Antenna with directly fed patch and indirectly fed patch

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to antennas having directly fed patches and indirectly fed patches. An electronic device may be provided with an antenna that radiates through a rear housing wall in multiple frequency bands. The antenna may have one or more directly fed patches and one or more indirectly fed patches that are indirectly fed by the directly fed patches. One or more of the patches may be shorted to a ground trace through a substrate using a conductive via. The antenna may be provided with a dielectric block mounted to the substrate. The patch may be sandwiched between the substrate and the dielectric block. The dielectric block may have a higher dielectric constant than the substrate. The dielectric block may contribute one or more dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) modes to the resonance of the antenna. In these specific implementations, the patch in the antenna resonating element may form a feed probe for the dielectric block.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 18 / 477,974, filed on September 29, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices, including electronic devices having wireless communication capabilities. Background Art

[0003] Electronic devices such as portable computers and cellular phones often have wireless communication capabilities. To meet consumer demand for small form factor wireless devices, manufacturers have been working tirelessly to implement wireless communication circuits, such as antenna components, using compact structures. At the same time, wireless devices are expected to cover more and more communication frequency bands.

[0004] Because antennas can interfere with each other and with components in wireless devices, care must be taken when incorporating antennas into electronic devices. Additionally, care must be taken to ensure that the antennas and wireless circuitry in the device can perform satisfactorily over a range of operating frequencies while still allowing the device to exhibit a compact form factor. Summary of the invention

[0005] An electronic device may be provided with an antenna module having an antenna that radiates through a rear housing wall in at least a first frequency band (e.g., a 5 GHz Wi-Fi band), a second frequency band (e.g., a Wi-Fi 6E band), and a third frequency band (e.g., an ultra-wideband (UWB) band). The antenna module may have a substrate having a ground trace.

[0006] The antenna may have an antenna resonating element located on a surface of a substrate. The antenna resonating element may include one or more directly fed patches and one or more indirectly fed patches. The directly fed patches may indirectly feed the indirectly fed patches. One or more of the patches may be shorted to a ground trace through the substrate using a conductive via.

[0007] If desired, the antenna may be provided with a dielectric block mounted to the substrate. The patch may be sandwiched between the substrate and the dielectric block. The dielectric block may have a higher dielectric constant than the substrate. If desired, the dielectric block may contribute one or more dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) modes to the resonance of the antenna. In these specific implementations, the patch in the antenna resonating element may form a feed probe for the dielectric block. The dielectric block may help reduce the size of the antenna while still allowing the antenna to cover the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device according to some embodiments.

[0009] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of illustrative circuits in an electronic device according to some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative wireless circuit according to some implementations.

[0011] Figure 4 is a diagram of an illustrative electronic device that wirelessly communicates with an external node in a network according to some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 5 is a diagram showing how the location (e.g., range and angle of arrival) of external nodes in a network can be determined relative to an electronic device according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of an electronic device having a housing structure that can be used to form an antenna structure according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative antenna having a directly fed patch and an indirectly fed patch radiating through a rear housing wall of an electronic device according to some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 8 is a bottom view of an illustrative antenna with a directly fed patch feeding an indirectly fed patch according to some implementations.

[0016] Fig. 9 is a bottom view of an illustrative antenna having multiple directly fed patches feeding indirectly fed patches, according to some implementations.

[0017] Fig.10 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative antenna having one or more patches that radiate and excite a surrounding substrate to radiate, according to some embodiments.

[0018] Fig.11 is a bottom view of an illustrative antenna with a directly fed unshorted patch feeding an indirectly fed shorting patch according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Electronic devices such as Figure 1 The electronic device 10 may be provided with a wireless circuit including an antenna. The antenna may be used to transmit and / or receive wireless radio frequency signals in different frequency bands and / or using different radio access technologies.

[0020] The device 10 may be a portable electronic device or other suitable electronic device. For example, the device 10 may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a slightly smaller device (such as a wristwatch device, a hanging device, an earphone device, a handset device, a headset device (e.g., virtual reality, augmented reality or mixed reality glasses or goggles), or other wearable or miniature devices), a handheld device (such as a cellular phone), a media player or other small portable device. The device 10 may also be a set-top box, a desktop computer, a display with a computer or other processing circuit integrated, a display without an integrated computer, a wireless access point, a wireless base station, an electronic device incorporated into a newsstand, a building or a vehicle, or other suitable electronic equipment.

[0021] Device 10 may include a housing such as housing 12. Housing 12 (which may sometimes be referred to as a casing) may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramic, fiber composite materials, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or combinations of these materials. In some cases, components of housing 12 may be formed of dielectric or other low conductivity materials (e.g., glass, ceramic, plastic, sapphire, etc.). In other cases, housing 12 or at least some of the structures making up housing 12 may be formed of metal elements.

[0022] Device 10 may include a housing such as housing 12. Housing 12 (which may sometimes be referred to as a casing) may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramic, fiber composite materials, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or combinations of these materials. In some cases, components of housing 12 may be formed of dielectric or other low conductivity materials (e.g., glass, ceramic, plastic, sapphire, etc.). In other cases, housing 12 or at least some of the structures making up housing 12 may be formed of metal elements.

[0023] If desired, device 10 may have a display such as display 14. Display 14 may be mounted on the front of device 10. Display 14 may be a touch screen that incorporates capacitive touch electrodes or may be insensitive to touch. The back of housing 12 (i.e., the face of device 10 opposite to the front of device 10) may have a substantially flat housing wall, such as rear housing wall 12R (e.g., a planar housing wall). Rear housing wall 12R may have a gap that passes completely through the rear housing wall, and thus separates parts of housing 12 from each other. Rear housing wall 12R may include conductive portions and / or dielectric portions. If desired, rear housing wall 12R may include a planar metal layer covered by a thin layer or dielectric coating such as glass, plastic, sapphire, or ceramic (e.g., a dielectric cover). Housing 12 may also have a shallow groove that does not pass completely through housing 12. Plastic or other dielectric materials may be used to fill the gap or groove. If desired, portions of housing 12 that are separated from one another (eg, by through slots) may be joined by internal conductive structures (eg, metal sheets or other metal members bridging the slots).

[0024] Housing 12 may include a peripheral housing structure such as peripheral structure 12W. Conductive portions of peripheral structure 12W and conductive portions of rear housing wall 12R may sometimes be collectively referred to herein as conductive structures of housing 12. Peripheral structure 12W may extend around the periphery of device 10 and display 14. In a configuration where device 10 and display 14 have a rectangular shape with four edges, peripheral structure 12W may be implemented using a peripheral housing structure having a rectangular ring shape with four corresponding edges and extending from rear housing wall 12R to the front of device 10 (as an example). In other words, device 10 may have a length (e.g., measured parallel to the Y axis), a width less than the length (e.g., measured parallel to the X axis), and a height less than the width (e.g., measured parallel to the Z axis). If desired, peripheral structure 12W or a portion of peripheral structure 12W may serve as a frame for display 14 (e.g., a decorative trim that surrounds all four sides of display 14 and / or helps hold display 14 to device 10). If desired, peripheral structures 12W may form sidewall structures for device 10 (eg, by forming a metal strip having vertical sidewalls, curved sidewalls, etc.).

[0025] The peripheral structure 12W may be formed of a conductive material such as a metal, and thus may sometimes be referred to as a peripheral conductive housing structure, a conductive housing structure, a peripheral metal structure, a peripheral conductive sidewall, a peripheral conductive sidewall structure, a conductive housing sidewall, a peripheral conductive housing sidewall, a sidewall, a sidewall structure, or a peripheral conductive housing member (as examples). The peripheral conductive housing structure 12W may be formed of a metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, an alloy, or other suitable material. One, two, or more than two separate structures may be used to form the peripheral conductive housing structure 12W.

[0026] Peripheral conductive housing structure 12W does not necessarily have a uniform cross-section. For example, if desired, the top of peripheral conductive housing structure 12W may have an inwardly protruding flange that helps to hold display 14 in place. The bottom of peripheral conductive housing structure 12W may also have an enlarged lip (e.g., in the plane of the back of device 10). Peripheral conductive housing structure 12W may have substantially straight vertical sidewalls, may have curved sidewalls, or may have other suitable shapes. In some configurations (e.g., when peripheral conductive housing structure 12W is used as a frame for display 14), peripheral conductive housing structure 12W may extend around the lip of housing 12 (e.g., peripheral conductive housing structure 12W may only cover the edge of housing 12 surrounding display 14 and not the remaining sidewalls of housing 12).

[0027] Rear housing wall 12R may lie in a plane parallel to display 14. Rear housing wall 12R of device 10 may include one or more dielectric layers (e.g., dielectric cover layers), such as glass, ceramic, sapphire, and / or plastic layers. If desired, some or all of rear housing wall 12R may be formed of metal (e.g., metal overlapping one or more dielectric layers). Peripheral conductive housing structure 12W and / or conductive portions of rear housing wall 12R may form one or more exterior surfaces of device 10 (e.g., surfaces visible to a user of device 10), and / or may be implemented using internal structures that do not form exterior surfaces of device 10 (e.g., conductive housing structures that are not visible to a user of device 10, such as conductive structures covered with layers (e.g., thin decorative layers, protective coatings, and / or other coatings that may include dielectric materials such as glass, ceramic, plastic)) or other structures that form exterior surfaces of device 10 and / or are used to hide conductive portions of peripheral conductive housing structure 12W and / or rear housing wall 12R from being seen by a user.

[0028] Display 14 may have an array of pixels forming an active area AA that displays an image of a user of device 10. For example, active area AA may include an array of display pixels. The pixel array may be formed by a liquid crystal display (LCD) component, an electrophoretic pixel array, a plasma display pixel array, an organic light emitting diode display pixel or other light emitting diode pixel array, an electrowetting display pixel array, or display pixels based on other display technologies. If desired, active area AA may include a touch sensor, such as a touch sensor capacitive electrode, a force sensor, or other sensor for collecting user input.

[0029] The display 14 may have an inactive border area extending along one or more edges of the active area AA. The inactive area IA of the display 14 may have no pixels for displaying an image and may overlap with circuits and other internal device structures in the housing 12. In order to prevent these structures from being seen by the user of the device 10, the lower side of the display cover layer or other layers in the display 14 that overlap the inactive area IA may be coated with an opaque masking layer in the inactive area IA. The opaque masking layer may have any suitable color. The inactive area IA may include a recessed area, such as a notch extending into the active area AA. The active area AA may be defined, for example, by a lateral area of ​​a display module of the display 14 (e.g., a display module including pixel circuits, touch sensor circuits, etc.). The display module may have a recess or notch in the upper area 20 of the device 10 without an active display circuit (i.e., a notch forming the inactive area IA). The notch may be a substantially rectangular area, three sides of which are surrounded (defined) by the active area AA, and the fourth side is surrounded by the peripheral conductive housing structure 12W. Alternatively, all sides of the notch may be defined by (e.g., may be surrounded and enclosed by) active area AA (e.g., the notch may form an inactive island in the pixel circuitry of display 14). One or more sensors may be aligned with the notch and may transmit and / or receive light through display 14 within the notch.

