Patents by Inventor Mattia Pascolini

Mattia Pascolini 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: 10847901
    Abstract: An electronic device may include an antenna and peripheral conductive housing structures. A dielectric gap may divide the peripheral conductive housing structures into first and second segments. The first and second segments may be separated from the antenna ground by respective first and second slots and may be fed using respective first and second feeds. An antenna isolation element may be coupled to the antenna ground and may separate the first slot element from the second slot element. The antenna isolation element may include a metal strip having an end coupled to the antenna ground and an opposing tip that extends into the dielectric gap. The antenna isolation element may electromagnetically isolate first radio-frequency signals conveyed by the first antenna feed in a cellular midband from second radio-frequency signals conveyed by the second antenna feed in a cellular high band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hongfei Hu, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10833410
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a conductive housing and an antenna. The antenna may include an arm formed from a first segment of the housing. A gap may separate the first segment from a second segment. Respective first and second slots may separate an antenna ground from the first and second segments. The antenna may have a first positive antenna feed terminal on the first segment and a second positive antenna feed terminal on the second segment. A transmission line may include a signal conductor having a first branch coupled to the first positive antenna feed terminal and a second branch coupled to the second positive antenna feed terminal. A switch may be interposed on the second branch for switching the antenna between a first mode in which the second slot is directly fed and a second mode in which the second segment is indirectly fed by the first segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hongfei Hu, Nanbo Jin, Xu Gao, Erica J. Tong, Erdinc Irci, Han Wang, Mattia Pascolini, Kevin M. Froese
  • Patent number: 10804617
    Abstract: Antenna structures at a given end of an electronic device may include antenna structures that are shared between multiple antennas. The device may include an antenna with an inverted-F antenna resonating element formed from portions of a peripheral conductive electronic device housing structure and may have an antenna ground that is separated from the antenna resonating element by a gap. A short circuit path may bridge the gap. The short circuit path may be a split return path coupled between a first point on the inverted-F antenna resonating element arm and second and third points on the antenna ground. The electronic device may include an additional antenna that includes the antenna ground and metal traces that form an antenna resonating element arm. The antenna resonating element arm of the additional antenna may be parasitically coupled to the inverted-F antenna resonating element and a portion of the split return path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yijun Zhou, Yiren Wang, Jennifer M. Edwards, Hao Xu, Mattia Pascolini
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20200295789
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more antennas. The antennas may include phased antenna arrays each of which includes multiple antenna elements. Phased antenna arrays may be mounted along edges of a housing for the electronic device, behind a dielectric window such as a dielectric logo window in the housing, in alignment with dielectric housing portions at corners of the housing, or elsewhere in the electronic device. A phased antenna array may include arrays of patch antenna elements on dielectric layers separated by a ground layer. A baseband processor may distribute wireless signals to the phased antenna arrays at intermediate frequencies over intermediate frequency signal paths. Transceiver circuits at the phased antenna arrays may include upconverters and downconverters coupled to the intermediate frequency signal paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Yuehui Ouyang, Yi Jiang, Matthew A. Mow, Basim Noori, Mattia Pascolini, Ruben Caballero
  • Publication number: 20200288426
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with first and second antennas and satellite navigation receiver circuitry. The first antenna may receive first satellite navigation signals in a first satellite navigation frequency band such as the L5 band. The second antenna may receive second satellite navigation signals in a second satellite navigation frequency band such as the L1 band. Control circuitry may process the satellite navigation signals received in the first and second satellite navigation frequency bands to identify a geographic location of the electronic device with a high degree of precision and accuracy. The first and second antennas may transmit radio-frequency signals in non-satellite frequency bands such as cellular telephone bands using a multiple-input and multiple-output scheme. The antennas may include antenna resonating elements formed from segments of peripheral conductive housing structures for the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventor: Mattia Pascolini
  • 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
  • Patent number: 10763589
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more antenna structures and transceiver circuitry such as millimeter wave transceiver circuitry. Antenna structures in the wireless circuitry may include patch antennas that are organized in a phased antenna array. Each patch antenna may include an antenna resonating element and a parasitic element. The parasitic element for the patch antenna may have dielectric-filled openings formed between coplanar parasitic conductors. The parasitic conductors may include a central parasitic conductor, four rectangular parasitic conductors formed around the central parasitic conductor, and corner parasitic conductors formed at the corners of the parasitic element. The corner parasitic conductors may be non-rectangular. For example, the corner parasitic conductors may have first and second perpendicular edges and a straight or curved third edge that joins the first and second edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jiangfeng Wu, Yi Jiang, Siwen Yong, Lijun Zhang, Mattia Pascolini
  • Publication number: 20200274570
    Abstract: An electronic device may include control circuitry, sensors, and wireless circuitry having antennas. The sensors may generate sensor data that is used by the control circuitry to identify an operating environment for the device. The sensor data may include a grip map generated by a touch-sensitive display, infrared facial recognition image signals or other image signals, an angle of arrival of sound received by a set of microphones, impedance data from an impedance sensor, and any other desired sensor data. The control circuitry may use the sensor data, radio-frequency spatial ranging data, information about whether audio is being played over an ear speaker, and/or information about communications protocols in use to identify the operating environment. The control circuitry may adjust antenna settings for the wireless circuitry based on the identified operating environment to ensure that the antennas operate with satisfactory antenna efficiency regardless of operating conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Liang Han, Matthew A. Mow, Mattia Pascolini, Ruben Caballero, Thomas E. Biedka, Yuancheng Xu, Iyappan Ramachandran
  • Patent number: 10756788
