Electronic Device with Tunable and Fixed Antennas

• US 20130241800A1
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schlub, Robert W., Gomez Angulo, Rodney A., Li, Qingxiang, McMilin, Emily B., Yarga, Salih, Jiang, Yi
• Application Number:
  US13/420,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20130241800A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/893
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 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

Electronic devices may be provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antennas. The antennas may include a non-tunable antenna and a tunable antenna. The non-tunable antenna may serve as the primary antenna in the electronic device and the tunable antenna may serve as a secondary antenna in the electronic device. The non-tunable antenna may be configured to operate in at least one communications band. The tunable antenna may contain adjustable circuitry. The adjustable circuitry may be used to tune the tunable antenna to cover the same communications band used by the non-tunable antenna. The tunable antenna may have a resonating element and an antenna ground. The adjustable circuit may be coupled between the resonating element and the antenna ground. The adjustable circuit may include electrical components such as inductors and capacitors and a radio-frequency switch for antenna tuning.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

radio-frequency transceiver circuitry having a first port with a transmitter and a receiver that are configured to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals and a second port with a receiver that is configured to receive radio-frequency signals;

a switchless antenna coupled to the first port and configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals; and

a switch-based tunable antenna coupled to the second port and configured to receive radio-frequency antenna signals.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the switchless antenna has a first antenna resonating element and wherein the switch-based antenna has a second antenna resonating element that is smaller than the first antenna resonating element.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the switch-based antenna has an antenna ground and has a switch-based adjustable circuit coupled between the second antenna resonating element and the antenna ground, wherein the switchless antenna is configured to operate in a communications band, and wherein the switch-based antenna is configured to cover the communications band using antenna tuning.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 further comprising a conductive housing from which the antenna ground is formed.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the switchless antenna comprises a fixed non-tunable antenna having an antenna ground formed at least partly from the conductive housing and wherein the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry comprises cellular telephone transceiver circuitry that receives radio-frequency signals from the switchless antenna and from the switch-based tunable antenna.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the switch-based adjustable circuit comprises a switchable inductor.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the switch-based adjustable circuit comprises at least one electrical component and a radio-frequency switch coupled between the second antenna resonating element and the antenna ground.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the switchless antenna is configured to serve as a primary antenna that transmits and receives radio-frequency signals for the electronic device.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the switch-based antenna is configured to serve as a secondary antenna that receives radio-frequency signals and that does not transmit radio-frequency signals.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the second port comprises a transmitter that is configured to transmit radio-frequency signals using the switch-based antenna, wherein the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit radio-frequency signals through the switchless antenna at powers up to a first maximum transmit power and wherein the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit radio-frequency signals through the switch-based antenna at powers up to a second maximum transmit power that is lower than the first maximum transmit power.

2. The electronic device defined in claim wherein the switchless antenna is larger than the switch-based tunable antenna and wherein the switchless antenna and the switch-based antenna are configured to cover at least one common communications band.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

radio-frequency transceiver circuitry configured to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals;

a non-tunable antenna coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that is configured to transmit and receive the radio-frequency signals; and

a tunable antenna coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that is configured exclusively for receiving the radio-frequency signals and not transmitting the radio-frequency signals.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 further comprising:

a metal housing that serves as an antenna ground for the non-tunable antenna and the tunable antenna.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising a dielectric antenna window in the metal housing that overlaps that non-tunable antenna and the tunable antenna.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the non-tunable antenna comprises a first antenna resonating element, wherein the tunable antenna comprises a second antenna resonating element, and wherein the first antenna resonating element has a maximum lateral dimension larger than the second antenna resonating element.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the non-tunable antenna operates in at least a given communications band and wherein the tunable antenna comprises:

an antenna resonating element;

an antenna ground; and

an adjustable circuit coupled between the antenna resonating element and the antenna ground, wherein the adjustable circuit is operable to tune the tunable antenna to cover the given communications band.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the adjustable circuit includes a radio-frequency switch.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the adjustable circuit includes at least one inductor.

19. A electronic device, comprising:

a conductive housing;

a dielectric antenna window in the conductive housing;

a switchless antenna that is configured to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals through the dielectric antenna window in at least a given communications band; and

a tunable antenna that is configured to receive radio-frequency signals through the dielectric antenna window, wherein the tunable antenna includes an adjustable circuit and wherein the adjustable circuit is operable to tune the tunable antenna to cover the given communications band.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the adjustable circuit includes a radio-frequency switch.

21. The electronic device defined in claim 20 wherein the adjustable circuit includes a component coupled to the switch and wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of:

an inductor and a capacitor.

22. The electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the conductive housing forms an antenna ground for the switchless antenna and the tunable antenna, wherein the tunable antenna comprises a metal resonating element arm that is coupled to the antenna ground using the adjustable circuit, and wherein the adjustable circuit includes at least one radio-frequency switch.