Patents by Inventor Lucas R. Compton

Lucas R. Compton 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: 12206176
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a first phased antenna array that radiates through a display and a second phased antenna array that radiates through a rear wall. The first array may include a front-facing dielectric resonator antenna and the second array may include a rear-facing dielectric resonator antenna. The front and rear-facing antennas may share a dielectric resonating element. Feed probe(s) may excite a first volume of the dielectric resonating element to radiate through the display and may excite a second volume of the dielectric resonating element to radiate through the rear wall. The dielectric resonating element may have a geometry that helps to isolate the front-facing dielectric resonator antenna from the rear-facing dielectric resonator antenna. The first and second arrays may collectively cover an entire sphere around the device while occupying a minimal amount of volume within the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Lucas R. Compton
  • Patent number: 12124297
    Abstract: A portable electronic device can include a housing defining an aperture and a display positioned in the aperture. The portable electronic device can include a number of components that can provide desired functionalities and levels of performance. For example, the device can include one or more couplers that interconnect various portions of the housing together. Additionally or alternatively, the portable electronic device can include one or more millimeter-wave antennas. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic device can include one or more grounding elements or layers that reliably and electrically ground the display to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Sayooj R. Pillai, Annie T. Zhang, Lucas R. Compton, John V. Abram, Heather M. Martin, Timothy J. McHenry, Chi Zhang, Kienan D. McCarty, Lee B. Hamstra, Trevor M. Cardiff, Tristan Sansbury, Erik A. Uttermann, Kevin K. Mayer
  • Patent number: 11916311
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive housing sidewall and a phased antenna array that conveys radio-frequency signals at frequencies greater than 10 GHz. Each antenna in the array may radiate through a respective aperture in the sidewall. The antenna module may include a folded flexible printed circuit having a first portion and a second portion that extends from an end of the first portion and that is folded with respect to the first portion. The antennas in the phased antenna array may have antenna resonating elements that are distributed between the first and second portions. Forming the antenna module from a folded flexible printed circuit in this way may serve to minimize the thickness of the antenna module, thereby allowing the antenna module to fit between a ledge of the sidewall and a rear housing wall without occupying excessive space within the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Lucas R. Compton
  • Patent number: 11909101
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array having a bent dielectric resonating element. The bent dielectric resonating element may have a first segment, a second segment nonparallel to the first segment, and an angled surface that couples the first segment to the second segment. One or more feed probes may be coupled to the first segment to excite the dielectric resonating element. A reflector may be provided on the angled surface to direct electromagnetic energy from the first segment to the second segment and vice versa. The bent dielectric resonating element may exhibit less overall height than dielectric resonators having straight columns of dielectric material, thereby allowing for a reduction in the thickness of the electronic device. The angled surface and the reflector may optimize the radio-frequency performance of the antenna despite the reduction in overall height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Lucas R. Compton, Harish Rajagopalan, James T. Handy
  • Patent number: 11824257
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array that includes a dielectric resonator antenna having a dielectric column mounted to a circuit board. The dielectric column may be embedded in a dielectric substrate such as a plastic overmold. Conductive walls may be disposed on the dielectric substrate and may laterally surround the dielectric substrate and one or more dielectric resonating elements in the phased antenna array. The conductive walls may be grounded. The conductive walls may have a tapered shape. The conductive walls may help to isolate the antenna from electromagnetic influences from nearby conductive components in the electronic device. The conductive walls may form a conductive horn that helps to maximize the gain of the antenna in conveying radio-frequency signals greater than 10 GHz through a display cover layer, housing window, camera sapphire, or rear housing wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Lucas R. Compton, Harish Rajagopalan
  • Publication number: 20230266800
    Abstract: This application relates to latch systems that secure together housing components of an electronic device. A latch and a magnet (coupled with the latch) are secured with a housing component by, for example, a post that extends from the housing component. The latch and the magnet can move (i.e., rotate) with respect to the housing component. As an example, prior to a tool applying an external magnetic field external to the electronic device, the latch is coupled to a first housing component and is engaged with a second housing component, thereby mechanically interlocking the first and second housing components. However, when the tool applies a rotational magnetic field to the magnet (that is coupled with the latch), the magnet and the latch rotate, thereby causing the latch to disengage from the second housing component. This allows the first and second housing components to decouple from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: James T. HANDY, Lucas R. COMPTON
  • Publication number: 20230261362
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array that includes a dielectric resonator antenna having a dielectric column mounted to a circuit board. The dielectric column may be embedded in a dielectric substrate such as a plastic overmold. Conductive walls may be disposed on the dielectric substrate and may laterally surround the dielectric substrate and one or more dielectric resonating elements in the phased antenna array. The conductive walls may be grounded. The conductive walls may have a tapered shape. The conductive walls may help to isolate the antenna from electromagnetic influences from nearby conductive components in the electronic device. The conductive walls may form a conductive horn that helps to maximize the gain of the antenna in conveying radio-frequency signals greater than 10 GHz through a display cover layer, housing window, camera sapphire, or rear housing wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Lucas R. Compton, Harish Rajagopalan
  • Publication number: 20230261363
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array having a bent dielectric resonating element. The bent dielectric resonating element may have a first segment, a second segment nonparallel to the first segment, and an angled surface that couples the first segment to the second segment. One or more feed probes may be coupled to the first segment to excite the dielectric resonating element. A reflector may be provided on the angled surface to direct electromagnetic energy from the first segment to the second segment and vice versa. The bent dielectric resonating element may exhibit less overall height than dielectric resonators having straight columns of dielectric material, thereby allowing for a reduction in the thickness of the electronic device. The angled surface and the reflector may optimize the radio-frequency performance of the antenna despite the reduction in overall height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Lucas R. Compton, Harish Rajagopalan, James T. Handy
