US 10,476,136 B2Granted

Electronic device with speaker port aligned antennas

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsMatthew A. Mow, Basim H. Noori, Khan M. Salam, Mattia Pascolini, Ming-Ju Tsai, Simone Paulotto, Travis A. Barbieri, Victor C. Lee, Xu Han

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry, a conductive housing, and a display. The display may have an active area that displays image data and an inactive area that does not display image data. The active area may completely surround the inactive area at a front face of the device. A speaker port may be aligned with the inactive area and may emit sound through the inactive area. The wireless circuitry may include first and second antenna arrays. The first array may be configured to transmit and receive wireless signals at frequencies between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through the inactive area of the display. The second array may be configured to transmit and receive wireless signals at frequencies between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through a slot in a rear wall of the conductive housing. Control circuitry may perform beam steering using the first and second arrays.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic device, comprising:

a conductive housing having first, second, third, and fourth peripheral walls, wherein the first peripheral wall opposes the second peripheral wall, the third peripheral wall opposes the fourth peripheral wall, and the third and fourth peripheral walls extend from the first peripheral wall to the second peripheral wall;
a display mounted to the conductive housing, wherein the display comprises an active region and an inactive region, the active region has pixel circuitry that displays images, and the inactive region has:
a first edge defined by a first portion of the active region,
a second edge that is defined by a second portion of the active region and that opposes the first edge, and
a third edge that is defined by a third portion of the active region and that extends from the first edge to the second edge;
a speaker aligned with the inactive region of the display and configured to emit sound through the inactive region of the display, wherein the speaker is interposed between the first peripheral wall and the third edge of the inactive region, the first portion of the active region is interposed between the first edge of the inactive region and the third peripheral wall, the second portion of the active region is interposed between the second edge of the inactive region and the fourth peripheral wall, and the third portion of the active region is interposed between the third edge of the inactive region and the second peripheral wall;
and
an antenna aligned with the inactive region of the display and configured to convey wireless signals at a frequency greater than 10 GHz through the inactive region of the display.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/655,015Filed 20 Jul 2017
Published: US 2019/0027808 A124 Jan 2019
Granted: 12 Nov 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H01Q 1/243
Specially adapted for hand-held use: with built-in antennas
H01Q 1/48
Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas: earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
H01Q 3/26
Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna…
H01Q 13/106
Resonant slot antennas: microstrip slot antennas