Patents by Inventor Robert W. Schlub

Robert W. Schlub 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: 9179299
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a portable electronic device has wireless communications circuitry. Antennas in the electronic device may be used in transmitting radio-frequency antenna signals. A coupler and antenna signal phase and magnitude measurement circuitry may be used to determine when external objects are in the vicinity of the antenna by making antenna impedance measurements. In-band and out-of-band phase and magnitude signal measurements may be made in determining whether external objects are present. Additional sensors such as motion sensors, light and heat sensors, acoustic and electrical sensors may produce data that can be combined with the proximity data gathered using the antenna-based proximity sensor. In response to detecting that an external object such as a user's body is within a given distance of the antenna, the electronic device may reduce transmit powers, switch antennas, steer a phased antenna array, switch communications protocols, or take other actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9178278
    Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with antenna structures such as distributed loop antenna resonating element structures. A distributed loop antenna may be formed on an elongated dielectric carrier and may have a longitudinal axis. The distributed loop antenna may include a loop antenna resonating element formed from a sheet of conductive material that extends around the longitudinal axis. A gap may be formed in the sheet of conductive material. The gap may be located under an opaque masking layer on the underside of a display cover glass associated with a display. The loop antenna resonating element may have a main body portion that includes the gap and may have an extended tail portion that extends between the display and conductive housing structures. The main body portion and extended tail portion may be configured to ensure that undesired waveguide modes are cut off during operation of the loop antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jiang Zhu, Jerzy Guterman, Mattia Pascolini, Robert W. Schlub, Jayesh Nath, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Jonathan Haylock, Boon W. Shiu, Ruben Caballero
  • 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: 20150303549
    Abstract: An electronic device may have radio-frequency transceiver circuitry for transmitting and receiving antenna signals using an antenna. The antenna may be formed within a connector port in the electronic device or may be formed on an external cable that is coupled to the connector port. The antenna may have an antenna resonating element that is formed from a signal wire in the external cable or that is formed from a metal structure mounted to the external cable. The radio-frequency transceiver circuitry may be directly coupled to the antenna resonating element using springs or other direct coupling mechanisms or may be coupled to the antenna resonating element using a coupling structure. The coupling structure may include a capacitor electrode, an inductor, or other structures for coupling to the antenna resonating element by electromagnetic near-field coupling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erdinc Irci, Robert W. Schlub, Mattia Pascolini, Matthew A. Mow, Thomas E. Biedka
  • Publication number: 20150303568
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may be coupled to non-near-field communications circuitry such as cellular telephone transceiver circuitry or wireless local area network circuitry. When operated at non-near-field communication frequencies, the antenna structures may be configured to serve as one or more inverted-F antennas or other antennas for supporting far field wireless communications. Proximity sensor circuitry and near-field communications circuitry may also be coupled to the antenna structures. When operated at proximity sensor frequencies, the antenna structures may be used in forming capacitive proximity sensor electrode structures. When operated at near-field communications frequencies, the antenna structures may be used in forming an inductive near-field communications loop antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Salih Yarga, Miroslav Samardzija, Robert W. Schlub
  • Patent number: 9166634
    Abstract: Electronic devices may include antenna structures. The antenna structures may form an antenna having first and second feeds at different locations. A first transceiver may be coupled to the first feed using a first circuit. A second transceiver may be coupled to the second feed using a second circuit. The first and second feeds may be isolated from each other using the first and second circuits. The second circuit may have a notch filter that isolates the second feed from the first feed at operating frequencies associated with the first transceiver. The first circuit may include an adjustable component such as an adjustable capacitor. The adjustable component may be placed in different states depending on the mode of operation of the second transceiver to ensure that the first feed is isolated from the second feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dean F. Darnell, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hongfei Hu, Yuehui Ouyang, Mattia Pascolini, Robert W. Schlub, Peter Bevelacqua, Hao Xu, Jayesh Nath, Yijun Zhou, Nanbo Jin, David Pratt, Matthew A. Mow, Ming-Ju Tsai, Liang Han, Thomas E. Biedka
  • Patent number: 9166279
    Abstract: A wireless electronic device may include antenna structures and antenna tuning circuitry. The device may include a display mounted within a housing. A peripheral conductive member may run around the edges of the display and housing. Dielectric-filled gaps may divide the peripheral conductive member into individual segments. A ground plane may be formed within the housing. The ground plane and the segments of the peripheral conductive member may form antennas in upper and lower portions of the housing. The antenna tuning circuitry may include switchable inductor circuits and variable capacitor circuits for the upper and lower antennas. The switchable inductor circuits associated with the upper antenna may be tuned to provide coverage in at least two high-band frequency ranges of interest, whereas the variable capacitor circuits associated with the upper antenna may be tuned to provide coverage in at least two low-band frequency ranges of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nanbo Jin, Mattia Pascolini, Matt A. Mow, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 9164159
    Abstract: A manufacturing system for assembling wireless electronic devices is provided. The manufacturing system may include test stations for testing the radio-frequency performance of components that are to be assembled within the electronic devices. A reference test station may be calibrated using calibration coupons having known radio-frequency characteristics. The calibration coupons may include transmission line structures. The reference test station may measure verification standards to establish baseline measurement data. The verification standards may include circuitry having electrical components with given impedance values. Many verification coupons may be measured to enable testing for a wide range of impedance values. Test stations in the manufacturing system may subsequently measure the verification standards to generate test measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jayesh Nath, Liang Han, Matthew A. Mow, Ming-Ju Tsai, Joshua G. Nickel, Hao Xu, Peter Bevelacqua, Mattia Pascolini, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 9160056