[0030] Display 14 may be protected using a display cover layer, such as a transparent glass, a light-transmitting plastic, a transparent ceramic, a sapphire or other transparent crystalline material layer, or one or more other transparent layers. The display cover layer may have a planar shape, a convex curved profile, a shape with a planar and curved portion, a layout including a planar main area surrounded on one or more edges (wherein a portion of one or more edges is bent out of the plane of the planar main area), or other suitable shapes. The display cover layer may cover the entire front of device 10. In another suitable arrangement, the display cover layer may substantially cover all of the front of device 10 or only cover a portion of the front of device 10. An opening may be formed in the display cover layer. For example, an opening may be formed in the display cover layer to accommodate a button. An opening may also be formed in the display cover layer to accommodate a port, such as a speaker port 16 or a microphone port in a recess. If desired, an opening may be formed in housing 12 to form a communication port (e.g., an audio jack port, a digital data port, etc.) and / or an audio port for an audio component, such as a speaker and / or a microphone.

[0031] Display 14 may include conductive structures such as an array of capacitive electrodes for a touch sensor, conductive lines for addressing pixels, driver circuits, and the like. Housing 12 may include internal conductive structures such as a metal frame member and a planar conductive housing member (sometimes referred to as a conductive support plate or backplane) that spans the walls of housing 12 (e.g., a substantially rectangular sheet formed by one or more metal portions welded or otherwise connected between opposing sides of peripheral conductive housing structure 12W). The conductive support plate may form the outer rear surface of device 10, or may be covered by a dielectric cover layer (such as a thin decorative layer, a protective coating, and / or other coatings that may include dielectric materials such as glass, ceramic, plastic) or other structures that form the outer surface of device 10 and / or are used to hide the conductive support plate from view by a user (e.g., the conductive support plate may form a portion of rear housing wall 12R). Device 10 may also include conductive structures such as a printed circuit board, components mounted on the printed circuit board, and other internal conductive structures. For example, these conductive structures that may be used to form a ground layer in device 10 may extend under active area AA of display 14.

[0032] In regions 22 and 20, openings may be formed within conductive structures of device 10 (e.g., between peripheral conductive housing structures 12W and opposing conductive ground structures such as conductive portions of rear housing wall 12R, conductive traces on a printed circuit board, conductive electronic components in display 14, etc.) If desired, these openings, which may sometimes be referred to as gaps, may be filled with air, plastic and / or other dielectrics and may be used to form slot antenna resonating elements for one or more antennas in device 10.

[0033] Conductive housing structures and other conductive structures in device 10 may function as a ground plane for antennas in device 10. The openings in regions 22 and 20 may function as slots in an open slot antenna or a closed slot antenna, may function as a central dielectric region surrounded by a conductive path of material in a loop antenna, may function as a space to separate an antenna resonating element (such as a strip antenna resonating element or an inverted-F antenna resonating element) from a ground plane, may facilitate performance of a parasitic antenna resonating element, or may otherwise function as part of antenna structures formed in regions 22 and 20. If desired, the ground plane beneath active area AA of display 14 and / or other metal structures in device 10 may have a portion extending into a portion of the end of device 10 (e.g., the ground portion may extend toward the dielectric-filled openings in regions 22 and 20), thereby narrowing the slots in regions 22 and 20. Region 22 may sometimes be referred to herein as lower region 22 or lower end 22 of device 10. Region 20 may sometimes be referred to herein as upper region 20 or upper end 20 of device 10.

[0034] In general, device 10 may include any suitable number of antennas (e.g., one or more, two or more, three or more, four or more, etc.). The antennas in device 10 may be located at opposite first and second ends of an elongated device housing along one or more edges of the device housing (e.g., at Figure 1 The device 10 may be located at the lower region 22 and / or the upper region 20 of the device 10 , in the center of the device housing, in other suitable locations, or in one or more of these locations. Figure 1 The arrangement is for illustrative purposes only.

[0035] Portions of the peripheral conductive housing structure 12W may be provided with a peripheral gap structure. For example, the peripheral conductive housing structure 12W may be provided with one or more dielectric-filled gaps, such as Figure 1 18 shown in . The gap in the peripheral conductive housing structure 12W can be filled with a dielectric such as a polymer, ceramic, glass, air, other dielectric materials, or a combination of these materials. The gap 18 can divide the peripheral conductive housing structure 12W into one or more peripheral conductive segments. If desired, the conductive segments formed in this manner can form a portion of an antenna in the device 10. Other dielectric openings can be formed in the peripheral conductive housing structure 12W (e.g., dielectric openings other than the gap 18) and can be used as dielectric antenna windows for antennas mounted inside the device 10. The antenna within the device 10 can be aligned with the dielectric antenna window for transmitting radio frequency signals through the peripheral conductive housing structure 12W. The antenna within the device 10 can also be aligned with the inactive area IA of the display 14 for transmitting radio frequency signals through the display 14.

[0036] In order to provide an end user of device 10 with as large a display as possible (e.g., to maximize the area of ​​the device for displaying media, running applications, etc.), it may be desirable to increase the amount of area covered by active area AA of display 14 at the front face of device 10. Increasing the size of active area AA may reduce the size of inactive area IA within device 10. This may reduce the area behind display 14 that is available for antennas within device 10. For example, active area AA of display 14 may include conductive structures that are used to block radio frequency signals handled by an antenna mounted behind active area AA from radiating through the front face of device 10. It is therefore desirable to be able to provide an antenna that occupies a small amount of space within device 10 (e.g., to allow for as large a display active area AA as possible), while still allowing the antenna to communicate with wireless equipment external to device 10 with a satisfactory efficiency bandwidth.

[0037] In a typical scenario, the device 10 may have one or more upper antennas and one or more lower antennas. For example, the upper antenna may be formed in the upper region 20 of the device 10. For example, the lower antenna may be formed in the lower region 22 of the device 10. If necessary, additional antennas may be formed along the edge of the housing 12 extending between the region 22 and the region 20. Examples in which the device 10 includes three or four upper antennas and five lower antennas are described herein as examples. The antennas may be used alone to cover the same communication band, overlapping communication bands, or separate communication bands. The antennas may be used to implement antenna diversity schemes or multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna schemes. Other antennas for covering any other desired frequencies may also be installed at any desired location within the interior of the device 10. Figure 1 The examples are merely illustrative. If desired, the housing 12 may have other shapes (eg, a square shape, a cylindrical shape, a spherical shape, a combination of these shapes and / or different shapes, etc.).

[0038] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of illustrative components that may be used in device 10 is shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in , device 10 may include control circuitry 28. Control circuitry 28 may include a storage repository such as storage circuitry 30. Storage circuitry 30 may include hard drive storage, non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically programmable read-only memory configured to form a solid-state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random access memory), etc.

[0039] Control circuitry 28 may include processing circuitry such as processing circuitry 32. Processing circuitry 32 may be used to control the operation of device 10. Processing circuitry 32 may include one or more processors, such as a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, a host processor, a baseband processor integrated circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit, etc. Control circuitry 28 may be configured to perform operations in device 10 using hardware (e.g., dedicated hardware or circuitry), firmware, and / or software. Software code for performing operations in device 10 may be stored on storage circuitry 30 (e.g., storage circuitry 30 may include a non-transitory (tangible) computer-readable storage medium storing software code). The software code may sometimes be referred to as program instructions, software, data, instructions, or code. The software code stored on storage circuitry 30 may be executed by processing circuitry 32.

[0040] Control circuitry 28 may be used to run software on device 10, such as an Internet browsing application, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone call application, an email application, a media playback application, operating system functions, etc. To support interaction with external equipment, control circuitry 28 may be used to implement communication protocols. Communication protocols that may be implemented using control circuitry 28 include Internet protocols, wireless local area network (WLAN) protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11 protocols—sometimes referred to as Such as The present invention relates to a method for implementing a communication protocol such as a wireless personal area network (WPAN) or other short-range wireless communication links, an IEEE 802.11ad protocol (e.g., an ultra-wideband protocol), a cellular phone protocol (e.g., a 3G protocol, a 4G (LTE) protocol, a 3GPP fifth generation (5G) new air interface (NR) protocol, etc.), an antenna diversity protocol, a satellite navigation system protocol (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) protocol, a global navigation satellite system (GLONASS) protocol, etc.), an antenna-based spatial ranging protocol, or any other desired communication protocol. Each communication protocol may be associated with a corresponding radio access technology (RAT), which specifies a physical connection method for implementing the protocol.

[0041] Device 10 may include input-output circuitry 24. Input-output circuitry 24 may include input-output devices 26. Input-output devices 26 may be used to allow data to be supplied to device 10 and to allow data to be provided from device 10 to external devices. Input-output devices 26 may include user interface devices, data port devices, sensors, and other input-output components. For example, input-output devices may include a touch screen, a display without touch sensor capabilities, buttons, a joystick, a scroll wheel, a touch pad, a keypad, a keyboard, a microphone, a camera, a speaker, a status indicator, a light source, an audio jack, and other audio port components, a digital data port device, a light sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, or other components that can detect motion and device orientation relative to the earth, a capacitive sensor, a proximity sensor (e.g., a capacitive proximity sensor and / or an infrared proximity sensor), a magnetic sensor, and other sensors and input-output components.

[0042] Input-output circuitry 24 may include wireless circuitry, such as wireless circuitry 34 for wirelessly transmitting radio frequency signals. Although for clarity, Figure 2Control circuitry 28 in the example of FIG. 3 is shown separately from radio circuitry 34, but radio circuitry 34 may include processing circuitry forming part of processing circuitry 32 and / or memory circuitry forming part of memory circuitry 30 of control circuitry 28 (e.g., portions of control circuitry 28 that may be implemented on radio circuitry 34). As an example, control circuitry 28 may include baseband processor circuitry (e.g., one or more baseband processors) or other control components forming part of radio circuitry 34.

[0043] The wireless circuit 34 may include a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit formed by one or more integrated circuits, power amplifier circuits, low noise input amplifiers, passive radio frequency (RF) components, one or more antennas, transmission lines, and other circuits for processing RF wireless signals (e.g., one or more RF front end modules, etc.). Wireless signals may also be sent using light (e.g., using infrared communications).

