Patents by Inventor Enrique Ayala Vazquez

Enrique Ayala Vazquez 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).

  • Publication number: 20130203364
    Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The antenna structures may form an antenna having first and second feeds at different locations. The transceiver circuit may have a first circuit that handles communications using the first feed and may have a second circuit that handles communications using the second feed. A first filter may be interposed between the first feed and the first circuit and a second filter may be interposed between the second feed and the second circuit. The first and second filters and the antenna may be configured so that the first circuit can use the first feed without being adversely affected by the presence of the second feed and so that the second circuit can use the second feed without being adversely affected by the presence of the first feed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Inventors: Dean F. Darnell, Yuehui Ouyang, Hao Xu, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Yijun Zhou, Peter Bevelacqua, Joshua G. Nickel, Nanbo Jin, Matthew A. Mow, Robert W. Schlub, Mattia Pascolini, Hongfei Hu
  • Patent number: 8466839
    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 be formed of conductive materials. A dielectric antenna window may be mounted in the housing to allow radio-frequency signals to be transmitted from the antenna and to allow the antenna to receive radio-frequency signals. Near-field radiation limits may be satisfied by reducing transmit power when an external object is detected in the vicinity of the dielectric antenna window and the antenna. A proximity sensor may be used in detecting external objects. A parasitic antenna resonating element may be interposed between the antenna resonating element and the dielectric antenna window to minimize near-field radiation hotspots. The parasitic antenna resonating element may be formed using a capacitor electrode for the proximity sensor. A ferrite layer may be interposed between the parasitic element and the antenna window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Schlub, David T. Amm, Omar S. Leung, Brian M. King, Qingxiang Li, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Rodney Andres Gomez Angulo, Yi Jiang, Ruben Caballero
  • Publication number: 20130127672
    Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with antenna structures such as distributed loop antenna resonating element structures. A distributed loop antenna may be formed on an elongated dielectric carrier and may have a longitudinal axis. The distributed loop antenna may include a loop antenna resonating element formed from a sheet of conductive material that extends around the longitudinal axis. A gap may be formed in the sheet of conductive material. The gap may be located under an opaque masking layer on the underside of a display cover glass associated with a display. The loop antenna resonating element may have a main body portion that includes the gap and may have an extended tail portion that extends between the display and conductive housing structures. The main body portion and extended tail portion may be configured to ensure that undesired waveguide modes are cut off during operation of the loop antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventors: Jiang Zhu, Jerzy Guterman, Mattia Pascolini, Robert W. Schlub, Jayesh Nath, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Jonathan Haylock, Boon W. Shiu, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 8432322
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing in which an antenna is mounted. An antenna window may be mounted in the housing to allow radio-frequency signals to be transmitted from the antenna and to allow the antenna to receive radio-frequency signals. Near-field radiation limits may be satisfied by reducing transmit power when an external object is detected in the vicinity of the dielectric antenna window and the antenna. A capacitive proximity sensor may be used in detecting external objects in the vicinity of the antenna. The proximity sensor may have conductive layers separated by a dielectric. A capacitance-to-digital converter may be coupled to the proximity sensor by inductors. The capacitive proximity sensor may be interposed between an antenna resonating element and the antenna window. The capacitive proximity sensor may serve as a parasitic antenna resonating element and may be coupled to the housing by a capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David T. Amm, Robert W. Schlub, Omar S. Leung, Brian M. King, Qingxiang Li, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Rodney Andres Gomez Angulo, Yi Jiang, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 8427376
    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 be formed of conductive materials. A dielectric antenna window may be mounted in the housing to allow radio-frequency signals to be transmitted from the antenna and to allow the antenna to receive radio-frequency signals. Near-field radiation limits may be satisfied by reducing transmit power when an external object is detected in the vicinity of the dielectric antenna window and the antenna. A proximity sensor may be used in detecting external objects. A parasitic antenna resonating element may be interposed between the antenna resonating element and the dielectric antenna window to minimize near-field radiation hotspots. The parasitic antenna resonating element may be formed using a capacitor electrode for the proximity sensor. A ferrite layer may be interposed between the parasitic element and the antenna window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Schlub, David T. Amm, Omar S. Leung, Brian M. King, Qingxiang Li, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Rodney Andres Gomez Angulo, Yi Jiang, Ruben Caballero
