Antenna design for robust spanning header and spanning body links

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a metal structure or antenna radiator of an accessory that is configured to function as both an antenna and an input control. The device may be a wearable device having a first surface shaped to contact a human body and a second surface shaped to be exposed when the device is worn. The antenna radiator may be located inside the device housing and coupled to a printed circuit board ("PCB"). The PCB may be located between the antenna radiator and a surface of the housing so that the PCB may shield the antenna radiator from antenna losses caused by the human body. An electric field may extend between the PCB and the antenna radiator. Fringe electric fields may improve cross-head and cross-body connectivity between an accessory and another device.

Description

Background Art

[0001] A wearable device or accessory typically has an antenna that connects the accessory to a host device. In some cases, the antenna may also connect one accessory to another, such as when the accessory is a pair of earbud headphones. The accessory may also include a touchpad for receiving inputs, such as commands to increase / decrease playback volume, skip to the next song, answer a call, etc. Due to the typical small form factor of wearable devices, the touchpad and antenna may compete for space within the wearable device and may be positioned very close to each other. In some cases, the design may require more space in the accessory, making the accessory larger than necessary. Large accessories may be cumbersome or uncomfortable to wear and / or carry. In addition, the proximity of the antenna and touch input may cause connectivity issues between accessories and between the accessory and the host device. Summary of the invention

[0002] The present disclosure provides a wearable electronic device, comprising a housing shaped to be worn on a human body, wherein at least one first surface of the housing is shaped to contact the body and at least one second surface of the housing is shaped to be exposed when worn on the body; a printed circuit board ("PCB") located within the housing; and a metal structure located within the housing and configured as an antenna and an input control. The metal structure can be located at a distance from the PCB and oriented so that the metal structure is substantially parallel to the PCB. The metal structure can be coupled to the PCB via at least a first coupling member. The electric field between the PCB and the metal structure can extend in a direction transverse to a tangent to a longitudinal surface of the human body.

[0003] The first coupling element may be an antenna feed and a touch sensor input. The wearable device may also include a second coupling element configured as an antenna ground pin or an impedance tuning joint.

[0004] The metal structure may be located closer to at least one second surface of the housing than to at least one first surface of the housing. The metal structure may have a central region and a periphery, wherein the metal structure bends from the central region toward the PCB at the periphery. The input control may be a touch pad.

[0005] The PCB may be configured to shield the metal structure from the human body. The electric field may be configured to propagate around the human body. When the metal structure receives an input, the metal structure may be configured to detect a change in capacitance. The electronic device may be an earbud headset.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a device that includes a printed circuit board ("PCB") and a metal structure configured as both an antenna and an input control. The metal structure can be located at a distance from the PCB and oriented such that the metal structure is substantially parallel to the PCB. The metal structure can be coupled to the PCB via at least a first coupling member such that the metal structure is substantially parallel to the PCB. An electric field can extend between the PCB and the metal structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1A is a side perspective view of an example accessory according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0008] Figure 1B According to aspects of the present disclosure Figure 1A A top perspective view of an example accessory.

[0009] Figure 2 is an example electric field diagram according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example use of an accessory according to aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The disclosed technology may generally relate to a wearable device or accessory connected to a host device. The wearable device may be, for example, one or more earbuds, glasses, virtual reality (VR) headsets, motorcycle helmets, etc. Each accessory may have an antenna that connects the accessory to a host device such as a smart phone. The antenna may be located within the housing of the accessory. The accessory may also include input controls for receiving user commands, such as a touchpad or touch input. The antenna and touchpad may be combined or integrated so that the antenna and touchpad are one component within the accessory housing. In some examples, the combined antenna and touchpad may be referred to as an antenna radiator. The antenna radiator may function as both an antenna and a touchpad because the antenna and touchpad do not experience crosstalk even if they are combined into one element.