[0044] The wireless circuit 34 may include a radio frequency transceiver circuit for processing the transmission and / or reception of radio frequency signals within a corresponding frequency band of radio frequencies (sometimes referred to herein as a communication frequency band or simply referred to as a "frequency band"). For example, the wireless circuit 34 may include an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver circuit 36 ​​that supports communications using the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol and / or other ultra-wideband communication protocols. Ultra-wideband radio frequency signals may be based on an impulse radio signaling scheme using band-limited data pulses. Ultra-wideband signals may have any desired bandwidth, such as a bandwidth between 499 MHz and 1331 MHz, a bandwidth greater than 500 MHz, etc. The presence of lower frequencies in the baseband may sometimes allow ultra-wideband signals to penetrate objects such as walls. In an IEEE 802.15.4 system, a pair of electronic devices may exchange wireless time stamp messages. The timestamp in the message may be analyzed to determine the flight time of the message, thereby determining the distance (range) between the devices and / or the angle between the devices (e.g., the angle of arrival of the incoming radio frequency signal). UWB transceiver circuitry 36 may operate (ie, transmit radio frequency signals) in a frequency band such as an UWB communications band between approximately 5 GHz and approximately 8.5 GHz (eg, a 6.5 GHz UWB band, an 8 GHz UWB communications band, and / or other suitable frequencies).

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, the wireless circuit 34 may also include non-UWB transceiver circuitry 38. The non-UWB transceiver circuitry 38 may process communication bands other than the UWB communication band, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN) band (e.g., (IEEE 802.11) or other WLAN communication bands), including 2.4 GHz WLAN band (e.g., 2400 MHz to 2480 MHz), 5 GHz WLAN band (e.g., 5180 MHz to 5825 MHz), 6E band (e.g., 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz) and / or other Frequency bands (e.g., 1875 MHz to 5160 MHz); Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) bands, including 2.4 GHz frequency band or other WPAN communication frequency band; cellular telephone frequency band (e.g., frequency band from about 600 MHz to about 5 GHz, 3G frequency band, 4G LTE frequency band, 5G new radio frequency range 1 (FR1) frequency band below 10 GHz, 5G new radio frequency range 2 (FR2) frequency band between 20 GHz and 60 GHz, etc.); other centimeter or millimeter wave frequency bands between 10 GHz and 300 GHz; near field communication frequency band (e.g., 13.56 MHz); satellite navigation frequency band (e.g., GPS frequency band from 1565 MHz to 1610 MHz, Global Satellite Navigation System (GLONASS) frequency band, BeiDou Satellite Navigation System (BDS) frequency band, etc.); communication frequency band under the 3GPP wireless communication standard family; in IEEE Communication bands under the 802.XX family of standards; Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) bands, such as an ISM band between about 900 MHz and 950 MHz or other ISM bands below or above 1 GHz; one or more unlicensed bands; one or more bands reserved for emergency services and / or public services; and / or any other desired bands of interest. If desired, the non-UWB transceiver circuit 38 can also be used to perform spatial ranging operations.

[0046] The UWB transceiver circuitry 36 and the non-UWB transceiver circuitry 38 may include a respective transceiver (e.g., a transceiver integrated circuit or chip) that handles each of these frequency bands or any desired number of transceivers that handle two or more of these frequency bands. In a scenario where different transceivers are coupled to the same antenna, filter circuits (e.g., duplexer circuits, diplexer circuits, low-pass filter circuits, high-pass filter circuits, band-pass filter circuits, band-stop filter circuits, etc.), switch circuits, multiplexing circuits, or any other desired circuitry may be used to isolate the RF signals transmitted by each transceiver through the same antenna (e.g., filtering circuits or multiplexing circuits may be inserted on the RF transmission line shared by the transceivers). The transceiver circuitry may include one or more integrated circuits (chips), integrated circuit packages (e.g., multiple integrated circuits mounted on a common printed circuit in a system-in-package device, one or more integrated circuits mounted on different substrates, etc.), power amplifier circuits, up-conversion circuits, down-conversion circuits, low-noise input amplifiers, passive RF components, switching circuits, transmission line structures, and other circuits for processing RF signals and / or for converting signals between RF, intermediate frequency, and / or baseband frequencies.

[0047] like Figure 2As shown in , wireless circuit 34 may include antenna 40. UWB transceiver circuit 36 ​​and non-UWB transceiver circuit 38 may use one or more antennas 40 to transmit radio frequency signals (e.g., antenna 40 may transmit radio frequency signals for transceiver circuit). As used herein, the term "transmitting radio frequency signals" means the transmission and / or reception of radio frequency signals (e.g., for performing unidirectional and / or bidirectional wireless communication with external wireless communication equipment). Antenna 40 may transmit radio frequency signals by radiating the radio frequency signals into free space (or through intervening device structures such as dielectric cover layers). In addition or alternatively, antenna 40 may receive radio frequency signals from free space (e.g., through intervening device structures such as dielectric cover layers). Transmission and reception of radio frequency signals by antenna 40 each involve the excitation or resonance of antenna currents on antenna resonant elements in the antenna by radio frequency signals within the operating frequency band of the antenna.

[0048] The antenna 40 in the wireless circuit 34 can be formed using any suitable antenna type. For example, the antenna 40 may include an antenna with a resonant element, which is formed by a stacked patch antenna structure, a loop antenna structure, a patch antenna structure, an inverted F-shaped antenna structure, a slot antenna structure, a planar inverted F-shaped antenna structure, a waveguide structure, a monopole antenna structure, a dipole antenna structure, a helical antenna structure, a Yagi (Yagi-Uda) antenna structure, a mixture of these designs, etc. In another suitable arrangement, the antenna 40 may include an antenna with a dielectric resonant element, such as a dielectric resonant antenna. If necessary, one or more antennas 40 may be cavity-backed antennas. If necessary, two or more antennas 40 may be arranged into a phased antenna array (e.g., for transmitting centimeter and / or millimeter wave signals). Different types of antennas can be used for different frequency bands and frequency band combinations.

[0049] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the wireless circuit 34 is shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, the wireless circuit 34 may include a transceiver circuit 42 (e.g., Figure 2 The antenna 40 may be a UWB transceiver circuit 36 ​​or a non-UWB transceiver circuit 38 , which is coupled to a given antenna 40 using a radio frequency transmission line path such as a radio frequency transmission line path 50 .

[0050] In order to provide an antenna structure such as antenna 40 with the ability to cover different frequencies of interest, antenna 40 may be provided with circuits such as filter circuits (e.g., one or more passive filters and / or one or more tunable filter circuits). Discrete components such as capacitors, inductors, and resistors may be incorporated into the filter circuits. The capacitive structures, inductive structures, and resistive structures may also be formed from patterned metal structures (e.g., a portion of the antenna). If desired, antenna 40 may be provided with adjustable circuits such as tunable components that tune the antenna to the communication (frequency) band of interest. The tunable component may be part of a tunable filter or tunable impedance matching network, may be part of an antenna resonating element, may span a gap between an antenna resonating element and an antenna ground, etc.

[0051] RF transmission line path 50 may include one or more RF transmission lines (sometimes referred to herein simply as transmission lines). RF transmission line path 50 (eg, a transmission line in RF transmission line path 50 ) may include positive signal conductors such as positive signal conductor 52 and ground signal conductors such as ground conductor 54 .

[0052] The transmission lines in the RF transmission line path 50 may, for example, include coaxial cable transmission lines (e.g., the ground conductor 54 may be implemented as a grounded conductive braid surrounding the signal conductor 52 along its length), stripline transmission lines (e.g., where the ground conductor 54 extends along both sides of the signal conductor 52), microstrip transmission lines (e.g., where the ground conductor 54 extends along one side of the signal conductor 52), coaxial probes implemented by metallized through-holes, edge-coupled microstrip transmission lines, edge-coupled stripline transmission lines, coaxial probes implemented by waveguide structures (e.g., coplanar waveguides or grounded coplanar waveguides), combinations of these types of transmission lines and / or other transmission line structures, and the like.

[0053] The transmission lines of the RF transmission line path 50 may be integrated into a rigid and / or flexible printed circuit board. In one suitable arrangement, the RF transmission line path 50 may include transmission line conductors (e.g., signal conductors 52 and ground conductors 54) that are integrated into a multilayer laminate structure (e.g., layers of conductive material (such as copper) and dielectric material (such as resin) laminated together without an intervening adhesive). If desired, the multilayer laminate structure may be folded or bent in multiple dimensions (e.g., two or three dimensions), and may maintain a bent or folded shape after bending (e.g., a multilayer laminate structure may be folded into a specific three-dimensional structural shape to route around other device components and may be rigid enough to maintain its shape after folding without reinforcement or other structures to hold it in place). All multiple layers of the laminate structure may be laminated together in batches (e.g., in a single pressing process) without an adhesive (e.g., as opposed to performing multiple pressing processes to laminate multiple layers together with an adhesive).

[0054] The matching network may include components such as inductors, resistors, and capacitors for matching the impedance of the antenna 40 to the impedance of the RF transmission line path 50. The matching network components may be provided as discrete components (e.g., surface mount technology components) or may be formed from a housing structure, a printed circuit board structure, traces on a plastic support, etc. Components such as these may also be used to form filter circuits in the antenna 40 and may be tunable components and / or fixed components.

[0055] RF transmission line path 50 may be coupled to an antenna feed structure associated with antenna 40. For example, antenna 40 may form an inverted-F antenna, a planar inverted-F antenna, a patch antenna, or other antenna having an antenna feed 44 with a positive antenna feed terminal such as positive antenna feed terminal 46 and a ground antenna feed terminal such as ground antenna feed terminal 48. Positive antenna feed terminal 46 may be coupled to an antenna resonating element of antenna 40 (e.g., a feed arm of antenna 40). Ground antenna feed terminal 48 may be coupled to an antenna ground of antenna 40. If desired, antenna 40 may have one or more antenna resonating elements that are not coupled or directly connected to a corresponding positive antenna feed terminal (e.g., a parasitic or unfed arm of antenna 40). If desired, an unfed arm in antenna 40 may be fed by one or more feed arms of antenna 40 (e.g., via near-field electromagnetic coupling).

