CN-114389031-B - Electronic device with millimeter wave ranging capability

Abstract

The invention provides an electronic device with millimeter wave distance measurement capability. "the present invention provides an electronic device, such as a wristwatch, that can be provided with a phased antenna array for transmitting a first signal at a first frequency between 10GHz and 300GHz and a non-millimeter wave antenna for transmitting a second signal at a second frequency below 10 GHz. The apparatus may include a conductive housing sidewall and a display. Conductive structures in the display and the conductive housing sidewalls may define slot elements in the non-millimeter wave antenna. The phased antenna array may be mounted within the slot element, aligned with a spatial filter in the display, or aligned with a dielectric window in the conductive housing sidewall. Control circuitry may process signals transmitted by the phased antenna array and reflected versions of the transmitted signals received by the phased antenna array to detect a range between the device and an external object.

Inventors

• J. Nass
• S. Paulto
• M. Martinis
• E.J. Dacosta Brass Lima
• A. Ruaro
• C. Dinaro
• M.A.MO
• M. PASCOLINI

Assignees

• 苹果公司
• 苹果公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260421

Application Date

20190220

Priority Date

20190220

Claims (17)

1. 1. A wristwatch, comprising: a housing configured to receive a wristband; a display mounted to the housing and having a conductive display structure, wherein the conductive display structure is separated from a portion of the housing by a gap; A wireless circuit in the housing and configured to generate a radio frequency signal having a frequency between 10GHz and 300GHz, and A phased antenna array in the housing, the phased antenna array coupled to the wireless circuit and configured to transmit the radio frequency signal, wherein the phased antenna array is disposed within the slot.
2. 2. The watch of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch screen display.
3. 3. The wristwatch of claim 1, wherein the portion of the case comprises a conductive case side wall, the display comprises a display module and a display overlay covering the display module, and the display module is configured to display an image through the display overlay, the phased antenna array is mounted between the conductive case side wall and the display module, and is configured to emit the radio frequency signal through the display overlay.
4. 4. The wristwatch of claim 3, further comprising: a non-millimeter wave antenna formed by the slot.
5. 5. The wristwatch of claim 4, further comprising: A radio frequency transceiver in the housing and coupled to the non-millimeter wave antenna, wherein the radio frequency transceiver is configured to generate additional radio frequency signals having additional frequencies below 10GHz and the non-millimeter wave antenna is configured to transmit the additional radio frequency signals.
6. 6. The wristwatch of claim 1, further comprising: Control circuitry in the housing and coupled to the wireless circuitry, wherein the wireless circuitry is configured to receive a reflected version of the transmitted radio frequency signal reflected from an external object and received by the phased antenna array, and the control circuitry is configured to identify a range between the watch and the external object based on the transmitted radio frequency signal and the reflected version of the transmitted radio frequency signal.
7. 7. The watch of claim 6, wherein the phased antenna array comprises a one-dimensional antenna array.
8. 8. The watch of claim 1, wherein the phased antenna array has a longitudinal axis aligned with a longitudinal axis of the slot.
9. 9. The watch of claim 1, wherein the portion of the housing includes a conductive housing wall, a dielectric window is formed in the conductive housing wall, and the phased antenna array is configured to transmit the radio frequency signal through the dielectric window.
10. 10. The wristwatch of claim 9, further comprising: an additional phased antenna array is mounted within the slot.
11. 11. The wristwatch of claim 1, further comprising: Additional phased antenna arrays, and A spatial filter in the conductive display structure, wherein the spatial filter has a passband including the frequency, and the additional phased antenna array is configured to transmit additional radio frequency signals at the frequency through the spatial filter in the conductive display structure.
12. 12. The wristwatch of claim 1, wherein the portion of the case comprises a conductive case wall, and a dielectric window is formed in the conductive case wall, the wristwatch further comprising: an additional phased antenna array is mounted within the housing and configured to transmit additional radio frequency signals through the dielectric window at additional frequencies between 10 GHz and 300 GHz.
13. 13. An electronic device, comprising: a housing having a conductive housing side wall and a rear housing wall; A display having a conductive display structure and mounted to the conductive housing sidewall, the display and the rear housing wall forming opposite faces of the electronic device; An antenna formed by an antenna element defined by the conductive display structure and the conductive housing sidewall; a phased antenna array mounted within a dielectric window of the conductive housing sidewall, wherein the antenna is configured to transmit a first radio frequency signal at a first frequency below 10GHz and the phased antenna array is configured to transmit a second radio frequency signal at a second frequency between 10GHz and 300 GHz.
14. 14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the electronic device is a wristwatch, the electronic device further comprising: A transmitter and a receiver coupled to the phased antenna array, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the second radio frequency signal and the receiver is configured to receive a reflected version of the second radio frequency signal received by the phased antenna array, and A switch having a first terminal coupled to the transmitter, a second terminal coupled to the receiver, and a third terminal coupled to the phased antenna array, wherein the switch is configured to couple a selected one of the transmitter and the receiver to the phased antenna array at a given time.
15. 15. An electronic device, comprising: A housing having a conductive housing sidewall; a display mounted to the housing and having a conductive display structure and a display overlay overlapping the conductive display structure, wherein the conductive display structure is separated from the conductive housing sidewall by a gap A phased antenna array configured to transmit radio frequency signals through the display overlay, wherein the phased antenna array is disposed within the slot, and A wireless circuit in the housing and coupled to the phased antenna array.
16. 16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the phased antenna array is configured to transmit the radio-frequency signals at a frequency greater than 10 GHz.
17. 17. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the conductive display structure and the conductive housing sidewalls define an antenna.