[0012] By combining the antenna and touchpad into one element, the antenna radiator can be larger within the housing of the accessory than each component would be if each component was independently placed within the housing. The combined antenna radiator can eliminate the need to create space for two separate components, namely the antenna and touchpad. Therefore, the overall size of the combined antenna and touchpad or antenna radiator can be expanded within the housing compared to an accessory having the antenna and touchpad as two separate components. The physical size of the antenna and touchpad may be directly related to the functional performance of the radio and touch sensor. Therefore, an increased side may be associated with increased performance. The antenna radiator may additionally or alternatively allow for a lower profile of the housing because the housing no longer needs to have space for two separate components. In some examples, the combined antenna radiator can enable two elements, the antenna and touchpad, to be co-located in their most preferred areas or locations within the device to maximize their respective performance.

[0013] The antenna radiator can be coupled to a printed circuit board ("PCB") within the housing of the accessory. The PCB can be located between the housing and the antenna radiator so that the PCB can act as a shield to prevent antenna losses. For example, antenna losses may occur when the antenna radiator contacts or comes close to contacting a human body. In particular, the human body acts as a dielectric that may degrade or weaken the antenna assembly. Therefore, by placing the PCB between the housing surface closest to where the accessory contacts the human body and the antenna radiator, the PCB can help prevent the antenna radiator from contacting the human body, thereby preventing antenna losses. According to some examples, the antenna radiator can be coupled to a battery or any grounded metal structure within accessory 100.

[0014] The antenna radiator can be coupled to the PCB through one or more contact points. One contact point can be used as both a feed for the antenna and as an input for the touch sensor. Other contacts can be used as antenna ground or impedance tuning stubs, which can be completely isolated from the touch sensing functionality. According to some examples, the contact point can be one or more spring clips. A first spring clip can be used as a connection for the antenna feed and input controls. A second spring clip can be used as an antenna ground.

[0015] Electromagnetic fields may extend or propagate between and / or around the PCB and the antenna radiator. Electromagnetic fields propagating around the PCB and the antenna radiator, as opposed to propagating directly between the PCB and the antenna radiator, may allow for enhanced coupling between accessories, such as when the accessory is a pair of earbud headphones. Additionally or alternatively, electric fields, also known as fringing electric fields, propagating around the PCB and the antenna radiator may allow for better coupling between the accessory and the host device.

[0016] Figure 1A and Figure 1BDifferent perspective views of an antenna radiator within a housing of accessory 100 are shown. As used herein, an accessory may be used to refer to any electronic device that is coupled to a host device or another accessory and is capable of receiving input from a user. Examples of accessories may include earbuds, smart watches, headphones, other wearable electronic devices, etc. Accessories may also include other electronic devices such as laptops, hubs, tablets, etc. However, Figure 1A and Figure 1B The accessory 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an earbud-type headphone, however, this is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting.

[0017] Accessory 100 may include housing 102, PCB 104, antenna radiator 106, and spring clips 108, 110. Antenna radiator 106 may be a combined antenna and touch pad. Thus, antenna radiator 106 may function as both an antenna and a touch pad. Accessory 100 may include additional components such as one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), memory (e.g., RAM and an internal hard drive) to store data and instructions, a display (e.g., a monitor with a screen, a touch screen, or other device such as a smart watch display operable to display information), and a user input device (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen, or a microphone).

[0018] The housing 102 can be shaped to be worn on a human body. For example, at least one first surface of the housing can be shaped to contact the body and at least one second surface of the housing can be shaped to be exposed when the accessory 100 is worn on the body. The first surface and the second surface can be opposite to each other. The housing 102 can house the internal components of the accessory 100. For example, within the housing 102 can be a PCB 104, an antenna radiator 106, spring clips 108, 110, and any additional components, as described above. As shown, a portion of the housing 102 is removed so that the internal components of the accessory 100 can be visible.

[0019] PCB 104 can be located within housing 102. In some examples, PCB 104 can be located closer to the first surface than the second surface of housing 102. That is, PCB 104 can be located closer to the human body than other components when accessory 100 is worn.

