Portable touch electronic object

• US 10,095,192 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Montres Rado S.A.
• Original Assignee: Montres Rado S.A.
• Inventors: Matthey, Gerald, Klopfenstein, Francois, Rota, Sergio
• Primary Examiner(s): Kayes, Sean
• Application Number:
  US14/442,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20150301507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/06 Electric connectors, e.g. conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9602 characterised by the type or shape of the sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

A portable electronic object including a case including at least a first part made of insulating materials, at least one electronic module providing at least one piece of information to a display, and a controller allowing a user to act on the at least one electronic module.

Claims

1. A portable electronic object, comprising:

a case comprising at least one first part including at least one insulating material, the at least one first part includes a case middle comprising a front face, a back face, and side surfaces, the side surfaces comprising a first side surface portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the back face, a second side surface portion extending in a direction parallel to a plane of the front face, and at least one inclined side surface portion connecting the first side surface portion and the second side surface portion and extending in a direction that intersects both the plane of the front face and the plane of the back face;

at least one electronic module configured to provide at least one piece of information to a display; and

a controller configured to allow a user to act on the at least one electronic module,

wherein the controller includes at least a touch controller including at least one electrode system disposed in the at least one first part, the at least one electrode system including a support including the at least one insulating material on which at least one electrode system is disposed, the at least one electrode system further including a structure to secure the support to the at least one electronic module and to electrically connect the at least one electrode system to the at least one electronic module, and the at least one electrode system projects outward from an outer peripheral side surface of the electronic module so that the at least one electrode system is suspended above a bottom of an inner face of the case middle, and

wherein the side surfaces extend uninterrupted from the front face to the back face around a periphery of the object, maintain an air gap between the side surfaces and the touch controller, and prevent physical contact with the touch controller.

2. The portable electronic object according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode system is a sheet of electrically conductive material secured on the support.

3. The portable electronic electrode according to claim 2, wherein the structure to secure the support includes at least one mounting flange of at least one conductive material secured to the at least one electronic module and to the support, permitting electrical conduction between the at least one electronic module and the at least one electrode system.

4. The portable electronic object according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode system is disposed directly on the support.

5. The portable electronic electrode according to claim 4, wherein the structure to secure the support includes at least one mounting flange of at least one conductive material secured to the at least one electronic module and to the support, permitting electrical conduction between the at least one electronic module and the at least one electrode system.

6. The portable electronic electrode according to claim 1, wherein the structure to secure the support includes at least one mounting flange of at least one conductive material secured to the at least one electronic module and to the support, permitting electrical conduction between the at least one electronic module and the at least one electrode system.

7. The portable electronic module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode system includes a plurality of electrodes disposed on the support.

8. The portable electronic object according to claim 1, wherein the case is made entirely of the at least one insulating material.

9. The portable electronic object according to claim 1, wherein the at least one insulating material is a ceramic.

10. The portable electronic object according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode system is disposed in proximity to an inner face of the first part.

11. The portable electronic object according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode system contacts an inner face of the at least one first part.

12. The portable electronic object according to claim 1, wherein the case middle is closed by a glass and a back cover.

13. The portable electronic object according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic object is a timepiece.

14. A portable electronic object, comprising:

a case comprising at least one first part including at least one insulating material, the at least one first part includes a case middle comprising a front face, a back face, and side surfaces, the side surfaces comprising a first side surface portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the back face, a second side surface portion extending in a direction parallel to a plane of the front face, and at least one inclined side surface portion connecting the first side surface portion and the second side surface portion and extending in a direction that intersects both the plane of the front face and the plane of the back face;

at least one electronic module configured to provide at least one piece of information to a display;

a controller configured to allow a user to act on the at least one electronic module,

wherein the controller includes at least a touch controller including at least one electrode system disposed in the at least one first part, and the at least one electrode system projects outward from an outer peripheral side surface of the electronic module so that the at least one electrode system is suspended above a bottom of an inner face of the case middle, and

wherein the side surfaces extend uninterrupted from the front face to the back face around a periphery of the object, maintain an air gap between the side surfaces and the touch controller, and prevent physical contact with the touch controller.

15. The portable electronic object according to claim 14, wherein the at least one electrode system includes at least one structure of metallic materials forming an electrode and directly electrically connected to the at least one electronic module.

16. The portable electronic object according to claim 14, wherein the at least one electrode system includes at least one flexible printed circuit forming an electrode and directly electrically connected to the at least one electronic module.

17. The portable electronic object according to claim 14, wherein the at least one electrode system includes at least one electrode disposed on an inner face of the at least one first part and electrically connected to the at least one electronic module by a connector.

18. The portable electronic object according to claim 17, wherein the at least one electrode system is a sheet of electrically conductive materials secured to the inner face of the at least one first part.

19. The portable electronic object according to claim 17, wherein the at least one electrode system is a layer of electrically conductive materials deposited on the inner face of the at least one first part.

20. The portable electronic object according to claim 14, wherein the case is made entirely of the at least one insulating material.

21. The portable electronic object according to claim 14, wherein the at least one insulating material is a ceramic.

22. The portable electronic object according to claim 14, wherein the at least one electrode system is disposed in proximity to an inner face of the at least one first part.

23. The portable electronic object according to claim 14, wherein the at least one electrode system contacts an inner face of the at least one first part.

24. The portable electronic object according to claim 14, wherein the case further comprises a case middle closed by a glass and a back cover.

25. The portable electronic object according to claim 14, wherein the portable electronic object is a timepiece.