Patents by Inventor Joel D. Barrera

Joel D. Barrera 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: 20230395984
    Abstract: An electronic device may have an upper housing and a lower housing separated by a slot. An antenna module may be mounted in the lower housing and may include a cavity. An antenna element may be disposed within the cavity. Grounded traces may be patterned onto walls of the module and may be coupled to conductive walls of the lower housing by conductive gaskets. The antenna element may have a high band arm displaced farther into the cavity than a low band arm by a shim. The antenna module may have an acoustic port aligned with a speaker port. The acoustic port may allow sound waves from a speaker to pass into the cavity from the speaker port. The cavity may be configured to optimize an audio response of the speaker while concurrently optimizing radio-frequency performance of the antenna element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Joel D. Barrera, Nikolaos Chiotellis, Michael J. Williams, Jerzy S. Guterman, Trevor J. Edmonds, Joshua P. Song, Richard D. Kosoglow
  • Publication number: 20230223681
    Abstract: An electronic device may have an upper housing and a lower housing separated by a slow. A substrate may be mounted in the lower housing and may have an inner surface facing an interior of the lower housing and an outer surface facing the slot. Ventilation port openings may extend from the outer surface to the inner surface. Ribs in the substrate may separate the ventilation port openings. The ribs may include notches at the inner surface. An antenna may include conductive traces within multiple ventilation port openings and extending through the notches. The conductive traces may be offset from the outer surface. The outer surface of the substrate may be free from conductive material from the antenna. This may serve to maximize antenna efficiency while protecting the antenna from external forces and debris or other contaminants that pass through the slot during use of the electronic device over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Joel D. Barrera, Jerzy S. Guterman, Michael J. Williams, Daniel D. Hershey, Zachary S. Chase, Xuyao Shi
  • Patent number: 11567547
    Abstract: A housing for an electronic device can include a body having an exterior surface and a second surface disposed opposite the exterior surface at least partially defining an interior volume, the body defining a first repeating pattern of apertures extending from the exterior surface to the second surface. The housing can also include a component defining a second repeating pattern of apertures, the component positioned adjacent to the second surface. The first repeating pattern of apertures and the second repeating pattern of apertures can combine to define an open area of at least about 70%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Bart K. Andre, Joel D. Barrera, Houtan R. Farahani, Jerzy S. Guterman, Richard P. Howarth, Mariel L. Lanas, Son C. Le, Michael D. McBroom, Rodrigo Dutervil Mubarak, Sabrina K. Paseman, Chentian Zhu, James M. Cuseo
  • Patent number: 11152708
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a desktop computer may have a housing. The housing may include a conductive inner frame, conductive handles coupled to the inner frame, and a conductive outer sleeve over the inner frame. The handles may protrude through openings in the outer sleeve. Conductive plates may be aligned with the openings and attached to the inner frame. The handles may pass through holes in the conductive plates. Slot antennas may be formed in the conductive plates. The slot antennas may each include a high band slot that indirectly feeds a pair of low band slots. The conductive plates and the inner frame may define cavities for the antennas. Multi-band slot antennas may be formed within the handles themselves. The handles may include solid metal with a channel or may include hollow metal structures to accommodate transmission lines for the antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joel D. Barrera, Jerzy S. Guterman, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 11108130
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a desktop computer may have a housing with a conductive housing wall and a display mounted to the housing opposite the conductive housing wall. A conductive tongue may extend through an opening in the housing wall to secure the housing to a hinge barrel on a desktop stand. A slot antenna may be formed from a slot element in the conductive tongue. The antenna may be fed by a flexible printed circuit coupled across the slot element or by a feed printed circuit in the housing that is coupled to the conductive tongue by a conductive screw. A conductive sleeve may be placed over the conductive tongue. The stand may be replaced with a mounting bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul X. Wang, Bradley J. Hamel, Jerzy S. Guterman, Joel D. Barrera, Nicholas A. Rundle, Nikolaos Chiotellis, Simon S. Lee
  • Publication number: 20210265719
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a desktop computer may have a housing with a conductive housing wall and a display mounted to the housing opposite the conductive housing wall. A conductive tongue may extend through an opening in the housing wall to secure the housing to a hinge barrel on a desktop stand. A slot antenna may be formed from a slot element in the conductive tongue. The antenna may be fed by a flexible printed circuit coupled across the slot element or by a feed printed circuit in the housing that is coupled to the conductive tongue by a conductive screw. A conductive sleeve may be placed over the conductive tongue. The stand may be replaced with a mounting bracket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Paul X. Wang, Bradley J. Hamel, Jerzy S. Guterman, Joel D. Barrera, Nicholas A. Rundle, Nikolaos Chiotellis, Simon S. Lee
  • Patent number: 10938111
    Abstract: An electronic device may have metal structures such as metal electronic device housing structures and other conductive structures. The conductive structures may have a slot or other opening. An antenna may be formed from the conductive structures. Control circuitry in the electronic device may receive input from input-output devices and may use the input-output devices to provide a user with output. The control circuitry may be coupled to a radio-frequency transceiver that is used to transmit and receive wireless communications. The radio-frequency transceiver may be coupled to the antenna using a transmission line. The transmission line may have a radio-frequency connector that is coupled to a radio-frequency connector on an antenna feed bolt. The antenna feed bolt may have a shaft that spans the opening in the conductive structures and may be coupled to antenna feed terminals on opposing sides of the opening. The antenna may have a tuning bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Cuseo, David C. Parell, Jerzy S. Guterman, Joel D. Barrera
