CN117293528A - Electronic device with charging coil independent backward antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device having a charging coil independent backward antenna. An electronic device may have conductive side walls and a back wall. The rear wall may have a first portion mounted to the side wall and a second portion protruding away from the first portion to define a cavity. A sensor plate may be mounted within the cavity. A coil structure may be mounted within the cavity and around the sensor plate. The antenna may have an antenna ground separated from the patch element by an antenna volume. The patch element may include a first conductive trace on the first portion of the back wall, a second conductive trace on the sensor board, and a conductive interconnect structure coupling the first conductive trace to the second conductive trace. The coil structure may be disposed outside the antenna to minimize the impact of the coil structure on the performance of the antenna.

Description

Electronic device with charging coil independent backward antenna

The present application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/324,835, filed on 5/26, 2023, and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/355,236, filed on 24, 6/2022, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Background

The present disclosure relates to electronic devices, and more particularly to electronic devices having wireless circuitry.

Electronic devices often have wireless communication capabilities. Manufacturers are constantly striving to implement wireless circuits, such as antenna components, that use compact structures in order to meet consumer demand for low profile electronic devices.

At the same time, the larger antenna volume generally allows the antenna to exhibit a higher efficiency bandwidth. Further, because the antennas may interfere with each other and with other components in the wireless device, care must be taken when incorporating the antennas into the electronic device to ensure that the antennas and wireless circuitry exhibit satisfactory performance over a wide range of operating frequencies.

It is therefore desirable to be able to provide improved radio circuits for electronic devices.

Disclosure of Invention

An electronic device such as a wristwatch may be provided with a housing. The housing may include conductive side walls and a rear wall. The display may be mounted to the conductive side wall opposite the rear wall. The back wall may have a first dielectric portion mounted to the conductive side wall. The back wall may have a second dielectric portion protruding away from the first dielectric portion and defining a cavity. A sensor plate may be mounted within the cavity. A coil structure may be mounted within the cavity and may laterally surround the sensor plate. The coil structure may be used to receive a wireless charging signal through the back wall.

The electronic device may include an antenna that radiates through the back wall. The antenna may have an antenna ground including a conductive sidewall. The antenna may have a radiating element, such as a patch element. The patch element may be separated from the antenna ground by an antenna volume. The patch element may include a first conductive trace on the first dielectric portion of the back wall. The patch element may include a second conductive trace on the sensor board. The patch element may include a conductive interconnect structure coupling the first conductive trace to the second conductive trace. The conductive interconnect structure may be a conductive bracket or clip. The coil structure may be disposed outside the antenna volume. Positioning the patch element in this manner may maximize the antenna volume and may minimize the impact of the coil structure on the performance of the antenna.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary electronic device with wireless circuitry according to some embodiments.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic device with wireless circuitry, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 3 is a diagram of an exemplary radio circuit in an electronic device, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary antenna with patch elements according to some embodiments.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary electronic device having a charging coil and antenna at the back of the electronic device, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 6 is a top view of an exemplary antenna resonating element formed from conductive traces on the rear housing wall, conductive traces on the sensor board, and conductive brackets according to some embodiments.

Fig. 7 is a graph of antenna performance (antenna efficiency) as a function of frequency showing how moving a charging coil out of the volume of an exemplary antenna of the type shown in fig. 2-6 may optimize the performance of the antenna, according to some embodiments.

Detailed Description

An electronic device, such as electronic device 10 of fig. 1, may be provided with wireless circuitry (sometimes referred to herein as wireless communication circuitry). The wireless circuitry may be used to support wireless communications in a plurality of wireless communications bands. The communication bands (sometimes referred to herein as bands) handled by the radio circuitry may include satellite navigation system communication bands, cellular telephone communication bands, wireless local area network communication bands, wireless personal area network communication bands, near field communication bands, ultra-wideband communication bands, or other wireless communication bands.

The wireless circuit may include one or more antennas. Antennas of wireless circuits may include patch antennas (e.g., shorted patch antennas), loop antennas, inverted-F antennas, strip antennas, planar inverted-F antennas, slot antennas, hybrid antennas that include more than one type of antenna structure, or other suitable antennas.

The electronic device 10 may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor including an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device (such as a wristwatch device), a hanging device, a headset or earpiece device, a device embedded in glasses or other equipment worn on the head of a user, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display not including an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an embedded system (such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is installed in a kiosk or automobile), equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. In the exemplary configuration of fig. 1, the device 10 is a portable device such as a wristwatch (e.g., a smartwatch). Other configurations may be used for the device 10 if desired. The example of fig. 1 is merely illustrative.

In the example of fig. 1, device 10 includes a display, such as display 14. The display 14 may be mounted in a housing, such as housing 12. The outer shell 12, which may sometimes be referred to as a housing or case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramic, fiber composite, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. The housing 12 may be formed using a unitary configuration in which a portion or all of the housing 12 is machined or molded into a single structure, or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures forming an external housing surface, etc.). The housing 12 may have metal sidewalls, such as sidewalls 12W or sidewalls formed of other materials. Examples of metallic materials that may be used to form sidewall 12W include stainless steel, aluminum, silver, gold, metal alloys, or any other desired conductive material. The sidewall 12W may sometimes be referred to herein as a housing sidewall 12W or a conductive housing sidewall 12W.

The display 14 may be formed on (e.g., mounted on) the front side (face) of the device 10. The housing 12 may have a rear housing wall, such as rear housing wall 12R, on a rear side (rear) of the device 10 opposite the front face of the device 10. The conductive housing sidewall 12W may extend around the perimeter of the device 10 (e.g., the conductive housing sidewall 12W may extend around the perimeter edge of the device 10). The rear housing wall 12R may be formed of a conductive material and/or an insulating material. Examples of dielectric materials that may be used to form the rear housing wall 12R include plastic, glass, sapphire, ceramic, wood, polymers, combinations of these materials, or any other desired dielectric.

Rear housing wall 12R and/or display 14 may extend across some or all of the length (e.g., parallel to the X-axis of fig. 1) and width (e.g., parallel to the Y-axis) of device 10. The conductive housing sidewall 12W may extend across some or all of the height of the device 10 (e.g., parallel to the Z-axis). The conductive housing sidewall 12W and/or the rear housing wall 12R may form one or more exterior surfaces of the device 10 (e.g., surfaces visible to a user of the device 10) and/or may be implemented using internal structures that do not form the exterior surfaces of the device 10 (e.g., conductive housing structures or dielectric housing structures not visible to a user of the device 10, such as conductive structures covered with a layer, such as a thin cosmetic layer, protective coating, and/or other coating that may include a dielectric material, such as glass, ceramic, plastic, or other structures that form the exterior surfaces of the device 10 and/or are used to conceal the housing wall 12R and/or 12W from the user's perspective).

