Wearable Computing Devices

Abstract

A wearable computing device is provided. The wearable computing device includes a conductive housing and a printed circuit board at least partially disposed within the conductive housing. The wearable computing device further includes a slot antenna defined by a gap between the conductive housing and the printed circuit board. The wearable computing device includes a display screen electrically connected to the printed circuit board. The wearable computing device includes a cover disposed over the display screen. The cover includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The wearable computing device includes a biosensor electrode disposed partially on the top surface of the cover. The biosensor electrode at least partially covers an outer periphery of the cover.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Field The present disclosure relates generally to wearable computing devices and, more particularly, to a wearable computing device having a biosensor electrode disposed partially on a top surface of a cover of a display screen of the wearable computing device. [Background technology]

[0002] background A wearable computing device (e.g., a wristwatch) may include a display screen for displaying information (e.g., time, date, etc.) to a user. A wearable computing device may include one or more antennas and transceivers. Thus, the wearable computing device may communicate with other devices (e.g., a smartphone). The wearable computing device may collect data regarding activities performed by a user or data regarding the physiological state of the user. Such data may include data indicative of the user's surrounding environment or the user's interaction with the surrounding environment. For example, the data may include athletic data and / or physiological data regarding the user's exercise obtained by measuring various physiological characteristics of the user, such as heart rate, sweat level, etc. Summary of the Invention

[0003] overview Aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description that follows, or may be learned from the description, or may be learned by practice of the embodiments.

[0004] In one aspect, a wearable computing device is provided. The wearable computing device includes a conductive housing and a printed circuit board at least partially disposed within the conductive housing. The wearable computing device further includes a slot antenna defined by a gap between the conductive housing and the printed circuit board. The wearable computing device includes a display screen electrically connected to the printed circuit board. The wearable computing device includes a cover disposed over the display screen. The cover includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The wearable computing device includes a biosensor electrode partially disposed on the top surface of the cover. The biosensor at least partially covers an outer periphery of the cover.

[0005] In some implementations, the biosensor electrode has a sheet resistance such that the biosensor electrode is at least partially radio frequency transparent at frequencies at which the slot antenna is operable, hi some implementations, the sheet resistance is about 3000 Ω / square for frequencies at which the slot antenna is operable.

[0006] In some implementations, the biosensor electrode has a sheet resistance such that the biosensor electrode supports high frequency current to load the slot antenna at frequencies at which the slot antenna is operable, hi some implementations, the sheet resistance is less than about 200 Ω / square for frequencies at which the slot antenna is operable.

[0007] In some implementations, a gap is defined between the active display area of ​​the display screen and the biosensor electrode, for example, in some implementations, the width of the gap ranges from about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm.

[0008] In some implementations, the cover comprises an optically transparent material, for example, in some embodiments, the optically transparent material comprises a glass material.

[0009] In some implementations, the wearable computing device includes electrical contacts disposed on a bottom surface of the cover, and the biosensor electrodes are in contact with the electrical contacts disposed on the bottom surface of the cover.

[0010] In some implementations, at least a portion of the biosensor electrode includes a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating. For example, in some implementations, the portion of the biosensor electrode includes at least a first portion disposed on a top surface of the cover or a second portion disposed on a bottom surface of the cover.

[0011] In some implementations, the top surface of the cover and the bottom surface of the cover are flat, and in some implementations, the periphery of the cover includes a curved surface.

[0012] In another aspect, a wearable computing device is provided. The wearable computing device includes a conductive housing and a printed circuit board at least partially disposed within the conductive housing. The wearable computing device further includes a slot antenna defined by a gap between the conductive housing and the printed circuit board. The wearable computing device includes a display screen electrically connected to the printed circuit board. The wearable computing device includes a cover disposed over the display screen. The cover includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The wearable computing device includes a first biosensor electrode and a second biosensor electrode. The first biosensor electrode and the second biosensor electrode are each partially disposed on the top surface of the cover so as to be spaced apart from one another. The first biosensor electrode covers a first portion of an outer periphery of the cover. The second biosensor electrode covers a second portion of an outer periphery of the cover. Additionally, the first biosensor electrode has a sheet resistance such that the first biosensor electrode is at least partially radio frequency transparent at frequencies at which the slot antenna is operable.

