20240079761.Impedance Transitions Between Boards for Antennas simplified abstract (apple inc.)

Impedance Transitions Between Boards for Antennas

Organization Name

apple inc.

Inventor(s)

Jingni Zhong of Santa Clara CA (US)

Ming Chen of Cupertino CA (US)

Han Wang of Campbell CA (US)

Alden T Rush of San Diego CA (US)

Behnam Ghassemiparvin of San Jose CA (US)

Bhaskara R Rupakula of San Jose CA (US)

Yiren Wang of Cupertino CA (US)

Yuan Tao of Santa Clara CA (US)

Hao Xu of Cupertino CA (US)

Jennifer M Edwards of San Francisco CA (US)

Hongfei Hu of Cupertino CA (US)

Mattia Pascolini of San Francisco CA (US)

Impedance Transitions Between Boards for Antennas - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240079761 titled 'Impedance Transitions Between Boards for Antennas

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes an electronic device with a flexible printed circuit and a rigid printed circuit connected using a board-to-board (B2B) connector. Signal conductors on the flexible printed circuit are coupled to antennas on the rigid printed circuit through the B2B connector, with impedance matching segments to ensure smooth transitions. The B2B connector includes signal and ground contacts, as well as ground bars for mechanical coupling.

• Signal conductors on flexible printed circuit connected to antennas on rigid printed circuit via B2B connector
• Impedance matching segments for smooth transition between circuits
• B2B connector includes signal and ground contacts, as well as ground bars for mechanical coupling

Potential Applications

This technology could be applied in various electronic devices requiring flexible and rigid circuit connections, such as smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices.

Problems Solved

This innovation solves the problem of connecting flexible and rigid printed circuits seamlessly, ensuring efficient signal transmission and mechanical stability.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include improved signal quality, flexibility in design, and enhanced durability of electronic devices.

Potential Commercial Applications

The potential commercial applications of this technology include consumer electronics, medical devices, and industrial equipment.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art could be the use of flexible printed circuits in electronic devices, but the specific implementation with impedance matching segments and B2B connectors may be novel.

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology impact the overall size of electronic devices?

The abstract does not provide information on whether this technology affects the size of electronic devices. It would be interesting to know if the use of flexible and rigid printed circuits with B2B connectors has any impact on the form factor of the devices.

Are there any limitations to the number of signal conductors that can be connected using this technology?

The abstract does not mention any limitations on the number of signal conductors that can be connected. It would be important to understand if there are any restrictions on the scalability of this technology in terms of the number of connections that can be made.

Original Abstract Submitted

an electronic device may be provided with a flexible printed circuit and a rigid printed circuit mounted to the flexible printed circuit using a board-to-board (b2b) connector. the flexible printed circuit may include signal conductors coupled to one or more antennas on the rigid printed circuit through the b2b connector. a given one of the signal conductors may include a phase shifter segment on the flexible printed circuit and/or a thick impedance matching segment on the rigid printed circuit that help to form a smooth impedance transition from the flexible printed circuit to the rigid printed circuit and the antenna(s). the b2b connector may include signal contacts interleaved with a ground contacts. the b2b connector may include ground bars laterally surrounding the signal and ground contacts to maximize the strength of mechanical coupling between the flexible printed circuit and the rigid printed circuit.