[0056] The signal conductor 52 may be coupled to the positive antenna feed terminal 46 and the ground conductor 54 may be coupled to the ground antenna feed terminal 48. Other types of antenna feed arrangements may be used if desired. For example, the antenna 40 may be fed using multiple feeds, each of which is coupled to a respective port of the transceiver circuitry 42 via a corresponding transmission line. If desired, the signal conductor 52 may be coupled to multiple locations on the antenna 40 (e.g., the antenna 40 may include multiple positive antenna feed terminals that are coupled to the signal conductor 52 of the same RF transmission line path 50). If desired, a switch may be interposed on the signal conductor between the transceiver circuitry 42 and the positive antenna feed terminals (e.g., to selectively activate one or more positive antenna feed terminals at any given time). Figure 3 The exemplary feed configurations of are exemplary only.

[0057] During operation, the device 10 may communicate with an external wireless device. If desired, the device 10 may use radio frequency signals transmitted between the device 10 and the external wireless device to identify the location of the external wireless device relative to the device 10. The device 10 may identify the relative location of the external wireless device by identifying the range to the external wireless device (e.g., the distance between the external wireless device and the device 10) and the angle of arrival (AoA) of the radio frequency signal from the external wireless device (e.g., the angle at which the device 10 receives the radio frequency signal from the external wireless device).

[0058] Figure 4 1 is a diagram showing how device 10 may determine a distance D between device 10 and an external wireless device (sometimes referred to herein as wireless device 60, wireless device 60, external device 60, or external device 60), such as a wireless network node 60. Node 60 may include a device capable of receiving and / or transmitting radio frequency signals, such as radio frequency signal 56. Node 60 may include a tag device (e.g., any suitable object that has been provided with a wireless receiver and / or wireless transmitter), an electronic device (e.g., an infrastructure-related device), and / or other electronic devices (e.g., in combination with Figure 1 A device of the type described may include some or all of the same wireless communication capabilities as device 10).

[0059] For example, node 60 may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a slightly smaller device (such as a wristwatch device, a hanging device, an earphone device, a handset device, a headset device (e.g., a virtual reality or augmented reality headset device), or other wearable or miniature device), a handheld device (such as a cellular phone), a media player, or other small portable device. Node 60 may also be a set-top box, a camera device with wireless communication capabilities, a desktop computer, a display into which a computer or other processing circuitry has been integrated, a display without an integrated computer, or other suitable electronic device. Node 60 may also be a key fob, a wallet, a book, a pen, or other object that has been provided with a low-power transmitter (e.g., an RFID transmitter or other transmitter). Node 60 may be an electronic device such as a thermostat, a smoke detector, Low energy (Bluetooth LE) beacons, A wireless access point, a wireless base station, a server, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system (sometimes referred to as a temperature control system), a light source such as a light emitting diode (LED) bulb, a light switch, an electrical outlet, an occupancy detector (e.g., an active or passive infrared light detector, a microwave detector, etc.), a door sensor, a humidity sensor, an electronic door lock, a security camera, or other device. If desired, device 10 may also be one of these types of devices.

[0060] like Figure 4As shown, device 10 may communicate with node 60 using wireless RF signals 56. RF signals 56 may include Signals, near field communication signals, wireless local area network signals such as IEEE 802.11 signals, millimeter wave communication signals (such as 60 GHz signals), UWB signals, other radio frequency wireless signals, infrared signals, etc. In one suitable arrangement described by way of example herein, radio frequency signal 56 is a UWB signal transmitted in one or more UWB communication bands such as 6.5 GHz and 8 GHz UWB communication bands. Radio frequency signal 56 may be used to determine and / or transmit information such as position and orientation information. For example, control circuit 28 ( Figure 2 ) may use the radio frequency signal 56 to determine the location 58 of the node 60 relative to the device 10.

[0061] In an arrangement where the node 60 is capable of sending or receiving communication signals, the control circuit 28 ( Figure 2 ) can be used Figure 4 The control circuitry may use a signal strength measurement scheme (e.g., measuring the signal strength of the RF signal 56 from the node 60), or a time-based measurement scheme (e.g., a time of flight measurement technique, a time difference of arrival measurement technique, an angle of arrival measurement technique, a triangulation method, a time of flight method), a crowdsourced location database, and other suitable measurement techniques to determine the distance D. However, this is merely exemplary. If desired, the control circuitry may use information from a global positioning system receiver circuit, a proximity sensor (e.g., an infrared proximity sensor or other proximity sensor), image data from a camera, motion sensor data from a motion sensor, and / or use other circuits in the device 10 to help determine the distance D. In addition to determining the distance D between the device 10 and the node 60, the control circuitry may determine the orientation of the device 10 relative to the node 60.

[0062] Figure 5 1 shows how the position and orientation of device 10 relative to nearby nodes such as node 60 may be determined. Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 1 , the control circuit in device 10 (eg, Figure 2 The control circuit 28) uses a horizontal polar coordinate system to determine the position and orientation of the device 10 relative to the node 60. In this type of coordinate system, the control circuit can determine the azimuth angle θ and / or the elevation angle To describe the location of nearby nodes 60 relative to device 10. Control circuitry may define a reference plane (such as local ground plane 64) and a reference vector (such as reference vector 68). Local ground plane 64 may be a plane that intersects device 10 and is defined relative to a surface of device 10 (e.g., the front or back of device 10). For example, local ground plane 64 may be a plane that intersects display 14 ( Figure 1 ) is a plane parallel to or coplanar with the plane 64. Reference vector 68 (sometimes referred to as the "North" direction) may be a vector in local ground plane 64. If desired, reference vector 68 may be aligned with longitudinal axis 62 of device 10 (e.g., along the center of device 10 and parallel to the longest rectangular dimension of device 10, i.e., parallel to the longitudinal axis 62 of device 10). Figure 1 When reference vector 68 is aligned with longitudinal axis 62 of device 10, reference vector 68 may correspond to the direction in which device 10 is pointed.

[0063] The azimuth angle θ and the elevation angle can be measured relative to the local ground plane 64 and the reference vector 68 like Figure 5 As shown, the elevation angle of node 60 (sometimes referred to as altitude) is the angle between node 60 and local ground plane 64 of device 10 (e.g., the angle between vector 67 extending between device 10 and node 60 and coplanar vector 66 extending between device 10 and local ground plane 64). The azimuth angle θ of node 60 is the angle of node 60 about local ground plane 64 (e.g., the angle between reference vector 68 and vector 66). Figure 5 In the example, the azimuth angle θ and elevation angle of node 60 are Greater than 0°.

[0064] If desired, axes other than longitudinal axis 62 may be used to define reference vector 68. For example, control circuitry may use a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to longitudinal axis 62 as reference vector 68. This may be used to determine when a node 60 is located near the side of device 10 (e.g., when device 10 is oriented to the left or right of one of nodes 60).

[0065] After determining the orientation of device 10 relative to node 60, control circuitry in device 10 may take appropriate action. For example, control circuitry may send information to node 60, may request and / or receive information from 60, may use display 14 ( Figure 1 ) may be used to display a visual indication of wireless pairing with node 60, a speaker may be used to generate an audio indication of wireless pairing with node 60, a vibrator, tactile actuator, or other mechanical element may be used to generate a tactile output indicating wireless pairing with node 60, display 14 may be used to display a visual indication of the position of node 60 relative to device 10, a speaker may be used to generate an audio indication of the position of node 60, a vibrator, tactile actuator, or other mechanical element may be used to generate a tactile output indicating the position of node 60, and / or other suitable actions may be taken.

[0066] In one suitable arrangement, device 10 may use one or more ultra-wideband antennas to determine the distance between device 10 and node 60 and the orientation of device 10 relative to node 60. The ultra-wideband antenna may receive radio frequency signals (e.g., Figure 4 The time stamp in the wireless communication signal can be analyzed to determine the transit time of the wireless communication signal, and thereby determine the distance (range) between the device 10 and the node 60. In an embodiment where the device 10 includes two or more ultra-wideband antennas, an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement technique can be used to determine the orientation of the electronic device 10 relative to the node 60 (e.g., azimuth angle θ and elevation angle θ).

[0067] In the angle of arrival measurement, the node 60 transmits a radio frequency signal to the device 10 (e.g., Figure 4 Device 10 may measure the delay in the arrival time of the RF signal between two or more UWB antennas. The delay in arrival time (e.g., the difference in the received phase at each UWB antenna) may be used to determine the angle of arrival of the RF signal (and therefore the angle of node 60 relative to device 10). Once the distance D and the angle of arrival are determined, device 10 may know the precise location of node 60 relative to device 10.

[0068] If desired, conductive electronic device structures such as conductive portions of housing 12 ( Figure 1 ) may be used to form at least a portion of one or more of antennas 40 in device 10. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of device 10 illustrating illustrative conductive electronic device structures that may be used to form one or more of antennas 40 in device 10 .

[0069] like Figure 6 As shown, peripheral conductive housing structure 12W may extend around the lateral periphery of device 10 (e.g., as shown in FIG. Figure 1 Peripheral conductive housing structures 12W may extend from rear housing wall 12R (e.g., at the back of device 10) to display 14 (e.g., at the front of device 10). In other words, peripheral conductive housing structures 12W may form conductive sidewalls of device 10, with a first one of the conductive sidewalls (e.g., a given sidewall extending along an edge of device 10 and across the width or length of device 10) extending from rear housing wall 12R to display 14 (e.g., at the front of device 10). Figure 6 A cross-sectional side view is shown.

[0070] Display 14 may have a display module such as display module 72 (sometimes referred to as a display panel). Display module 72 may include pixel circuitry, touch sensor circuitry, force sensor circuitry, and / or any other desired circuitry for forming an active area AA of display 14. Display 14 may include a dielectric cover layer, such as display cover layer 70 that overlaps display module 70. Display cover layer 70 may include plastic, glass, sapphire, ceramic, and / or any other desired dielectric material. Display module 72 may emit image light and may receive sensor input (e.g., touch and / or force sensor input) through display cover layer 70. Display cover layer 70 and display 14 may be mounted to a peripheral conductive housing structure 12W. Lateral areas of display 14 that do not overlap display module 72 may form an inactive area IA ( IA) of display 14. Figure 1 ).

[0071] like Figure 6 As shown, rear housing wall 12R may be mounted to peripheral conductive housing structure 12W (e.g., opposite display 14). Rear housing wall 12R may include a conductive layer, such as conductive support plate 80. Conductive support plate 80 may span the entire width of device 10 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1 ). Figure 1 Conductive support plate 80 may be formed as an integral part of peripheral conductive housing structure 12W that extends across the width of device 10, or may include a separate housing structure that is attached, coupled, or attached to peripheral conductive housing structure 12W.