    Abstract: A wireless communication system comprises a base station and one or more relay docks and transmits directional wave signals between components using high frequency waves, such as millimeter waves. A beam forming decision engine utilizes position information collected from one or more position or motion sensors of a user device to determine a direction in which to form a directional wave signal being transmitted between components of the wireless communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Jiang, Mattia Pascolini, Jiangfeng Wu, Siwen Yong, Lijun Zhang
  • 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: 10741933
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a phased antenna array mounted in a conductive cavity for conveying radio-frequency signals above 10 GHz. The cavity may include sidewalls extending from a rear wall. The array may include rectangular patches each having first and second perpendicular edges. Each of the first edges in the array may be aligned with a first axis. Each of the second edges in the array may be aligned with a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. The first and second axes may be oriented at 45 degrees with respect to each of the sidewalls of the cavity. Each patch may be fed using first and second positive antenna feed terminals that cover orthogonal linear polarizations. The cavity may prevent interference while symmetrically loading the impedance of both the first and second positive antenna feed terminals in each patch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Siwen Yong, Yi Jiang, Jiangfeng Wu, Lijun Zhang, Mattia Pascolini
  • Publication number: 20200251820
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a wristwatch may have a housing with metal sidewalls and a display having conductive display structures. Printed circuits having corresponding ground traces may be coupled to the display for conveying data to and/or from the display. The conductive display structures may be separated from the metal sidewalls by a gap. A conductive interconnect may be coupled to the metal sidewalls and may extend across the gap to the conductive display structures. The conductive interconnect may be coupled to the ground traces on the printed circuits and/or may be shorted or capacitively coupled to the conductive display structures. When configured in this way, the metal sidewalls, the conductive display structures, and the conductive interconnect may define the edges of a slot antenna resonating element for a slot antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Andrea Ruaro, Carlo Di Nallo, Eduardo Jorge Da Costa Bras Lima, Jayesh Nath, Mario Martinis, Mattia Pascolini, Zheyu Wang, Sameer Pandya
  • Publication number: 20200249724
    Abstract: This is directed to connecting two or more elements using an intermediate element constructed from a material that changes between states. An electronic device can include one or more components constructed by connecting several elements. To provide a connection having a reduced or small size or cross-section and construct a component having high tolerances, a material can be provided in a first state in which it flows between the elements before changing to a second state in which it adheres to the elements and provides a structurally sound connection. For example, a plastic can be molded between the elements. As another example, a composite material can be brazed between the elements. In some cases, internal surfaces of the elements can include one or more features for enhancing a bond between the elements and the material providing the interface between the elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Scott A. Myers, Mattia Pascolini, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Trent Weber, Robert Schlub, Josh Nickel, Robert Hill, Nanbo Jin, Tang Yew Tan
  • Patent number: 10734714
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a wristwatch may have a housing with metal sidewalls and a display having conductive display structures. The display structures may be separated from the sidewalls by a slot for an antenna that runs around the display module. A conductive interconnect may be coupled between the sidewalls and the display structures. A feed and tuning element may be coupled between the display structures and the sidewalls. A first length of the slot from the interconnect to the tuning element may radiate in a satellite band and a cellular band. A second length of the slot from the interconnect to the feed may radiate in a 2.4 GHz band. Harmonics of the second length may radiate in bands at and above 5.0 GHz. If desired, the tuning element may be omitted, and the antenna may be coupled to separate low band and high band matching circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrea Ruaro, Mario Martinis, Jiaxiao Niu, Eduardo Jorge Da Costa Bras Lima, Dimitrios Papantonis, Jayesh Nath, Zheyu Wang, Carlo Di Nallo, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10734708
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a wristwatch may be provided with wireless circuitry and a display having a display module and a cover layer. The display module may include a dielectric layer. Touch sensor electrodes may be formed from conductive traces on the dielectric layer. An antenna may be embedded within the display module. The antenna may include an antenna resonating element formed from a grid of intersecting conductive traces on the dielectric layer. The grid may have edges that define a lateral outline of the antenna resonating element. The outline may have a length that configures the antenna to radiate at a desired frequency. The antenna resonating element may be formed from indium tin oxide and may be substantially transparent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Siwen Yong, Yi Jiang, Jiangfeng Wu, Lijun Zhang, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 10727570
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display and a phased array antenna that transmits radio-frequency signals at frequencies greater than 10 GHz. The display may include a conductive layer that is used to form pixel circuitry and/or touch sensor electrodes. A filter may be formed from conductive structures within the conductive layer. The conductive structures may include an array of conductive patches separated by slots or may include conductive paths that define an array of slots. The filter may include an additional array of conductive patches stacked under the array of conductive patches to allow the slots to be narrower than would be resolvable to the unaided human eye. The periodicity of the conductive structures and the slots in the filter may be selected to tune a cutoff frequency of the filter to be greater than frequencies handled by the phased antenna array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Simone Paulotto, Matthew A. Mow, Mattia Pascolini
  • Publication number: 20200227821
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a dielectric cover and a phased antenna array for conveying millimeter wave signals. A conductive pocket may be mounted to the cover. The pocket may include a conductive rear wall and conductive sidewalls that extend from a periphery of the rear wall to the cover. The array may be mounted to the rear wall and may convey signals through the cover. The sidewalls may extend from the cover at non-zero angles with respect to the normal axis of the cover. The shape of the pocket and the cover may be selected so that the pocket is non-resonant at frequencies handled by the array, to mitigate destructive interference within the pocket, to block surface waves from propagating along the cover, and to tweak the radiation pattern of the array to exhibit a desired shape and directionality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Jiangfeng Wu, Lijun Zhang, Siwen Yong, Yi Jiang, Mattia Pascolini