[0013] In yet another aspect, a wearable computing device is provided. The wearable computing device includes a conductive housing and a printed circuit board at least partially disposed within the conductive housing. The wearable computing device further includes a slot antenna defined by a gap between the conductive housing and the printed circuit board. The wearable computing device includes a display screen electrically connected to the printed circuit board. The wearable computing device includes a cover disposed on the display screen. The cover includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The wearable computing device includes a first biosensor electrode and a second biosensor electrode. The first biosensor electrode and the second biosensor electrode are each partially disposed on the top surface of the cover so as to be spaced apart from each other. The first biosensor electrode covers a first portion of an outer periphery of the cover. The second biosensor electrode covers a second portion of an outer periphery of the cover. Furthermore, the first biosensor electrode has a sheet resistance such that the first biosensor electrode supports a high frequency current to load the slot antenna at a frequency at which the slot antenna is operable.

[0014] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the description explain associated principles.

[0015] A detailed discussion of embodiments directed to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a wearable computing device in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2]FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustrating a wearable computing device in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a wearable computing device according to some implementations of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] A diagram showing a slot antenna defined by a gap between a conductive housing of a wearable computing device and a printed circuit board of the wearable computing device, according to some implementations of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating a portion of a wearable computing device in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. [Figure 6A] A side view showing a display screen cover having a first biosensor electrode partially disposed on a top surface of the cover and at least partially covering an outer periphery of the cover, according to some implementations of the present disclosure. [Figure 6B] A side view showing a display screen cover having a second biosensor electrode partially disposed on the top surface of the cover and at least partially covering the outer periphery of the cover, according to some implementations of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a top view illustrating a wearable computing device in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a top view of the wearable computing device of FIG. 7 with the cover, belt, and housing removed, according to some implementations of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a bottom view illustrating a cover of a wearable computing device according to some implementations of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Detailed Description Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, including one or more examples illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided to illustrate, not limit, the invention. Indeed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. It is therefore intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0018] An exemplary aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wearable computing device that can be worn on a user's wrist. The wearable computing device can include a slot antenna defined by a gap (e.g., about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm) between a conductive housing (e.g., a metal housing) of the wearable computing device and a printed circuit board of the wearable computing device. The wearable computing device can further include a display screen. The display screen can thus display information (e.g., time, date) that is viewable to a user. The wearable computing device can include a cover disposed on a top surface of the display screen to protect the display screen from scratches. The cover may be optically transparent to allow a user to view information displayed on the display screen. As described below, the wearable computing device can include one or more biosensor electrodes disposed on the cover.

[0019] The one or more biosensor electrodes may be partially disposed on a portion of the top surface of the cover. Also, the one or more biosensor electrodes may at least partially cover the outer periphery (e.g., edge) of the cover to contact one or more electrical contacts disposed on the bottom surface of the cover. Thus, the one or more biosensor electrodes may hide from view a portion of an area (e.g., a dead band) surrounding an active area of ​​the display screen. The area surrounding an active area of ​​the display screen may be referred to as a "dead band" of the display screen. Furthermore, because the one or more biosensor electrodes may be used to hide from view at least a portion of the dead band of the display screen, there is no need to place a separate decorative element (e.g., a bezel) to cover a portion of the display screen to provide a visual improvement.

[0020] However, disposing one or more biosensor electrodes on the cover may degrade the performance of the slot antenna. For example, the one or more biosensor electrodes may interfere with or degrade a radiation pattern associated with the slot antenna and / or the radiation efficiency of the slot antenna. As described below, the one or more biosensor electrodes may be configured to reduce or eliminate degradation of the performance of the slot antenna due to disposing the one or more biosensor electrodes on the cover.

[0021] In some implementations, at least a portion of the one or more biosensor electrodes can have a first sheet resistance such that the one or more biosensor electrodes are radio frequency transparent for a frequency range in which the slot antenna is operable. In some implementations, the radio frequency transparency of at least a portion of the one or more biosensor electrodes can be at least 80% or at least 90% (i.e., a transmission coefficient of at least 0.8 or at least 0.9) for a frequency range in which the slot antenna is operable. For example, the first sheet resistance can include any sheet resistance value greater than 2000 Ω / square for a frequency range in which the slot antenna is operable (e.g., from about 0.6 GHz to about 10 GHz). Thus, because the one or more biosensor electrodes are at least partially radio frequency transparent for a frequency range in which the slot antenna is operable, degradation of the performance of the slot antenna over that frequency range due to placing the one or more biosensor electrodes on a cover can be reduced or eliminated.