[0072] If desired, rear housing wall 12R may include a dielectric cover layer, such as dielectric cover layer 78. Dielectric cover layer 78 may include glass, plastic, sapphire, ceramic, one or more dielectric coatings, or other dielectric materials. Dielectric cover layer 78 may be laminated below conductive support plate 80 (e.g., conductive support plate 80 may be coupled or mounted to the inner surface of dielectric cover layer 78). If desired, dielectric cover layer 78 may extend across the entire width of device 10 and / or the entire length of device 10. If desired, conductive support plate 80 may be a removable support plate or a support plate integrated into a removable component or subassembly in device 10 that is removable from rear housing wall 12R (e.g., there may be no adhesive attaching conductive support plate 80 to dielectric cover layer 78).

[0073] The housing of device 10 may also include one or more additional conductive support plates interposed between display 14 and rear housing wall 12R. For example, the housing of device 10 may include a conductive support plate, such as intermediate chassis 74 (sometimes referred to herein as conductive support plate 74). Intermediate chassis 74 may be interposed vertically between rear housing wall 12R and display 14 (e.g., conductive support plate 80 may be located at a first distance from display 14, while intermediate chassis 74 is located at a second distance from display 14 that is less than the first distance). Intermediate chassis 74 may span the entire width of device 10 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1 ). Figure 1 Middle chassis 74 may be formed from an integral portion of peripheral conductive housing structures 12W that extend across the width of device 10, or may include a separate housing structure that is attached, coupled, or attached to peripheral conductive housing structures 12W. One or more components (e.g., a logic board such as a main logic board, a battery, etc.) may be supported by middle chassis 74, and / or middle chassis 74 may contribute to the mechanical strength of device 10. Middle chassis 74 may be formed from metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.).

[0074] Conductive housing structures (such as conductive support plate 80, intermediate chassis 74, conductive portions of display module 72, and / or peripheral conductive housing structures 12W) may be used to form antenna structures for one or more antennas 40 in device 10. For example, peripheral conductive housing structures 12W may form antenna resonating element arms (e.g., inverted-F-shaped antenna resonating element arms) for one or more of antennas 40 in device 10. Intermediate chassis 74, conductive support plate 80, and / or display module 72 may be used to form corresponding antenna grounds, reflective antenna cavity backings, waveguide structures, etc., for one or more antennas 40 in device 10. One or more conductive interconnect structures 76 may electrically couple intermediate chassis 74 to conductive support plate 80, and / or one or more conductive interconnect structures 76 may electrically couple intermediate chassis 74 to conductive structures in display module 72 (sometimes referred to herein as conductive display structures), such that each of these elements forms a portion of an antenna ground. Conductive display structures may include a conductive frame, bracket, or support for display module 72, a shielding layer in display module 72, a ground trace in display module 72, etc.

[0075] The conductive interconnect structure 76 may be used to ground the intermediate chassis 74 to the conductive support plate 80 and / or the display module 72 (e.g., to ground the conductive support plate 80 to the conductive display structure through the intermediate chassis 74). In other words, the conductive interconnect structure 76 may hold the conductive display structure, the intermediate chassis 74, and / or the conductive support plate 80 to a common ground or reference potential (e.g., a system ground of the device 10 that forms part of the antenna ground). Therefore, the conductive interconnect structure 76 may sometimes be referred to herein as a ground structure 76, a ground interconnect structure 76, or a vertical ground structure 76. The conductive interconnect structure 76 may include a conductive trace, a conductive pin, a conductive spring, a conductive fork, a conductive bracket, a conductive screw, a conductive clip, a conductive ribbon, a conductive wire, a conductive trace, a conductive foam, a conductive adhesive, a solder, a weld, a metal member (e.g., a sheet metal member), a contact pad, a conductive via, a conductive portion of one or more components mounted to the intermediate chassis 74 and / or the conductive support plate 80, and / or any other desired conductive interconnect structure.

[0076] It may be desirable for antenna 40 to be able to transmit radio frequency signals in multiple frequency bands, such as the UWB band, the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, and the Wi-Fi 6E band, through rear housing wall 12R (e.g., to provide coverage in these bands across a hemisphere behind device 10). If not noted, the presence of conductive material (e.g., conductive support plate 80) in rear housing wall 12R may block UWB signals from passing through rear housing wall 12R.

[0077] Figure 7 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing how antenna 40 may be mounted within device 10 to transmit radio frequency signals in multiple frequency bands through rear housing wall 12R. Figure 7 As shown, a dielectric opening such as opening 84 may be formed in the conductive support plate 80 of the rear housing wall 12R (e.g., as a cutout, stamped, or etched area of ​​the conductive support plate 80). The opening 84 (sometimes referred to herein as a hole 84, antenna hole 84, antenna window 84, gap 84, or slot 84) may be free of conductive material to allow the RF signal 104 to pass through the rear housing wall 12R. The antenna 40 may be aligned with the opening 84 (e.g., may partially or completely overlap).

[0078] Antenna 40 may be integrated into an antenna module 94 mounted inside device 10 (sometimes referred to herein as antenna system 94 or antenna assembly 94). Antenna module 94 may include an antenna support structure such as substrate 96. For example, substrate 96 may be a rigid or flexible printed circuit board. Substrate 96 may include one or more stacked dielectric layers 98 (e.g., layers of rigid or flexible printed circuit board material). Substrate 96 and antenna 40 may be mounted to an underlying support structure, such as support 82. For example, support 82 may include a rigid or flexible printed circuit substrate and / or one or more conductive layers.

[0079] The support member 82 may be mounted to the intermediate chassis 74, laminated thereon, or otherwise coupled thereto. If desired, a conductive interconnect structure such as a conductive interconnect structure 92 may couple the support member 82 to the intermediate chassis 74. The conductive interconnect structure 92 may include a conductive screw, a conductive clip, a conductive pin, a solder, a soldering member, a conductive trace, a conductive wire, a conductive adhesive, a conductive foam, a conductive spring, and / or any other desired interconnect structure. The conductive interconnect structure 92 may electrically couple one or more conductive structures on the support member 82, such as a ground trace on the support member 82, to the intermediate chassis 74 (e.g., to maintain the conductive structures on the support member 82 at a ground potential to form a portion of the antenna ground portion of the antenna 40). The substrate 96 may include a ground trace 101 that is coupled to a ground trace on the support member 82 (e.g., using solder 102). The solder 102 may also help mechanically attach or secure the substrate 96 to the support member 82. Conductive interconnect structure 92 may help mechanically secure, attach, or couple support member 82 and antenna module 94 to intermediate chassis 74. If desired, one or more other components may be interposed between support member 82 and intermediate chassis 74 (e.g., support member 82 may be laminated or mounted to one or more other components). One or more other components may be part of an additional printed circuit board or other component in device 10, such as a radio frequency transceiver, a speaker receiver, etc.

[0080] Antenna 40 may include one or more antenna resonating elements, such as antenna resonating element 90, on substrate 96. Antenna resonating element 90 may be aligned with or may at least partially overlap opening 84 in conductive support plate 80. Antenna resonating element 90 (sometimes referred to herein as antenna radiating element 90, antenna radiator 90 or antenna resonator 90) may include one or more radiating (resonating) patches on one or more dielectric layers 98. The radiating patches carry RF currents associated with RF signals (e.g., RF signals 104) transmitted and / or received by antenna 40. Antenna resonating element 90 may be disposed on top (exterior) surface 100 of substrate 96 or may be embedded within substrate 96.

[0081] To help cover each frequency band of antenna 40 (e.g., the UWB band, the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, and the Wi-Fi 6E band) while minimizing space consumption and maximizing antenna bandwidth, the radiating patches in antenna resonating element 90 may include one or more directly fed patches and one or more indirectly fed patches. Each directly fed patch may be coupled to a corresponding positive antenna feed terminal 46. The directly fed patches may indirectly feed the indirectly fed patches in antenna resonating element 90. The radiating patches may overlap with underlying ground trace 101 in substrate 96. The radiating patches may be electrically floating relative to ground trace 101 or may be shorted to ground trace 101 using conductive vias.

[0082] One or more RF transmission lines may pass through support 82 and substrate 96 to feed antenna 40. For example, signal conductor 52 may be coupled to positive antenna feed terminal 46 on antenna resonating element 90 through substrate 96 and support 82. For example, signal conductor 52 may include conductive traces (e.g., signal traces) and / or conductive vias (e.g., signal vias) on support 82 and substrate 96. Substrate 96 may be mounted to support 82 using an adhesive, solder (e.g., solder 102), welds, or any other desired interconnect structure.

[0083] Antenna 40 (e.g., antenna resonating element 90 or top surface 100 of substrate 96) may be separated from the inner surface of dielectric cover 78 by a gap such as air gap 86. Air gap 86 may be filled with air or, if desired, may be at least partially filled with another dielectric material. If desired, an opaque masking layer such as a layer of ink (not shown) may be disposed on the inner surface of dielectric cover 78 to help hide antenna 40 from view. Antenna resonating element 90 may transmit RF signals and / or may receive RF signals 104 through air gap 86, opening 84, and dielectric cover 78. In this way, antenna 40 may be transmitted through rear housing wall 12R despite the presence of conductive support plate 80.

[0084] In some implementations, the substrate 96 (eg, the top surface 100 ) can be pressed against or mounted to the conductive support plate 80 (eg, using an adhesive). Figure 7 In the example of FIG. 8 , substrate 96 is separated from conductive support plate 80 by a non-zero distance (e.g., by the length of air gap 86 measured parallel to the Z axis). If desired, a gasket (not shown) may couple substrate 96 to conductive support plate 80 around air gap 86.

[0085] If desired, antenna 40 may be removed from dielectric cover 78 of rear housing wall 12R. For example, conductive support plate 80, antenna module 94, and support 82 may form an integral part of a removable antenna subassembly that is screwed into intermediate chassis 74 during assembly of device 10 (e.g., using conductive interconnect structure 92). If desired, conductive support plate 80 may be pressed against dielectric cover 78 without any intervening adhesive layer.

[0086] If desired, antenna module 94 may include an additional substrate such as dielectric block 88 that is laminated over substrate 96 and antenna resonating element 90 (e.g., between antenna resonating element 90 and rear housing wall 12R). Dielectric block 88 may be a dielectric loading block formed of a dielectric (e.g., ceramic) material having a dielectric constant (or permittivity) dkH that is greater than a dielectric constant (or permittivity) dkL of substrate 96. Dielectric constant dkH may, for example, be 10-20 or more greater than dielectric constant dkL (e.g., dielectric constant dkH may be approximately 20-30 while dielectric constant dkL is approximately 1.5-10). Dielectric block 88 may have a thickness H2 that is less than thickness H1 of substrate 96. For example, antenna resonating element 90 may be separated from ground trace 101 in substrate 96 by thickness H1. For example, thickness H2 may be 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm while thickness H1 is 1 mm to 3 mm. Dielectric block 88 is also sometimes referred to herein as superstrate 88 .

