Tunable antenna with slot-based parasitic element

• US 10,355,339 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2016
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jin, Nanbo, Ouyang, Yuehui, Zhou, Yijun, Ayala Vazquez, Enrique, Lakshmanan, Anand, Schlub, Robert W., Pascolini, Mattia, Mow, Matthew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Magallanes, Ricardo I
• Application Number:
  US15/085,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20160211570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/10 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/15 for operation of centre-fed antennas comprising one or more collinear, substantially straight or elongated active elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/314 using frequency dependent circuits or components, e.g. trap circuits or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/06 Details

Abstract

Electronic devices may be provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The antenna structures may form a dual arm inverted-F antenna. The antenna may have a resonating element formed from portions of a peripheral conductive electronic device housing member and may have an antenna ground that is separated from the antenna resonating element by a gap. A short circuit path may bridge the gap. An antenna feed may be coupled across the gap in parallel with the short circuit path. Low band tuning may be provided using an adjustable inductor that bridges the gap. The antenna may have a slot-based parasitic antenna resonating element with a slot formed between portions of the peripheral conductive electronic device housing member and the antenna ground. An adjustable capacitor may bridge the slot to provide high band tuning.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having peripheral conductive structures;

first and second dielectric gaps formed on opposing sides of the electronic device that divide the peripheral conductive housing structures;

an antenna resonating element formed from a segment of the peripheral conductive structures located between the first and second dielectric gaps;

an antenna ground;

an antenna feed having a first antenna feed terminal coupled to the segment and a second antenna feed terminal coupled to the antenna ground;

a parasitic antenna resonating element formed between the segment of the peripheral conductive structures and the antenna ground; and

an adjustable component that is coupled to the segment and the antenna ground and that overlaps the parasitic antenna resonating element.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element resonates in a first frequency band, the antenna resonating element comprising:

a first arm that resonates in a second frequency band that is lower than the first frequency band; and

a second arm that resonates in a third frequency band that is lower than the second frequency band.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element is formed between the second arm of the antenna resonating element and the antenna ground.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3,

wherein the adjustable component is coupled to the second arm of the antenna resonating element.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element is located between the antenna feed and the first dielectric gap and the antenna feed is located between the parasitic antenna resonating element and the second dielectric gap.

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

an additional adjustable component coupled to the segment of the peripheral conductive structures and the antenna ground.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the adjustable component comprises an adjustable inductor.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element has a first portion that extends along a first longitudinal axis and a second portion that extends from an end of the first portion and along a second longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element further comprises a third portion that extends along a third longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the first longitudinal axis.

10. An antenna, comprising:

an antenna resonating element formed from a metal electronic device housing structure that has a first arm that resonates in a first frequency band and a second arm that resonates in a second frequency band that is greater than the first frequency band;

an antenna ground that is separated from the antenna resonating element;

a parasitic antenna resonating element that resonates in a third frequency band that is greater than the second frequency band; and

an adjustable component that is coupled to the first arm and the antenna ground, that bridges and overlaps the parasitic antenna resonating element, and that is configured to adjust the first frequency band in which the first arm resonates.

11. The antenna defined in claim 10, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element has a first portion that extends along a first longitudinal axis and a second portion that extends along a second longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis.

12. The antenna defined in claim 10, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element is interposed between the first arm and the antenna ground.

13. The antenna defined in claim 10, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element comprises a slot that resonates in the third frequency band and the adjustable component bridges the slot.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

an antenna ground;

an antenna resonating element formed from a metal electronic device housing structure that extends across a width of the electronic device, wherein the antenna resonating element has a low band arm that resonates in a first frequency band and a high band arm that resonates in a second frequency band that is greater than the first frequency band;

an antenna feed having a first antenna feed terminal coupled to the antenna resonating element and a second antenna feed terminal coupled to the antenna ground; and

a parasitic antenna resonating element formed between the low band arm and the antenna ground, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element is indirectly fed by the antenna resonating element via near-field electromagnetic coupling.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element resonates in a third frequency band that is greater than the second frequency band.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 14, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element comprises a slot having a first edge defined by the antenna ground and an opposing second edge defined by the low band arm.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 14, wherein the electronic device has a length and a height, and the width is less than the length and greater than the height.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 14, wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element is indirectly fed by the low band arm.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 14, further comprising an adjustable component that is coupled to the low band arm and the antenna ground and that overlaps the parasitic antenna resonating element.