[0022] In some implementations, the one or more biosensor electrodes can have a second sheet resistance value less than the first sheet resistance value such that the one or more biosensor electrodes can support high frequency currents to load the slot antenna for a frequency range in which the slot antenna is operable. For example, the second sheet resistance value can be less than about 200 Ω / square for a frequency range. Thus, the one or more biosensor electrodes can support high frequency currents to load the slot antenna for a frequency range in which the slot antenna is operable, thereby reducing or eliminating degradation of the performance of the slot antenna over that frequency range due to placing the one or more biosensor electrodes on the cover. In some implementations, the second sheet resistance value can be less than about 100 Ω / square. For example, the second sheet resistance value can be in a range from about 20 Ω / square to about 40 Ω / square.

[0023] In some implementations, at least a portion of the one or more biosensors may include a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating. In such implementations, a thickness of the conductive material of the one or more biosensor electrodes may be limited, at least in part, by the PVD coating. Also, in such implementations, a sheet resistance of the one or more biosensor electrodes may be limited, at least in part, by a thickness of the conductive material of the one or more biosensor electrodes that is limited by the PVD coating process. More specifically, a magnitude of the sheet resistance of the one or more biosensor electrodes may be limited.

[0024] A wearable computing device according to exemplary aspects of the present disclosure can provide many technical effects and advantages. For example, locating one or more biosensor electrodes on a top surface of a cover (e.g., glass) of a display screen eliminates the need to place a separate element (e.g., a bezel) to cover a dead zone of the display screen. Furthermore, locating one or more biosensor electrodes on a top surface of the cover can enable on-demand biometric measurements (e.g., electrocardiogram, skin potential, etc.) of a user wearing the wearable computing device. Furthermore, the one or more biosensor electrodes may be configured to reduce or eliminate interference with a radiation pattern associated with a slot antenna of the wearable computing device in a frequency band associated with the communication and functionality of the wearable computing device. For example, in some implementations, the sheet resistance of the one or more biosensor electrodes may be configured such that the one or more biosensor electrodes are radio frequency transparent to the associated frequency band. In alternative implementations, the sheet resistance of the one or more biosensor electrodes may be configured to support high frequency currents for the associated frequency band of the one or more biosensor electrodes.

[0025] 1 and 2 show a wearable computing device 100 according to some implementations of the present disclosure. As shown, the wearable computing device 100 may be worn, for example, on a user's arm 102 (e.g., wrist). For example, the wearable computing device 100 may include a belt 104 and a conductive housing 110. It should be noted that the conductive housing 110 may include any suitable conductive material (e.g., metal).

[0026] The conductive housing 110 can be connected to the belt 104. Thus, by fastening the belt 104 to the user's arm 102, the conductive housing 110 can be fastened to the user's arm 102. The conductive housing 110 can also define a cavity 111 for housing one or more electronic elements of the wearable computing device 100 (e.g., disposed on a printed circuit board).

[0027] The wearable computing device 100 may include a display screen 112. The display screen 112 may display information (e.g., time, date, biometrics) visible to a user. In some implementations, the display screen 112 may include an interactive display screen (e.g., a touch screen or a non-touch screen). In such implementations, a user may control the operation of the wearable computing device 100 by interacting with the wearable computing device 100 via the display screen 112.

[0028] In some implementations, the wearable computing device 100 may include one or more input elements 114 that may be manipulated (e.g., pressed) by a user to interact with the wearable computing device 100. For example, the one or more input elements 114 may include mechanical buttons that may be manipulated (e.g., pressed) to interact with the wearable computing device 100. In some implementations, the one or more input elements 114 may be manipulated to control the operation of a backlight (not shown) associated with the display screen 112. However, the one or more input elements 114 may be configured to enable a user to interact with the wearable computing device 100 in any suitable manner. For example, in some implementations, the one or more input elements 114 may be manipulated by a user to navigate through information displayed on the display screen 112 (e.g., one or more menu screens).