  • Publication number: 20200379522
    Abstract: A housing for an electronic device can include a body having an exterior surface and a second surface disposed opposite the exterior surface at least partially defining an interior volume, the body defining a first repeating pattern of apertures extending from the exterior surface to the second surface. The housing can also include a component defining a second repeating pattern of apertures, the component positioned adjacent to the second surface. The first repeating pattern of apertures and the second repeating pattern of apertures can combine to define an open area of at least about 70%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Bart K. Andre, Joel D. Barrera, Houtan R. Farahani, Jerzy S. Guterman, Richard P. Howarth, Mariel L. Lanas, Son C. Le, Michael D. McBroom, Rodrigo Dutervil Mubarak, Sabrina K. Paseman, Chentian Zhu, James M. Cuseo
  • Publication number: 20200303824
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a desktop computer may have a housing. The housing may include a conductive inner frame, conductive handles coupled to the inner frame, and a conductive outer sleeve over the inner frame. The handles may protrude through openings in the outer sleeve. Conductive plates may be aligned with the openings and attached to the inner frame. The handles may pass through holes in the conductive plates. Slot antennas may be formed in the conductive plates. The slot antennas may each include a high band slot that indirectly feeds a pair of low band slots. The conductive plates and the inner frame may define cavities for the antennas. Multi-band slot antennas may be formed within the handles themselves. The handles may include solid metal with a channel or may include hollow metal structures to accommodate transmission lines for the antennas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Joel D. Barrera, Jerzy S. Guterman, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10784572
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a speaker mounted in a housing. The housing may have a top face and a longitudinal axis that passes through the top face. A printed circuit may lie parallel to the top face. Input-output circuitry such as a touch sensor and other components may be mounted on the top face overlapping the printed circuit. First and second antennas may be formed on the printed circuit. A speaker may be mounted in the housing facing along the longitudinal axis. A metal layer on a movable portion of the speaker may be patterned to form a slot antenna isolation element or other antenna isolation element. The antenna isolation element may be configured to exhibit a resonance at a frequency of operation of the first and second antennas and may therefore enhance isolation between the first and second antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Joel D. Barrera, Jerzy S. Guterman, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10741925
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a desktop computer may have a housing. The housing may have conductive portions such as metal walls and metal support structures that support the housing. The walls may be assembled to form a box-shaped housing having corners. The support structures may form legs at the corners of the housing. Antennas may be formed in the housing to support communications such as wireless local area network communications. The antennas may be slot antennas formed from openings in the legs. Radio-frequency transceiver circuitry in the housing may be used to transmit and receive radio-frequency communications. The radio-frequency transceiver circuitry may be coupled to the antenna using a transmission line. Threaded radio-frequency connectors or other connectors may be used in coupling the transmission line to a slot antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joel D. Barrera, James M. Cuseo, Jerzy S. Guterman
  • Patent number: 10727590
    Abstract: An electronic device may have an upper housing with a display and a lower housing with a keyboard. The upper housing may rotate between open and closed positions. The lower housing may include a first conductive wall separated from the upper housing by an upper slot and a second conductive wall separated from the upper housing by a lower slot. An antenna resonating element may be mounted within the lower housing and may convey signals in low and high frequency bands through the lower slot when the upper housing closed. The resonating element may be grounded to the second conductive wall and may be separated from a conductive cavity wall by at least one-sixteenth of a wavelength in the low frequency band. A parasitic element may be used to redirect signals in the low frequency band towards and through the upper slot when the upper housing open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joel D. Barrera, Jerzy S. Guterman
  • Publication number: 20190356051
    Abstract: An electronic device may have an upper housing with a display and a lower housing with a keyboard. The upper housing may rotate between open and closed positions. The lower housing may include a first conductive wall separated from the upper housing by an upper slot and a second conductive wall separated from the upper housing by a lower slot. An antenna resonating element may be mounted within the lower housing and may convey signals in low and high frequency bands through the lower slot when the upper housing closed. The resonating element may be grounded to the second conductive wall and may be separated from a conductive cavity wall by at least one-sixteenth of a wavelength in the low frequency band. A parasitic element may be used to redirect signals in the low frequency band towards and through the upper slot when the upper housing open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Joel D. Barrera, Jerzy S. Guterman
  • Publication number: 20190296442
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a desktop computer may have a housing. The housing may have conductive portions such as metal walls and metal support structures that support the housing. The walls may be assembled to form a box-shaped housing having corners. The support structures may form legs at the corners of the housing. Antennas may be formed in the housing to support communications such as wireless local area network communications. The antennas may be slot antennas formed from openings in the legs. Radio-frequency transceiver circuitry in the housing may be used to transmit and receive radio-frequency communications. The radio-frequency transceiver circuitry may be coupled to the antenna using a transmission line. Threaded radio-frequency connectors or other connectors may be used in coupling the transmission line to a slot antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Joel D. Barrera, James M. Cuseo, Jerzy S. Guterman
