Patents by Inventor Qingxiang Li

Qingxiang Li 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: 9356661
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. A display cover layer and a transparent inner display member may overlap a display pixel layer. The display pixel layer may have an array of display pixels for displaying images for a user. A touch sensor layer may be interposed between the display pixel layer and the transparent display member. A ferromagnetic shielding layer may be mounted below the display pixel layer. A flexible printed circuit containing coils of metal signal lines that form a near-field communications loop antenna may be interposed between the ferromagnetic shielding layer and the display pixel layer. A non-near-field antenna such as an inverted-F antenna may have a resonating element mounted on an inner surface of the display cover layer. The resonating element may be interposed between the transparent display member and the display cover layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, Yiren Wang, Yuehui Ouyang, Joseph Hakim, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero, Siwen Yong, Erik G. de Jong
  • Patent number: 9350068
    Abstract: An electronic device has antennas formed from cavity antenna structures. The 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. Cavity antennas may be formed in a clutch barrel region located between the hinges and running along the rotational axis. A flexible printed circuit may be formed between the cavity antennas. Each cavity antenna may have a first end that is adjacent to one of the hinges and a second end that is adjacent to the flexible printed circuit. Cavity walls for the cavity antennas may be formed from metal housing structures such as metal portions of the lower housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jerzy Guterman, Qingxiang Li, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 9331719
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a primary antenna that is used for transmitting and receiving signals and a secondary antenna that is used for receiving signals. The primary and secondary antennas may be used together in a diversity arrangement when receiving signals. The electronic device may have a transceiver. A phase shifter may be interposed between the transceiver and the secondary antenna. Control circuitry may select a communications band of interest for transmitting signals with the primary antenna. The control circuitry can adjust the phase shifter in real time based on which communications band of interest has been selected for transmission with the primary antenna. The phase shifter may impose a phase shift on signals carried between the secondary antenna and the transceiver that ensures that primary antenna efficiency degradation associated with the presence of the secondary antenna in the vicinity of the primary antenna is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Salih Yarga, Miroslav Samardzija, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub
  • Patent number: 9318793
    Abstract: A display cover layer may be mounted in an electronic device housing using housing structures such as corner brackets. A slot antenna may be formed from a corner bracket opening, metal traces on a hollow plastic support structure, or other conductive structures. The slot antenna may have a main portion with opposing ends. An antenna feed may be located at one of the ends. The slot antenna may have a slot with one or more bends. The bends may provide the slot antenna with a C-shaped outline. A side branch slot may extend from the main portion of the slot at a location between the two bends. The presence of the side branch slot may enhance antenna bandwidth. A hollow enclosure may serve as an antenna support structure and as a speaker box enclosing a speaker driver. The antenna feed may be positioned so as to overlap the speaker driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jiang Zhu, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Miroslav Samardzija, Gordon Coutts, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Yi Jiang, Boon W. Shiu, Salih Yarga, Emily B. McMilin, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 9318806
    Abstract: An electronic device may include balance-fed antenna structures that do not have direct paths to ground. The antenna structures may serve as a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna and may have a dipole structure having a first and second antenna resonating element arms. The antenna structures may include a conductive path that conveys antenna signals between a first feed terminal on the first antenna resonating element arm and a transmission line. The conductive path may overlap with the second antenna resonating element arm such that current flow through the conductive path induces corresponding current flow in the second antenna resonating element arm. The antenna structures may include an impedance matching short-circuit stub path that couples the first antenna resonating element arm to the second antenna resonating element arm. Choke inductors may be used to help block indirect paths from the antenna structures to ground through adjacent circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Salih Yarga, Miroslav Samardzija, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Harish Rajagopalan, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub
  • Publication number: 20160104944
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include cavity antennas. A cavity antenna may be formed from a metal antenna cavity and resonating element structures. The metal antenna cavity may be formed from metal traces on a dielectric carrier. The resonating element structures may include directly fed and indirectly fed slot antenna resonating elements and monopole antenna resonating elements. The metal antenna cavity may exhibit a resonance that is tuned using a transmission line tuning stub. Filters and duplexer circuits may be used in routing signals at different frequency bands among the antenna resonating elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Harish Rajagopalan, Huan-Chu Huang, Ke Sun, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Umar Azad
  • Patent number: 9300342
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures. Proximity sensors and other sensors may be used in determining how the electronic device is being operated. Wireless circuitry such as a radio-frequency transmitter associated with a cellular telephone communications band, a wireless local area network band, or other communications band may be used in transmitting radio-frequency signals through the antenna structures at a transmit power. Control circuitry may adjust the wireless circuitry to ensure that the transmit power is capped at a maximum transmit power. The maximum transmit power may be adjusted dynamically by the control circuitry based on data from the proximity sensors, data from a magnetic sensor that detects whether a cover is present on the device, a connector sensor that detects whether the device is coupled to a dock or other accessory, and other sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Schlub, Yi Jiang, Qingxiang Li, Digvijay Jadhav, Matthew Fong, Brian Mariner
