Apple Inc.

Michael D Trela

Carlo Di Nallo

Simone Paulotto

Matthew N Ettus

Adam H Bily

A communication terminal may include an array of antenna modules. Each module may include an array of radiators on a substrate and a radio-frequency lens overlapping the array. The lens may include a tapered base on the substrate and a curved portion on the tapered base. The tapered base and curved portions may be rotationally symmetric about a central axis of the lens. The curved portion may be hemispherical. The tapered base portion may be conical and may have a first radius at the hemispherical portion and a second radius that is less than the first radius at the substrate. At least one radiator in the array may be located beyond the first radius and within the second radius from the central axis. The lens may be formed from lattice having interleaved layers of dielectric segments separated by gaps to reduce the overall weight of the module.

Lens structure

A communication terminal may include control circuitry and an array of antenna modules. Each module may include radiators on a substrate, a lens overlapping the radiators, a transceiver chain, and switching circuitry. The control circuitry may control the switching circuitry to activate a set of one or more radiators in a given module. The control circuitry may control the transceiver chain in that module to convey signals at a selected phase using each of the active radiators. Each of the active radiators may convey the signals over signal beams oriented in different directions by the lens. The control circuitry may adjust the active radiators in each module and may adjust the selected phase for each of the modules to generate a combined signal beam in a desired direction. The combined signal beam may be generated using signals from the active radiators in two or more modules across the array.

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San Carlos, CA, United States of America

Michael D Trela