[0087] Dielectric block 88 may load the impedance of antenna 40 to allow the size of antenna 40 to be reduced while still configuring antenna 40 to cover the same frequency band with sufficient efficiency and bandwidth levels. If desired, dielectric block 88 may also form a dielectric resonant element (e.g., a dielectric resonator antenna) that is excited by antenna resonating element 90. In these implementations, one or more electromagnetic modes within the volume of dielectric block 88 and / or substrate 96 are excited by antenna resonating element 90 (e.g., where the antenna resonating element serves as a probe feed for a dielectric resonator antenna), thereby causing dielectric block 88 and / or substrate 96 to contribute to the radiated response of antenna 40 (e.g., where the radiated response of antenna 40 and the transmission / reception of RF signals is associated with a combination of the resonance of antenna resonating element 90 and the resonance of dielectric block 88 and / or substrate 96). This may, for example, help to complement and / or optimize the resonant performance of the radiating patch in antenna resonating element 90.

[0088] Figure 8 is a bottom view (e.g., along the Figure 7 ), wherein the radiating patch in antenna resonance element 90 includes a directly fed patch and a plurality of indirectly fed patches. Figure 8In the example of FIG. 8 , the dielectric block 88 , the support member 82 and the intermediate chassis 74 are omitted for clarity.

[0089] like Figure 8 As shown, the substrate 96 may have a first edge 106, a second edge 108 opposite the edge 106, a third edge 112 extending from the edge 106 to the edge 108, and a fourth edge 110 opposite the edge 112 and extending from the edge 106 to the edge 108. In this example, the substrate 96 has a rectangular lateral profile. This is merely exemplary, and in general, the substrate 96 may have any desired shape (e.g., having any desired number of straight edges and / or curved edges).

[0090] Antenna 40 may have a radiating patch that includes a directly fed patch 116 and a set of one or more indirectly fed patches 114, such as indirectly fed patches 114-1, 114-2, and 114-3. Patches 116 and 114 may collectively form antenna resonating element 90 ( Figure 7 ). Patches 116 and 114 may also sometimes be referred to herein as patch elements, patch antenna resonating elements, radiating patches, resonant patches, patch antenna elements, radiating antenna arms, or radiating arms. Patches 116 and 114 may be formed by corresponding conductive traces patterned onto surface 100 of substrate 96.

[0091] In general, the directly fed patches 116 and the indirectly fed patches 114 may have any desired shape on the substrate 96 (e.g., having any desired number of straight edges and / or curved edges and / or following any desired path on the surface 100 having any desired number of straight segments and / or curved segments), any desired size (e.g., for covering different frequencies), and any desired orientation (e.g., for covering different polarizations). Figure 8 In the example of , the directly fed patch 116 and the indirectly fed patch 114 are rectangular patches. The directly fed patch 116 may, for example, have a length L1 extending from the edge 108 of the substrate 96 to the opposite edge 130 (e.g., a floating or open edge). The edge 130 is sometimes also referred to herein as the radiating edge of the directly fed patch 116 (e.g., the edge where the patch produces a peak electric field magnitude during transmission).

[0092] Indirectly fed patches 114-1 and 114-2 may each have a length L2 extending from edge 108 of substrate 96 to an opposite edge (e.g., a floating or open edge). Indirectly fed patch 114-3 may be disposed on substrate 96 opposite patches 116, 114-1, and 114-2. Indirectly fed patch 114-3 may, for example, extend from edge 106 of substrate 96 to an opposite edge 124 (e.g., a floating or open edge) facing edge 130 of directly fed patch 116. If desired, indirectly fed patch 114-3 may have a greater width (parallel to the X-axis) than patches 116, 114-1, and 114-2.

[0093] Directly fed patch 116 may be laterally interposed between indirectly fed patches 114-1 and 114-2 (e.g., indirectly fed patch 114-1 may be laterally interposed between edge 112 of substrate 96 and directly fed patch 116, while indirect fed patch 114-2 may be laterally interposed between edge 110 of substrate 96 and directly fed patch 116). A left edge of directly fed patch 116 may be laterally separated from indirect fed patch 114-1 by gap 128. A right edge of directly fed patch 116 may be laterally separated from indirect fed patch 114-2 by gap 126. An edge 130 of directly fed patch 116 may be laterally separated from an edge 124 of indirect fed patch 114-3 by gap 125. Gaps 128, 126, and 125 may be free of conductive material on surface 100 of substrate 96.

[0094] The directly fed patch 116 may indirectly feed each of the indirectly fed patches 114 while the antenna 40 transmits a radio frequency signal. For example, during signal transmission, an antenna current is delivered (fed) to the directly fed patch 116 through the positive antenna feed terminal 46 (e.g., from the transmission line of the antenna 40). The antenna current flows around the perimeter of the directly fed patch 116. The antenna current flowing along the left edge of the directly fed patch 116 may cause the corresponding antenna current to flow around the perimeter of the indirectly fed patch 114-1 via the near-field electromagnetic coupling 117 across the gap 128. The antenna current flowing along the right edge of the directly fed patch 116 may cause the corresponding antenna current to flow around the perimeter of the indirectly fed patch 114-2 via the near-field electromagnetic coupling 120 across the gap 126. Antenna currents flowing along edge 130 of directly fed patch 116 may cause corresponding antenna currents to flow around the perimeter of indirectly fed patch 114-3 via near-field electromagnetic coupling 118 across gap 125. Antenna currents flowing around the perimeter of patches 114 and 116 may be coupled to the rear housing wall 12R ( Figure 7 ) radiates radio frequency signal 104.

[0095] The perimeters of patches 114 and 116 may be selected so that each patch contributes a respective portion to the radiated (resonant) response of antenna 40. By configuring patches 114 and 116 to have different respective perimeters, the overall bandwidth of antenna 40 may be extended to cover multiple frequency bands, such as the UWB band, the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, and the Wi-Fi 6E band (as examples). If desired, to further reduce the lateral area spanned by patches 114 and 116 (e.g., the perimeters of patches 114 and 116) while still allowing the patches to cover these frequency bands with sufficient efficiency and bandwidth, some or all of patches 116 and 114 may be shorted to underlying ground traces 101 ( ) in substrate 96 via corresponding conductive vias 122 extending vertically through a layer of substrate 96. Figure 7 ).

[0096] For example, Figure 8 , the indirect feed patch 114-3 may be shorted to the ground trace by a fence of one or more conductive vias 122 located at or along an edge 106 of the substrate 96 (the edge being opposite to an edge 124 of the indirect feed patch 114-3). Additionally or alternatively, the direct feed patch 116 may be shorted to the ground trace by a fence of one or more conductive vias 122 located at or along an edge 108 of the substrate 96 (the edge being opposite to an edge 130 of the direct feed patch 116). Additionally or alternatively, the indirect feed patch 114-1 may be shorted to the ground trace by a fence of conductive vias 122 located at or along an edge 108 of the substrate 96. Additionally or alternatively, the indirect feed patch 114-2 may be shorted to the ground trace by a fence of conductive vias 122 located at or along an edge 108 of the substrate 96. Shorting the directly fed patch 116 to the ground trace in this manner may, for example, configure the directly fed patch 116 to form a directly fed planar inverted-F antenna arm. Similarly, shorting the indirectly fed patch 114 to the ground trace in this manner may configure the indirectly fed patch to form a shorted patch or L-shaped antenna arm. For example, an unshorted patch may have a length approximately equal to half the wavelength of radiation of the patch, while a shorted (e.g., planar inverted-F) patch may have approximately half the length of an unshorted patch for covering the same frequency.

[0097] The length L1 of the directly fed patch 116 may, for example, be greater than the length L2 of the indirectly fed patches 114-1 and 114-2. This may configure the patches 116, 114-1, and 114-2 to resonate or radiate collectively in a first frequency band (e.g., a 5 GHz WLAN band and / or a Wi-Fi 6E band). At the same time, the increased width and reduced length of the indirectly fed patch 114-3 relative to patches 114-1, 114-2, and 116 may configure the indirectly fed patch 114-3 to resonate or radiate in a second frequency band (e.g., a UWB band between approximately 5 GHz and 8.5 GHz and / or a Wi-Fi 6E band). For example, the indirect feeding of the indirectly fed patch 114 by the directly fed patch 116 may configure the antenna 40 to cover all of these frequency bands with a minimal amount of volume while providing a relatively small amount of space relative to a specific implementation using a single patch to cover each frequency band in the presence of an overlying dielectric block 88 ( Figure 7 ) also minimizes the antenna's sensitivity to the presence of nearby conductive housing structures.

[0098] Conversely, during signal reception, an incident RF signal may generate antenna currents along the periphery of the directly fed patch 114 and the directly fed patch 116. The antenna current on the indirectly fed patch 114-3 may generate a corresponding antenna current on the directly fed patch 116 via near-field electromagnetic coupling 118. The antenna current on the indirectly fed patch 114-1 may generate a corresponding antenna current on the directly fed patch 116 via near-field electromagnetic coupling 117. The antenna current on the indirectly fed patch 114-2 may generate a corresponding antenna current on the directly fed patch 116 via near-field electromagnetic coupling 120. The antenna current on the directly fed patch 116 flows to the transmission line and thus flows to the transceiver of the antenna 40 through the positive antenna feed terminal 46.

[0099] Figure 8 The example in which the antenna 40 includes only a single directly fed patch 116 is merely illustrative. If desired, the antenna 40 may include multiple directly fed patches 116, each directly fed patch feeding at least one indirectly fed patch. Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the antenna 40 (e.g., along Figure 7 ), showing an example of how the antenna 40 may include multiple directly fed patches 116, each directly fed patch feeding at least one indirectly fed patch.

[0100] like Fig. 9 As shown, antenna 40 may include a first directly fed patch 116-1 laterally interposed between indirectly fed patches 114-2 and 114-1. A first positive antenna feed terminal 46-1 may be coupled to directly fed patch 116-1. Fig. 9In the example of FIG. 1 , patches 116-1, 114-1, and 114-2 extend from edge 106 of substrate 96, and indirectly fed patch 114-3 extends from edge 112 of substrate 96. If desired, directly fed patch 116-1, indirectly fed patch 114-1, and / or indirectly fed patch 114-2 may be shorted to underlying ground traces by corresponding fences of conductive vias 122 located at or along edge 106. If desired, indirectly fed patch 114-3 may be shorted to underlying ground traces by corresponding fences of conductive vias 122 located at or along edge 112 of substrate 96.