The housing 12 may include one or more dielectric filled slots, if desired. The dielectric filled slots (sometimes referred to herein as gaps, openings, or breaks) may separate the conductive material in the housing 12 into different conductive housing portions. The slots may be filled with a dielectric material such as plastic, polymer, sapphire, glass, rubber, or ceramic. In one embodiment described herein as an example, the housing 12 may include slots that extend along three of the four peripheral edges of the device 10 and separate the conductive housing sidewall 12W from the conductive upper portion of the housing 12 (sometimes referred to herein as the conductive turntable, conductive top portion, conductive ring, or conductive bezel of the housing 12) along three sides of the device 10. The slot may be used to separate a radiating element in the antenna of the device 10 from a ground structure in the antenna. This may allow the radiating element to conduct antenna current along its edges (e.g., at the slot), thereby generating an electric field associated with the transmission and/or reception of radio frequency signals.

The display 14 may be a touch screen display that incorporates a conductive capacitive touch sensor electrode layer or other touch sensor component (e.g., a resistive touch sensor component, an acoustic touch sensor component, a force-based touch sensor component, a light-based touch sensor component, etc.), or may be a non-touch sensitive display. The capacitive touch screen electrode may be formed from an array of indium tin oxide pads or other transparent conductive structures. The display 14 may also be force sensitive and may collect force input data associated with the force with which a user or object is pressing the display 14.

Display 14 may include an array of display pixels formed from Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) components, an array of electrophoretic display pixels, an array of plasma display pixels, an array of Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display pixels, an array of electrowetting display pixels, or display pixels based on other display technologies. The display 14 may be protected using a display overlay. The display cover layer may be formed of a transparent material such as glass, plastic, sapphire or other crystalline insulating material, ceramic or other transparent material. For example, the display overlay may extend across substantially the entire length and width of the device 10.

The device 10 may include a button such as button 18. There may be any suitable number of buttons in the device 10 (e.g., a single button, more than one button, two or more buttons, five or more buttons, etc.). The buttons may be located in openings in the housing 12 (e.g., in openings in the conductive housing side wall 12W or the rear housing wall 12R) or in openings in the display 14 (as examples). The button may be a rotary button, a slide button, a button actuated by pressing a movable button member, or the like. The button member for a button such as button 18 may be formed of metal, glass, plastic, or other material. In the case where the device 10 is a wristwatch device, the button 18 may sometimes be referred to as a crown.

If desired, the apparatus 10 may be coupled to a belt, such as belt 16. Strap 16 may be used to hold device 10 on a user's wrist (as an example). The strap 16 may sometimes be referred to herein as a wristband 16. In the example of fig. 1, wristband 16 is attached to opposite sides of the device 10. The conductive housing sidewall 12W may include an attachment structure (e.g., a tab or other attachment mechanism that configures the housing 12 to receive the wristband 16) for securing the wristband 16 to the housing 12. The wristband 16 may be removable if desired. Configurations that do not include straps may also be used with the device 10.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary components that may be used in the device 10. As shown in fig. 2, the device 10 may include a control circuit 28. The control circuit 28 may include a memory device such as the memory circuit 24. The storage circuitry 24 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), and the like.

The control circuit 28 may include processing circuitry such as processing circuit 26. The processing circuitry 26 may be used to control the operation of the device 10. The processing circuitry 26 may include one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, host processors, baseband processor integrated circuits, application specific integrated circuits, central Processing Units (CPUs), graphics processing units, and the like. 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 24 (e.g., storage circuitry 24 may include a non-transitory (tangible) computer-readable storage medium storing the software code). The software code may sometimes be referred to as program instructions, software, data, instructions, or code. Software code stored on the memory circuit 24 may be executed by the processing circuit 26.

Control circuitry 28 may be used to run software on device 10 such as external node location applications, satellite navigation applications, internet browsing applications, voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone call applications, email applications, media playback applications, operating system functions, and the like. To support interaction with external equipment, control circuitry 28 may be used to implement a communication protocol. Communication protocols that may be implemented using control circuitry 28 include Internet protocols, wireless local area network protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11 protocols-sometimes referred to as) Protocols for other short-range wireless communication links such asProtocols or other Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) protocols, IEEE 802.11ad protocols, cellular telephone protocols, MIMO protocols, antenna diversity protocols, satellite navigation system protocols (e.g., global Positioning System (GPS) protocols)Global navigation satellite system (GLONASS) protocol, etc.), IEEE 802.15.4 ultra-wideband communication protocol or other ultra-wideband communication protocol, etc. Each communication protocol may be associated with a corresponding Radio Access Technology (RAT) that specifies a physical connection method used to implement the protocol.

The device 10 may include an input-output circuit 20. The input-output circuit 20 may include an input-output device 22. The input-output device 22 may be used to allow data to be supplied to the device 10 and to allow data to be provided from the device 10 to an external device. The input-output devices 22 may include user interface devices, data port devices, and other input-output components. For example, the input-output devices 22 may include a touch screen, a display without touch sensor capability, buttons, scroll wheels, a touch pad, a keypad, a keyboard, a microphone, a camera, buttons, speakers, status indicators, light sources, audio jacks and other audio port components, vibrators or other haptic feedback engines, digital data port devices, light sensors (e.g., infrared light sensors, visible light sensors, etc.), light emitting diodes, motion sensors (accelerometers), capacitive sensors, proximity sensors, magnetic sensors, force sensors (e.g., force sensors coupled to the display to detect pressure exerted on the display), and the like.

The input-output circuit 22 may include a wireless circuit 34. The wireless circuit 34 may include a wireless power receiving coil structure, such as coil structure 44, and a wireless power receiver circuit, such as wireless power receiver circuit 42. The device 10 may use a wireless power receiver circuit 42 and a coil structure 44 to receive wirelessly transmitted power (e.g., a wireless charging signal) from a wireless power adapter (e.g., a wireless power transmitting device such as a wireless charging pad or other device). The coil structure 44 (sometimes referred to herein as coil 44) may include one or more induction coils using resonant inductive coupling (near field electromagnetic coupling) with a wireless power transmitting coil on the wireless power adapter.

The wireless power adapter may pass an AC current through the wireless power transmitting coil to generate a time-varying electromagnetic (e.g., magnetic) field that is received as wireless power (wireless charging signal) by the coil structure 44 in the device 10. An exemplary frequency of the wireless charging signal is 200kHz. Other frequencies (e.g., frequencies in the kHz range, MHz range, or GHz range, 1kHz to 1MHz, 1kHz to 100MHz, less than 1MHz, etc.) may be used if desired. When the time-varying electromagnetic field is received by the coil structures 44, a corresponding Alternating Current (AC) current is induced in the coil structures. The wireless power receiver circuit 42 may include a converter circuit, such as a rectifier circuit. The rectifier circuit may include rectifying components, such as synchronous rectifying metal oxide semiconductor transistors arranged in a bridge network, and may convert these currents from the coil structure 44 into a DC voltage for powering the device 10. The DC voltage generated by the rectifier circuit in the wireless power receiver circuit 42 may be used to power an energy storage device, such as the battery 46, and/or may be used to power other components in the device 10.

