Electronic device with fingerprint sensor and tunable hybrid antenna

• US 10,122,071 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pascolini, Mattia, Jin, Nanbo
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US15/374,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20170125889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/103 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna tuning resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/247 by switching different parts of a primary active element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0485 Dielectric resonator antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils

Abstract

An electronic device may have wireless circuitry and components such as sensors. The electronic device may have a metal housing having first and second planar rear wall portions separated by a gap. Conductive structures may bridge the gap to electrically couple the first and second rear wall portions. The wireless circuitry may include a hybrid slot inverted-F antenna. The antenna may have an inverted-F antenna resonating element formed from peripheral housing structures that are separated from the second rear wall portion by an opening. The opening may form a C-shaped slot antenna resonating element for the antenna. The sensors may include a fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor may be coupled to a button member in a button. The fingerprint sensor and other portions of the button may overlap the second planar rear wall portion to minimize interference with antenna operation.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a metal housing having a rear wall with a first rear wall portion and a second rear wall portion separated by a dielectric-filled gap;

conductive structures that bridge the gap and electrically couple the first rear wall portion to the second rear wall portion; and

a fingerprint sensor that overlaps that second rear wall portion.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

an antenna, wherein the rear wall forms an antenna ground for the antenna and the antenna ground has an extended ground portion formed from the second rear wall portion.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the antenna comprises a slot antenna resonating element formed from an opening between the extended ground portion and peripheral conductive structures in the metal housing.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the opening is a C-shaped slot.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 3 further comprising:

a feed terminal coupled to the peripheral conductive structures, wherein the peripheral conductive structures form an inverted-F antenna resonating element in the antenna and an adjustable inductor for tuning a communications band for the antenna is coupled between the peripheral conductive structures and extended ground portion; and

a switch and inductor that are coupled in series and that are coupled to the antenna, wherein the switch is configured to switch the inductor out of use in response to determining that an external object is present adjacent to the antenna.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a flexible printed circuit, wherein the fingerprint sensor is mounted to the flexible printed circuit and a portion of the flexible printed circuit on which the fingerprint sensor is mounted overlaps the second rear wall portion.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a button that has a switch, wherein the fingerprint sensor is mounted within the button.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the metal housing comprises first and second peripheral sidewalls and the first rear wall portion extends between the first and second peripheral sidewalls and is integral with the first and second peripheral sidewalls.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a conductive housing, wherein the conductive housing comprises a rear wall and a peripheral sidewall, the rear wall has a first rear wall portion and a second rear wall portion that is electrically coupled to the first rear wall portion, the second rear wall portion is separated from the peripheral sidewall by a dielectric-filled slot, and the dielectric-filled slot surrounds three sides of the second rear wall portion; and

a fingerprint sensor that overlaps that second rear wall portion.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9, further comprising:

an antenna, wherein the rear wall forms an antenna ground for the antenna and the antenna ground has an extended ground portion formed from the second rear wall portion.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 9, wherein the electronic device has a first side, a second side, and a third side that is parallel to the second side, the peripheral sidewall extends across the first side of the electronic device, and the conductive housing further comprises:

a first additional peripheral sidewall that runs along the second side;

a second additional peripheral sidewall that runs along the third side;

a first dielectric-filled gap that separates the first additional peripheral sidewall from the peripheral sidewall; and

a second dielectric-filled gap that separates the second additional peripheral sidewall from the peripheral sidewall.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the dielectric-filled slot is continuous with the first and second dielectric-filled gaps.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the first rear wall portion directly contacts the first additional peripheral sidewall and the second additional peripheral sidewall.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 9, wherein the first rear wall portion and the second rear wall portion are formed from a continuous piece of metal.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 9, further comprising:

a connector receptacle, wherein the fingerprint sensor overlaps the connector receptacle.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 9, further comprising:

a flexible printed circuit on which the finger print sensor is mounted; and

a display having a display module that overlaps the first rear wall portion, wherein at least some of the flexible printed is interposed between the display module and the first rear wall portion.

17. An electronic device having a first face and an opposing second face, the electronic device comprising:

a metal housing, wherein the metal housing comprises peripheral conductive sidewalls that extend from the first face to the second face of the electronic device and a rear wall having a first rear wall portion and a second rear wall portion, the second rear wall portion being separated from the first rear wall portion by a dielectric-filled gap;

a dielectric cover layer that extends across at least some of the first face of the electronic device and between the peripheral conductive sidewalls, wherein an opening is formed in the dielectric cover layer; and

a fingerprint sensor formed at the first face of the electronic device and within the opening in the dielectric cover layer.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17, further comprising:

control circuitry; and

a flexible printed circuit, wherein the fingerprint sensor is mounted to the flexible printed circuit and the flexible printed circuit comprises metal traces that convey fingerprint data from the fingerprint sensor to the control circuitry.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18, wherein the fingerprint sensor comprises a dielectric member, a plurality of sensor electrodes formed on the dielectric member, and a metal ring that surrounds the dielectric member, and the metal ring is interposed between the dielectric member and the dielectric cover layer at the first face of the electronic device.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19, further comprising:

at least one additional dielectric-filled gap that divides a given one of the peripheral conductive sidewalls, wherein the at least one additional dielectric-filled gap extends from the first face to the second face of the electronic device.