[0101] The antenna 40 may also include a second direct-feed patch 116-2. The second positive antenna feed terminal 46-2 may be coupled to the direct-feed patch 116-2. The direct-feed patch 116-2 may have a length extending from the edge 110 of the substrate 96 to the opposite edge 134 (e.g., the radiating edge of the direct-feed patch 116-2). If desired, the substrate 96 may have a protrusion or extension 132 to help accommodate the length of the direct-feed patch 116-2 (e.g., the direct-feed patch 116-2 may extend from the edge 110 of the substrate 96 within the extension 132). If desired, the direct-feed patch 116-2 may be shorted to the underlying ground trace by a corresponding fence of the conductive via 122 located at or along the edge 110. The edge 134 of the direct-feed patch 116-2 may be laterally separated from the edge 124 of the indirect-feed patch 114-3 by a gap 137.

[0102] When the antenna 40 transmits a radio frequency signal, the directly fed patch 116-2 may indirectly feed the indirectly fed patch 114-3 via the near-field electromagnetic coupling 136 across the gap 137. The directly fed patch 116-2 and the indirectly fed patch 114-3 may be coupled to each other in parallel. Figure 8 1 and 114-2. The directly fed patch 116-1 and the indirectly fed patch 114-3 in the example of radiate / resonate together in the same frequency band (e.g., UWB band and / or WLAN 6E band). At the same time, the directly fed patch 116-1 can indirectly feed the indirectly fed patch 114-2 via the near-field electromagnetic coupling 120, and the indirectly fed patch 114-1 can be indirectly fed via the near-field electromagnetic coupling 117. The directly fed patch 116-1 and the indirectly fed patches 114-1 and 114-2 can be connected to each other in the same frequency band as the indirectly fed patch 114-3 in the example of radiate / resonate together in the same frequency band as the indirectly fed patch 114-3 in the example of radiate / resonate. Figure 8 In the example of FIG. 1 , the two WLAN signals radiate / resonate jointly in the same frequency band (e.g., the 5 GHz WLAN band and / or the WLAN 6E band).

[0103] exist Fig. 9In the example of FIG. 1 , the longitudinal axes of patches 116-1, 114-1, and 114-2 extend in a first direction (e.g., parallel to the Y axis), and the longitudinal axes of patches 116-2 and 114-3 extend in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction (e.g., parallel to the X axis). This can, for example, configure patches 116-2 and 114-3 to transmit signals having a direction orthogonal to and / or parallel to patches 116-1, 114-1, and 114-2. Figure 8 The orthogonality can also help maximize the isolation between RF signals transmitted through the positive antenna feed terminal 46-1 (e.g., in the first frequency band) and RF signals transmitted through the positive antenna feed terminal 46-2 (e.g., in the second frequency band).

[0104] If desired, substrate 96 may be provided with a dielectric block 88 (eg, a dielectric block 88a) overlapping each of patches 116 and 114 on surface 100. Figure 7 ). Dielectric block 88 can help load the impedance of antenna 40 to allow further reduction in antenna volume without sacrificing efficiency or bandwidth over each frequency band covered by the antenna. If desired, dielectric block 88 can also act as a dielectric resonant element of a dielectric resonator antenna to contribute to the radiation response of the antenna.

[0105] Fig.10 4 is a cross-sectional side view showing how dielectric block 88 can be used as a dielectric resonator for antenna 40. Fig.10 As shown, dielectric block 88 may be mounted to substrate 96 in conjunction with antenna resonating element 90 (e.g., Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The substrate 96 may be mounted to a ground plane 140 (e.g., Figure 7 82). Antenna resonating element 90 may be laminated or sandwiched between substrate 96 and dielectric block 88. One or more directly fed patches in antenna resonating element 90 may be fed using corresponding vias 142 that extend through substrate 96 to one or more corresponding positive antenna feed terminals 46 on antenna resonating element 90 (e.g., conductive vias 142 may excite one or more patch antenna resonant modes of antenna resonating element 90).

[0106] When antenna 40 transmits RF signal 104, antenna resonating element 90 resonates / radiates to emit electromagnetic energy 150 that carries RF signal 104 (e.g., antenna resonating element 90 may contribute to the radiative / resonant response of the antenna). At the same time, antenna resonating element 90 (e.g., a directly fed patch and / or an indirectly fed patch in the antenna) may electromagnetically couple the RF signal into dielectric block 88 (as indicated by arrow 114) and / or into substrate 96 (as indicated by arrow 146). This may be used to excite one or more (radiating or resonating) electromagnetic modes 148 (e.g., RF resonant cavity or waveguide modes) of dielectric block 88 and / or substrate 96. This causes the volume formed by dielectric block 88 and substrate 96 to radiate electromagnetic energy 152 as a dielectric resonant element (e.g., where the edges of dielectric block 88 and / or substrate 96 are spaced apart and shaped to define boundary electromagnetic modes 148, and thus define electromagnetic resonances of the dielectric resonant element). Electromagnetic energy 152 may carry RF signal 104. Electromagnetic modes 148 are also sometimes referred to herein as dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) resonant modes. Electromagnetic modes 148 may include a fundamental mode and / or one or more harmonic modes.

[0107] Transmitted RF signal 104 may therefore include a combination of electromagnetic energy 150 radiated by antenna resonating element 90 and electromagnetic energy 152 radiated by electromagnetic mode 148 and the dielectric resonant element formed by dielectric block 88 and / or substrate 96. In other words, dielectric block 88 and / or substrate 96 may form a dielectric resonant element of a dielectric resonator antenna and may contribute additional electromagnetic radiation modes or resonances (e.g., electromagnetic mode 148) to the response of antenna 40, thereby increasing the efficiency and / or bandwidth of the antenna.

[0108] In this manner, the directly fed patches and / or indirectly fed patches of antenna resonating element 90 may function as radiating elements (e.g., of electromagnetic energy 150) as well as as feed probes for a dielectric resonant element (e.g., a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA)) formed by dielectric block 88 and / or substrate 96, the volume of which radiates electromagnetic energy 152. The patches of resonating element 90 may be shaped to optimize the RF performance of the patches both as radiating elements and as feed probes for the dielectric resonant element. The process is equivalently reversed during signal reception. In summary, antenna 40 may be implemented as a multi-mode antenna (e.g., a hybrid patch DRA antenna) having a multi-mode radiated response / resonance that includes a combination of a patch antenna resonant mode contributed by antenna resonating element 90 and a DRA resonant mode (e.g., electromagnetic mode 148) contributed by the volume of dielectric block 88 and / or substrate 96. This may configure antenna 40 to exhibit very high bandwidth in as small a volume as possible, for example.

[0109] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The example of (wherein the direct-feed patch 116 in the antenna 40 is shorted to the underlying ground trace) is merely illustrative. If desired, the antenna 40 may include a directly-fed patch 116 that is floating relative to the ground trace. Fig.11 is a bottom view of the antenna 40 (e.g., along Figure 7 ), showing one example of how the antenna 40 may include a directly fed patch 116 that is floating relative to a ground trace.

[0110] like Fig.11 As shown, the antenna 40 may include a direct feed patch 116 laterally interposed between indirect feed patches 114-1 and 114-2. The indirect feed patch 114-1 may extend from the edge 106 of the substrate 96. The indirect feed patch 114-2 may extend from the edge 108 of the substrate 96. The indirect feed patch 114-1 may be shorted to the underlying ground trace by a fence of conductive vias 122 located at or along the edge 106 of the substrate 96. The indirect feed patch 114-2 may be shorted to the underlying ground trace by a fence of conductive vias 122 located at or along the edge 108 of the substrate 96. The direct feed patch 116 is not shorted to the underlying ground trace by any conductive vias and is therefore electrically floating relative to the underlying ground trace. In other words, directly fed patch 116 can be a floating patch antenna resonant element, while indirectly fed patches 114-1 and 114-2 are shorted patch elements. Patches 114-1, 114-2, and 116 can radiate together in any desired frequency band, such as across the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, the UWB band, and the Wi-Fi 6E band. The RF signal transmitted by the antenna can be polarized in a single direction. In this example, dielectric block 88 can be omitted from antenna 40 if desired.

[0111] As used herein, the term "simultaneous" refers to overlapping at least partially in time. In other words, if at least some of the first event occurs simultaneously with at least some of the second event (e.g., if at least some of the first event occurs during at least some of the second event, occurs at the same time as at least some of the second event, or occurs when at least some of the second event occurs), the first event and the second event are referred to as "simultaneous" with each other in this article. If the first event and the second event are synchronized (e.g., if the entire duration of the first event overlaps with the entire duration of the second event in time), the first event and the second event can be simultaneous, but if the first event and the second event are asynchronous (e.g., if the first event starts before or after the second event starts, if the first event ends before or after the second event ends, or if the first event and the second event do not partially overlap in time), the first event and the second event can also be simultaneous. As used herein, the term "while" is synonymous with "concurrent".

[0112] Device 10 may collect and / or use personally identifiable information. As is well known, use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly stated to the user.

[0113] According to another embodiment, an antenna is provided, comprising: a substrate; a first patch, the first patch being located on the substrate; a feed terminal, the feed terminal being coupled to the first patch; a second patch, the second patch being located on the substrate and being laterally separated from the first patch by a first gap; and a third patch, the third patch being located on the substrate and being laterally separated from the first patch by a second gap, the first patch being configured to indirectly feed the second patch via a first near-field electromagnetic coupling across the first gap, and the first patch being configured to indirectly feed the second patch via a second near-field electromagnetic coupling across the second gap.

[0114] According to another embodiment, the first patch has a first length, the second patch has a second length, and the third patch has the second length.

[0115] According to another embodiment, the second length is smaller than the first length.

[0116] According to another embodiment, the antenna includes: a ground trace, which is located on the substrate; and a first conductive via fence, which is along an edge of the substrate, and the first conductive via fence couples the first patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

[0117] According to another embodiment, the antenna includes a second conductive via fence along the edge, the second conductive via fence coupling the second patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

[0118] According to another embodiment, the antenna includes a third conductive via fence along the edge, the third conductive via fence coupling the third patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

[0119] According to another embodiment, the first patch is laterally interposed between the second patch and the third patch.

[0120] According to another embodiment, the first patch is laterally interposed between the second patch and the third patch.

[0121] According to another embodiment, the antenna includes: a ground trace, which is located on the substrate, and the substrate has a first edge and a second edge opposite to the first edge; a first conductive via fence, which is along the first edge, and the first conductive via fence couples the second patch to the ground trace through the substrate; and a second conductive via fence, which is along the second edge, and the second conductive via fence couples the third patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

[0122] According to another embodiment, the first patch is electrically floating relative to the ground trace.

