Wrist carried electronic device

• US 5,889,737 A
• Filed: 10/31/1996
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Metroka, Michael P., Malaspina, Francis P., Alameh, Rachid M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US08/739,403
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 368/203-204, 368/281, 228/167-179
• US Class Current: 368/204
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 10/00 Arrangements of electric power supplies in time pieces circuits G04G19/00; mounting, assembling of components of electromechanical watches G04C3/008, of electronic watches G04G17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/083 Watches distributed over several housings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/211 adapted for pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A portable electronic device (10) comprises a radio circuit (150) contained in a housing (152) having positive (156) and negative (158) contacts electrically coupled to the radio circuit (150). A substantially flat, elongated, flexible battery cell, forming a compliant energy storage device (32), provides a single, continuous wrist band (30) and has positive (160) and negative (162) terminals. A latch mechanism (176) releasably secures the housing (152) to the wrist band (30) between opposite ends (172, 174) of the wrist band (30), and permits the contacts (156, 158) of the housing (152) to align with and abut the respective terminals (160, 162) of the wrist band (30) while the wrist band (30) is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist. Multiple housings (152, 180) may be stacked to add electrical functions. The contacts (156, 158) of the housing (152) and the terminals (160, 162) of the compliant energy storage device (32) are positioned to be substantially protected from contamination by the external environment and from contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the housing (152) is carried on the wrist band (30) and while the wrist band (30) is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device adapted to be worn on a user'"'"'s wrist, the portable electronic device comprising:

a first electronic circuit;

a first housing containing the first electronic circuit and having a pair of positive and negative contacts which are electrically coupled to the first electronic circuit;

a second electronic circuit;

a second housing containing the second electronic circuit and having a first pair of positive and negative contacts and a second pair of positive and negative contacts, the first pair of positive and negative contacts being electrically coupled to the second pair of positive and negative contacts, respectively, and to the second electronic circuit;

a compliant energy storage device formed of a substantially flat, elongated, flexible battery cell;

a single, continuous wrist band containing the compliant energy storage device substantially throughout the wrist band, the wrist band having a pair of positive and negative terminals being electrically coupled to the compliant energy storage device, the wrist band having a first end disposed essentially opposite a second end;

a first latch mechanism for releasably securing the second housing to the wrist band between the first end and the second end of the wrist band and permitting the first pair of positive and negative contacts of the second housing to align with and abut the pair of positive and negative terminals of the wrist band while the wrist band is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist; and

a second latch mechanism for releasably securing the first housing to the second housing and permitting the pair of positive and negative contacts of the first housing to align with and abut the second pair of positive and negative terminals of the second housing.

2. A portable electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the first and second contacts of the first housing and the first and second terminals of the wrist band are positioned to be substantially protected from contamination by the external environment and from contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the first housing is carried on the wrist band and the wrist band is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist.

3. A portable electronic device according to claim 2 wherein the wrist band has a first side disposed essentially opposite a second side, the first side being in contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the wrist band is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist, the first and second terminals being carried on the second side of the wrist band and being substantially isolated from the first side of the wrist band.

4. A portable electronic device according to claim 3 wherein the first and second contacts are disposed on a side of the first housing, and wherein the first and second contacts and the first and second terminals are disposed between the side of the first housing and the second side of the wrist band.