  • Patent number: 9293816
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may include a plate antenna. The electronic device may have a conductive housing such as a metal housing with an opening. A dielectric antenna window may be formed within the opening. A dielectric support structure such as a flexible printed circuit may overlap the opening. A conductive trace on the dielectric support structure may form an antenna resonating element plate for the plate antenna. The plate may have a periphery that is separated from adjacent portions of the metal housing by a gap. The antenna resonating element plate may have a rectangular shape with a bend that lies along an edge of the conductive housing. The dielectric antenna window may have a bend that also lies along the edge of the conductive housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
  • Publication number: 20160056526
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with electrical components mounted in a housing. The electronic device may include wireless transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. A display may be mounted in the housing. The display may have a transparent layer such as display cover layer. The display cover layer may have an inner surface with a recess. The recess may be a groove that runs along a peripheral edge of the display cover layer. An antenna structure such as an inverted-F antenna resonating element may be formed from a metal trace on a plastic support structure. The metal trace and support structure may be mounted in the groove with adhesive. The housing may be a metal housing that forms an antenna ground. Springs may be used in forming an antenna feed and an antenna return path that couples the antenna resonating element to ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schub, Erik G. de Jong, Yuehui Ouyang, Siwen Yong, Miroslav Samardzija, Yiren Wang, Jiang Zhu
  • Patent number: 9263790
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive housing. An antenna window structure may be formed in an opening in the housing. The antenna window structure may have an antenna support structure that is attached to the conductive housing and that supports antenna structures. An antenna window cap may be mounted in the opening and attached to the antenna support structure with liquid adhesive. Alignment structures may be provided in the antenna support structure. An antenna support plate with mating alignment structures may be used in attaching the antenna structures to the antenna support structures. Metal shielding structures may be used to provide electromagnetic shielding. A shielding wall may be formed from a sheet metal structure supported by a plastic support structure. A flexible metal shielding foil layer may be welded to the shielding wall using a sacrificial plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Emery A. Sanford, Qingxiang Li, Lijun Zhang, Anthony S. Montevirgen, Teodor Dabov, Erik G. de Jong, Wey-Jiun Lin
  • Publication number: 20150363013
    Abstract: A computer stylus may have an elongated body with a metal tube that serves as an antenna ground for an antenna. An antenna resonating element for the antenna may be formed from metal traces that wrap around a longitudinal axis for the elongated body. The antenna may be an inverted-F antenna. A ground antenna feed terminal for the inverted-F antenna may be coupled to the metal tube with a sheet metal member, conductive fabric, and solder. A clip may run along a side of the elongated body at a location that does not overlap the metal traces of the antenna resonating element. The antenna may be fed at a location on an opposing side of the elongated body from the clip. Antenna signals from the inverted-F antenna may be reflected towards the tip by metal structures at the end of the elongated body opposing the tip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Gordon Coutts, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Yi Jiang
  • Publication number: 20150364815
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry that includes a radio-frequency transceiver circuit and an antenna. The antenna may be a patch antenna formed from a patch antenna resonating element and an antenna ground. The patch antenna resonating element may be formed from a metal patch on a printed circuit board. The antenna ground may be formed from a metal housing having a planar rear wall that lies in a plane parallel to the metal patch. The radio-frequency transceiver circuit may be coupled to the metal patch through traces on the printed circuit and may be coupled to rear wall of the housing through a screw and a screw boss in the housing. Buttons and other electrical components may be mounted on the printed circuit board and may be coupled to control circuitry on the printed circuit board through the metal patch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Siwen Yong, Qingxiang Li, Yi Jiang, Robert W. Schlub, Umar Azad, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Enrique Ayala Vazquez
  • Publication number: 20150338523
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include a pair of antennas. The antennas may be formed from inverted-F antenna resonating elements located along one of the peripheral edges of a device housing. The housing may be formed of metal and may serve as an antenna ground for the antennas. The antennas may be used to receive satellite navigation system signals that are processed by a satellite navigation system receiver. An orientation sensor may be used to gather information on the orientation of the electronic device relative to the Earth. Information on received signal strength may be obtained from the satellite navigation system receiver. Based on orientation information or received signal strength information or other information, switching circuitry may be adjusted to switch an optimum one of the antennas into use or phase shifter circuitry may be adjusted to optimize signal reception.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Harish Rajagopalan, Jiang Zhu, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo
  • Patent number: 9178268
