Wearable Device Nonmetallic Rear Cover Plating Layer Antenna

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wearable devices with metallic rear covers are not skin-friendly, leading to poor comfortability, while replacing them with nonmetallic rear covers degrades radio transmission performance due to the inability to form a slot antenna.

Innovation Solution

A wearable device featuring a metallic bezel and a nonmetallic rear cover with a plating layer, where the plating layer forms a slot antenna with the metallic bezel, enhancing comfortability and maintaining radio transmission performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a metallic rear cover is used, then radio transmission performance is maintained through slot antenna formation, but comfortability deteriorates due to poor skin-friendliness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveradio transmission performanceVSAvoidskin-friendliness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The rear cover uses a composite structure combining nonmetallic base material (ceramic, plastic, or glass) with a plating layer (metallic or nonmetallic conductive material). This composite design provides both the comfortability of nonmetallic materials and the electrical conductivity needed for slot antenna formation, resolving the contradiction between skin-friendliness and radio transmission performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The plating layer is applied locally on the inner surface of the nonmetallic rear cover only where needed for antenna functionality. This localized treatment maintains the overall nonmetallic character and comfortability of the rear cover while providing the necessary conductive properties in specific areas for slot antenna operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a nonmetallic rear cover is used, then comfortability is improved through better skin-friendliness, but radio transmission performance deteriorates due to inability to form slot antenna

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveskin-friendlinessVSAvoidradio transmission performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The plating layer changes the electrical parameters of the nonmetallic rear cover surface, providing the necessary conductivity for slot antenna formation. This parameter modification allows the nonmetallic material to fulfill both comfortability and radio transmission requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The plating layer acts as an intermediary between the nonmetallic rear cover and the slot antenna function. It enables the nonmetallic material to achieve antenna functionality without direct metal contact, maintaining comfortability while enabling radio transmission

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 solution integrates user comfortability and radio transmission performance by using a nonmetallic rear cover with a plating layer, ensuring the wearable device has normal radio performance while being more comfortable to wear.

Implementation Method 1

the plating layer and the metallic bezel form a slot antenna

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSlot antenna:

Data Source

PatentEP3575889B1Wearable device
Publication Date: 2022.11.23 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3575889B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4

AI summary

Embodiments of this application provide a wearable device that uses a nonmetallic rear cover. Compared with a metallic rear cover, the nonmetallic rear cover is more comfortable. In addition, because the nonmetallic rear cover has a plating layer used for enhancing antenna performance, intensity of a slot antenna formed by the plating layer and a metallic bezel can meet a design requirement. The slot antenna can normally receive an external signal, so as to implement a function of the smartwatch. It can be learned that user comfortability and antenna performance are integrated in the smartwatch in the embodiments.