Electronic Devices With Environmental Sensors

• US 20140112510A1
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Henry H., Last, Matthew E., Teil, Romain A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,167,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/332
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15151 the die mounting substrate comprising an aperture, e.g. for underfilling, outgassing, window type wire connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16152 Cap comprising a cavity for hosting the device, e.g. U-shaped cap
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/021 incorporating only one transducer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/04 Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor in deaf-aid sets H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with environmental sensors. Environmental sensors may include one or more environmental sensor components and one or more acoustic components. Acoustic components may include a speaker or a microphone. Environmental sensor components may include a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, or other sensors or combinations of sensors for sensing attributes of the environment surrounding the device. The environmental sensor may have an enclosure with an opening. The enclosure may be formed from a rigid support structure and a portion of a printed circuit. The opening may be formed in the rigid support structure or the printed circuit. The opening in the enclosure for the environmental sensor may be aligned with an opening in an outer structural member for the device. The outer structural member may be a housing structure or a cover layer for a device display.

Claims

1. A sensor package, comprising:

a printed circuit;

a rigid support structure attached to the printed circuit;

a first environmental sensor component attached to the printed circuit; and

a second environmental sensor component attached to the printed circuit, wherein the rigid support structure and a portion of the printed circuit form an enclosure that surrounds the first environmental sensor component and the second environmental sensor component and wherein the enclosure comprises an opening that allows air to pass through the opening into the enclosure.

2. The sensor package defined in claim 1 wherein the first environmental sensor component comprises a temperature sensor.

3. The sensor package defined in claim 2 wherein the second environmental sensor component comprises a pressure sensor.

4. The sensor package defined in claim 3, further comprising an acoustic component attached to the printed circuit in the enclosure.

5. The sensor package defined in claim 1, further comprising an acoustic component attached to the printed circuit in the enclosure.

6. The sensor package defined in claim 5 wherein the acoustic component comprises a microphone.

7. The sensor package defined in claim 6 wherein the microphone comprises a permeable membrane that is aligned with the opening in the enclosure.

8. The sensor package defined in claim 1 wherein the opening comprises an opening in the printed circuit.

9. The sensor package defined in claim 1 wherein the opening comprises an opening in the rigid support structure.

10. The sensor package defined in claim 1, further comprising a speaker attached to the printed circuit in the enclosure.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having an opening; and

an environmental sensor having an enclosure with an opening that is aligned with the opening in the housing, wherein the environmental sensor includes at least one environmental sensor component and an audio component selected from the group consisting of;

a speaker and a microphone.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the at least one environmental sensor component comprises a temperature and humidity sensing integrated circuit.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the at least one environmental sensor component comprises a pressure sensor.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the at least one environmental sensor component comprises a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 11, further comprising a printed circuit, wherein a portion of the enclosure is formed from a portion of the printed circuit and wherein the opening is formed in the portion of the printed circuit.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising a printed circuit and a rigid support structure attached to the printed circuit, wherein the enclosure is formed from the rigid support structure and a portion of the printed circuit and wherein the opening is formed in the rigid support structure.

17. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having an opening;

wireless communications circuitry in the housing; and

an environmental sensor, comprising;

a temperature sensor,

a pressure sensor, and

a microphone that transmits sound through the opening in the housing.

18. The portable electronic device defined in claim 17, further comprising a flexible printed circuit, wherein the temperature sensor, the pressure sensor, and the microphone are attached to the flexible printed circuit and wherein the flexible printed circuit has an opening that is aligned with the opening in the housing.

19. The portable electronic device defined in claim 18, further comprising a wire bond that electrically couples at least one of the temperature sensor, the pressure sensor and the microphone to the flexible printed circuit.

20. The portable electronic device defined in claim 19, further comprising an additional wire bond that electrically couples the temperature sensor to the pressure sensor.

21. The portable electronic device defined in claim 20, further comprising a rigid support structure attached to the flexible printed circuit, wherein the temperature sensor, the pressure sensor and the microphone are interposed between the flexible printed circuit and the rigid support structure.