Patents by Inventor Bing Chiang

Bing Chiang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8896487
    Abstract: Antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable computers. An electronic device may have a housing in which an antenna is mounted. The housing may have an antenna window for the antenna. The antenna window may be formed from dielectric or from antenna window slots in a conductive member such as a conductive wall of the electronic device housing. An antenna may have an antenna resonating element that is backed by a conductive antenna cavity. The antenna resonating element may have antenna resonating element slots or may be formed using other antenna configurations such as inverted-F configurations. The antenna cavity may have conductive vertical sidewalls and a conductive rear wall. The antenna cavity walls may be formed from conductive layers on a dielectric antenna support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Douglas B. Kough, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Gregory A. Springer, Hao Xu, Robert W. Schlub, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy Guterman, Yi Jiang, Rodney Andres Gomez Angulo, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 8866692
    Abstract: Antennas for electronic devices are provided. First and second antennas may be mounted within an electronic device. Free-space coupling between the first and second antennas may give rise to interference. The first and second antennas may be coupled to a global ground. The global ground may be formed using a conductive member in the electronic device such as a conductive frame member. Signals that pass between the antennas through the global ground may serve as canceling signals that reduce the magnitude of free-space interference signals and thereby improve antenna isolation. The antennas may be coupled to the global ground using electrical paths or through near-field electromagnetic coupling. Coupling efficiency to the global ground may be enhanced by configuring the conductive traces of one or both of the antennas to form a resonant circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Bing Chiang, Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 8599087
    Abstract: An antenna may be formed from conductive regions that define a gap that is bridged by shunt inductors. The inductors may have equal inductances and may be located equidistant from each other to form a scatter-type antenna structure. The inductors may also have unequal inductances and may be located along the length of the gap with unequal inductor-to-inductor spacings, thereby creating a decreasing shunt inductance at increasing distances from a feed for the antenna. This type of antenna structure functions as a horn-type antenna. One or more scatter-type antenna structures may be cascaded to form a multiband antenna. Antenna gaps may be formed in conductive device housings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory Allen Springer, Douglas B. Kough, Enrique Ayala, Matthew Ian McDonald
  • Patent number: 8599088
    Abstract: Dual slot antennas are provided for portable electronic devices such as handheld electronic devices. A dual slot antenna may have an open slot that has an open end that is not encircled by conductive material and may have a closed slot in which each end is surrounded by conductor. The closed and open slots may have portions that run parallel to each other. The antenna may be fed using feed terminals that bridge the closed and open slots in the vicinity of the portions of the slots that run parallel to each other. The slots may have portions that are angled with respect to each other. An end portion of one of the slots may be bent and widened for impedance matching and broadened bandwidth. Other portions of the slots may also be angled with respect to their main longitudinal axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory Allen Springer, Douglas B. Kough, Enrique Ayala, Matthew Ian McDonald, Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 8576136
    Abstract: Antennas for electronic devices such as portable computers are provided. An antenna may have a dipole structure in which one antenna element serves as a matching element and another antenna element serves as a radiating element. The antenna elements may be mounted on a substrate. The substrate may be mounted on a support structure that is attached to a grounding plate. The grounding plate may be grounded to a conductive housing portion of a portable computer. The antenna may be mounted within the conductive housing in the vicinity of an opening in the housing. The opening may be a slot opening that is used to accommodate optical disks or other storage media. Radio-frequency signals for the antenna may pass through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Bing Chiang, Douglas B. Kough, Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 8508418
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive housing. The conductive housing may be formed from a metal. Slots may be formed in the housing. The slots may serve as an antenna and may be fed using an antenna feed structure within the electronic device housing. The electronic device may have a frame to which housing structures are attached and may have a stand or other support structure. The frame may be used to mount a display, to support housing walls, to support clutch barrel structures, etc. The slots may be formed in the frame or in a space between the frame and the housing walls. The slots or other antenna structures may also be formed in the stand. Multiple slots may be used together to support operations in two or more communications bands. There may be multiple dual slot antennas in the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas B. Kough, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 8441404
