Patents by Inventor Harish Rajagopalan

Harish Rajagopalan 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: 10957985
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array controlled by phase and magnitude controllers within an integrated circuit. The array may be formed on antenna layers and the integrated circuit may be mounted to transmission line layers of a dielectric substrate. A ground plane may separate the transmission line layers from the antenna layers. A connector may be mounted to the surface of the transmission line layers and may be coupled to the integrated circuit using conductive traces. A passive resonator may be formed in the antenna layers and may include conductive structures that resonate at one-quarter of the effective wavelength of operation of the array to form an open circuit impedance for surface currents generated on the ground plane by the array. This may serve to block the surface currents from scattering at an edge of the ground plane and leaking onto the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Simone Paulotto, Qishan Yu, Harish Rajagopalan, Berke Cetinoneri
  • Publication number: 20210075088
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with an antenna module and a phased antenna array on the module. The module may include a logic board, an antenna board surface-mounted to the logic board, and a radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) mounted surface-mounted to the logic board. The phased antenna array may include antennas embedded in the antenna board. The antennas may radiate at centimeter and/or millimeter wave frequencies. The logic board may form a radio-frequency interface between the RFIC and the antennas. Transmission lines in the logic board and the antenna board may include impedance matching segments that help to match the impedance of the RFIC to the impedance of the antennas. The module may efficiently utilize space within the device without sacrificing radio-frequency performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Jennifer M. Edwards, Siwen Yong, Jiangfeng Wu, Harish Rajagopalan, Bilgehan Avser, Simone Paulotto, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10916832
    Abstract: An electronic device may include first, second, and third antennas and conductive housing structures. The first, second, and third antennas may each include slots having open ends defined by gaps in the conductive housing structures. The second antenna may be interposed between the first and third antennas. The first and second antennas may convey signals at the same frequencies. The third antenna may convey signals at a lower frequency than the first and second antennas. A switch may be coupled across the third slot and may have a first state at which the switch forms a closed end of the third slot and a second state at which the third slot has two opposing open ends. Control circuitry may selectively activate one of two feeds for the third antenna and may adjust the switch so that the third antenna exhibits satisfactory antenna efficiency regardless of environmental conditions for the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Umar Azad, Harish Rajagopalan, David Garrido Lopez, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10886619
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array and a display cover layer. The phased antenna array may include a dielectric resonator antenna. The dielectric resonator antenna may include a dielectric resonating element embedded in a lower permittivity dielectric substrate. The substrate and the resonating element may be mounted to a flexible printed circuit. A slot may be formed in ground traces on the flexible printed circuit and aligned with the resonating element. The slot may excite resonant modes of the resonating element. The resonating element may convey corresponding radio-frequency signals through the cover layer. A dielectric matching layer may be interposed between the resonating element and the cover layer. If desired, the slot may radiate additional radio-frequency signals and the matching layer may have a tapered shape. Dielectric resonator antennas for covering different polarizations and frequencies may be interleaved across the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bilgehan Avser, Harish Rajagopalan, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards, Hao Xu, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Matthew D. Hill, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10886617
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array and a display cover layer. The phased antenna array may include a probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna. The antenna may include a dielectric resonating element mounted to a flexible printed circuit. A feed probe may be formed from a patch of conductive traces on a sidewall of the resonating element. The feed probe may excite resonant modes of the resonating element. The resonating element may convey corresponding radio-frequency signals through the display cover layer. An additional feed probe may be mounted to an orthogonal sidewall of the resonating element for covering additional polarizations. Probe-fed dielectric resonator antennas for covering different polarizations and frequencies may be interleaved across the phased antenna array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bilgehan Avser, Harish Rajagopalan, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10854953
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a peripheral conductive housing sidewall with an integral ledge extending towards the device interior. A display cover layer may be supported by the integral ledge. A slot antenna may be formed from a slot in the integral ledge. The integral ledge may be mounted to a surface of a substrate and coupled to a conductive rear housing wall by a conductive layer extending over an additional surface of the substrate. The sidewall may include a vertical portion extending from the ledge to the rear wall. The slot antenna may be fed via near-field coupling using a conductive patch that is located within the slot at the surface of the substrate. The conductive layer, rear housing wall, and vertical portion may form a cavity for the slot antenna. The conductive layer may isolate the slot from interference with a battery, display circuitry, or other components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Pietro Romano, Umar Azad, Harish Rajagopalan, David Garrido Lopez, Lu Zhang, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10826177
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry that includes a phased antenna array. The array may include multiple antennas each having multiple antenna feeds for covering different polarizations. Control circuitry may control the wireless circuitry to transmit signals at millimeter or centimeter wave frequencies using a first set of feeds in the array and at least one selected phase. The wireless circuitry may receive the signals transmitted by the first set of feeds using a second set of feeds in the array. The control circuitry may gather phase measurements for the received signals and may compare the phase measurements to the selected phase to generate phase difference values. The control circuitry may perform external object proximity detection operations based on the phase difference values. The control circuitry may control the wireless circuitry to cycle through different combinations of antenna feeds for the first and second sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew A. Mow, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Harish Rajagopalan, Simone Paulotto