  • Patent number: 11658404
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive sidewall and a phased antenna array having a dielectric resonator antenna aligned with an aperture in the conductive sidewall. A feed probe may excite the antenna to radiate through the aperture at a frequency greater than 10 GHz. The antenna may include an injection-molded plastic substrate that affixes the antenna to the peripheral conductive housing structures, thereby integrating the antenna into the conductive sidewall. A hole or other machining operation may be used to expose the feed probe through the injection-molded plastic substrate. Conductive interconnect structures may be inserted into the substrate and coupled to the feed probe. The interconnect structures may be soldered to a circuit board. The circuit board may be coupled to the feed probe through the interconnect structures. The circuit board may be mounted to a rear surface or a side surface of the injection-molded plastic substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Lucas R. Compton
  • Publication number: 20220352635
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive housing sidewall and a phased antenna array that conveys radio-frequency signals at frequencies greater than 10 GHz. Each antenna in the array may radiate through a respective aperture in the sidewall. The antenna module may include a folded flexible printed circuit having a first portion and a second portion that extends from an end of the first portion and that is folded with respect to the first portion. The antennas in the phased antenna array may have antenna resonating elements that are distributed between the first and second portions. Forming the antenna module from a folded flexible printed circuit in this way may serve to minimize the thickness of the antenna module, thereby allowing the antenna module to fit between a ledge of the sidewall and a rear housing wall without occupying excessive space within the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventor: Lucas R. Compton
  • Publication number: 20220336965
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a first phased antenna array that radiates through a display and a second phased antenna array that radiates through a rear wall. The first array may include a front-facing dielectric resonator antenna and the second array may include a rear-facing dielectric resonator antenna. The front and rear-facing antennas may share a dielectric resonating element. Feed probe(s) may excite a first volume of the dielectric resonating element to radiate through the display and may excite a second volume of the dielectric resonating element to radiate through the rear wall. The dielectric resonating element may have a geometry that helps to isolate the front-facing dielectric resonator antenna from the rear-facing dielectric resonator antenna. The first and second arrays may collectively cover an entire sphere around the device while occupying a minimal amount of volume within the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventor: Lucas R. Compton
  • Publication number: 20220295648
    Abstract: A portable electronic device can include a housing defining an aperture and a display positioned in the aperture. The portable electronic device can include a number of components that can provide desired functionalities and levels of performance. For example, the device can include one or more couplers that interconnect various portions of the housing together. Additionally or alternatively, the portable electronic device can include one or more millimeter-wave antennas. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic device can include one or more grounding elements or layers that reliably and electrically ground the display to the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Sayooj R. Pillai, Annie T. Zhang, Lucas R. Compton, John V. Abram, Heather M. Martin, Timothy J. McHenry, Chi Zhang, Kienan D. McCarty, Lee B. Hamstra, Trevor M. Cardiff, Tristan Sansbury, Erik A. Uttermann, Kevin K. Mayer
  • Publication number: 20220094046
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive sidewall and a phased antenna array having a dielectric resonator antenna aligned with an aperture in the conductive sidewall. A feed probe may excite the antenna to radiate through the aperture at a frequency greater than 10 GHz. The antenna may include an injection-molded plastic substrate that affixes the antenna to the peripheral conductive housing structures, thereby integrating the antenna into the conductive sidewall. A hole or other machining operation may be used to expose the feed probe through the injection-molded plastic substrate. Conductive interconnect structures may be inserted into the substrate and coupled to the feed probe. The interconnect structures may be soldered to a circuit board. The circuit board may be coupled to the feed probe through the interconnect structures. The circuit board may be mounted to a rear surface or a side surface of the injection-molded plastic substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventor: Lucas R. Compton
  • Patent number: 10908654
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display and conductive sidewalls. The display may include conductive display structures and a cover layer. The cover layer may be mounted to the sidewalls. The sidewalls may define antenna apertures for antennas in the device. Grounding structures may be coupled between the conductive display structures and the sidewalls at locations that at least partially overlap the antenna apertures. The grounding structures may include conductive tape having an adhesive surface. The conductive tape may have a first end at which the adhesive surface is coupled to the conductive display structures. The conductive tape may have a second end that is folded around a layer of heat-activated film and that is coupled to both the display cover layer and the conductive sidewalls. Conductive tape overlapping each antenna aperture may be concurrently assembled into the electronic device as the display is mounted to the sidewalls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Carli E. Oster, Chi Zhang, Haowei Wang, Lucas R. Compton
  • Publication number: 20200089287
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display and conductive sidewalls. The display may include conductive display structures and a cover layer. The cover layer may be mounted to the sidewalls. The sidewalls may define antenna apertures for antennas in the device. Grounding structures may be coupled between the conductive display structures and the sidewalls at locations that at least partially overlap the antenna apertures. The grounding structures may include conductive tape having an adhesive surface. The conductive tape may have a first end at which the adhesive surface is coupled to the conductive display structures. The conductive tape may have a second end that is folded around a layer of heat-activated film and that is coupled to both the display cover layer and the conductive sidewalls. Conductive tape overlapping each antenna aperture may be concurrently assembled into the electronic device as the display is mounted to the sidewalls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Carli E. Oster, Chi Zhang, Haowei Wang, Lucas R. Compton