[0020] The positioning of antenna radiator 106 is important because the human body is a dielectric such that the human body may degrade or impair the operation of the antenna assembly. According to some examples, antenna radiator 106 may be located within housing 102 between PCB 104 and the second surface of housing 102. That is, antenna radiator 106 may be located closer to the second surface of housing 102, i.e., the exposed surface of PCB 104 when accessory 100 is worn on the body. In such an example, PCB 104 may shield or isolate antenna radiator 106 from the body such that antenna radiator 106 is subject to less loss from the body. Additionally or alternatively, antenna radiator 106 may be manufactured so that antenna radiator 106 is centered with PCB 104 and closer to the second surface of housing 102 than the first surface of housing 102 within housing 102. Thus, the functionality of the antenna and touch pad is more efficient and less susceptible to wearing conditions than accessories having antennas along the perimeter of the housing or accessories susceptible to placement on the human body.

[0021] For example, when accessory 100 is an earbud-style headset, antenna radiator 106 can be centrally located within housing 102, as shown, such that antenna radiator 106 does not come into contact with the human body. In some examples, antenna radiator 106, and therefore the antenna and touch pad, can have a maximum amount of clearance from the user's body within a given volume defined by housing 102 of accessory 100. The location of antenna radiator 106 can reduce dielectric loading effects from the human body, and therefore can reduce variability due to wear tolerance and rotation of the accessory.

[0022] like Figure 1A and 1B As shown, the antenna radiator 106 can be a solid structure having a circular shape. The structure can be a metal structure. The shape of the antenna radiator can change based on the shape of the accessory 100 and / or the housing 102. Therefore, the antenna radiator 106 can have a square, rectangular, oval, etc. shape and having a circular shape as shown is only an example and not limiting.

[0023] According to some examples, the antenna radiator 106 may have a portion of the structure cut away. The cut away may create a pattern in the antenna radiator 106. This may create a lighter and / or cheaper antenna radiator 106 without compromising the performance of the antenna radiator 106. Additionally or alternatively, the antenna pattern on the antenna radiator 106 may be made in a mesh form. The mesh form may reduce the touch capacitance of the antenna radiator 106 without sacrificing or reducing the antenna radiation performance.

[0024] Antenna radiator 106 can have a curvature. For example, antenna radiator can have a central region 112 and a perimeter 114. Antenna radiator 106 can bend at the perimeter from central region 112 toward PCB 104. The curvature of antenna radiator 106 can be convex. According to some examples, the curvature of antenna radiator 106 can correspond to or substantially follow the curvature of housing 102 of accessory 100. Thus, in some examples, antenna radiator 106 can be uncurved or antenna radiator 106 can have a concave curvature.

[0025] The size of the antenna radiator 106 can be designed so that the perimeter 114 of the antenna radiator 106 is located at a certain distance from the housing 102. That is, the antenna radiator 106 can have a size that is smaller than the opening in the housing 102 where the antenna radiator 106 is placed. The size of the antenna radiator 106 can reduce false touches by pulling away from the housing 102 of the accessory 100. Additionally or alternatively, the size of the antenna radiator 106 can provide minimal (if any) additional protrusion from the housing 102. In some examples, the size of the antenna radiator 106 can reduce sensitivity to finger gestures for inputs such as pause, play, etc.

[0026] The antenna radiator 106 can be coupled to the PCB 104 via at least one contact point, such as a spring clip 110. According to some examples, there may be two contact points, such as first and second spring clips 108, 110. Thus, both radio frequency ("RF") circuitry to the antenna and touch sensor circuitry for the touch pad can be connected to the antenna radiator 106. This can allow the antenna and touch pad to operate independently without crosstalking their respective signals. For example, the antenna RF signal may not affect or interfere with the touch sensor signal, and vice versa. The antenna radiator 106 can be coupled to the PCB 104 such that the antenna radiator 106 is substantially parallel to the PCB.