  • 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
  • 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: 8269677
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with conductive housing walls. A dielectric antenna window may be formed in an opening in one of the conductive housing walls. A dielectric logo may form the dielectric antenna window. A dielectric support structure may have an outline that matches the dielectric logo. An antenna resonating element for an antenna may be formed on the dielectric support structure. An antenna cavity for the antenna may be formed by a conductive cavity structure. A pattern of voids in the dielectric support structure may reduce dielectric loading for the antenna. The conductive cavity structure may be formed from solderable plated metal. The conductive cavity structure may have a planar lip that is attached to the conductive housing walls using conductive adhesive. Rear wall portions of the conductive cavity structure may be oriented at a non-perpendicular non-zero angle with respect to the planar lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jerzy Guterman, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Mattia Pascolini, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20120223866
    Abstract: Antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable computers. Multiple resonating elements may be formed on a flexible antenna resonating element substrate. The flexible antenna resonating element substrate may have a first antenna resonating element at one end and a second antenna resonating element at an opposing end. The flexible antenna resonating substrate may be wrapped around a dielectric carrier and mounted within an electronic device under an inactive display region and above a dielectric housing window. Conductive structures such as conductive housing structures may form antenna ground. The resonating elements and antenna ground may form first and second antennas. A parasitic antenna resonating element may form part of the first antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Erik A. Uttermann, Salih Yarga, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub
  • Publication number: 20120223865
    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 be formed of conductive materials. A dielectric window may be mounted in the housing to allow radio-frequency signals to be transmitted from the antenna and to allow the antenna to receive radio-frequency signals. A proximity sensor adjacent to the dielectric window may be used in detecting external objects. The antenna may have an antenna resonating element that is mounted against an inner surface of a display cover glass layer. The antenna resonating element may be mounted to an upper surface of a plastic carrier. An electromagnetic shield may be mounted on a lower surface of the plastic carrier above the proximity sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Jonathan Hayes, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Yingmeng Wu
  • 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20120044116
    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: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Douglas Blake Kough, Enrique Ayala Vazquez
  • Publication number: 20120026048
    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: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 8102318
    Abstract: An inverted-F antenna is provided that has a resonating element arm and a ground element. A shorting branch of the resonating element arm shorts the resonating element arm to the ground element. An antenna feed that receives a transmission line is coupled to the resonating element arm and the ground element. One or more impedance discontinuity structures are formed along the resonating element arm at locations that are between the shorting branch and the antenna feed. The impedance discontinuity structures may include shorting structures and capacitance discontinuity structures. The impedance discontinuity structures may be formed by off-axis vertical conductors such as vias that pass through a dielectric layer separating the antenna resonating element arm from the ground element. Capacitance discontinuity structures may be formed from hollowed portions of the dielectric or other dielectric portions with a dielectric constant that differs from that of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Enrique Ayala Vazquez
  • Patent number: 8077096
    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: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Douglas Blake Kough, Enrique Ayala Vazquez
  • Patent number: 8059039
    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: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 8059040
    Abstract: Wireless portable electronic devices such as laptop computers are provided with antennas and radio-frequency transceiver circuitry. Antenna structures and transceiver circuitry 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. The antenna support structure may be mounted to a metal housing frame. The metal housing frame may have a tab-shaped extension that serves as a heat sink. The heat sink may draw heat away from the transceiver circuitry. The transceiver circuitry may be coupled to the antenna using a radio-frequency transmission line path that contains microstrip transmission lines or coaxial cable transmission lines. The transceiver circuitry may be coupled to logic circuitry on a laptop computer motherboard using a digital data communications path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough