Antennas for near-field and non-near-field communications

• US 10,312,593 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yarga, Salih, Samardzija, Miroslav, Schlub, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Dieu Hien T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jegede, Bamidele A
• Application Number:
  US14/254,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20150303568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 343720, 343722
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/245 with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/321 within a radiating element or between connected radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• 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 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may be coupled to non-near-field communications circuitry such as cellular telephone transceiver circuitry or wireless local area network circuitry. When operated at non-near-field communication frequencies, the antenna structures may be configured to serve as one or more inverted-F antennas or other antennas for supporting far field wireless communications. Proximity sensor circuitry and near-field communications circuitry may also be coupled to the antenna structures. When operated at proximity sensor frequencies, the antenna structures may be used in forming capacitive proximity sensor electrode structures. When operated at near-field communications frequencies, the antenna structures may be used in forming an inductive near-field communications loop antenna.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

antenna structures that comprise filtering circuitry;

non-near-field communications circuitry coupled to the antenna structures;

near-field communications circuitry coupled to the antenna structures; and

proximity sensor circuitry coupled to the antenna structures, wherein the filtering circuitry configures the antenna structures to form a first antenna having a first resonating element arm configured to operate at frequencies associated with the non-near-field communications circuitry and a second antenna having a second resonating element arm that is configured to operate at the frequencies associated with the non-near-field communications circuitry and that is separate from the first resonating element arm when the antenna structures are operated at the frequencies associated with the non-near-field communications circuitry.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a low-pass filter that couples the proximity sensor circuitry to the second resonating element arm.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising a band pass filter that couples the near-field communications circuitry to the second resonating element arm.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3, wherein the first antenna, the second antenna, and the filtering circuitry form a loop antenna for the near-field communications circuitry at near-field communications frequencies associated with use of the near-field communications circuitry.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the filtering circuitry comprises capacitors coupled between the first resonating element arm and an antenna ground.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the filtering circuitry comprises a band pass filter.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the band pass filter is connected to an end of the first antenna resonating element arm.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the first antenna comprises a first inverted-F antenna and the second antenna comprises a second inverted-F antenna, and the first and second inverted-F antennas are shorted together when operating at frequencies associated with the near-field communications circuitry.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the first inverted-F antenna comprises the first resonating element arm, a first feed, and a first return path, the second inverted-F antenna comprises the second resonating element arm, a second feed, and a second return path, the antenna structures include an antenna ground, the first return path is coupled between the first resonating element arm and the antenna ground, and antenna currents associated with near-field communications signals flow through the second resonating element arm, the first resonating element arm, the first return path, and the antenna ground when the antenna structures are operated at frequencies associated with the near-field communications circuitry.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a first inverted-F antenna having a first antenna resonating element that includes a first antenna resonating element arm and a first return path coupling the first antenna resonating element arm to an antenna ground;

a second inverted-F antenna having a second antenna resonating element that includes a second antenna resonating element arm and a return path coupling the second antenna resonating element arm to the antenna ground; and

a band pass filter galvanically connected between the first antenna resonating element arm and the second antenna resonating element arm, wherein a portion of the first antenna resonating element, a portion of the second antenna resonating element, and the band pass filter form a conductive path associated with a third antenna resonating element for a third antenna.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the second antenna resonating element arm has opposing first and second ends and wherein the band pass filter is coupled between the first end of the second antenna resonating element arm and the first antenna resonating element arm.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising a capacitor interposed in the return path of the second inverted-F antenna.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 further comprising an additional band pass filter coupled to the second end of the second antenna resonating element arm.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising near-field communications circuitry coupled to the additional band pass filter.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 further comprising proximity sensor circuitry coupled to the second inverted-F antenna.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 further comprising a low pass filter in a path coupling the proximity sensor circuitry to the second antenna resonating element arm.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 10, wherein the second antenna resonating element arm has first and second opposing ends, the band pass filter is coupled to the first end of the second antenna resonating element arm, and communications circuitry for the third antenna is coupled to the second end of the second antenna resonating element arm.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

non-near-field communications circuitry that operates at a non-near-field communications frequency;

a first antenna having a first feed that is coupled to the non-near-field communications circuitry to handle non-near-field communications;

a second antenna having a second feed that is coupled to the non-near-field communications circuitry to handle non-near-field communications;

a band pass filter coupled between the first antenna and the second antenna; and

near-field communications circuitry that operates at a near-field communications frequency, wherein the band pass filter forms a portion of a third antenna that is coupled to the near-field communications circuitry and configured to handle near-field communications.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the non-near-field communications circuitry includes transceiver circuitry operating at a non-near-field communications frequency of at least 700 MHz and wherein the band pass filter is an open circuit at the non-near-field communications frequency.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19 further comprising proximity sensor circuitry coupled to the second antenna that operates at a proximity sensor frequency, wherein the band pass filter is an open circuit at the proximity sensor frequency.