Description

Electronic device with millimeter wave ranging capability The present application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/901,564 filed on publication No. 2/21 at 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Citation of related application The application relates to a divisional application of an application patent application with a China national application number 201910135326.8, an application date 2019, 2 months and 20 days and an application name of electronic equipment with millimeter wave distance measurement capability. Background The present invention relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly to electronic devices having wireless communication circuitry. Electronic devices typically include wireless communication circuitry. For example, cellular telephones, computers, and other devices typically include antennas and wireless transceivers for supporting wireless communications. It may be desirable to support wireless communications in the millimeter-wave and centimeter-wave communications bands. Millimeter wave communications (sometimes referred to as Extremely High Frequency (EHF) communications) and centimeter wave communications involve communications at frequencies of about 10-300 GHz. Operating at these frequencies may support high bandwidths, but may present significant challenges. For example, millimeter-wave communication signals generated by antennas are characterized by substantial attenuation and/or distortion that occurs during signal propagation through various media. It is therefore desirable to be able to provide improved wireless communication circuits for electronic devices, such as communication circuits that support millimeter and centimeter wave communications. Disclosure of Invention An electronic device, such as a wristwatch, that may be provided with a wireless circuit. The radio circuit may include antennas arranged in a phased antenna array for transmitting first radio frequency signals at a first frequency between 10GHz and 300GHz (e.g., millimeter wave signals at millimeter wave frequencies). The radio circuit may include a non-millimeter wave antenna for transmitting the second radio frequency signal at a second frequency below 10 GHz. An electronic device may include a conductive housing sidewall and a touch screen display mounted to the conductive housing sidewall. The touch screen display may display images and collect touch input. The touch screen display may include a display overlay and a display module. Conductive structures in the display module and conductive housing sidewalls may define slot elements in non-millimeter wave antennas. In one suitable arrangement, the phased antenna array may be mounted within a slot element of a non-millimeter wave antenna for transmitting a first radio frequency signal at a first frequency through the display cover. If desired, a spatial filter such as a frequency selective surface may be formed in the conductive structure of the display module. The spatial filter may have a passband including a first frequency. In another suitable arrangement, the phased antenna array may be mounted below the display module and may transmit the first radio frequency signal at the first frequency through the display module via the spatial filter. If desired, dielectric windows may be formed in one of the conductive housing sidewalls. In another suitable arrangement, the phased antenna array may be aligned with the dielectric window and the first radio frequency signal may be transmitted at the first frequency through the dielectric window. If desired, control circuitry in the electronic device may perform a spatial ranging operation on the external object using the phased antenna array and the first radio frequency signal. For example, the control circuitry may control millimeter wave circuitry coupled to the phased antenna array to transmit millimeter wave ranging signals (e.g., transmit radio frequency signals having a predetermined pulse sequence at a first frequency based on a ranging or object detection protocol). The phased antenna array may receive a reflected version of the transmitted millimeter wave ranging signal reflected from an external object in the vicinity of the electronic device. The control circuit may process the transmitted millimeter wave ranging signals and reflected versions of the transmitted millimeter wave ranging signals received by the phased antenna array to detect a range between the electronic device and an external object in the vicinity of the electronic device. The electronic device may include sensor circuitry to collect sensor data. If desired, the control circuitry may identify a predetermined spatial event based on the detected range and the sensor data. In response to identifying the predetermined spatial event, the control circuitry may control the electronic device to issue a notification or alert to a user (wearer) and/or other person or entity o