  • Patent number: 10819029
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with control circuitry and doublets of first and second antennas that are used to determine the position and orientation of the device relative to external wireless equipment. The control circuitry may determine the relative position and orientation of the external equipment by measuring the angle of arrival of radio-frequency signals from the external equipment. Each doublet may include first and second cavity-backed slot antennas. The first and second antennas may each include a first slot element that is directly fed and a second slot element that is parasitically fed by the first slot element. The first slot element may radiate in an ultra-wideband communications band at 8.0 GHz and the second slot element may radiate in an ultra-wideband communications band at 6.5 GHz. The doublet may be aligned with a dielectric window in a conductive sidewall for the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mikal Askarian Amiri, Carlo di Nallo, David Garrido Lopez, Harish Rajagopalan, Nikolaj P. Kammersgaard, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Umar Azad
  • Publication number: 20200321690
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a transceiver, a substrate, and antennas mounted to the substrate. The transceiver and antennas may convey signals between 10 GHz and 300 GHz. A radio-frequency connector may be mounted to the substrate. A coaxial cable may couple the transceiver to the connector. A stripline in the substrate may couple the connector to the antennas. Impedance matching structures may be embedded in the substrate for matching an impedance of the stripline to an impedance of the coaxial cable. The impedance matching structures may include a fence of conductive vias, landing pads, and a volume of the dielectric substrate defined by the fence of conductive vias and the landing pads. The impedance matching structures may be configured to perform impedance matching over a relatively wide bandwidth that includes the frequency band of operation for the antennas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards, Harish Rajagopalan, Bilgehan Avser
  • Publication number: 20200280131
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array and a display cover layer. The phased antenna array may include a probe-fed dielectric resonator antenna. The antenna may include a dielectric resonating element mounted to a flexible printed circuit. A feed probe may be formed from a patch of conductive traces on a sidewall of the resonating element. The feed probe may excite resonant modes of the resonating element. The resonating element may convey corresponding radio-frequency signals through the display cover layer. An additional feed probe may be mounted to an orthogonal sidewall of the resonating element for covering additional polarizations. Probe-fed dielectric resonator antennas for covering different polarizations and frequencies may be interleaved across the phased antenna array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Bilgehan Avser, Harish Rajagopalan, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards, Mattia Pascolini
  • Publication number: 20200280133
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array and a display cover layer. The phased antenna array may include a dielectric resonator antenna. The dielectric resonator antenna may include a dielectric resonating element embedded in a lower permittivity dielectric substrate. The substrate and the resonating element may be mounted to a flexible printed circuit. A slot may be formed in ground traces on the flexible printed circuit and aligned with the resonating element. The slot may excite resonant modes of the resonating element. The resonating element may convey corresponding radio-frequency signals through the cover layer. A dielectric matching layer may be interposed between the resonating element and the cover layer. If desired, the slot may radiate additional radio-frequency signals and the matching layer may have a tapered shape. Dielectric resonator antennas for covering different polarizations and frequencies may be interleaved across the array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Bilgehan Avser, Harish Rajagopalan, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards, Hao Xu, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Matthew D. Hill, Mattia Pascolini
  • Publication number: 20200259258
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with control circuitry and doublets of first and second antennas that are used to determine the position and orientation of the device relative to external wireless equipment. The control circuitry may determine the relative position and orientation of the external equipment by measuring the angle of arrival of radio-frequency signals from the external equipment. Each doublet may include first and second cavity-backed slot antennas. The first and second antennas may each include a first slot element that is directly fed and a second slot element that is parasitically fed by the first slot element. The first slot element may radiate in an ultra-wideband communications band at 8.0 GHz and the second slot element may radiate in an ultra-wideband communications band at 6.5 GHz. The doublet may be aligned with a dielectric window in a conductive sidewall for the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Mikal Askarian Amiri, Carlo di Nallo, David Garrido Lopez, Harish Rajagopalan, Nikolaj P. Kammersgaard, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Umar Azad
  • Patent number: 10741906
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided antennas and control circuitry. The antennas may be arranged in an array of unit cells. Each unit cell may include a first antenna that conveys signals in a first frequency band higher than 10 GHz and a second antenna that conveys radio-frequency signals in a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. A first of the unit cells may be provided with a first set of antennas that transmits radio-frequency signals in a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band. A second of the antenna unit cells may be provided with a second set of antennas that receives the radio-frequency signals after being reflected off of external objects. The control circuitry may perform spatial ranging operations by processing the transmitted and received signals in the second frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Bilgehan Avser, Harish Rajagopalan, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards
  • Patent number: 10741909