[0027] The first spring clip 110 can serve as an antenna feed and an input for the touch sensor. The accessory 100 can include a decoupling circuit to be implemented at the spring clip 110 so that the radio system and the touch sensor system function correctly and independently while sharing the same metal structure 106. Combining the antenna feed with the circuit for receiving the input signal into one spring clip 110 can increase the efficiency of the accessory 100. In addition, since one component, the spring clip 108, can have two functions, namely, antenna grounding and circuitry for receiving signals indicative of touch input, the overall manufacturing cost can be reduced. The second spring clip 108 can be used as an antenna ground pin or an impedance tuning tap. A capacitor with a calculated capacitance value can be implemented on the spring clip 108 to prevent the touch input signal from shorting to ground.

[0028] Figure 2An example of an electric field extending between a PCB and an antenna radiator is shown. An electric field 220 may extend between PCB 204 and antenna radiator 206. The portion of the electric field that remains between PCB 204 and antenna radiator 206 may be a vertical electric field 224 and the portion of the electric field 220 that extends beyond or outside of PCB 204 and antenna radiator 206 may be a fringing electric field 222.

[0029] The antenna radiators described herein can reduce electromagnetic field concentration compared to conventional monopole antennas. For example, the opening of the antenna carries the strongest electric field of the antenna responsible for radiation. The antenna opening of the planar antenna radiator described herein can be wider than the antenna opening of a conventional monopole antenna. This can eliminate concentration of the antenna electric field, thereby helping to reduce variations caused by loading effects of human tissue, which may be a high dielectric constant material.

[0030] The vertical electric field 224 may extend between the PCB 204 and the antenna radiator 206. The vertical electric field 224 may maximize surface waves propagating along the surface of the antenna radiator 206. As the surface waves are maximized, the sensitivity of the cross-head and cross-body linkages may increase. A cross-head linkage may occur between two earbuds, such as left and right earbuds. A cross-body linkage may occur between left and right earbuds and a host device, such as a smartphone.

[0031] When the accessory is in use, the vertical electric field 224 may not be vertical. For example, when the accessory is an earbud headphone, the vertical electric field 224 may be perpendicular to a tangential vertical surface of the human body. In particular, the vertical electric field 224 may be perpendicular to a tangential vertical surface of the user's ear or cheek. Therefore, when the accessory is worn, the vertical electric field 224 may be horizontal, or at any other angle.

[0032] The fringe electric field 222 may propagate outward from the edge of the PCB 204 and / or radiate to the edge of the antenna radiator 206. As the fringe electric field 222 radiates from the PCB 204 to the antenna radiator 206, the strength of the fringe electric field 222 may decrease as the distance away from the PCB 204 and the antenna radiator 206 increases. The fringe electric field 222 may allow for connectivity and / or increased connectivity between accessories and / or between accessories and a host device. For example, when the accessory is an earbud pair, the fringe electric field 222 from the right earbud may propagate around the user's head and be used to connect the right earbud to the left earbud. Additionally or alternatively, the fringe electric field 222 from the left earbud may propagate around the user's head and be used to connect the left earbud to the right earbud. In some examples, the fringe electric field 222 from the accessory may propagate and be used to connect the accessory to the host device. In such an example, the fringe electric field 222 from the earbud pair may propagate around the user and be used to connect to the host device, which may be a smartphone in the user's hand.

[0033] Figure 3 An example of a fringe electric field propagating around a user's head is shown. A user 330 may wear a right earbud 300a and a left earbud 300b. A fringe electric field 322 of the right earbud 300a may propagate around the right earbud 300a and the user 330. Although not shown, the left earbud 300b may have a fringe electric field propagating around the left earbud 300b and the user 330.

[0034] The propagation of the fringe electric field 322 can increase connectivity between the right earbud 300a and the left earbud 300b and / or between the right earbud 300a and a host device (not shown). In particular, the propagation of the fringe electric field 322 around and / or through the human body can be stronger than the electric field from the monopole antenna at locations away from the accessories. The increased strength of the fringe electric field 322 can increase connectivity across the head connection between the right earbud 300a and the left earbud 300b and across the body connection between the right earbud 300a and the host device (not shown).

