Eyewear Hinge Feed Antenna With Adaptive Impedance Tuning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic eyewear faces challenges in integrating antennas due to size constraints and mechanical design requirements, particularly in augmented reality glasses, where placing antennas in the temple arm is impractical, and using RF coaxial cables through hinges is lossy and increases hinge size, conflicting with industrial design goals.
Innovation Solution
A conductive hinge is used to connect the temple arm's circuit assembly with antennas in the front frame, forming a hinge feed antenna, and an impedance tuner is introduced to adaptively adjust input impedance based on the rotation position, ensuring efficient wireless communication across varying angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If RF coaxial cables are used to connect the antenna to the circuit assembly, then wireless communication can be established, but RF energy loss increases and hinge size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the RF cable from the hinge connection and eliminates it entirely by using the hinge itself as the conductive connection. The hinge structure is modified to include conductive elements that directly connect the antenna trace on the front frame to the circuit assembly in the temple arm, removing the intermediate RF cable that caused energy loss and size increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the mechanical hinge function with the electrical connection function. The hinge is designed to incorporate conductive traces or elements that serve both as the mechanical pivot for rotation and as the electrical pathway for RF signals, combining two previously separate functions into a single integrated structure.
2Reliability
If RF coaxial cables are used to connect the antenna to the circuit assembly, then wireless communication can be established, but hinge size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The RF cable is extracted and removed from the hinge assembly. The hinge is redesigned to use its own structural elements as conductors, eliminating the need for separate cable routing channels and reducing the overall hinge volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical and electrical functions are merged into the hinge structure itself. The conductive elements are integrated into the hinge's mechanical components rather than being added as separate elements, thereby avoiding increase in hinge size.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the temple arm rotates to different positions, then the orientation relative to the front frame changes, but impedance mismatch occurs affecting wireless communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic impedance tuning mechanism that automatically adjusts the antenna's electrical characteristics based on the temple arm's rotation angle. Sensors detect the rotation position and control circuitry modifies the impedance matching network accordingly, allowing the antenna to maintain optimal performance across all rotation positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from rotation position sensors to continuously adjust the impedance matching. The sensed rotation angle is fed back to the control circuit, which then adjusts the impedance tuning elements to compensate for orientation changes and maintain reliable wireless communication.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for reliable wireless communication while maintaining the mechanical integrity and aesthetic design of electronic eyewear, supporting multiple frequency channels and comfortable fit by minimizing RF energy loss and impedance mismatch.
Implementation Method 1
the antenna tuner includes an impedance tuner for adaptively adjusting an input impedance of the impedance tuner based on the sensed rotation position of temple arm
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses, methods, and systems for a hinge feed antenna of eyewear, are disclosed. One apparatus includes a front frame, a temple arm, and a hinge rotatably connecting the front frame and the temple arm. For an embodiment, the temple arm includes a circuit assembly including at least a radio. For an embodiment, the front frame includes one or more antennas traces, wherein the hinge conductively connects the circuit assembly to the one or more antenna traces. The apparatus further includes an antenna tuner located between the circuit assembly and the hinge, wherein a rotation position of the temple arm is sensed, wherein the rotation position is dependent on an orientation of the front frame relative to the temple arm; and wherein the antenna tuner includes an impedance tuner for adaptively adjusting an input impedance of the impedance tuner based on the sensed rotation position of temple arm.