Wireless communication devices and methods of forming wireless communication devices

• US 6,024,285 A
• Filed: 08/19/1997
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Mish, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US08/914,370
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/451, 235/441, 235/488, 235/486, 235/487, 174/52.2, 156/298, 156/300, 156/311, 156/213, 29/592, 29/600
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1093 with covering of discrete laminae with additional lamina

Abstract

Wireless communication devices and methods of forming the same are described. In one implementation, an integrated circuitry transceiver chip and an antenna are operably coupled and mounted within a housing member. A cover(s) is (are) disposed over the chip and antenna and effectively seals the chip and antenna therewithin. In a preferred implementation, the chip, antenna, and a power source are mounted on a printed circuit substrate which is nestedly received by the housing member and effectively sealed therewithin by the cover. The housing member preferably includes structure which receives at least one of the chip and/or power source to provide a nested, compact device which can be carried by or upon a person. In one aspect, the housing member is formed from a material which does not meaningfully, if at all, degrade the electrical performance of the device. The cover(s) is preferably formed from the same material as the housing member to facilitate assembly of the device through bonding therebetween.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a substrate;

an integrated circuitry transceiver chip, an antenna, and a battery operably coupled with one another and supported by the substrate;

a housing member comprising a peripheral edge and a pair of oppositely-facing mounting surfaces inside the peripheral edge, one of the individual mounting surfaces comprising a plurality of openings therein;

the substrate being received by the housing member adjacent the one mounting surface, the transceiver chip and the battery extending into separate openings of the plurality of openings;

a first cover disposed over the substrate and joined with the housing member and defining a generally continuous seal therewith proximate the housing member'"'"'s peripheral edge; and

a second cover disposed over the other of the mounting surfaces and joined with the housing member and defining a generally continuous seal therewith proximate the peripheral edge,

the peripheral edge defining a width dimension generally transverse the mounting surfaces of not more than about 200 mils.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the housing member, the first cover, and the second cover comprise the same material.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured for transmitting microwave backscatter.

4. A wireless communication device comprising:

a housing member having a generally rectangularly-shaped peripheral edge and a mounting surface inwardly of the peripheral edge, the mounting surface comprising a plurality of openings, the housing member further comprising a plurality of walls disposed inwardly of the peripheral edge and joining with respective openings of the plurality of openings, the walls extending generally away from the mounting surface and defining a plurality of compartments therein;

an integrated circuitry transceiver chip supported by the mounting surface and received within one of the compartments;

a battery operably coupled with the transceiver chip and supported by the mounting surface, the battery extending into a different compartment;

an antenna operably coupled with the transceiver chip and supported by the mounting surface, the antenna being disposed entirely inside the housing member'"'"'s peripheral edge; and

a cover disposed over the mounting surface and bonded with the housing member proximate the peripheral edge, the cover being sized to provide an essentially continuous seal proximate the entire peripheral edge,

the housing member and cover providing a self-contained communication device package having length, width, and height dimensions no greater than about 4-inches, 3-inches, and 4/16-inch respectively.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4, wherein the housing member and the cover comprise the same material.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 4, wherein the device is configured to transmit microwave backscatter.

7. A wireless communication card comprising:

a generally rectangularly-shaped plastic housing member having a peripheral edge;

a pair of oppositely-facing outermost surfaces joined with the peripheral edge and extending generally transversely away therefrom and defining a thickness therebetween no greater than about 200 mils;

a ledge joined with one of the outermost surfaces and extending around an interior region of the housing member and generally following the peripheral edge;

a mounting surface joined with the ledge and defining a generally planar region inwardly of the ledge;

the mounting surface having a pair of openings disposed therein and respective walls which are joined with the openings and which extend generally transversely away from the planar mounting surface, the walls of the pair of openings respectively extending through the plastic housing member;

the mounting surface having another opening therein which is spaced from the pair of openings and a wall which is joined with the another opening and which extends generally transversely away from the mounting surface a distance which is less than 200 mils;

at least two detents joined with the planar mounting surface and extending away therefrom, the detents having respective cross-sectional shapes which lie in planes which are parallel with the mounting surface plane;

a generally rectangularly-shaped printed circuit substrate smaller in dimension than the plastic housing member;

the printed circuit substrate having a pair of generally planar oppositely-facing surfaces and a thickness therebetween sized to enable the printed circuit substrate to be nestedly received by the housing member;