To support wireless communications, the radio circuit 34 may include baseband circuitry (e.g., one or more baseband processors or other circuits operating on baseband signals), RF transceiver circuitry formed from one or more integrated circuits, power amplifier circuits, low noise input amplifiers, passive Radio Frequency (RF) components, mixer circuits, synthesizers, modulators, demodulators, up-converters, down-converters, and the like. The wireless circuitry 34 may also include one or more antennas such as an antenna 40, transmission lines, and other circuitry for processing RF wireless signals. If desired, one or more radio frequency front end modules may be provided along the transmission line. Wireless signals may also be transmitted using light (e.g., using infrared communications).

The wireless circuitry 34 may include radio frequency transceiver circuitry for processing the transmission and/or reception of radio frequency signals within a corresponding band of radio frequencies (sometimes referred to herein as a communication band or simply "band"). For example, the wireless circuitry 34 may include Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) transceiver circuitry 32. Transceiver circuitry 32 may handle the 2.4GHz WLAN band (e.g., from 2400MHz to 2480 MHz), the 5GHz WLAN band (e.g., from 5180MHz to 5825 MHz), the, 6E band (e.g. from 5925MHz to 7125 MHz) and/or other +.>Frequency bands (e.g., from 1875MHz to 5160 MHz). The transceiver circuitry 32 may sometimes be referred to herein as WLAN/WPAN transceiver circuitry 32.

The wireless circuitry 34 may use the cellular telephone transceiver circuitry 36 for processing wireless communications within a frequency range (communications band), such as a cellular low-band (LB) from 600MHz to 960MHz, a cellular low-mid-band (LMB) from 1410MHz to 1510MHz, a cellular mid-band (MB) from 1710MHz to 2170MHz, a cellular high-band (HB) from 2300MHz to 2700MHz, a cellular ultra-high-band (UHB) from 3300MHz to 5000MHz, or other communications band between 600MHz and 5000MHz or other suitable frequencies, a 2G band, a 3G band, a 4G LTE band, a 3gpp 5G new air range 1 (FR 1) band below 10GHz, a 3gpp 5G new air (NR) frequency range 2 (FR 2) band between 20GHz and 60GHz, or other centimeters or millimeter wave bands between 10GHz and 300GHz (as examples). The cellular telephone transceiver circuitry 36 may process voice data and non-voice data.

The wireless circuitry 34 may include satellite navigation system circuitry, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver circuitry 30. The GPS receiver circuitry 30 may receive GPS signals in a satellite navigation band, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) L1 band (e.g., at 1575 MHz), L2 band (e.g., at 1228 MHz), L3 band (e.g., at 1381 MHz), L4 band (e.g., at 1380 MHz), and/or L5 band (e.g., at 1176 MHz), a Global navigation satellite System (GLONASS) band, a Beidou navigation satellite System (BDS) band, or other bands. Satellite navigation system signals for the receiver circuit 30 are received from a set of satellites orbiting the earth. The wireless circuitry 34 can include circuitry for other short-range and long-range wireless links, if desired. For example, the wireless circuitry 34 may include circuitry for receiving television and radio signals, paging system transceivers, near Field Communication (NFC) transceiver circuitry 38 (e.g., an NFC transceiver operating at 13.56MHz or another suitable frequency), ultra-wideband transceiver circuitry (e.g., transceiver circuitry operating at an IEEE 802.15.4 protocol and/or other ultra-wideband communication protocol (e.g., a first UWB communication band at 6.5GHz and/or a second UWB communication band at 8.0 GHz), transceiver circuitry operating using a communication band under the 3GPP wireless communication standard family, transceiver circuitry operating using a communication band under the IEEE 802.Xx standard family, transceiver circuitry operating using an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band (such as an ISM band between approximately 900MHz and 950MHz or other ISM band below or above 1 GHz), transceiver circuitry operating using one or more unlicensed bands reserved for emergency and/or public service, and/or any other frequency band of interest. The wireless circuitry 34 may also be used to perform spatial ranging operations, if desired.

In NFC links, wireless signals typically carry at most a few inches. In satellite navigation system links, cellular telephone links, and other remote links, wireless signals are typically used to transmit data in the thousands of feet or miles. In WLAN and WPAN links and other short-range wireless links at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, wireless signals are commonly used to transport data in the tens or hundreds of feet range. Since the operating environment of the device 10 can be switched to not use and use higher performing antennas in their place, an antenna diversity scheme can be used to ensure that antennas have begun to be blocked or otherwise degraded, if desired. Multiple Input and Multiple Output (MIMO) schemes and/or Carrier Aggregation (CA) schemes may be used to improve data rates and wireless performance.

The wireless circuit 34 may include an antenna 40. Any suitable antenna type may be used to form antenna 40. For example, the antenna 40 may include an antenna having resonating elements formed from patch antenna structures (e.g., shorted patch antenna structures), slot antenna structures, loop antenna structures, stacked patch antenna structures, antenna structures with parasitic elements, inverted-F antenna structures, planar inverted-F antenna structures, helical antenna structures, monopole antennas, dipole antenna structures, yagi (yagi-uda) antenna structures, surface integrated waveguide structures, hybrids of these designs, and the like. One or more of the antennas 40 may be a cavity backed antenna, if desired. If desired, the two or more antennas 40 may be arranged in a phased antenna array (e.g., for transmitting centimeter and/or millimeter wave signals within a signal beam that is formed in a desired beam pointing direction that may be steered/adjusted over time).

Different types of antennas may be used for different frequency bands and combinations of frequency bands. For example, one type of antenna may be used when forming a local wireless link antenna and another type of antenna may be used when forming a remote wireless link antenna. Space within the device 10 may be saved by using a single antenna to handle two or more different communication bands, if desired. If desired, a combination of antennas for covering multiple frequency bands and dedicated antennas for covering a single frequency band may be used. For example, the first antenna 40 in the device 10 may be used to process 2.4GHzOr->Communication in a communication band, a 1575MHz GPS L1 band, a 1176MHz GPS L5 band, and one or more cellular telephone communication bands such as a cellular mid-band (MB) from 1710MHz to 2170MHz, a cellular high-band (HB) from 2300MHz to 2700MHz, while the second antenna 40 in the device 10 is used to handle communication in a cellular low-band (LB) and cellular HB.