    Abstract: Electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. An inverted-F antenna may have first and second short circuit legs and a feed leg. The first and second short circuit legs and the feed leg may be connected to a folded antenna resonating element arm. The antenna resonating element arm and the first short circuit leg may be formed from portions of a conductive electronic device bezel. The folded antenna resonating element arm may have a bend. The bezel may have a gap that is located at the bend. Part of the folded resonating element arm may be formed from a conductive trace on a dielectric member. A spring may be used in connecting the conductive trace to the electronic device bezel portion of the antenna resonating element arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Josh Nickel, Juan Zavala, Yijun Zhou, Mattia Pascolini, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 9153874
    Abstract: Electronic devices may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The antenna structures may include an inverted-F antenna resonating element and an antenna ground that form an inverted-F antenna having first and second antenna ports. The antenna structures may include a slot antenna resonating element. The slot antenna resonating element may serve as a parasitic antenna resonating element for the inverted-F antenna at frequencies in a first communications band and may serve as a slot antenna at frequencies in a second communications band. The slot antenna may be directly fed using a third antenna port. An adjustable capacitor may be coupled to the first port to tune the inverted-F antenna. The inverted-F antenna may also be tuned using an adjustable capacitor bridging the slot antenna resonating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuehui Ouyang, Nanbo Jin, Yijun Zhou, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Anand Lakshmanan, Robert W. Schlub, Mattia Pascolini, Matthew A. Mow
  • Publication number: 20150280771
    Abstract: An electronic device has wireless communications circuitry including an adjustable antenna system coupled to a radio-frequency transceiver. The adjustable antenna system may include one or more adjustable electrical components that are controlled by storage and processing circuitry in the electronic device. The adjustable electrical components may include switches and components that can be adjusted between numerous different states. The adjustable electrical components may be coupled between antenna system components such as transmission line elements, matching network elements, antenna elements and antenna feeds. By adjusting the adjustable electrical components, the storage and processing circuitry can tune the adjustable antenna system to ensure that the adjustable antenna system covers communications bands of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Matthew A. Mow, Robert W. Schlub, Mattia Pascolini, Robert J. Hill, Ruben Caballero
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9131037
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing such as a metal housing. A display may be mounted in the metal housing. Antenna structures may be mounted in the housing under an inactive peripheral portion of the display. Integrated circuits and other electrical components may be mounted in the housing under an active central portion of the display. Shielding structures may be configured to form a wall that extends between the display and the metal housing. The shielding structures may include a sheet of conductive fabric that is shorted to the metal housing and metal chassis structures in the display. The shielding structures may also include a tube of conductive fabric that is capacitively coupled to ground traces in a touch sensor panel. The conductive fabric tube and the sheet of conductive fabric may be shorted to each other using conductive adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sean S. Corbin, Taylor H. Gilbert, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Qingxiang Li, Stephen R. McClure, Julio C. Quintero, Miroslav Samardzija, Robert W. Schlub, Jiang Zhu
  • Publication number: 20150249916
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a portable electronic device has wireless communications circuitry. Antennas in the electronic device may be used in transmitting radio-frequency antenna signals. A coupler and antenna signal phase and magnitude measurement circuitry may be used to determine when external objects are in the vicinity of the antenna by making antenna impedance measurements. In-band and out-of-band phase and magnitude signal measurements may be made in determining whether external objects are present. Additional sensors such as motion sensors, light and heat sensors, acoustic and electrical sensors may produce data that can be combined with the proximity data gathered using the antenna-based proximity sensor. In response to detecting that an external object such as a user's body is within a given distance of the antenna, the electronic device may reduce transmit powers, switch antennas, steer a phased antenna array, switch communications protocols, or take other actions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Inventors: Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
  • Publication number: 20150249292
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with shared antenna structures that can be used to form both a near-field-communications antenna such as a loop antenna and a non-near-field communications antenna such as an inverted-F antenna. The antenna structures may include conductive structures such as metal traces on printed circuits or other dielectric substrates, internal metal housing structures, or other conductive electronic device housing structures. A main resonating element arm may be separated from an antenna ground by an opening. A non-near-field communications antenna return path and antenna feed path may span the opening. A balun may have first and second electromagnetically coupled inductors. The second inductor may have terminals coupled across differential signal terminals in a near-field communications transceiver. The first inductor may form part of the near-field communications loop antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuehui Ouyang, Dean F. Darnell, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Erica J. Tong, Hongfei Hu, Matthew A. Mow, Mattia Pascolini, Ming-Ju Tsai, Nanbo Jin, Robert W. Schlub
  • Patent number: 9122446
    Abstract: Electronic devices may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The antenna structures may include antenna resonating elements, parasitic antenna resonating elements, and antenna ground structures. The antenna structures may include metal traces that are wrapped around an elongated plastic carrier. The plastic carrier may have metal traces that are coupled to a metal bracket using solder that protrudes through a hole in the metal bracket. A printed circuit board may be mounted between the metal bracket and a metal housing. The metal housing may have a protruding ridge portion that is gripped between prongs on the metal bracket. A cover may cover the metal traces on the elongated plastic carrier. The antenna structures may be mounted between hinge structures that couple upper and lower housing structures. The antenna structures may be configured to operate with comparable performance when the upper and lower housing structures are open and closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Jervis, Jayesh Nath, Erdinc Irci, Jerzy Guterman, Mattia Pascolini, Robert W. Schlub