Hybrid design of heat spreader and temperature sensor for direct handheld device skin temperature measurement
First Claim
1. A handheld electronic device, comprising:
- at least one external surface;
a heat spreader thermally coupled to the at least one external surface, wherein the heat spreader comprises at least one region having a plurality of recesses arranged to produce an electrical resistance in the at least one region; and
a circuit electrically connected to the heat spreader, the circuit configured to measure the electrical resistance in the at least one region and to correlate the measured electrical resistance to a skin temperature on the at least one external surface.
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Abstract
The disclosure generally relates to a hybrid design whereby a heat spreader arranged to reduce an external skin temperature on a handheld device may further enable the external skin temperature to be directly measured. For example, the heat spreader may be thermally coupled to at least one external surface and include at least one region in which a plurality of recesses are formed such that an electrical resistance is produced in the at least one region when a current is applied thereto. The heat spreader may be formed from a material having a substantially linear resistance-to-temperature correlation, whereby the electrical resistance produced in the at least one region may be measured and correlated to a temperature on the at least one external surface.
21 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A handheld electronic device, comprising:
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at least one external surface; a heat spreader thermally coupled to the at least one external surface, wherein the heat spreader comprises at least one region having a plurality of recesses arranged to produce an electrical resistance in the at least one region; and a circuit electrically connected to the heat spreader, the circuit configured to measure the electrical resistance in the at least one region and to correlate the measured electrical resistance to a skin temperature on the at least one external surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for directly measuring skin temperature in a handheld electronic device, comprising:
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causing a current to flow through at least one region in a heat spreader thermally coupled to at least one external surface of the handheld electronic device, wherein a plurality of recesses are formed in the at least one region of the heat spreader to produce an electrical resistance in the at least one region; measuring the electrical resistance produced in the at least one region; and correlating the measured electrical resistance to a skin temperature on the at least one external surface. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus, comprising:
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means for generating heat in a handheld electronic device; means for spreading the heat to reduce a skin temperature on at least one external surface of the handheld electronic device; means for producing an electrical resistance in the means for spreading the heat; means for measuring the electrical resistance; and means for determining the skin temperature on the at least one external surface based at least in part on the measured electrical resistance. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A hybrid heat spreader and skin temperature sensor, comprising:
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a metal sheet formed from a thermally and electrically conductive material having a substantially linear resistance-to-temperature correlation; and at least one resistance temperature detector formed in at least one region of the metal sheet, wherein the at least one resistance temperature detector comprises; a plurality of recesses formed in the metal sheet; and a first lead and a second lead formed on opposite sides of one of the plurality of recesses, wherein the plurality of recesses are formed in the metal sheet according to a pattern arranged to flow an input current applied to the first lead through the at least one region of the metal sheet along a path from the first lead to the second lead such that an electrical resistance is produced between the first lead and the second lead.
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Specification