It may be desirable to implement at least some of the antennas in device 10 using portions of the electronics that would otherwise not function as antennas and support additional device functionality. As an example, it may be desirable to generate antenna currents in a component such as display 14 (fig. 1) such that display 14 and/or other electronic components (e.g., touch sensors, near field communication loop antennas, conductive display assemblies or housings, conductive shielding structures, etc.) may act as part of an antenna for Wi-Fi, bluetooth, GPS, cellular frequencies, and/or other frequencies without the need to incorporate separate cumbersome antenna structures in device 10. The conductive portion of the housing 12 (fig. 1) may be used to form part of an antenna ground for one or more antennas 40.

Although the control circuit 28 is shown separate from the wireless circuit 34 in the example of fig. 1 for clarity, the wireless circuit 34 may include processing circuitry (e.g., one or more processors) that forms part of the processing circuit 26 and/or memory circuitry that forms part of the memory circuit 24 of the control circuit 28 (e.g., part of the control circuit 28 that may be implemented on the wireless circuit 34). As an example, the control circuitry 28 may include baseband circuitry (e.g., one or more baseband processors), digital control circuits, analog control circuits, and/or other control circuits forming a portion of the radio wireless circuitry 34. The baseband circuitry may, for example, access a communication protocol stack on the control circuitry 28 (e.g., the storage circuitry 24) to: executing user plane functions at the PHY layer, MAC layer, RLC layer, PDCP layer, SDAP layer, and/or PDU layer; and/or performing control plane functions at a PHY layer, a MAC layer, an RLC layer, a PDCP layer, an RRC layer, and/or a non-access layer. The PHY layer operations may additionally or alternatively be performed by Radio Frequency (RF) interface circuitry in the wireless circuitry 34, if desired.

A schematic diagram of the radio circuit 34 is shown in fig. 3. As shown in fig. 3, the wireless circuitry 34 may include transceiver circuitry 48 (e.g., the cellular telephone transceiver circuitry 36, the WLAN/WPAN transceiver circuitry 32, etc. of fig. 2) that is coupled to the given antenna 40 using a radio frequency transmission line path, such as the radio frequency transmission line path 50.

To provide an antenna structure such as antenna 40 with the ability to cover different frequencies of interest, antenna 40 may be provided with circuitry such as filter circuitry (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 circuit. The capacitive, inductive, and resistive structures may also be formed from patterned metal structures (e.g., a portion of an antenna). If desired, the antenna 40 may be provided with adjustable circuitry such as a tunable component that tunes the antenna over the communication (frequency) band of interest. The tunable component may be part of a tunable filter or a tunable impedance matching network, may be part of an antenna resonating element, may span a gap between the antenna resonating element and an antenna ground, or the like.

The radio frequency transmission line path 50 may include one or more radio frequency transmission lines (sometimes referred to herein simply as transmission lines). The radio frequency transmission line path 50 (e.g., a transmission line in the radio frequency transmission line path 50) may include a positive signal conductor such as a signal conductor 52 and a ground signal conductor such as a ground conductor 54.

The transmission lines in the radio frequency transmission line path 50 may, for example, include coaxial cable transmission lines (e.g., ground conductor 54 may be implemented as a grounded conductive braid surrounding signal conductor 52 along its length), stripline transmission lines (e.g., where ground conductor 54 extends along both sides of signal conductor 52), microstrip transmission lines (e.g., where ground conductor 54 extends along one side of signal conductor 52), coaxial probes implemented by metallized vias, 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 so forth.

The transmission lines of the radio frequency transmission line path 50 may be integrated into rigid and/or flexible printed circuit boards. In one suitable arrangement, the radio frequency transmission line path 50 may include transmission line conductors (e.g., signal conductor 52 and ground conductor 54) integrated within a multi-layer laminate structure (e.g., layers of conductive material (such as copper) and dielectric material (such as resin) laminated together without intervening adhesive). If desired, the multi-layer laminate structure may be folded or bent in multiple dimensions (e.g., two or three dimensions) and may remain bent or folded after bending (e.g., the multi-layer laminate structure may be folded into a particular three-dimensional structural shape to be routed around other equipment components and may be sufficiently rigid to remain in its shape after folding without the stiffener or other structure remaining in place). All of the multiple layers of the laminate structure may be laminated together in batches without adhesive (e.g., in a single pressing process) (e.g., as opposed to performing multiple pressing processes to laminate the multiple layers together with adhesive).

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 radio frequency transmission line path 50. The matching network component may be provided as a discrete component (e.g., a surface mount technology component) or may be formed from a housing structure, a printed circuit board structure, traces on a plastic carrier, or the like. Components such as these may also be used to form filter circuits in antenna 40 and may be tunable components and/or fixed components.

The radio frequency transmission line path 50 may be coupled to an antenna feed structure associated with the antenna 40. For example, the antenna 40 may form an inverted-F antenna, a planar inverted-F antenna, a patch antenna, a loop antenna, or other antenna having an antenna feed 56 with a positive antenna feed terminal such as terminal 58 and a ground antenna feed terminal such as terminal 60. The positive antenna feed terminal 58 may be coupled to an antenna resonating (radiating) element within the antenna 40. The ground antenna feed terminal 60 may be coupled to an antenna ground in the antenna 40. The signal conductor 52 may be coupled to a positive antenna feed terminal 58 and the ground conductor 54 may be coupled to a ground antenna feed terminal 60.

Other types of antenna feed arrangements may be used if desired. For example, the antenna 40 may be fed using a plurality of feeds, each coupled to a respective port of the transceiver circuitry 48 by 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 coupled to the signal conductor 52 of the same radio frequency transmission line path 50). If desired, a switch may be interposed on the signal conductor between transceiver circuitry 48 and the positive antenna feed terminals (e.g., to selectively activate one or more of the positive antenna feed terminals at any given time). The exemplary feed configuration of fig. 3 is merely illustrative.

As used herein, the term "transmit radio frequency signal" means transmission and/or reception of a radio frequency signal (e.g., for performing unidirectional and/or bidirectional wireless communications with external wireless communication equipment). The antenna 40 may transmit radio frequency signals by radiating radio frequency signals into free space (or through intervening device structures such as dielectric covers). Additionally or alternatively, antenna 40 may receive radio frequency signals from free space (e.g., through an intervening device structure such as a dielectric cover layer). The transmission and reception of radio frequency signals by the antenna 40 each involves the excitation or resonance of antenna currents on antenna resonating elements in the antenna by radio frequency signals within the operating band of the antenna.

The device 10 may include multiple antennas that transmit radio frequency signals through different sides of the device 10. For example, the device 10 may include at least a first antenna 40 that transmits radio frequency signals through a front side of the device 10 (e.g., the display 14 of fig. 1) and a second antenna 40 that transmits radio frequency signals through a back side of the device 10 (e.g., the back housing wall 12R of fig. 1).