[0029] The wearable computing device 100 may include a cover 116 disposed on the conductive housing 110. The cover 116 is disposed on a top surface of the display screen 112. In this manner, the cover 116 may protect the display screen 112 from damage (e.g., scratches). In some implementations, the wearable computing device 100 may include a seal (not shown) disposed between the cover 116 and the conductive housing 110. For example, a first surface of the seal may contact the cover 116 and a second surface of the seal may contact the conductive housing 110. Thus, the seal between the conductive housing 110 and the cover 116 may prevent liquid (e.g., water) from entering the cavity 111 of the conductive housing 110.

[0030] The cover 116 may be optically transparent to allow a user to view information displayed on the display screen 112. For example, in some implementations, the cover 116 may include a glass material. However, the cover 116 may include any suitable optically transparent material.

[0031] The cover 116 may be sized to cover the top surface 113 of the display screen 112. The wearable computing device 100 may also include one or more (only one shown) biosensor electrodes 118 partially disposed on a portion of the top surface 117 of the cover 116. More specifically, the portion of the top surface 117 may include an outermost portion (e.g., an outer periphery) of the top surface 117. Thus, the one or more biosensor electrodes 118 may eliminate the need for a separate element, such as a bezel, to frame the display screen 112. Furthermore, because the one or more biosensor electrodes 118 are disposed on the top surface 117 of the cover 116, a user may make on-demand biometric measurements (e.g., electrocardiogram, skin potential, etc.) by contacting (e.g., touching) the one or more biosensor electrodes 118.

[0032] 3, a cross-sectional view of a wearable computing device 100 is shown in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. As shown, the wearable computing device 100 may include a printed circuit board 200 disposed at least partially within a cavity 111 defined by a conductive housing 110. It should be noted that in some implementations, the display screen 112 (FIG. 2) may be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 200 via a flexible printed circuit. Details of the printed circuit board 200 are described below.

[0033] 4 , the printed circuit board 200 can be positioned relative to the conductive housing 110 such that a gap 300 is defined between the conductive housing 110 and the printed circuit board 200. More specifically, the gap 300 can extend from an inner surface of the conductive housing 110 to the periphery (e.g., an edge) of the printed circuit board 200. Further, in some implementations, the gap 300 may extend along the entire periphery of the printed circuit board 200. In other words, in some examples, the edge of the printed circuit board 200 does not contact (e.g., does not touch) the conductive housing 110.

[0034] In some implementations, the width 302 of the gap 300 defined between the conductive housing 110 and the printed circuit board 200 may range from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm. Alternatively or additionally, in some implementations, the width 302 of the gap 300 may vary along the perimeter of the printed circuit board 200. For example, the width 302 of the gap 300 between the conductive housing 110 and the printed circuit board 200 at a first portion of the perimeter of the printed circuit board 200 may be different (e.g., wider, narrower) than the width 302 of the gap 300 between the conductive housing 110 and the printed circuit board 200 at a second portion of the perimeter of the printed circuit board 200.

[0035] In some implementations, the periphery of the printed circuit board 200 may include a copper-free or ungrounded region 206. Note that the ungrounded region 206 may include an area of ​​the printed circuit board 200 where electronic components (e.g., resistors, capacitors, etc.) cannot be placed. In some implementations, the width 208 of the ungrounded region 206 of the printed circuit board 200 may range from 0.1 mm to about 2 mm. In alternative implementations, the printed circuit board 200 may not include the ungrounded region 206. As described below, the ungrounded region 206 may function as an electrical gap.

[0036] In some implementations, the slot antenna 400 (shown by the dashed line) may be defined by a gap 300 between the conductive housing 110 and the printed circuit board 200. Also, in some implementations, the slot antenna 400 may be further defined by an electrical gap that spans the width 208 of the ungrounded region 206 of the printed circuit board 200. In such implementations, the width of the slot antenna 400 may span the width 302 of the gap 300 and the width 208 of the ungrounded region 206 of the printed circuit board 200. For example, in some implementations, the width of the slot antenna 400 may range from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm.

[0037] The slot antenna 400 may be operable in a number of different frequency bands. For example, the slot antenna 400 may be operable in one or more Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) frequency bands. In some implementations, the one or more GNSS frequency bands may include one or more GPS frequency bands. The one or more GPS frequency bands may include at least one of a first GPS frequency band in a range of about 1164 MHz (megahertz) to about 1189 MHz, a second GPS frequency band in a range of about 1563 MHz to about 1587 MHz, and a third GPS frequency band in a range of about 1215 MHz to about 1240 MHz. The slot antenna 400 may also be configured to radiate in one or more frequency bands associated with cellular communications (e.g., 4G, 5G) or wireless local area communications in addition to the one or more GPS frequency bands. It is noted that the slot antenna 400 may be operable in a frequency band associated with any suitable communication standard.

