Electronic Device Printed Circuit Board Patch Antenna

• US 20160028148A1
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tan, Liquan, Gomez Angulo, Rodney A., Azad, Umar, Low, Wing Kong, Wang, Paul X., Brooks, Ryan P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,141,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry that includes a radio-frequency transceiver circuit and an antenna. The antenna may be a patch antenna formed from a patch antenna resonating element and an antenna ground. The patch antenna resonating element may be formed from a metal patch on a printed circuit board. The antenna ground may be formed from a metal housing having a planar rear wall that lies in a plane parallel to the metal patch. The radio-frequency transceiver circuit may be coupled to the metal patch through traces on the printed circuit and may be coupled to rear wall of the housing through a screw and a screw boss in the housing. Buttons and other electrical components may be mounted on the printed circuit board and may he coupled to control circuitry on the printed circuit board through the metal patch.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a metal wall that serves as an antenna ground for a patch antenna;

a printed circuit mounted in the housing, wherein the printed circuit contains a metal layer that lies in a plane parallel to the metal wall and that serves as an antenna resonating element in the patch antenna; and

a plurality of buttons mounted on the printed circuit board.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the buttons each have at least one terminal that is electrically coupled to the metal layer.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the metal layer has at least one slot.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein housing has a longitudinal axis and wherein the metal layer has at least two slots that run parallel to the longitudinal axis.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising a support structure under the printed circuit, wherein the support structure is interposed between the printed circuit and the metal wall.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the support structure comprises a plastic support structure with an array of recesses.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the housing has a glass layer that overlaps the printed circuit.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the metal wall forms a rear surface for the housing and wherein the glass layer forms an opposing front surface for the housing.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the glass layer has a plurality of openings each of which receives a respective one of the buttons.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising a screw that couples a ground trace on the printed circuit board to the metal wall.

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

a flexible printed circuit; and

as dielectric structure on the printed circuit that prevents the flexible printed circuit horn coming too close to the metal layer.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the dielectric structure comprise a plastic shim, the electronic device further comprising a touch sensor coupled to the flexible printed circuit.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the metal wall forms a rear surface for the housing, wherein the housing has a glass layer that forms an opposing front surface for the housing, and wherein the glass layer overlaps the touch sensor.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the touch sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor, wherein the metal layer has a slot, wherein the electronic device has a plastic support structure with recesses, and wherein the plastic support structure is interposed between the metal wall and the printed circuit board.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 2, further comprising:

control circuitry that is coupled to the buttons through at least one inductor.

16. A remote control, comprising:

a housing having a metal portion that serves as an antenna ground for an antenna;

a printed circuit board having a metal layer that forms an antenna resonating clement for the antenna;

a capacitive touch sensor located at one end of the housing; and

a glass layer that covers the antenna resonating element and the capacitive touch sensor.

17. The remote control defined in claim 16 wherein the glass layer has an array of openings and wherein the remote control further comprises buttons in the openings.

18. The remote control defined in claim 17 wherein the antenna resonating element comprises a patch antenna resonating element.

19. A remote control, comprising:

a housing having a metal housing portion that forms an antenna ground in a patch antenna;

a printed circuit board;

a metal patch formed from a metal layer on the printed circuit board, wherein the metal patch forms an antenna resonating element in the patch antenna; and

a dielectric layer that covers the metal patch and forms a front face for the housing.

20. The remote control defined in claim 19 wherein the dielectric layer comprises a glass layer, the remote control further comprising:

a button mounted to the printed circuit board;

a control circuit mounted to the printed circuit board that is coupled to the button through the metal patch;

a flexible printed circuit; and

a dielectric support on the printed circuit board that maintains separation between the flexible printed circuit and the metal patch.