# US 11,909,101 B2 · Electronic devices with bent dielectric resonator antennas > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,101 B2 - Document ID: US11909101B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/670,020 - Filed: 2022-02-11 - Published: 2023-08-17 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-11 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Lucas R. Compton; Harish Rajagopalan; James T. Handy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909101B2 ## CPC - H01Q 1/243: {with built-in antennas} - H01Q 9/0492: {circularly polarised} - H01Q 15/14: Reflecting surfaces; Equivalent structures {(electromagnetic shields H01Q1/526)} - H01Q 21/06: Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart - H01Q 21/245: {provided with means for varying the polarisation (polarising devices H01Q15/24; tracking by comparing linear polarisation compounds G01S3/146; reducing depolarisation effects H04B7/00; polarisation diversity H04B7/10)} - H05K 5/0017: {with operator interface units} - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array having a bent dielectric resonating element. The bent dielectric resonating element may have a first segment, a second segment nonparallel to the first segment, and an angled surface that couples the first segment to the second segment. One or more feed probes may be coupled to the first segment to excite the dielectric resonating element. A reflector may be provided on the angled surface to direct electromagnetic energy from the first segment to the second segment and vice versa. The bent dielectric resonating element may exhibit less overall height than dielectric resonators having straight columns of dielectric material, thereby allowing for a reduction in the thickness of the electronic device. The angled surface and the reflector may optimize the radio-frequency performance of the antenna despite the reduction in overall height. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: a housing having peripheral conductive housing structures; a dielectric cover layer on the housing; a circuit board; a dielectric substrate on the circuit board; a bent dielectric resonating element embedded in the dielectric substrate and configured to convey radio-frequency signals through the dielectric cover layer; and a display having a display panel, wherein the dielectric cover layer covers the display panel, the bent dielectric resonating element being configured to convey the radio-frequency signals through a gap between the display panel and the peripheral conductive housing structures. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the bent dielectric resonating element has a first segment extending along a first longitudinal axis and a second segment extending, from the first segment, along a second longitudinal axis that is nonparallel to the first longitudinal axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the bent dielectric resonating element has a surface that extends nonparallel to the first and second longitudinal axes and that couples the first segment to the second segment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising: a reflector on the surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the reflector comprises an air gap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the reflector comprises metal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The electronic device of claim 3, further comprising: a feed probe coupled to the first segment, soldered to the circuit board, and embedded within the dielectric substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising: an additional feed probe coupled to the first segment, wherein the feed probe is configured to convey radio-frequency signals of a first polarization and the additional feed probe is configured to convey radio-frequency signals of a second polarization. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the bent dielectric resonating element has a hexagonal cross-sectional profile. ### Claim 11 An electronic device comprising: a dielectric layer; a dielectric resonating element having a first segment with a first sidewall extending along a first longitudinal axis, a second segment with a second sidewall extending along a second longitudinal axis that is oriented nonparallel to the first longitudinal axis, and a surface that couples the first sidewall to the second sidewall, the surface being oriented nonparallel to the first longitudinal axis and nonparallel to the second longitudinal axis; and a feed probe coupled to the first segment and configured to excite the dielectric resonating element to radiate through the dielectric layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising: a dielectric substrate molded over the first and second segments. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the feed probe is coupled to the first sidewall, the electronic device further comprising: a printed circuit, wherein the feed probe is soldered to the printed circuit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising: a reflector on the surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the reflector comprises metal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising: a dielectric substrate molded over the first segment, the second segment, and the reflector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a display cover layer, the first longitudinal axis extends parallel to a lateral surface of the display cover layer, and the second longitudinal axis extends perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis. ### Claim 18 An antenna comprising: a dielectric resonating element having a first segment extending along a first longitudinal axis, a second segment extending along a second longitudinal axis, a first angled surface that couples the first segment to the second segment and that extends nonparallel to the first and second longitudinal axes, and a second angled surface that couples the first segment to the second segment and that extends parallel to the first angled surface; a first reflector on the first angled surface; a second reflector on the second angled surface; and first and second feed probes coupled to the first segment and configured to excite the dielectric resonating element to convey radio-frequency signals of first and second polarizations at a frequency greater than 10 GHz. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The antenna of claim 18, wherein the first segment and the second segment have a hexagonal cross-sectional profile.