[0038] In some implementations, the slot antenna 400 may include a first ground contact 402 and a second ground contact 404. The first ground contact 402 may be connected between the conductive housing 110 and a first location on the periphery (e.g., the ungrounded area 206) of the printed circuit board 200. Meanwhile, the second ground contact 404 may be connected between the conductive housing 110 and a second location on the periphery (e.g., the ungrounded area 206) of the printed circuit board 200. In some implementations, the first location and the second location may correspond to opposite sides of the printed circuit board 200. It should be noted that the first ground contact 402 and the second ground contact 404 may be connected to any suitable location on the periphery of the printed circuit board 200 to adjust the length of the slot antenna 400. For example, the first ground contact 402 and the second ground contact 404 may be disposed close to each other to shorten the slot antenna 400. Alternatively, the first ground contact 402 and the second ground contact 404 may be positioned to lengthen the slot antenna 400 .

[0039] In some implementations, the wearable computing device 100 can include a shielding can 210. As shown, the shielding can 210 can be disposed on a top surface of a portion of a printed circuit board 200. For example, the shielding can 210 can be disposed on a top surface of a portion of a printed circuit board 200 that includes one or more electrical circuits disposed on the printed circuit board 200. Thus, the shielding can 210 can electrically shield the one or more electrical circuits from electromagnetic interference (EMI).

[0040] 5, 6A, 6B, and 7-9, one or more biosensor electrodes 118 of wearable computing device 100 (FIG. 1) may include a first biosensor electrode 500 and a second biosensor electrode 510. In alternative implementations, wearable computing device 100 may include three or more biosensor electrodes.

[0041] As shown, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 may be disposed on the top surface 117 of the cover 116. For example, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 may each be disposed partially on a portion of the top surface 117 of the cover 116. More specifically, the portion of the top surface 117 may include an outermost portion (e.g., an outer periphery) of the top surface 117. Thus, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 may eliminate the need for a separate element, such as a bezel, to frame the display screen 112.

[0042] The first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 can cover at least a portion (e.g., a dead zone) of an area of ​​the display screen 112 surrounding the active display area 600 of the display screen 112. More specifically, the area at least partially covered by the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 can extend from an edge 610 of the active display area 600 to the perimeter 119 of the cover 116.

[0043] In some implementations, a gap 620 may be defined between an edge 610 of the active display area 600 and the biosensor electrodes (e.g., the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510). For example, in some implementations, the width of the gap 620 may range from about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm. Note that the slot antenna 400 (FIG. 4) can radiate through the gap 620. As described in more detail below, the width of the gap 620 can vary depending on the sheet resistance of the biosensor electrodes (e.g., the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510).

[0044] Additionally, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 may be disposed on the top surface 117 of the cover 116 to enable on-demand biometric measurements (e.g., electrocardiogram, skin potential, etc.) of a user wearing the wearable computing device 100. For example, in some implementations, a user may obtain an on-demand electrocardiogram reading by contacting (e.g., touching) the first biosensor electrode 500. Alternatively or additionally, a user may obtain an on-demand skin potential reading by contacting (e.g., touching) both the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510.

[0045] In some implementations, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 may be spaced apart from each other on the top surface 117 of the cover 116. For example, the first gap 520 may be defined between the first end 502 of the first biosensor electrode 500 and the first end 512 of the second biosensor electrode 510. Also, the second gap 522 may be defined between the second end 504 of the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second end 514 of the second biosensor electrode 510. In some implementations, the width of the first gap 520 and the width of the second gap 522 may be the same. For example, in some implementations, the width of the first gap 520 and the width of the second gap 522 may range from about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm. In alternative implementations, the width of the first gap 520 can be different (e.g., narrower, wider) than the width of the second gap 522.

[0046] The first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 can each at least partially cover the periphery 119 of the cover 116 to contact (e.g., touch) one or more electrical contacts on the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116. For example, in some implementations, the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116 can include a first electrical contact 700 and a second electrical contact 710. In such implementations, the first biosensor electrode 500 can cover a first portion of the periphery 119 of the cover 116 to contact the first electrical contact 700 on the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116. Also, the second biosensor electrode 510 can cover a second portion of the periphery 119 of the cover 116 to contact the second electrical contact 710 on the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116.

