Apple inc. (20240186686). Antennas Having Substrate Layers With Compound Curvature simplified abstract

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Antennas Having Substrate Layers With Compound Curvature

Organization Name

apple inc.

Inventor(s)

Yi Jiang of Cupertino CA (US)

Boon W Shiu of Palo Alto CA (US)

Jason C Sauers of Sunnyvale CA (US)

Jia-Woei Chen of Campbell CA (US)

Killian J Poore of San Jose CA (US)

Lijun Zhang of Los Gatos CA (US)

Antennas Having Substrate Layers With Compound Curvature - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240186686 titled 'Antennas Having Substrate Layers With Compound Curvature

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a head-mounted device with optical modules providing images to eye boxes, a forward-facing display covered with a transparent housing portion, and an antenna mounted in the device. The antenna is overlapped by a curved portion of the display cover layer, which is formed by contouring a flexible printed circuit into a shape with compound curvature.

  • Optical modules provide images to eye boxes located rearward of the head-mounted device
  • Forward-facing display covered with a transparent housing portion forming a display cover layer
  • Antenna mounted in the device, overlapped by a curved portion of the display cover layer
  • Flexible printed circuit contoured into a shape with compound curvature
  • Metal trace between polymer layers in the contoured flexible printed circuit
  • Neutral stress plane aligned with the metal trace

Potential Applications

This technology could be applied in virtual reality headsets, augmented reality devices, and other wearable display systems.

Problems Solved

The technology solves the problem of integrating antennas into head-mounted devices without compromising performance or aesthetics.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include improved signal reception, enhanced design flexibility, and increased user comfort.

Potential Commercial Applications

Potential commercial applications of this technology include consumer electronics, gaming devices, and professional training tools.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art could be the integration of antennas in wearable devices, but the specific implementation described in the patent application appears to be novel.

Unanswered Questions

How does the compound curvature of the flexible printed circuit impact the overall performance of the device?

The compound curvature of the flexible printed circuit allows for better integration of the antenna and other components, but it is unclear how this affects the device's functionality and efficiency.

Are there any limitations to the design flexibility offered by the contoured flexible printed circuit?

While the contoured flexible printed circuit provides increased design flexibility, there may be limitations in terms of the complexity of shapes that can be achieved or the durability of the circuit over time.


Original Abstract Submitted

a head-mounted device may have a head-mounted housing that is configured to be worn on a head of a user. while the head-mounted device is being worn, optical modules in the head-mounted device may provide images to eye boxes located rearward of the head-mounted device. a forward-facing display on a front portion of the head-mounted device may be covered with a transparent housing portion forming a display cover layer. an antenna may be mounted in the device. a curved portion of the display cover layer or other dielectric housing layer may overlap the antenna. the antenna and/or other components may be formed by contouring a flexible printed circuit into a shape characterized by a surface with compound curvature. the contoured flexible printed circuit may have polymer layers and a metal trace between the polymer layers. a neutral stress plane may be aligned with the metal trace.