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a speaker box antenna for transmitting and receiving radio-frequency signals. A speaker box antenna may be formed from a hollow dielectric speaker box containing a speaker driver. An opening in the speaker box adjacent to the speaker driver may be aligned with a speaker port opening in a conductive electronic device housing structure. The speaker box may be surrounded by conductive structures that form a cavity for the antenna. The conductive structures may include parts of the conductive electronic device housing structure. The speaker box may have opposing upper and lower surfaces. Metal plates may form parts of the upper and lower surfaces and may be shorted together using a conductive layer such as a strip of metal tape. Frequencies of operation may be selected for the antenna that suppress undesired cavity modes and enhance antenna performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jiang Zhu, Qingxiang Li, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Miroslav Samardzija, Gordon Coutts, Robert W. Schlub
  • Publication number: 20150311960
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. A display cover layer and a transparent inner display member may overlap a display pixel layer. The display pixel layer may have an array of display pixels for displaying images for a user. A touch sensor layer may be interposed between the display pixel layer and the transparent display member. A ferromagnetic shielding layer may be mounted below the display pixel layer. A flexible printed circuit containing coils of metal signal lines that form a near-field communications loop antenna may be interposed between the ferromagnetic shielding layer and the display pixel layer. A non-near-field antenna such as an inverted-F antenna may have a resonating element mounted on an inner surface of the display cover layer. The resonating element may be interposed between the transparent display member and the display cover layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, Yiren Wang, Yuehui Ouyang, Joseph Hakim, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero, Siwen Yong, Erik G. de Jong
  • Publication number: 20150311594
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with hybrid planar inverted-F slot antennas and indirectly fed slot antennas. A hybrid antenna may be used to form a dual band wireless local area network antenna. An indirectly fed slot antenna may be use to form a cellular telephone antenna. Antenna slots may be formed in a metal electronic device housing wall. The housing wall may have a planar rear portion and sidewall portions that extend upwards from the planar rear portion. The slots may have one or more bends. A hybrid antenna may have a slot antenna portion and a planar inverted-F antenna portion. The planar inverted-F antenna portion may have a metal resonating element patch that is supported by a support structure. The support structure may be a plastic speaker box containing a speaker driver that is not overlapped by the metal resonating element patch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jiang Zhu, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Hongfei Hu
  • Patent number: 9172139
    Abstract: Electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. A parallel-fed loop antenna may be formed from portions of an electronic device bezel and a ground plane. The antenna may operate in multiple communications bands. An impedance matching circuit for the antenna may be formed from a parallel-connected inductive element and a series-connected capacitive element. The bezel may surround a peripheral portion of a display that is mounted to the front of an electronic device. The bezel may contain a gap. Antenna feed terminals for the antenna may be located on opposing sides of the gap. The inductive element may bridge the gap and the antenna feed terminals. The capacitive element may be connected in series between one of the antenna feed terminals and a conductor in a transmission line located between the transceiver circuitry and the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mattia Pascolini, Robert J. Hill, Juan Zavala, Nanbo Jin, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
  • Publication number: 20150280313
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive housing. An antenna window structure may be formed in an opening in the housing. The antenna window structure may have an antenna support structure that is attached to the conductive housing and that supports antenna structures. An antenna window cap may be mounted in the opening and attached to the antenna support structure with liquid adhesive. Alignment structures may be provided in the antenna support structure. An antenna support plate with mating alignment structures may be used in attaching the antenna structures to the antenna support structures. Metal shielding structures may be used to provide electromagnetic shielding. A shielding wall may be formed from a sheet metal structure supported by a plastic support structure. A flexible metal shielding foil layer may be welded to the shielding wall using a sacrificial plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Emery A. Sanford, Qingxiang Li, Lijun Zhang, Anthony S. Montevirgen, Teodor Dabov, Erik G. de Jong, Wey-Jiun Lin
  • Patent number: 9147932
    Abstract: Antenna structures for an antenna may be formed from a dielectric carrier with metal structures. The metal structures may be patterned to cover all sides of the dielectric carrier. The dielectric carrier may have a shape with six sides or other shape that creates a three-dimensional layout for the antenna structures. The antenna structures may have a tunable circuit that allows the antenna to be tuned. The tunable circuit may have first and second terminals coupled to one of the sides of the carrier. The metal structures may be configured to form an inverted-F antenna resonating element. Portions of the metal structures may form a first arm for an inverted-F antenna and portions of the metal structures may form a second arm for the inverted-F antenna. The antenna may operate in multiple communications bands. The tunable circuit may tune one band without significantly tuning other bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Salih Yarga, Qingxiang Li, Matthew A. Mow, Robert W. Schlub
  • Publication number: 20150270618
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with antennas. Antennas for the electronic device may be formed from slot antenna structures. A slot antenna structure may be formed from portions of a metal housing for an electronic device. The slots of the slot antenna structures may be indirectly fed to form first and second indirectly fed slot antennas. The first and second indirectly fed slot antennas may be formed from slots in a rear surface of an electronic device and a sidewall of the electronic device. The slots may have open ends along an edge of the sidewall and may have closed ends that face each other. A hybrid antenna may also be formed in the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jiang Zhu, Harish Rajagopalan, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, John Raff