Any desired antenna structure may be used to implement antenna 40 that transmits radio frequency signals through the back of device 10. In one suitable arrangement, sometimes described herein as an example, a patch antenna structure may be used to implement the antenna 40 that transmits radio frequency signals through the back of the device 10. Antennas implemented using patch antenna structures may sometimes be referred to herein as patch antennas. An exemplary patch antenna that may be used to transmit radio frequency signals through the back side of the device 10 is shown in fig. 4.

As shown in fig. 4, the antenna 40 may have a radiating patch element, such as patch element 66, that is separate and parallel to an antenna ground, such as antenna ground 62 (sometimes referred to herein as ground plane 62 or ground structure 62). The patch element 66 may lie in a plane such as the X-Y plane of fig. 4 (e.g., the lateral surface area of the patch element 66 may lie in the X-Y plane). The patch element 66 may sometimes be referred to herein as a patch antenna resonating element 66, a patch resonator 66, a short-circuited patch antenna resonating element 66, a patch radiating element 66, a patch antenna radiating element 66, a short-circuited patch antenna radiating element 66, a patch radiator 66, an antenna resonating element 66, or an antenna radiating element 66.

The antenna ground 62 may lie in a plane parallel to the plane of the patch element 66. The patch element 66 and the antenna ground 62 may thus lie in separate parallel planes separated by a distance (height) H. The antenna ground 62 may be formed from conductive traces patterned on a dielectric substrate such as a rigid or flexible printed circuit board substrate, a metal foil, a stamped metal sheet, an electronic device housing structure, or any other desired conductive structure (e.g., a ground structure). As one example, patch element 66 may be formed from conductive traces patterned on a dielectric housing wall, conductive traces patterned on a sensor board (e.g., a rigid or flexible printed circuit board), and conductive interconnect structures (e.g., conductive brackets) coupling the conductive traces together.

The length of the sides of the patch element 66 may be selected such that the antenna 40 resonates (radiates) at a desired operating frequency. For example, the sides of the patch element 66 may each have a length approximately equal to half the wavelength of the signal transmitted by the antenna 40 (e.g., the effective wavelength given the dielectric properties of the material surrounding the patch element 66). The positive antenna feed terminal 58 may be coupled to the patch element 66 (e.g., at a feed edge of the patch element 66). Antenna current of antenna 40 may flow along the perimeter of patch element 66 as indicated by arrows 68. The antenna current may be generated by the positive antenna feed terminal 58 (e.g., during signal transmission) or by an incident radio frequency signal received by the antenna 40. During signal reception, antenna current may pass radio frequency signals to transceiver circuitry on device 10 via positive antenna feed terminal 58.

The example of fig. 4 is merely illustrative. The patch element 66 may have a square shape, wherein all sides of the patch element 66 have the same length or may have different rectangular shapes. The patch element 66 may be formed in other shapes (e.g., circular, oval, polygonal, etc.) having any desired number of straight edges and/or curved edges. The patch element 66 may be shorted to the antenna ground 62 using one or more ground structures. Other antenna architectures may be used to implement antenna 40. The patch element 66 of the antenna 40 may be formed from a plurality of conductive structures in the device 10 in a manner for integrating the patch element 66 into the device 10 in a manner that allows the antenna 40 to transmit radio frequency signals through the back of the device 10.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional side view that illustrates how patch element 66 may be formed from a plurality of conductive structures and integrated into device 10 for transmitting radio frequency signals through the back of device 10. As shown in fig. 5, display 14 may form the front of device 10, while rear housing wall 12R forms the rear of device 10. In the example of fig. 5, the rear housing wall 12R is formed of a dielectric material (such as glass, sapphire, zirconia, ceramic, or plastic). This is merely exemplary, and the rear housing wall 12R may also include conductive portions (e.g., a conductive frame surrounding one or more dielectric windows in the rear housing wall 12R, a conductive cosmetic layer, etc.), if desired. The conductive housing sidewall 12W may extend from the back to the front of the device 10 (e.g., from the rear housing wall 12R to the display 14).

The display 14 may include a display module 72 (sometimes referred to herein as a display stack 72, a display assembly 72, a display panel 72, or an active area 72 of the display 14) and a display overlay 100. The display module 72 may, for example, form an active area or portion of the display 14 that displays images and/or receives touch sensor input. The lateral portion of the display 14 that does not include the display module 72 (e.g., the portion of the display 14 formed by the display overlay 100 but without the underlying portion of the display module 72) may sometimes be referred to herein as an inactive area or portion of the display 14 because that portion of the display 14 does not display images or collect touch sensor input.

The display module 72 may include conductive features (sometimes referred to herein as conductive display structures) for forming portions of the antenna radiating through the front face of the device 10 (e.g., antennas having radiating elements, such as short-circuited patch elements including conductive portions of the display module 72 and/or the housing 12). The display cover layer 100 may be formed of an optically transparent dielectric such as glass, sapphire, ceramic, or plastic. The display module 72 may display images (e.g., emit image light) through the display overlay 100 for viewing by a user and/or may collect touch or force sensor input through the display overlay 100. If desired, portions of the display overlay 100 may be provided with an opaque masking layer (e.g., an ink masking layer) and/or paint to mask the interior of the device 10 from the user's view.

A substrate, such as substrate 74 (e.g., a rigid or flexible printed circuit board, an integrated circuit or chip, an integrated circuit package, etc.) may be located within the interior of device 10. The substrate 74 may be, for example, a Main Logic Board (MLB) or other logic board of the device 10. Other components, such as component 70 (e.g., components used to form control circuitry 28 and/or input/output circuitry 20, battery 46, etc. of fig. 2) may be mounted to substrate 74 and/or elsewhere within the interior of device 10.

The rear housing wall 12R may extend across substantially all of the length and width of the device 10 (e.g., in the X-Y plane). The rear housing wall 12R may be optically opaque or optically transparent, or may include both optically opaque and optically transparent portions (e.g., the rear housing wall 12R may include optically transparent windows in additional optically opaque members). In the example of fig. 5, the rear housing wall 12R includes a first dielectric wall 80 and a dielectric protrusion formed by a second dielectric wall 82 extending vertically downward from the first dielectric wall 80. The first dielectric wall 80 and the second dielectric wall 82 may also sometimes be referred to herein as first and second portions of the rear housing wall 12R or first and second dielectric portions of the rear housing wall 12R, respectively.