    Abstract: An electronic device may have peripheral conductive structures and a conductive layer that define edges of a slot element for a slot antenna. The slot element may be configured to cover wireless communications in a 1575 MHz satellite navigation band and 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless local area network bands. A tuning circuit may be coupled across the slot approximately half way across the length of the slot. The antenna tuning circuit may include an inductor coupled in series with a notch filter (in scenarios where the slot is long enough to cover the 1575 MHz satellite navigation band in its fundamental mode) or may include a capacitor coupled in series with a notch or low pass filter. The fundamental mode and one or more harmonic modes of the slot element may cover the satellite navigation and wireless local area network bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Harish Rajagopalan, Pietro Romano, Umar Azad, David Garrido Lopez, Lu Zhang, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Mario Martinis, Carlo Di Nallo, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10727580
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures that convey radio-frequency signals greater than 10 GHz. The antenna structures may include overlapping first and second patches. The first patch may include a hole. A transmission line for the second patch may include a conductive via extending through the hole. The via may be coupled to a first end of a trace. A second end of the trace may be coupled to a feed terminal on the second patch over an additional via. The hole may be located within a central region of the first patch to allow the via to pass through the hole without electromagnetically coupling to the first patch. If desired, adjustable impedance matching circuits may be used to couple selected impedances to the antenna feeds that help ensure that the first and second patch antennas are sufficiently isolated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Harish Rajagopalan, Jennifer M. Edwards, Simone Paulotto, Bilgehan Avser, Hao Xu, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Travis A. Barbieri, Georgios Atmatzakis, Matthew A. Mow
  • Patent number: 10720978
    Abstract: Methods and systems include reducing or mitigating interference by sweeping multiple beams used to communicate between a wireless network base station and an electronic device. The multiple beams include beams having different sidelobe directions. The electronic device selects, using a processor of the electronic device, a beam from the multiple beams. Furthermore, selecting the beam includes selecting the beam having a lowest level of interference of the multiple beams due to a sidelobe direction of the beam. The electronic device then communicates with the wireless network base station using the selected beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yakun Sun, Rohit U. Nabar, Jennifer M. Edwards, Simone Paulotto, Mithat C. Dogan, Harish Rajagopalan
  • Publication number: 20200106181
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array. Each antenna in the array may include a patch element having first, second, third, and fourth positive antenna feed terminals. The first and second terminals may convey first signals with a first polarization. The third and fourth terminals may convey second signals with a second polarization. Phase shifting components such as phase shifting transmission line segments or phase shifter circuits may ensure that the first signals at the first terminal are out of phase with respect to the first signals at the second terminal and may ensure that the second signals at the third terminal are out of phase with respect to the second signals at the fourth terminal. This may allow antenna current density for both polarizations to be symmetrically distributed about a normal axis of the patch element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Bilgehan Avser, Jennifer M. Edwards, Simone Paulotto, Harish Rajagopalan, Hao Xu, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Matthew A. Mow, Mattia Pascolini
  • Publication number: 20200106158
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided antennas and control circuitry. The antennas may be arranged in an array of unit cells. Each unit cell may include a first antenna that conveys signals in a first frequency band higher than 10 GHz and a second antenna that conveys radio-frequency signals in a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. A first of the unit cells may be provided with a first set of antennas that transmits radio-frequency signals in a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band. A second of the antenna unit cells may be provided with a second set of antennas that receives the radio-frequency signals after being reflected off of external objects. The control circuitry may perform spatial ranging operations by processing the transmitted and received signals in the second frequency band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Bilgehan Avser, Harish Rajagopalan, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards
  • Publication number: 20200106185
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array controlled by phase and magnitude controllers within an integrated circuit. The array may be formed on antenna layers and the integrated circuit may be mounted to transmission line layers of a dielectric substrate. A ground plane may separate the transmission line layers from the antenna layers. A connector may be mounted to the surface of the transmission line layers and may be coupled to the integrated circuit using conductive traces. A passive resonator may be formed in the antenna layers and may include conductive structures that resonate at one-quarter of the effective wavelength of operation of the array to form an open circuit impedance for surface currents generated on the ground plane by the array. This may serve to block the surface currents from scattering at an edge of the ground plane and leaking onto the integrated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Simone Paulotto, Qishan Yu, Harish Rajagopalan, Berke Cetinoneri
  • Publication number: 20200106192
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a cover layer and a phased antenna array mounted against the cover layer. Each antenna in the array may include a first patch element that is directly fed using first and second feeds and a second patch element that is directly fed using third and fourth feeds. A slot element may be formed in the first patch element. The first patch element may radiate in a first frequency band through the cover layer. The slot element may radiate in a second frequency band that is higher than the first frequency band through the cover layer. The second patch element may indirectly feed the slot element. Locating the radiating elements for each frequency band in the same plane may allow the antenna to radiate through the cover layer in both frequency bands with satisfactory antenna efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Bilgehan Avser, Harish Rajagopalan, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards, Hao Xu, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Matthew A. Mow, Mattia Pascolini