[0123] According to another embodiment, the antenna includes a fourth patch located on the substrate and laterally separated from the first patch by a third gap, the first patch being configured to indirectly feed the fourth patch via a third near-field electromagnetic coupling across the third gap.

[0124] According to another embodiment, the antenna includes: a ground trace, which is located on the substrate, and the substrate has a first edge and a second edge opposite to the first edge; a first conductive via fence, which is along the first edge, and the first conductive via fence couples the first patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a second conductive via fence, which is along the first edge, and the second conductive via fence couples the second patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a third conductive via fence, which is along the first edge, and the third conductive via fence couples the third patch to the ground trace through the substrate; and a fourth conductive via fence, which is along the second edge, and the fourth conductive via fence couples the fourth patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

[0125] According to another embodiment, the antenna includes: a fourth patch, the fourth patch is located on the substrate; an additional feed terminal, the additional feed terminal is coupled to the fourth patch; and a fifth patch, the fifth patch is located on the substrate and is laterally separated from the fourth patch by a third gap, the fourth patch is configured to indirectly feed the fifth patch via a third near-field electromagnetic coupling across the third gap.

[0126] According to another embodiment, the antenna includes: a ground trace, the ground trace is located on the substrate, the substrate has a first edge, a second edge opposite to the first edge, a third edge coupling the first edge to the second edge, and a fourth edge opposite to the third edge coupling the first edge to the second edge; a first conductive via fence, the first conductive via fence is along the first edge, the first conductive via fence couples the first patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a second conductive via fence, the second conductive via fence is along the first edge, the second conductive via fence is an electrically conductive via fence coupling the second patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a third electrically conductive via fence, the third electrically conductive via fence being along the first edge, the third electrically conductive via fence coupling the third patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a fourth electrically conductive via fence, the fourth electrically conductive via fence being along the third edge, the fourth electrically conductive via fence coupling the fourth patch to the ground trace through the substrate; and a fifth electrically conductive via fence, the fifth electrically conductive via fence being along the fourth edge, the fifth electrically conductive via fence coupling the fifth patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

[0127] According to another embodiment, the antenna includes a dielectric block mounted to the substrate and overlapping the first patch, the second patch, and the third patch, the dielectric block having a higher dielectric constant than the substrate.

[0128] According to another embodiment, the dielectric block is configured to form a dielectric resonant element, and the first patch is configured to excite an electromagnetic resonant mode of the dielectric resonant element.

[0129] According to one embodiment, a wireless circuit is provided, the wireless circuit comprising: a substrate having a surface; a first patch, the first patch being located on the surface; a first feed terminal, the first feed terminal being coupled to the first patch; a second patch, the second patch being located on the surface and separated from the first patch by a first gap, the first patch being configured to indirectly feed the second patch via a first near-field electromagnetic coupling across the first gap, and the first patch and the second patch being configured to radiate in a first frequency band with a first polarization; a third patch, the third patch being located on the surface; a second feed terminal, the second feed terminal being coupled to the third patch; and a fourth patch, the fourth patch being located on the surface and separated from the third patch by a second gap, the third patch being configured to indirectly feed the fourth patch via a second near-field electromagnetic coupling across the second gap, and the third patch and the fourth patch being configured to radiate in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band with a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization.

[0130] According to another embodiment, the substrate has a first edge, a second edge opposite to the first edge, a third edge coupling the first edge to the second edge, and a fourth edge opposite to the third edge coupling the first edge to the second edge, including: a ground trace, the ground trace being located on the substrate; a first conductive via fence, the first conductive via fence being along the first edge, the first conductive via fence coupling the first patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a second conductive via fence, the second conductive via fence being along the first edge, the second conductive via fence coupling the second patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a third conductive via fence, the third conductive via fence being along the third edge, the third conductive via fence coupling the third patch to the ground trace through the substrate; and a fourth conductive via fence, the fourth conductive via fence being along the fourth edge, the fourth conductive via fence coupling the fourth patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

[0131] According to one embodiment, an antenna is provided, comprising: a substrate having a first dielectric constant; a dielectric block mounted to the substrate and having a second dielectric constant greater than the first dielectric constant; a patch sandwiched between the substrate and the dielectric block; and a conductive via coupled to the patch through the substrate, the conductive via being configured to excite the patch to generate a patch antenna resonant mode of the antenna, and the patch being configured to excite the dielectric block to generate a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) resonant mode of the antenna.

[0132] According to another embodiment, the antenna includes an additional patch, which is sandwiched between the substrate and the dielectric block and laterally separated from the patch by a gap, and the patch is configured to indirectly feed the additional patch via near-field electromagnetic coupling across the gap.

[0133] The foregoing is merely illustrative, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the embodiments described. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented independently or in any combination.

Claims

1. An antenna, comprising: substrate; a first patch, the first patch being located on the substrate; a feed terminal coupled to the first patch; a second patch located on the substrate and laterally separated from the first patch by a first gap; and a third patch on the substrate and laterally separated from the first patch by a second gap, wherein the first patch is configured to indirectly feed the second patch via a first near-field electromagnetic coupling across the first gap, and the first patch is configured to indirectly feed the second patch via a second near-field electromagnetic coupling across the second gap. 2 . The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first patch has a first length, the second patch has a second length, and the third patch has the second length. The antenna according to claim 2 , wherein the second length is smaller than the first length.

4. The antenna according to claim 1, further comprising: a ground trace, the ground trace being located on the substrate; and A first conductive via fence is provided along an edge of the substrate, the first conductive via fence coupling the first patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

5. The antenna according to claim 4, further comprising: A second conductive via fence is provided along the edge, the second conductive via fence coupling the second patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

6. The antenna according to claim 5, further comprising: A third conductive via fence is along the edge, the third conductive via fence coupling the third patch to the ground trace through the substrate. 7 . The antenna of claim 6 , wherein the first patch is laterally interposed between the second patch and the third patch. 8 . The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first patch is laterally interposed between the second patch and the third patch.

9. The antenna according to claim 8, further comprising: a ground trace located on the substrate, the substrate having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge; a first conductive via fence along the first edge, the first conductive via fence coupling the second patch to the ground trace through the substrate; and A second conductive via fence is provided along the second edge, the second conductive via fence coupling the third patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

10. The antenna of claim 9, wherein the first patch is electrically floating relative to the ground trace.

11. The antenna according to claim 8, further comprising: A fourth patch is located on the substrate and is laterally separated from the first patch by a third gap, wherein the first patch is configured to indirectly feed the fourth patch via a third near-field electromagnetic coupling across the third gap.

12. The antenna according to claim 11, further comprising: a ground trace located on the substrate, the substrate having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge; a first conductive via fence along the first edge, the first conductive via fence coupling the first patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a second conductive via fence, the second conductive via fence being along the first edge, the second conductive via fence coupling the second patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a third conductive via fence along the first edge, the third conductive via fence coupling the third patch to the ground trace through the substrate; and A fourth conductive via fence is along the second edge, the fourth conductive via fence coupling the fourth patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

13. The antenna according to claim 1, further comprising: A fourth patch, the fourth patch is located on the substrate; an additional feed terminal coupled to the fourth patch; and A fifth patch is located on the substrate and is laterally separated from the fourth patch by a third gap, wherein the fourth patch is configured to indirectly feed the fifth patch via a third near-field electromagnetic coupling across the third gap.

14. The antenna according to claim 13, further comprising: a ground trace on the substrate having a first edge, a second edge opposite the first edge, a third edge coupling the first edge to the second edge, and a fourth edge opposite the third edge coupling the first edge to the second edge; a first conductive via fence along the first edge, the first conductive via fence coupling the first patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a second conductive via fence, the second conductive via fence being along the first edge, the second conductive via fence coupling the second patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a third conductive via fence along the first edge, the third conductive via fence coupling the third patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a fourth conductive via fence along the third edge, the fourth conductive via fence coupling the fourth patch to the ground trace through the substrate; and A fifth conductive via fence is provided along the fourth edge, the fifth conductive via fence coupling the fifth patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

15. The antenna according to claim 1, further comprising: A dielectric block is mounted to the substrate and overlaps the first patch, the second patch, and the third patch, wherein the dielectric block has a higher dielectric constant than the substrate. 16 . The antenna of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric block is configured to form a dielectric resonant element, and the first patch is configured to excite an electromagnetic resonant mode of the dielectric resonant element.

17. A wireless circuit, comprising: a substrate having a surface; a first patch, the first patch being located on the surface; a first feed terminal coupled to the first patch; a second patch located on the surface and separated from the first patch by a first gap, the first patch being configured to indirectly feed the second patch via a first near-field electromagnetic coupling across the first gap, and the first and second patches being configured to radiate in a first frequency band with a first polarization; a third patch, the third patch being located on the surface; a second feed terminal coupled to the third patch; and a fourth patch located on the surface and separated from the third patch by a second gap, the third patch being configured to indirectly feed the fourth patch via a second near-field electromagnetic coupling across the second gap, and the third and fourth patches being configured to radiate in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band with a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization.

18. The wireless circuit of claim 17, wherein the substrate has a first edge, a second edge opposite to the first edge, a third edge coupling the first edge to the second edge, and a fourth edge opposite to the third edge coupling the first edge to the second edge, the wireless circuit further comprising: a ground trace, the ground trace being located on the substrate; a first conductive via fence along the first edge, the first conductive via fence coupling the first patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a second conductive via fence, the second conductive via fence being along the first edge, the second conductive via fence coupling the second patch to the ground trace through the substrate; a third conductive via fence along the third edge, the third conductive via fence coupling the third patch to the ground trace through the substrate; and A fourth conductive via fence is along the fourth edge, the fourth conductive via fence coupling the fourth patch to the ground trace through the substrate.

19. An antenna, comprising: a substrate having a first dielectric constant; a dielectric block mounted to the substrate and having a second dielectric constant greater than the first dielectric constant; a patch, the patch being sandwiched between the substrate and the dielectric block; and a conductive via coupled to the patch through the substrate, wherein the conductive via is configured to excite the patch to produce a patch antenna resonant mode of the antenna, and the patch is configured to excite the dielectric block to produce a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) resonant mode of the antenna.

20. The antenna according to claim 19, further comprising: An additional patch is sandwiched between the substrate and the dielectric block and laterally separated from the patch by a gap, wherein the patch is configured to indirectly feed the additional patch via near-field electromagnetic coupling across the gap.

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