and short circuit path  48  along the periphery of the conductive plate in resonating element  46  may be selected to tune antenna performance (e.g., the size and frequency location of antenna resonances exhibited by antenna  30 ). 
     Substrate  64  may be a flexible printed circuit with multiple layers of conductive traces (e.g., two or more layers of traces).  FIG. 9  is a diagram showing how the conductive traces in this type of substrate may be used to feed and ground plate antenna resonating element  46  to  20  antenna ground. As shown in  FIG. 9 , antenna plate resonating element  46  may have a rectangular metal trace (plate element) such as conductive antenna resonating element trace  82 . Trace  82  may be formed from a first layer of metal on flexible printed circuit substrate  64 . Path  68   25  may be formed by coupling an extended portion of this first metal layer (i.e., extended first layer trace portion  74 , which spans dielectric gap G) to a ground formed by a second layer of metal on flexible printed circuit substrate  64  such as second metal layer  78 . As shown by ground  84 , second metal layer  78  may be shorted to ground (e.g., portions of device housing  12  in the vicinity of antenna  30 ). A via such as via  76  may be used to electrically connect trace portion  74  of the first layer of metal to ground trace  78  in the second layer of metal. Antenna feed  50  may be formed  5  from extending portion  72  of trace  82  in the first layer of metal that spans gap G. Extending portion  72  may be supported by substrate portion  68  ( FIG. 8 ). One end of extending portion  72  may be coupled to positive antenna feed terminal  54  of feed  50  and an opposing end of extending  10  portion  72  may be coupled to first layer trace  80 . Extending portion  72  may be supported by substrate portion  70  ( FIG. 8 ). Ground antenna terminal  54  may be coupled to trace  78  across gap G from positive antenna terminal  52 . Trace  80  in the first layer of metal and trace  78  in the 15 second layer of metal may be separated by a layer of insulator (flexible printed circuit material) and may form transmission line  29  ( FIG. 5 ). Trace portion  74  may form short circuit path  48  of  FIG. 5 . 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20120706
Publication Date: 20160322
Grant Date: 20160322
Priority Date: 20120706
Inventors: SAMARDZIJA MIROSLAV
GOMEZ ANGULO RODNEY A.
LI QINGXIANG
SCHLUB ROBERT W.
CABALLERO RUBEN
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01Q1/243", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q13/16", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q9/0407", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/38", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/42", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q13/16", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/38", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/42", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q9/0407", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/243", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 49878124