Smart Ring Layout With Flexible PCB and Light-Based Recharging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wearable electronics are often bulky and intrusive, making them uncomfortable for extended wear and ineffective in providing consistent and accurate monitoring of body activities.
Innovation Solution
A wearable computing device in the form of a ring with a flexible printed circuit board, photovoltaic cells, LEDs, and a charging mechanism that allows for prolonged use by facilitating data transmission, battery recharge, and status indication through windows on the device, enabling accurate fitness and health monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional wearable electronics are designed with larger size to accommodate components, then functionality and monitoring accuracy are improved, but comfort and wearability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable device is segmented into modular components including a flexible printed circuit board with separately mounted sensors, photovoltaic cells, LEDs, and a battery compartment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall device miniaturization, resolving the contradiction between monitoring accuracy and device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The device employs a flexible printed circuit board as the structural backbone, replacing rigid substrates with thin, bendable circuits. This enables the integration of multiple sensing elements and components on a minimal footprint while maintaining mechanical flexibility for comfortable wear, thus achieving high measurement precision without increasing device volume.
2Ease of operation
If wearable electronics are made smaller for comfort, then wearability is improved, but battery capacity and power supply deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates photovoltaic cells that harvest ambient light energy to recharge the battery during wear. This self-service energy harvesting mechanism extends operational duration without increasing battery capacity or device size, resolving the contradiction between comfort and power supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses periodic LED emission patterns for status indication and data transmission, rather than continuous operation. This periodic action reduces average power consumption, allowing smaller battery capacity while maintaining adequate power supply for extended wear periods.
3Adaptability or versatility
If more components are integrated into wearable devices, then functionality is improved, but device complexity and intrusiveness worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible printed circuit board serves multiple functions simultaneously: structural support, electrical interconnection, sensor mounting platform, and antenna substrate. This multi-functionality approach integrates diverse components without proportionally increasing device complexity, enabling enhanced adaptability and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional components including sensors, photovoltaic cells, LEDs, and circuitry are merged onto a single flexible printed circuit board. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components and interconnections needed, thereby decreasing overall device complexity while maintaining enhanced functionality.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If wearable devices use traditional charging methods, then power supply is maintained, but user convenience and continuous monitoring deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The device autonomously recharges its battery through photovoltaic cells that convert ambient light into electrical energy during wear. This self-service charging eliminates the need for frequent manual charging interruptions, enabling continuous monitoring while significantly improving user convenience.
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
The wearable computing device provides comfortable and prolonged monitoring of fitness and health metrics, overcoming the limitations of bulkiness and intrusion in existing wearable technologies.
Implementation Method 1
at least one concentrated photovoltaic cell configured to receive concentrated light
Implementation Method 2
a photovoltaic element disposed at least partially within the housing
Implementation Method 3
at least one LED configured to emit at least one of visible light, infrared radiation, and ultraviolet radiation through the external potting
Data Source
AI summary
A smart ring includes a curved housing having a U-shape interior storing components including: a curved battery approximately conforming to the curved housing, a semi-flexible PCB approximately conforming to the curved housing and having mounted thereon: a motion sensor for generating motion data from physical perturbations of the smart ring, a memory for storing executable instructions, a transceiver for sending data to a client computer, a temperature sensor, and a processor for receiving motion data and performing executable instructions in response thereto, and a potting material disposed in the interior, forming an interior wall of the smart ring, wherein the potting material encapsulates the components and is substantially transparent to visible light, infrared light, and/or ultraviolet light.