Antenna system with return path tuning and loop element

• US 9,444,130 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2013
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bevelacqua, Peter, Xu, Hao, Nath, Jayesh, Edwards, Jennifer M., Pascolini, Mattia
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, DIEU HIEN
• Application Number:
  US13/860,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20140306857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/700.MS, 343/866, 343/750
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means

Abstract

Electronic devices may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The antenna structures may include a dual arm inverted-F antenna resonating element and an antenna ground. An antenna feed may be coupled between the inverted-F antenna resonating element and the antenna ground. An adjustable component such as an adjustable inductor may be coupled between the inverted-F antenna resonating element and the antenna ground in parallel with the antenna feed. The adjustable component may be operable in multiple states such as an open circuit state, a short circuit state, and a state in which the adjustable component exhibits a non-zero inductance. Antenna bandwidth can be broadened by coupling a loop antenna resonating element across the antenna feed. A portion of the antenna ground may overlap the loop antenna resonating element to further enhance antenna bandwidth.

Claims

1. Electronic device antenna structures, comprising:

an antenna ground;

a first antenna resonating element;

an antenna feed coupled between the antenna ground and the first antenna resonating element, wherein the antenna feed has a positive antenna feed terminal and a ground antenna feed terminal; and

a second antenna resonating element interposed between the first antenna resonating element and the antenna ground that has a first end coupled to the positive antenna feed terminal and a second end coupled to the ground antenna feed terminal, wherein the first antenna resonating element comprises an inverted-F antenna resonating element, the second antenna resonating element comprises a loop antenna resonating element, a portion of the loop antenna resonating element overlaps a portion of the antenna ground, the first antenna resonating element comprises a portion of a peripheral conductive electronic device housing member that is formed at an exterior of an electronic device, and the portion of the peripheral conductive electronic device housing member is separated from the antenna ground by a first dielectric gap having a first length and is separated from the portion of the antenna ground that overlaps the portion of the loop antenna resonating element by a second gap having a second length that is less than the first length.

2. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 1 wherein the inverted-F antenna resonating element comprises a portion of a peripheral conductive electronic device housing member.

3. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 2 further comprising a return path coupled between the first antenna resonating element and the antenna ground in parallel with the antenna feed.

4. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 3 wherein the return path includes an adjustable electrical component.

5. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 4 wherein the adjustable electrical component comprises an adjustable inductor.

6. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 5 wherein the adjustable inductor includes switching circuitry, a short circuit path, and a fixed inductor and wherein the switching circuitry is configured to selectively switch the short circuit path and the fixed inductor into use in the return path.

7. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 6 wherein the switching circuitry is further configured to simultaneously switch the short circuit path and the fixed inductor out of use to place the return path in an open circuit state.

8. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 2, wherein the portion of the peripheral conductive electronic device housing member comprises at least one external surface of an electronic device and the antenna ground is separated from the portion of the peripheral conductive electronic device housing member by a gap.

9. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 8, wherein the portion of the peripheral conductive electronic device housing member forms at three different external surfaces of the electronic device.

10. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 1 further comprising a return path coupled between the first antenna resonating element and the antenna ground in parallel with the antenna feed, wherein the return path is selectively placed in at least two different states including a short circuit state and a non-zero inductance state.

11. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 10 further comprising an adjustable circuit in the return path that places the return path in the short circuit state and the non-zero inductance state, wherein the adjustable circuit is operable to place the return path in an open circuit state.

12. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 1, wherein a first end of the loop antenna resonating element is electrically connected to the positive antenna feed terminal and a second end of the loop antenna resonating element is electrically connected to the negative antenna feed terminal.

13. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 12, wherein the loop antenna resonating element comprises a strip of metal.

14. The electronic device antenna structures defined in claim 1, wherein the inverted-F antenna resonating element has a first arm that is configured to resonate in high band frequency range and a second arm that is configured to resonate in a low band frequency range, the first arm extends from a first side of the positive antenna feed terminal and in a given plane, the second arm extends from a second side of the positive antenna feed terminal and in the given plane, and the loop antenna resonating element extends from the first side of the positive antenna feed terminal.

15. Electronic device antenna structures, comprising:

an antenna ground;

an inverted-F antenna resonating element having a first arm that is configured to resonate in high band frequency range and a second arm that is configured to resonate in a low band frequency range;

an antenna feed coupled between the antenna ground and the inverted-F antenna resonating element, wherein the antenna feed has a positive antenna feed terminal and a ground antenna feed terminal, the first arm extends from a first side of the positive antenna feed terminal and in a given plane, and the second arm extends from a second side of the positive antenna feed terminal and in the given plane; and

a loop antenna resonating element interposed between the inverted-F antenna resonating element and the antenna ground that has a first end coupled to the positive antenna feed terminal and a second end coupled to the ground antenna feed terminal, wherein the loop antenna resonating element extends from the first side of the positive antenna feed terminal, an entirety of the loop antenna resonating element extends along the first side of the positive antenna feed terminal, and the loop antenna resonating element is configured to broaden the high band frequency range in which the first arm resonates.

16. Electronic device antenna structures, comprising:

an antenna ground;

a first antenna resonating element;

an antenna feed coupled between the antenna ground and the first antenna resonating element, wherein the antenna feed has a positive antenna feed terminal and a ground antenna feed terminal; and

a second antenna resonating element that has a first end coupled to the positive antenna feed terminal and a second end coupled to the ground antenna feed terminal, wherein the first antenna resonating element has a first arm configured to resonate in a low band frequency range and a second arm configured to resonate in a high band frequency range, and the second antenna resonating element is configured to broaden the high band frequency range in which the second arm of the first antenna resonating element resonates.