Earpiece with laser induced transfer of PVD coating on surfaces

• US 20180013195A1
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2016
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Hviid, Nikolaj, Boesen, Peter Vincent
• Application Number:
  US15/635,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20180013195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/048 using irradiation by energy or particles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/22 characterised by the process of coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head

Abstract

An earpiece includes an earpiece housing having an external surface and an internal surface, a transceiver disposed within the earpiece, and an antenna deposited onto a surface of the earpiece housing and operatively connected to the transceiver, wherein the antenna is deposited onto the surface of the earpiece housing using a vapor deposition process. A method of manufacturing a wearable device includes loading a conductive substance into a vapor deposition system and depositing the conductive substance onto a surface of a wearable device using the vapor deposition system to form an antenna pattern.

Claims

1. An earpiece comprising:

an earpiece housing having an external surface and an internal surface;

a transceiver disposed within the earpiece; and

an antenna deposited onto a surface of the earpiece housing and operatively connected to the transceiver, wherein the antenna is deposited onto the surface of the earpiece housing using a vapor deposition process.

2. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the antenna is selected from a group consisting of an omnidirectional antenna, a directional antenna, a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, an inverted-F antenna, and a planar inverted-F antenna.

3. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the earpiece is a left earpiece within a set of earpieces comprising the left earpiece and a right earpiece.

4. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the surface is an internal surface of the earpiece housing.

5. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the surface is an external surface of the earpiece housing.

6. The earpiece of claim 1 further comprising a processor disposed within the earpiece and operatively connected to the transceiver, and a gestural interface operatively connected to the processor.

7. The earpiece of claim 1 further comprising at least one speaker and at least one microphone within the earpiece housing.

8. A method of manufacturing a wearable device comprising:

loading a conductive substance into a vapor deposition system; and

depositing the conductive substance onto a surface of a wearable device using the vapor deposition system to form an antenna pattern.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the wearable device is an earpiece.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising connecting the antenna pattern to a transceiver of the earpiece.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein at least one earpiece further comprises at least one additional component selected from a group consisting of an output device, a microphone, a processor, a sensor, an LED display, a battery, a gesture control interface, and a camera.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the conductive substance is a metallic substance.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the vapor deposition system is a physical vapor deposition system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the antenna pattern is selected from a set consisting of an omnidirectional antenna pattern, a directional antenna pattern, a monopole antenna pattern, a dipole antenna pattern, and an inverted-F antenna.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the antenna pattern is an planar inverted-F antenna pattern.