The first dielectric wall 80 may define a portion of an internal cavity of the device 10. The second dielectric wall 82 may define a portion of the sensor cavity 84 between the first dielectric wall 80 and the second dielectric wall 82. The first dielectric wall 80 and the second dielectric wall 82 may be formed of ceramic, plastic, glass, sapphire, and/or any other desired dielectric material. The first dielectric wall 80 and the second dielectric wall 82 may be formed from respective portions of a single unitary piece of dielectric material, or may be formed from separate pieces of dielectric material that have been attached, joined, fused, attached, fixed or otherwise secured together at the back of the device 10. Although the example of fig. 5 shows a portion of the first dielectric wall 80 protruding above the sensor cavity 84, this is merely illustrative. If desired, the first dielectric wall 80 may extend continuously into the second dielectric wall 82 without extending over the sensor cavity 84. The first dielectric wall 80 may extend substantially in a first plane. The second dielectric wall 82 may extend substantially within a second plane (e.g., parallel to the first plane) that is below the first plane, and may include sidewalls that couple portions of the second dielectric wall 82 in the second plane to the first dielectric wall 80. This is merely illustrative, and in general, the second dielectric wall 82, and thus the sensor cavity 84, may have any desired shape.

The protrusion (e.g., sensor cavity 84) formed by the second dielectric wall 82 may house one or more components of the device 10. For example, a sensor plate (such as sensor plate 88) may be disposed within sensor cavity 84 (e.g., between the first plane and the second plane). The apparatus 10 may have a central axis 98 extending (e.g., orthogonally) through a side surface of the sensor plate 88. The sensor plate 88 may be separate from the second dielectric wall 82, pressed against the second dielectric wall 82, or attached to the second dielectric wall 82, etc. The sensor plate 88 may be disposed entirely within the sensor cavity 84, or a portion of the sensor plate 88 may be disposed above the sensor cavity 84 (e.g., within the interior cavity of the device 10 at or above the first plane), if desired.

The sensor board 88 may include a rigid printed circuit board, a flexible printed circuit, an integrated circuit chip, an integrated circuit package, a plastic substrate, or other substrate for supporting one or more sensors 94 (e.g., one or more sensors 94 may be mounted to the sensor board 88). The sensor 94 may, for example, comprise a sensor in the input/output device 22 of fig. 2. The sensor 94 may include an optical sensor such as one or more optical transmitters and one or more optical receivers. The optical emitters may emit optical signals (e.g., visible light, infrared light, etc.) through one or more optically transparent windows or portions of the second dielectric wall 82. The optical receiver may receive an optical signal through one or more optically transparent windows or portions of the second dielectric wall 82. The optical sensor may be used, for example, to measure the heart rate or blood oxygen level of the user when the device 10 is worn on their body by the user. If desired, the sensor 94 may include a sensor electrode, such as an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) electrode, that protrudes through the second dielectric wall 82. For example, sensor circuitry on sensor board 88 may use sensor electrodes to sense electrical activity of the user's heart when the user wears device 10. The sensor 94 may also include one or more sensors, such as a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a touch sensor, or other sensors.

The coil structure 44 may also be disposed within the sensor cavity 84 (e.g., between the first plane and the second plane). The coil structure 44 may laterally (circumferentially) surround the sensor plate 88 and the central axis 98. The coil structure 44 may include wire windings wrapped around the central axis 98 and the sensor plate 88 (e.g., in a plane parallel to the X-Y plane), may include one or more wire windings wrapped around a ferrite core that extends laterally around the central axis 98, or may include any other desired inductive coil structure for receiving wireless charging signals. The coil structure 44 may include a single conductive coil (e.g., an induction coil) or more than one conductive coil. In one suitable arrangement, the coil structure 44 may include a first coil having windings coiled (wound) about the central axis 98 (e.g., in the direction of arrow 106) and a second coil having windings extending perpendicular to the windings in the first coil. The windings in the first and second coils may include conductive wires (e.g., copper wires), conductive traces, or any other desired conductive material. In general, the coil structure 44 may include any desired number of windings of wire, any desired number of coils, any desired number of ferrite cores, and the like. Ferrite shielding structures (not shown) that help electromagnetically shield the coil structure 44 from other components in the apparatus 10 may be layered over the coil structure 44 if desired. The coil structure 44 may receive a wireless charging signal through the second dielectric wall 82 (e.g., when the device 10 is placed on a wireless power adapter or other wireless power transmitting device). The wireless charging signal may induce currents on the coil structure 44 that are used by the wireless power receiver circuit 42 to charge the battery 46 (fig. 2).

An antenna 40 may be disposed within the device 10 for radiating through the rear housing wall 12R. In general, the volume of the antenna 40 may be proportional to the efficiency bandwidth of the antenna. The antenna 40 may include a patch element 66 and an antenna ground (e.g., the antenna ground 62 of fig. 4) separated from the patch element 66 by an antenna volume 86. The ground trace 76 may be formed on the substrate 74 and may form a portion of an antenna ground (e.g., the antenna ground 62 of fig. 4) of the antenna 40. The conductive housing sidewall 12W may also form part of an antenna ground for the antenna 40 (e.g., a ground trace 76 on the substrate 74 may be electrically shorted to the conductive housing sidewall 12W). Conductive portions of other components in the device 10 may also form part of the antenna ground of the antenna 40 (e.g., the ground trace 76 on the substrate 74, the conductive housing sidewall 12W, and/or conductive portions of other components in the device 10 may be held at ground or reference potential).

To maximize the antenna volume 86, the patch element 66 may be distributed between multiple conductive structures and planes in the device 10. As shown in fig. 5, the patch element 66 may include a first conductive trace 78, a second conductive trace 90, and a conductive interconnect structure such as conductive interconnect structure 92 (sometimes referred to herein simply as conductive interconnect 92). The first conductive trace 78 may sometimes be referred to herein in the singular as a first conductive trace 78. Similarly, the second conductive trace 90 may sometimes be referred to herein in the singular as a second conductive trace 90. The first conductive trace may be patterned onto the inner surface of the first dielectric wall 80 (e.g., using a Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) process). The second conductive trace 90 may be patterned onto the surface of the sensor board 88. In other implementations, the first conductive trace 78 and/or the second conductive trace 90 may be patterned onto one or more flexible printed circuits that are layered over the first dielectric wall 80 and/or the sensor board 88.

The conductive interconnect structure 92 may couple the first conductive trace 78 on the first dielectric wall 80 to the second conductive trace 90 on the sensor board 88. The first conductive trace 78 may extend laterally (e.g., in the direction of arrow 106) about the central axis 98. To maximize the antenna volume 86 of the antenna 40, the first conductive trace 78 may extend across all or substantially all of the inner surface of the first dielectric wall 80. Similarly, the second conductive trace 90 may extend across all or substantially all of the side surface of the sensor board 88. If desired, a portion of the first conductive trace 78 may overlap a portion of the second conductive trace 90 (e.g., when viewed in the-Z direction).

Conductive interconnect structure 92 may include conductive springs, conductive pins, metal wires, stamped sheet metal, conductive pins, conductive adhesives, solder, conductive clips, wires, conductive foam, conductive traces (e.g., on an underlying flexible printed circuit), conductive brackets, conductive portions of the housing of device 10, and/or any other desired conductive material that electrically couples first conductive trace 78 to second conductive trace 90. In one implementation described herein as an example, the conductive interconnect structure 92 is a conductive bracket or clip (e.g., a bent metal piece) that extends from the first conductive trace 78 and presses against the second conductive trace 90, thereby creating a robust and stable electrical connection between the first conductive trace 78 and the second conductive trace 90.