[0035] The size, shape, and placement of the antenna radiators described herein can provide a better experience for the user when interacting with an accessory that houses the antenna radiator. In particular, by combining the functionality of the antenna and touchpad into one element, the overall size of the accessory can be reduced and / or there may be few protrusions extending from the accessory because only one component needs to be reserved instead of two components. In addition, by combining the functionality of the antenna and touchpad into one element, the antenna radiator allows the size of the antenna and touchpad to be increased within the device housing. According to some examples, combining the functionality of the antenna and touchpad into one element can allow the two components to be co-located in their optimal performance-benefitting positions. This can improve antenna efficiency by increasing the antenna aperture and / or volume.

[0036] Placing the antenna radiator inside the accessory's housing can reduce the frequency loading effect from the user's body. Additionally, internal placement of the antenna radiator can reduce the likelihood that the antenna radiator will come into contact with the human body, preventing the human body from weakening the antenna assembly.

[0037] Unless otherwise stated, the above alternative examples are not mutually exclusive, but may be implemented in various combinations to achieve unique advantages. Since these and other variations and combinations of the features discussed above can be utilized without departing from the subject matter defined by the claims, the foregoing description of the embodiments should be understood by way of illustration rather than by limitation of the subject matter defined by the claims. In addition, the provision of the embodiments described herein and the terms expressed as "such as", "including", etc. should not be interpreted as limiting the subject matter of the claims to specific embodiments; on the contrary, these examples are intended to illustrate only one of many possible embodiments. In addition, the same reference numerals in different figures may identify the same or similar elements.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic device, comprising: a housing shaped to be worn on a human body, wherein at least one first surface of the housing is shaped to contact the human body and at least one second surface of the housing is shaped to be exposed when worn on the human body; a printed circuit board PCB located within the housing; and a metal structure located within the housing and configured as both an antenna and an input control, Wherein, the input control is a touch pad, wherein the metal structure is located at a distance from the PCB and is oriented such that the metal structure is substantially parallel to the PCB, wherein the metal structure is coupled to the PCB via at least a first coupling member, and wherein the electric field is configured to extend between the PCB and the metal structure, and Wherein, when the housing is worn on the human body, the electric field extends in a direction transverse to a tangent line of a longitudinal surface of the human body.

2. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The first coupling is the antenna feed and touch sensor input.

3. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a second coupling member configured as an antenna ground pin or an impedance tuning joint.

4. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The metal structure is located closer to the at least one second surface of the housing than to the at least one first surface of the housing.

5. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The metal structure has a central region and a perimeter, wherein the metal structure bends from the central region toward the PCB at the perimeter.

6. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The PCB is configured to shield the metal structure from the human body.

7. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The electric field is configured to propagate around the human body.

8. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The metal structure is configured to detect a change in capacitance when the metal structure receives an input.

9. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The wearable electronic device is an earbud-type headset.

10. A device comprising: Printed circuit board PCB; and a metal structure configured as both an antenna and an input control, Wherein, the input control is a touch pad, wherein the metal structure is located at a distance from the PCB and is oriented such that the metal structure is substantially parallel to the PCB, wherein the metal structure is coupled to the PCB via at least a first coupling member so that the metal structure is substantially parallel to the PCB, wherein the electric field is configured to extend between the PCB and the metal structure, and The device is configured to be worn on a human body, wherein the electric field extends in a direction transverse to a tangent to a longitudinal surface of the human body when the device is worn on the human body.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein: The first coupling is the antenna feed and touch sensor input.

12. The device of claim 10, further comprising a second coupling member configured as an antenna pin or an impedance tuning tap.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The metal structure has a central region and a perimeter, wherein the metal structure bends from the central region toward the PCB at the perimeter.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The PCB is configured to shield the metal structure from a human body.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The electric field is configured to propagate around the human body.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The metal structure is configured to detect a change in capacitance when the metal structure receives an input.

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