[0047] It should be noted that the second portion of the perimeter 119 of the cover 116 is different from the first portion of the perimeter 119 of the cover 116. For example, in some implementations, the first portion of the perimeter 119 may correspond to the top half of the cover 116. In such implementations, the second portion of the perimeter 119 may correspond to the bottom half of the cover 116. It should be noted that in some implementations, the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116 may include more electrical contacts. For example, in some implementations, the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116 may include multiple electrical contacts that may be connected by the first biosensor electrode 500. Alternatively or additionally, the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116 may include multiple electrical contacts that may be connected by the second biosensor electrode 510.

[0048] In some implementations, the top surface 117 of the cover 116 and the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116 may each be a substantially flat surface. Alternatively or additionally, the perimeter 119 of the cover 116 may be curved. The cover 116 may have any suitable shape. In some implementations, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 may be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 200 via a flexible printed circuit. For example, in some embodiments, the flexible printed circuit may be connected between the printed circuit board 200 and one or more electrical contacts (e.g., the first electrical contact 700, the second electrical contact 710) on the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116. Thus, a signal related to the biometric measurement may be transmitted to one or more circuits on the printed circuit board 200 via the flexible printed circuit.

[0049] In some implementations, at least a portion of at least one of the first biosensor electrode 500 or the second biosensor electrode 510 may include a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating. For example, in some implementations, the first PVD coating may cover at least a portion of the first biosensor electrode 500 disposed on the top surface 117 of the cover 116. Alternatively or additionally, the first PVD coating may cover at least a portion of the first biosensor electrode 500 disposed on the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116. It should be noted that the first PVD coating may cover any portion of the first biosensor electrode 500. For example, in some implementations, the first PVD coating may completely cover the first biosensor electrode 500.

[0050] In some implementations, the second PVD coating can cover at least a portion of the second biosensor electrode 510 disposed on the top surface 117 of the cover 116. Alternatively or additionally, the second PVD coating can cover at least a portion of the second biosensor electrode 510 disposed on the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116. It should be noted that the second PVD coating can cover any portion of the second biosensor electrode 510. For example, in some implementations, the second PVD coating can cover at least a portion of the second biosensor electrode 510 disposed on the bottom surface 121 of the cover 116. 2 The PVD coating can completely cover the second biosensor electrode 510 .

[0051] It should be noted that locating the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 on the cover 116 may degrade the performance of the slot antenna 400 ( FIG. 4 ). For example, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 may obstruct or degrade the radiation pattern of the slot antenna 400. As described below, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 may be configured to reduce or eliminate degradation in performance of the slot antenna 400 due to locating the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 on the cover 116.

[0052] In some implementations, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 can each have a first sheet resistance such that at least one of the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 is each radio frequency transparent for a frequency range in which the slot antenna 400 ( FIG. 4 ) is operable. For example, in some implementations, the first sheet resistance can have any sheet resistance greater than about 2000 Ω / square for a frequency range in which the slot antenna 400 ( FIG. 4 ) is operable (e.g., from about 1 GHz to about 3 GHz). Thus, because the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 are each radio frequency transparent for a frequency range in which the slot antenna 400 is operable, degradation of the performance of the slot antenna 400 over a frequency range due to disposing the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 on the cover 116 can be reduced or eliminated.

[0053] In some implementations, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 can each have a second sheet resistance value that is less than the first sheet resistance value. Thus, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 can support high frequency currents to load the slot antenna 400 ( FIG. 4 ) over a frequency range in which the slot antenna 400 is operable. More specifically, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 can support high frequency currents to load the slot antenna 400 without causing losses associated with radiation of the slot antenna 400. For example, in some implementations, the second sheet resistance value can be less than about 200 Ω / square for a frequency range in which the slot antenna 400 is operable. Thus, the first biosensor electrode 500 and the second biosensor electrode 510 each support high frequency currents to load the slot antenna 400 over the frequency range in which the slot antenna 400 is operable, thereby reducing or eliminating degradation of the performance of the slot antenna over the frequency range due to placement of one or more biosensor electrodes on the cover. In some embodiments, the second sheet resistance value may be less than 100 Ω / sq, for example, from about 20 Ω / sq to about 40 Ω / sq.