The positive antenna feed terminal 58 may be coupled to a first conductive trace 78. Corresponding antenna currents may flow along the first conductive trace 78, through the conductive interconnect structure 92, and along the second conductive trace 90, as indicated by arrow 96. In this manner, the first conductive trace 78, the second conductive trace 90, and the conductive interconnect structure 92 may collectively form the patch element 66 of the antenna 40. The first conductive trace 78, the second conductive trace 90, and the conductive interconnect structure 92 may thus resonate at radio frequencies to transmit radio frequency signals through the rear housing wall 12R. Typically, only one conductive interconnect structure is required to electrically integrate the second conductive trace 90 into the patch element 66. However, this is merely illustrative. If desired, there may be more than one conductive interconnect structure 92 coupling the first conductive trace 78 to the second conductive trace 90 (e.g., at different points about the central axis 98).

Distributing the patch element 66 across both the inner surface of the first dielectric wall 80 and the sensor plate 88 within the sensor cavity 84 in this manner (e.g., using the conductive interconnect structure 92) can be used to maximize the antenna volume 86 of the antenna 40 and thus its efficiency bandwidth. By disposing the coil structure 44 within the sensor cavity 84 below the first conductive trace 78, the coil structure 44 is disposed within the device 10 but outside (outside) the antenna volume 86. In other words, the antenna current may flow along the patch element 66 (e.g., as indicated by arrow 96) without intersecting the plane of the coil structure 44. This may prevent the coil structure 44 from interfering with the transmission and/or reception of radio frequency signals by the antenna 40 when the coil structure 44 receives wireless charging signals and/or when the coil structure 44 is inactive, thereby maximizing the wireless performance of the antenna 40. This may also help prevent the antenna 40 from interfering with the reception of the wireless charging signal by the coil structure 44, thereby maximizing wireless charging performance. By providing the antenna 40 at the rear housing wall 12R in this manner, the vertical height of the device 10 (e.g., parallel to the Z-axis of fig. 4) may be shorter than would be possible if the corresponding antenna resonating element were located elsewhere on the device 10 (while still allowing the antenna 40 to exhibit satisfactory antenna efficiency).

In practice, the wireless performance of the antenna 40 may be optimized by the presence of external objects adjacent the rear housing wall 12R. For example, the presence of the user's wrist 102 adjacent the rear housing wall 12R may improve the wireless performance of the antenna 40 when the device 10 is worn by the user. During operation, antenna 40 may transmit and/or receive radio frequency signals having an electric field (E) oriented perpendicular to the surface of rear housing wall 12R and wrist 102. These signals may sometimes be referred to as surface waves, which then propagate outward along the surface of wrist 102, as shown by path 104 (e.g., patch element 60 and wrist 102 may act as electromagnetic waveguides that direct the surface waves outward). This may allow radio frequency signals transmitted by antenna 40 to be properly received by external communication equipment (e.g., a wireless access point or base station), even if antenna 40 is positioned near wrist 102 and is generally pointed away from the external communication equipment.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the patch element 66 in the antenna 40 of fig. 5 (e.g., as viewed in the direction of arrow 108 of fig. 5). Other parts of the device 10 have been omitted from fig. 6 for clarity. As shown in fig. 6, the patch element 66 may include a first conductive trace 78 on a first dielectric wall 80 (fig. 5), a second conductive trace 90 on an underlying sensor board 88, and a conductive interconnect structure 92 coupling the first conductive trace 78 to the second conductive trace 90. The central axis 98 may extend through the second conductive trace 90.

The first conductive trace 78 may have an outer edge. The first conductive trace 78 may also have an inner edge 112 opposite the outer edge. The second conductive trace 90 may have an (outer) edge 110. The first conductive trace 78 may extend laterally along an annular path extending about the central axis 98 (e.g., parallel to the Z-axis) and about the second conductive trace 90. The positive antenna terminal 58 may be coupled to a first conductive trace 78 (e.g., at an outer edge of the conductive trace 78). The inner edge 112 of the first conductive trace 78 may be laterally separated from the edge 110 of the second conductive trace 90 (as shown in the example of fig. 6), or if desired, the first conductive trace 78 may at least partially overlap the second conductive trace 90 (e.g., the inner edge 112 of the first conductive trace 78 may overlap the second conductive trace 90 and/or the edge 110 of the second conductive trace 90 may overlap the first conductive trace 78). The conductive interconnect structure 92 may configure the first conductive trace 78, the second conductive trace 90, and the conductive interconnect structure to electrically form a single integrated patch element 66 of the antenna 40.

The example of fig. 6 is merely illustrative. The edges of the conductive traces 78 and 90 may have other shapes (e.g., having any desired number of curved and/or straight line segments). The shape of the conductive traces 78 and 90 may, for example, conform to the lateral shape of the device 10. Additional conductive interconnect structures 92 may be provided at other locations about the central axis 98 to couple the inner edge 112 of the first conductive trace 78 to the edge 110 of the second conductive trace 90 at more than one point, if desired.

Fig. 7 is a graph of antenna performance (antenna efficiency) as a function of frequency, illustrating how the antenna 40 of fig. 2-6 may exhibit improved wireless performance relative to the case where the coil structure 44 is mounted within the antenna volume 86 of the antenna 40 (fig. 5). Curve 114 of fig. 7 depicts the antenna efficiency of antenna 40 in implementations where coil structure 44 is mounted within antenna volume 86 of antenna 40 (e.g., implementations where coil structure 44 is not disposed within sensor cavity 84 and laterally surrounds sensor plate 44). As shown by curve 114, in these implementations, the antenna exhibits relatively low antenna efficiency within the frequency band between frequencies F1 and F2.

Curve 116 of fig. 7 plots the antenna efficiency of antenna 40 as shown in fig. 5. As shown by curve 116, antenna 40 exhibits substantially higher efficiency in these implementations. Moving the coil structure 44 out of the antenna volume 86 and/or distributing the patch element 60 between the conductive traces 78 and 90 (e.g., as shown in fig. 5 and 6) may be used to maximize antenna efficiency between frequencies F1 and F2. The frequency F1 may be, for example, 500MHz, while the frequency F2 is 3000MHz. This may, for example, allow antenna 40 to cover cell LB and cell HB (and any frequency bands between frequency F1 and frequency F2) with satisfactory performance levels. The example of fig. 7 is merely illustrative. Curves 114 and 116 may have other shapes in practice, and frequencies F1 and F2 may be any desired frequencies.

