Metal Ring Antenna Structure for Space-Saving Smart Rings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart rings face challenges in integrating NFC and BT antennas within their limited space, requiring additional physical antennas and nickel-zinc ferrite for effective wireless communication, which increases size and cost.
Innovation Solution
The smart ring integrates a metal ring as an antenna electrically connected to an antenna chip, eliminating the need for additional physical antennas and ferrite, allowing for shared NFC and BT functions using a single antenna circuit with filters to isolate signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional physical antennas (FPC, chips, or wound coil antennas) are built into the smart ring, then wireless communication function is achieved, but the device occupies large space and increases cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the antenna function with the metal ring structure itself. The metal ring serves dual purposes: as the structural component of the smart ring and as the antenna for wireless communication. This eliminates the need for separate physical antennas (FPC, chips, or wound coil antennas), thereby saving significant space while maintaining wireless communication functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal ring is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the structural framework of the smart ring, ensures mechanical strength and texture, and functions as the antenna for wireless communication. This multi-functionality approach reduces the overall component count and space requirements.
2Reliability
If nickel-zinc ferrite is attached around the antenna to ensure effectiveness in metal body, then antenna performance is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the typically harmful effect of metal bodies (which can interfere with antenna performance) into a beneficial feature. By making the metal ring itself the antenna, the metal structure's conductivity and shape are directly utilized to create an effective antenna system, eliminating the need for ferrite shielding materials that would add complexity and cost.
3Adaptability or versatility
If two antennas are provided for NFC and BT functions, then both wireless communication standards are supported, but the limited space of the ring is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The metal ring antenna is designed to support multiple wireless communication standards (NFC and BT) through a single structure. By configuring the antenna circuit appropriately, the same metal ring can operate at different frequencies and protocols, eliminating the need for separate physical antennas for each communication standard and making efficient use of the limited ring space.
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 design optimizes space usage, reduces costs, enhances design flexibility, and improves antenna performance by integrating the metal ring as an antenna, enabling effective wireless communication without interference from the human body and meeting strength and texture requirements.
Implementation Method 1
the metal ring is electrically connected to the antenna chip to form an antenna circuit
Data Source
AI summary
A smart ring includes an antenna chip and a metal ring used as an antenna, and the antenna chip is electrically connected to the metal ring to form an antenna circuit. The metal body of the smart ring is designed as a composition structure of the antenna circuit, that is, the antenna is integrated into the metal ring, the space for accommodating the antennas and the cost for additional physical antennas are saved, and the design flexibility and the competitiveness of the product are improved. Nickel-zinc ferrite is unnecessary, which can reduce the cost. The ring can keep the radiation characteristic of the circular antenna that is not susceptible to the interference from human body. The metal body of the ring is a metal structure, which can fulfill both of strength requirement and texture requirement of the structure, and at the same time has good antenna characteristics.