[0054] The width of the gap 620 in implementations in which the first and second biosensor electrodes 500, 510 each have a second sheet resistance value that supports high frequency current to load the slot antenna 400 is greater than the width of the gap 620 in implementations in which the first and second biosensor electrodes 500, 510 each have a first resistance value that is at least partially radio frequency transparent. For example, in some implementations, the width of the gap 620 should be greater than 1 mm to reduce or eliminate the possibility that the first and second biosensor electrodes 500, 510 will interfere with the radiation pattern associated with the slot antenna 400 ( FIG. 4 ).

[0055] Although the subject matter of the present disclosure has been described in detail with respect to various specific exemplary embodiments, each example is provided for the purpose of explanation and is not a limitation of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art, upon understanding the above description, can easily make modifications, variations, and equivalents to these embodiments. Thus, the present disclosure does not exclude the inclusion of modifications, variations, and / or additions to the subject matter of the present disclosure, as would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to produce yet another embodiment. Thus, the present disclosure is intended to encompass such modifications, variations, and equivalents.

Claims

1. 1. A wearable computing device, comprising: A conductive housing; a printed circuit board at least partially disposed within the conductive housing; a slot antenna defined by a first gap between the conductive housing and the printed circuit board; a display screen electrically connected to the printed circuit board; a cover disposed on the display screen, the cover including a top surface and a bottom surface; a biosensor electrode disposed partially on the top surface of the cover, the biosensor electrode at least partially covering an outer periphery of the cover; A wearable computing device, wherein the biosensor electrode has a sheet resistance such that the biosensor electrode supports high frequency current to load the slot antenna at a frequency at which the slot antenna is operable.

2. 2. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein the sheet resistance is less than 200 ohms / square for the frequency at which the slot antenna is operable.

3. A wearable computing device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the frequency is in the range of 0.6 GHz to 10 GHz.

4. A wearable computing device, comprising: A conductive housing; a printed circuit board at least partially disposed within the conductive housing; a slot antenna defined by a first gap between the conductive housing and the printed circuit board; a display screen electrically connected to the printed circuit board; a cover disposed on the display screen, the cover including a top surface and a bottom surface; a biosensor electrode disposed partially on the top surface of the cover, the biosensor electrode at least partially covering an outer periphery of the cover; further comprising electrical contacts disposed on the bottom surface of the cover; The biosensor electrodes are in contact with the electrical contacts.

5. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein a second gap is defined between the biosensor electrode and an active display area of ​​the display screen.

6. The wearable computing device of claim 5 , wherein the width of the second gap ranges from 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

7. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises an optically transparent material.

8. The wearable computing device of claim 7 , wherein the optically transparent material comprises a glass material.

9. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , further comprising a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating covering at least a portion of the biosensor electrode.

10. the portion of the biosensor electrode includes at least one of a first portion of the biosensor electrode or a second portion of the biosensor electrode; the first portion is disposed on the top surface of the cover; The wearable computing device of claim 9 , wherein the second portion is disposed on the bottom surface of the cover.

11. each of the top surface and the bottom surface includes a planar surface; The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the periphery of the cover includes a curved surface.

12. 1. A wearable computing device, comprising: A conductive housing; a printed circuit board at least partially disposed within the conductive housing; a slot antenna defined by a first gap between the conductive housing and the printed circuit board; a display screen electrically connected to the printed circuit board; a cover disposed on the display screen, the cover including a top surface and a bottom surface; a first biosensor electrode and a second biosensor electrode, the first biosensor electrode and the second biosensor electrode being each partially disposed on the upper surface of the cover so as to be spaced apart from each other, the first biosensor electrode covering a first portion of an outer periphery of the cover, and the second biosensor electrode covering a second portion of the outer periphery of the cover; A wearable computing device, wherein the first biosensor electrode has a sheet resistance such that the first biosensor electrode supports high frequency current to load the slot antenna at a frequency at which the slot antenna is operable.

13. 13. The wearable computing device of claim 12, wherein a width of a second gap defined between the first biosensor electrode and an edge of an active display area of ​​the display screen is between 0.5 mm and 3 mm.

14. 14. The wearable computing device of claim 12 or 13, wherein the sheet resistance is less than 200 ohms / square at the frequency at which the slot antenna is operable.

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