    Abstract: Electronic devices and antennas for electronic devices are provided. The antennas may have ground plane elements with dielectric-filled openings. The dielectric-filled openings may be configured to form one or more rectangular slots. The antennas may be fed using transmission lines having first and second conductors. The first conductor of a given transmission line may be coupled to the ground plane element on one side of the slots. The second conductor of the transmission line may be coupled to a planar conductive element. The planar conductive element may couple to the ground plane element on the other side of the slots. The slots may be separated by a portion of the ground plane element. The planar conductive element may bridge at least one of the slots and may overlap the portion of the ground plane element that separates the slots without electrically contacting that portion of the ground plane element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory Allen Springer, Douglas B. Kough, Enrique Ayala, Matthew Ian McDonald
  • Patent number: 8416139
    Abstract: An electronic device comprising a first conductive unit and a second conductive unit disposed such that a gap exists between the first component and the second component. The electronic device further includes one or more components disposed along the gap and configured to counteract one or more capacitance effects in the gap, wherein at least one of the first conductive unit and the second conductive unit represents a part of an antenna. By counteracting the capacitance effects in the gap, certain radiation attributes of the antenna, such as radiation efficiency, can be improved. The one or more components are also employed to counteract one or more capacitance effects in a slot of a conductive unit in an electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory Allen Springer, Douglas B. Kough, Enrique Ayala, Matthew Ian McDonald
  • Patent number: 8373610
    Abstract: Microslot antennas may be provided for electronic devices such as portable electronic devices. The microslot antennas may have dielectric-filled microslots that are formed in a ground plane element. The ground plane element may be formed from part of a conductive device housing. The microslots may be narrow enough that they are not readily noticeable to the naked eye. The microslots may have lengths that allow the microslot antenna to provide antenna coverage in one or more communications bands. A first group of the microslots may be used to provide coverage in a first communications band and a second group of the microslots may be used to provide coverage in a second communications band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory Allen Springer, Douglas B. Kough, Enrique Ayala, Matthew Ian McDonald
  • Publication number: 20130009833
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive housing. The conductive housing may be formed from a metal. Slots may be formed in the housing. The slots may serve as an antenna and may be fed using an antenna feed structure within the electronic device housing. The electronic device may have a frame to which housing structures are attached and may have a stand or other support structure. The frame may be used to mount a display, to support housing walls, to support clutch barrel structures, etc. The slots may be formed in the frame or in a space between the frame and the housing walls. The slots or other antenna structures may also be formed in the stand. Multiple slots may be used together to support operations in two or more communications bands. There may be multiple dual slot antennas in the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Inventors: Douglas B. Kough, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu
  • Publication number: 20130002519
    Abstract: Antennas for electronic devices such as portable computers are provided. An antenna may have a dipole structure in which one antenna element serves as a matching element and another antenna element serves as a radiating element. The antenna elements may be mounted on a substrate. The substrate may be mounted on a support structure that is attached to a grounding plate. The grounding plate may be grounded to a conductive housing portion of a portable computer. The antenna may be mounted within the conductive housing in the vicinity of an opening in the housing. The opening may be a slot opening that is used to accommodate optical disks or other storage media. Radio-frequency signals for the antenna may pass through the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Bing Chiang, Douglas B. Kough, Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 8325096
    Abstract: Wireless portable electronic devices such as laptop computers are provided with antennas. An antenna may be provided within a clutch barrel in a laptop computer. The clutch barrel may have a dielectric cover. Antenna elements may be mounted within the clutch barrel cover on an antenna support structure. There may be two or more antenna elements mounted to the antenna support structure. These antenna elements may be of different types. A first antenna element for the clutch barrel antenna may be formed from a dual band antenna element having a closed slot and an open slot. A second antenna element for the clutch barrel antenna may be formed from a dual band antenna element of a hybrid type having a planar resonating element arm and a slot resonating element. Flex circuit structures may be used in implanting the first and second antenna elements for the clutch barrel antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 8325094
    Abstract: Logo antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable computers. An electronic device may have a housing with conductive housing walls. A logo antenna may be formed from an antenna resonating element such as a patch antenna resonating element, a monopole antenna resonating element, or other antenna resonating element structure. A conductive cavity may be placed behind the antenna resonating element. A dielectric antenna window that serves as a logo may be used to cover the antenna resonating element. The dielectric antenna window may be mounted in an opening in the conductive housing walls. A positive antenna feed terminal may be coupled to the antenna resonating element. A ground antenna feed terminal may be coupled to the cavity and portions of the conductive housing walls. The dielectric antenna window may be shaped in the form of a logo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Douglas B. Kough, Robert W. Schlub, Yi Jiang, Rodney Andres Gomez Angulo, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 8319692