The device 10 may collect and/or use personally identifiable information. It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of inadvertent or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be specified to the user.

According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided having opposing first and second sides, the electronic device including a display on the first side, a housing wall on the second side, a first conductive trace on the housing wall, a sensor board, a second conductive trace on the sensor board, and an antenna having an antenna ground and having an antenna resonating element configured to radiate through the second side, the antenna resonating element including the first conductive trace on the housing wall and the second conductive trace on the sensor board.

According to another embodiment, the antenna resonating element further includes a conductive interconnect that couples the first conductive trace to the second conductive trace.

According to another embodiment, the conductive interconnect comprises a conductive bracket.

According to another embodiment, the conductive interconnect comprises a conductive clip.

According to another embodiment, an electronic device includes a positive antenna feed terminal coupled to a first conductive trace.

According to another embodiment, the housing wall has a first dielectric portion and a second dielectric portion protruding away from the first dielectric portion to define a cavity, the sensor plate being at least partially disposed within the cavity.

According to another embodiment, an electronic device includes a coil disposed extending around a sensor board and a wireless power receiver circuit configured to receive a wireless charging signal using the coil.

According to another embodiment, the antenna resonating element and the antenna ground define a volume of the antenna, and the coil is disposed within the cavity and outside the volume of the antenna.

According to another embodiment, the electronic device has a central axis extending through the second conductive trace, the first conductive trace following an annular path extending laterally around the central axis.

According to another embodiment, the sensor plate comprises an optical sensor configured to emit and receive light through the housing wall.

According to another embodiment, the sensor plate is coupled to an electrocardiogram electrode.

According to one embodiment, there is provided an electronic device having opposing first and second sides, the electronic device comprising: a display at the first face; a housing having a dielectric housing wall at a second face, the dielectric housing wall having a protrusion defining a cavity; a printed circuit board disposed at least partially within the cavity; and an antenna having a patch element, an antenna ground, and a positive antenna feed terminal coupled to the patch element, the patch element including a first conductive trace on a dielectric housing wall, a second conductive trace on a printed circuit, and a conductive interconnect coupling the first conductive trace to the second conductive trace.

According to another embodiment, an electronic device includes a coil disposed within a cavity and extending around a sensor board and a wireless power receiver circuit configured to receive a wireless charging signal using the coil.

According to another embodiment, the patch element is separated from the antenna ground by the volume of the antenna, and the coil is disposed outside the volume of the antenna.

According to another embodiment, an electronic device includes a sensor mounted to a printed circuit board.

According to another embodiment, the first conductive trace has an inner edge, the second conductive trace has an outer edge, and the conductive interconnect couples the inner edge of the first conductive trace to the outer edge of the second conductive trace.

According to another embodiment, the conductive interconnect comprises a bent metal piece.

According to another embodiment, the inner edge overlaps the second conductive trace.

According to one embodiment, a wristwatch is provided that includes a conductive side wall, a display mounted to the conductive side wall, a dielectric wall opposite the display having a first portion mounted to the conductive side wall and having a second portion protruding from the first portion and defining a cavity, a circuit board in the cavity, a coil in the cavity and extending around the circuit board, a first conductive trace on the circuit board, a second conductive trace on the first dielectric wall, a conductive interconnect coupling the first conductive trace to the second conductive trace, and an antenna having a radiating element including the first conductive trace, the second conductive trace, and the conductive interconnect.

According to another embodiment, the wristwatch includes a sensor on a circuit board, the antenna has a positive antenna feed terminal coupled to the first antenna trace, and the conductive interconnect includes a conductive bracket.

The foregoing is merely exemplary and various modifications may be made to the embodiments described. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented independently or may be implemented in any combination.

Claims (20)

1. An electronic device having opposing first and second sides, the electronic device comprising:

a display at the first face;

a housing wall at the second face;

a first conductive trace on the housing wall;

a sensor plate;

a second conductive trace on the sensor board; and

an antenna having an antenna ground and having an antenna resonating element configured to radiate through the second face, wherein the antenna resonating element includes the first conductive trace on the housing wall and the second conductive trace on the sensor board.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna resonating element further comprises conductive interconnects that couple the first conductive trace to the second conductive trace.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the conductive interconnects comprise conductive brackets.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the conductive interconnects comprise conductive clips.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising a positive antenna feed terminal that is coupled to the first conductive trace.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing wall has a first dielectric portion and a second dielectric portion that protrudes away from the first dielectric portion to define a cavity within which the sensor plate is at least partially disposed.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising:

a coil extending around the sensor plate; and

a wireless power receiver circuit configured to receive a wireless charging signal using the coil.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the antenna resonating element and the antenna ground define a volume of the antenna, the coil being disposed within the cavity and outside the volume of the antenna.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic device has a central axis that extends through the second conductive trace, the first conductive trace following an annular path that extends laterally around the central axis.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor board comprises an optical sensor configured to emit and receive light through the housing wall.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sensor board is coupled to electrocardiogram electrodes.

12. An electronic device having opposing first and second sides, the electronic device comprising:

a display at the first face;

a housing having a dielectric housing wall at the second face, the dielectric housing wall having a protrusion defining a cavity;

a printed circuit board disposed at least partially within the cavity; and

an antenna having a patch element, an antenna ground, and a positive antenna feed terminal coupled to the patch element, wherein the patch element includes a first conductive trace on the dielectric housing wall, a second conductive trace on the printed circuit, and a conductive interconnect coupling the first conductive trace to the second conductive trace.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising:

a coil disposed within the cavity and extending around the sensor plate; and

a wireless power receiver circuit configured to receive a wireless charging signal using the coil.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the patch element is separated from the antenna ground by a volume of the antenna, the coil being disposed outside the volume of the antenna.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 12 further comprising a sensor that is mounted to the printed circuit board.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the first conductive trace has an inner edge, the second conductive trace has an outer edge, and the conductive interconnect couples the inner edge of the first conductive trace to the outer edge of the second conductive trace.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the conductive interconnects comprise bent metal pieces.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the inner edge overlaps the second conductive trace.

19. A wristwatch, comprising:

a conductive sidewall;

a display mounted to the conductive sidewall;

a dielectric wall opposite the display, wherein the dielectric wall has a first portion mounted to the conductive sidewall and has a second portion protruding from the first portion and defining a cavity;

A circuit board in the cavity;

a coil in the cavity and extending around the circuit board;

a first conductive trace on the circuit board;

a second conductive trace on the first dielectric wall;

a conductive interconnect coupling the first conductive trace to the second conductive trace; and

an antenna having a radiating element including the first conductive trace, the second conductive trace, and the conductive interconnect.

20. The wristwatch of claim 19, further comprising a sensor on the circuit board, wherein the antenna has a positive antenna feed terminal coupled to the first antenna trace, and the conductive interconnect comprises a conductive bracket.