  • Publication number: 20190245270
    Abstract: An electronic device may have metal structures such as metal electronic device housing structures and other conductive structures. The conductive structures may have a slot or other opening. An antenna may be formed from the conductive structures. Control circuitry in the electronic device may receive input from input-output devices and may use the input-output devices to provide a user with output. The control circuitry may be coupled to a radio-frequency transceiver that is used to transmit and receive wireless communications. The radio-frequency transceiver may be coupled to the antenna using a transmission line. The transmission line may have a radio-frequency connector that is coupled to a radio-frequency connector on an antenna feed bolt. The antenna feed bolt may have a shaft that spans the opening in the conductive structures and may be coupled to antenna feed terminals on opposing sides of the opening. The antenna may have a tuning bolt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: James M. Cuseo, David C. Parell, Jerzy S. Guterman, Joel D. Barrera
  • Patent number: 10284942
    Abstract: An accessory such as a wireless earbud may have an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. A housing for the earbud may have a main body portion and an extended portion that forms a stalk protruding from the main body portion. The earbud may have a speaker aligned with a speaker port in the main body portion. The antenna may have an elongated shape and may extend along the stalk. The stalk may have a plastic housing wall portion. The antenna may be formed from first and second metal traces on opposing sides of a printed circuit substrate. The first metal trace may form an antenna resonating element arm and may lie between the substrate and the plastic housing wall portion. The second metal trace may be a ground trace. A feed for the antenna may be located at a juncture between the main body portion and the stalk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Carlo Di Nallo, Huan-Chu Huang, Joel D. Barrera, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy S. Guterman, Arun Chawan, Benjamin Cousins, Lee M. Panecki
  • Patent number: 10268236
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a metal housing. The metal housing may have an upper housing in which a component such as a display is mounted and a lower housing in which a component such as a keyboard is mounted. Hinges may be used to mount the upper housing to the lower housing for rotation about a rotational axis. A slot-shaped opening may separate the upper and lower housing. Flexible printed circuits with ground traces may bisect the slot-shaped opening to form three electrically isolated slots each of which is aligned with a respective cavity antenna. The antennas may have antenna grounds formed from portions of the metal housing and other conductive structures. Resonating elements for the antennas may be supported by an elongated ventilation port structure along the rear edge of the lower housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jerzy S. Guterman, Joel D. Barrera, Kevin M. Robinson, Daniel D. Hershey
  • Publication number: 20180351244
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a speaker mounted in a housing. The housing may have a top face and a longitudinal axis that passes through the top face. A printed circuit may lie parallel to the top face. Input-output circuitry such as a touch sensor and other components may be mounted on the top face overlapping the printed circuit. First and second antennas may be formed on the printed circuit. A speaker may be mounted in the housing facing along the longitudinal axis. A metal layer on a movable portion of the speaker may be patterned to form a slot antenna isolation element or other antenna isolation element. The antenna isolation element may be configured to exhibit a resonance at a frequency of operation of the first and second antennas and may therefore enhance isolation between the first and second antennas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Joel D. Barrera, Jerzy S. Guterman, Mattia Pascolini
  • Publication number: 20180103312
    Abstract: An accessory such as a wireless earbud may have an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. A housing for the earbud may have a main body portion and an extended portion that forms a stalk protruding from the main body portion. The earbud may have a speaker aligned with a speaker port in the main body portion. The antenna may have an elongated shape and may extend along the stalk. The stalk may have a plastic housing wall portion. The antenna may be formed from first and second metal traces on opposing sides of a printed circuit substrate. The first metal trace may form an antenna resonating element arm and may lie between the substrate and the plastic housing wall portion. The second metal trace may be a ground trace. A feed for the antenna may be located at a juncture between the main body portion and the stalk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Carlo Di Nallo, Huan-Chu Huang, Joel D. Barrera, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy S. Guterman, Arun Chawan, Benjamin Cousins, Lee M. Panecki
  • Patent number: 9866945
    Abstract: An accessory such as a wireless earbud may have an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. A housing for the earbud may have a main body portion and an extended portion that forms a stalk protruding from the main body portion. The earbud may have a speaker aligned with a speaker port in the main body portion. The antenna may have an elongated shape and may extend along the stalk. The stalk may have a plastic housing wall portion. The antenna may be formed from first and second metal traces on opposing sides of a printed circuit substrate. The first metal trace may form an antenna resonating element arm and may lie between the substrate and the plastic housing wall portion. The second metal trace may be a ground trace. A feed for the antenna may be located at a juncture between the main body portion and the stalk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Carlo Di Nallo, Huan-Chu Huang, Joel D. Barrera, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy S. Guterman, Arun Chawan, Benjamin Cousins, Lee M. Panecki