    Abstract: A cavity antenna for an electronic device such as a portable computer is provided. The antenna may be formed from a conductive cavity and an antenna probe that serves as an antenna feed. The conductive cavity may have the shape of a folded rectangular cavity. A dielectric support structure may be used in forming the antenna cavity. A fin may protrude from one end of the dielectric support structure. The antenna probe may be formed from conductive structures mounted on the fin. An inverted-F antenna configuration or other antenna configuration may be used in forming the antenna probe. The electronic device may have a housing with conductive walls. When the cavity antenna mounted within an electronic device, a planar rectangular end face of the fin may protrude through a thin rectangular opening in the conductive walls to allow the antenna to operate without being blocked by the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory A. Springer
  • Patent number: 8269674
    Abstract: Antennas for electronic devices such as portable computers are provided. An antenna may have a dipole structure in which one antenna element serves as a matching element and another antenna element serves as a radiating element. The antenna elements may be mounted on a substrate. The substrate may be mounted on a support structure that is attached to a grounding plate. The grounding plate may be grounded to a conductive housing portion of a portable computer. The antenna may be mounted within the conductive housing in the vicinity of an opening in the housing. The opening may be a slot opening that is used to accommodate optical disks or other storage media. Radio-frequency signals for the antenna may pass through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Bing Chiang, Douglas B. Kough, Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 8269675
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive housing. The conductive housing may be formed from a metal. Slots may be formed in the housing. The slots may serve as an antenna and may be fed using an antenna feed structure within the electronic device housing. The electronic device may have a frame to which housing structures are attached and may have a stand or other support structure. The frame may be used to mount a display, to support housing walls, to support clutch barrel structures, etc. The slots may be formed in the frame or in a space between the frame and the housing walls. The slots or other antenna structures may also be formed in the stand. Multiple slots may be used together to support operations in two or more communications bands. There may be multiple dual slot antennas in the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas B. Kough, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 8223082
    Abstract: Slot antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable electronic devices. The slot antennas may have a dielectric-filled slot that is formed in a ground plane element. The ground plane element may be formed from part of a conductive device housing. The slot may have one or more holes at its ends. The holes may affect the impedance characteristics of the slot antennas so that the length of the slot antennas may be reduced. For example, the holes can be used to synthesize the impedance of the slot antennas so that the slot antennas have a resonant frequency that is different from their natural resonant frequency. The holes may affect the impedance of the slot antennas in multiple radio-frequency bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Douglas Blake Kough, Enrique Ayala Vazquez
  • Patent number: 8223077
    Abstract: Electronic device antennas with multiple parallel plate sectors are provided for handling multiple-input-multiple-output wireless communications. Each antenna sector in a multisector parallel plate antenna may have upper and lower parallel plates with curved outer edges and a straight inner edge. A vertical rear wall may be used to connect the upper and lower parallel plates in each antenna sector along the straight inner edge. Each antenna sector may have an antenna probe. The antenna probe may be formed from a monopole antenna loaded with a planar patch. The planar loading patch may be provided in the form of a conductive disk that is connected to the end of a conductive antenna feed member. The conductive member may be coupled to the center conductor of a transmission line that is used to convey radio-frequency signals between the antenna probe and radio-frequency transceiver circuitry. The antenna sectors may have interplate dielectric structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory A. Springer, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 8174452
    Abstract: Wireless portable electronic devices such as laptop computers are provided with cavity-backed monopole antennas. A wireless device may have a housing. Conductive portions of the housing such as a conductive outer metal layer and internal frame structures may form a cavity having conductive walls. An antenna resonating element structure may be formed from monopole antenna resonating element arms of dissimilar lengths. One of the arms may be straight and another of the arms may be implemented using a meandering path. The antenna resonating element may be mounted over the cavity to form a cavity-backed monopole antenna. A display within the device may be covered by a cover glass. An opaque bezel region around the periphery of the cover glass may cover the antenna and block it from view. The antenna resonating element arms may run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 8125394
    Abstract: Antennas for electronic devices such as portable computers are provided. An antenna may be formed from a conductive cavity and an antenna probe that serves as an antenna feed. The conductive cavity may have the shape of a quartered rectangular cavity and may have first and second side walls, top and bottom walls, and first and second openings. The first and second openings may be planar in shape and may meet at a right angle along an axis. The antenna probe may be disposed along the axis. The axis at which the first and second openings of the cavity meet may be located at the corner of an electronic device housing. The portable computer may have upper and lower housing portions that meet at a gasket. The gasket may be placed adjacent to the cavity face openings so that radio-frequency signals may enter and exit the cavity through the gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Bing Chiang