the printed circuit substrate further having an outer edge region disposed proximate the housing member ledge;

at least two registration apertures extending through the printed circuit substrate and positioned to receive the respective at least two detents on the mounting surface, the apertures having respective cross-sectional shapes in planes parallel to the planes of the oppositely-facing printed circuit substrate surfaces which are generally complementary to the respective cross-sectional shapes of the detents;

a single integrated circuitry chip mounted on the printed circuit substrate and positioned thereon in registration with the another opening in the mounting surface, the chip having a portion which extends into the another opening;

the chip comprising a transceiver chip;

a pair of conductive battery receptacles mounted on the printed circuit substrate;

individual battery receptacles having a pair of conductive walls joined with the printed circuit substrate and extending generally transversely away therefrom and a roof portion joined to the conductive walls and extending laterally therebetween, the walls and roof portion defining an opening into an interior battery receptacle region sized to accommodate insertion of a thin profile battery;

individual roof portions having at least one spring-biased contact member disposed within the interior battery receptacle region and configured to conductively engage a battery inserted therewithin and urge the battery against the printed circuit substrate;

individual battery receptacles being positioned on the printed circuit substrate in registration with the respective openings of the pair of openings in the mounting surface and extending thereinto and being circumscribed by the walls of the respective openings;

the battery receptacles being spaced from one another on the printed circuit substrate and operably connected with the single integrated circuitry chip;

an antenna connected with the transceiver chip and supported by the printed circuit substrate;

the antenna being dimensioned to fit entirely within the printed circuit substrate;

the antenna having an operative conductive connection with the transceiver chip with extends away from the transceiver chip along the printed circuit substrate and between the battery receptacles;

a first cover disposed over the printed circuit substrate and the mounting surface and nestedly received by the housing member;

the first cover having an edge region which is bonded with the housing member ledge to form a continuous seal therewith proximate the housing member'"'"'s peripheral edge; and

a second cover joined with the housing member proximate the outermost surface of the housing member which does not have the ledge joined therewith;

the second cover having an edge region which is bonded with the housing member to form a continuous seal therewith proximate the housing member peripheral edge.

8. A wireless communication device comprising:

a substrate;

an integrated circuitry transceiver chip, an antenna, and a battery receptacle operably coupled with one another and supported by the substrate;

a housing member comprising a peripheral edge and a pair of oppositely-facing mounting surfaces inside the peripheral edge, one of the individual mounting surfaces comprising a plurality of openings therein;

the substrate being received by the housing member adjacent the one mounting surface, the transceiver chip and the battery receptacle extending into separate openings of the plurality of openings;

a first cover disposed over the substrate and joined with the housing member and defining a generally continuous seal therewith proximate the housing member'"'"'s peripheral edge; and

a second cover disposed over the other of the mounting surfaces and joined with the housing member and defining a generally continuous seal therewith proximate the peripheral edge.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the housing member, the first cover, and the second cover comprise the same material.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the device is configured for transmitting microwave backscatter.

11. A wireless communication device comprising:

a housing member having a generally rectangularly-shaped peripheral edge and a mounting surface inwardly of the peripheral edge, the mounting surface comprising a plurality of openings, the housing member further comprising a plurality of walls disposed inwardly of the peripheral edge and joining with respective openings of the plurality of openings, the walls extending generally away from the mounting surface and defining a plurality of compartments therein;

an integrated circuitry transceiver chip supported by the mounting surface and received within one of the compartments;

a battery receptacle extending into a different compartment than is the integrated circuitry transceiver chip;

an antenna operably coupled with the transceiver chip and supported by the mounting surface; and

a cover disposed over the mounting surface and bonded with the housing member proximate the peripheral edge, the cover providing an essentially continuous seal about the peripheral edge.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the housing member and the cover comprise the same material.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the device is configured to transmit microwave backscatter.

14. A wireless communication card comprising:

a generally rectangularly-shaped plastic housing member having a peripheral edge;

a pair of oppositely-facing outermost surfaces joined with the peripheral edge and extending generally transversely away therefrom and defining a thickness therebetween;

a ledge joined with one of the outermost surfaces and extending around an interior region of the housing member and generally following the peripheral edge;

a mounting surface joined with the ledge and defining a generally planar region inwardly of the ledge;

the mounting surface having a pair of openings disposed therein and respective walls which are joined with the openings and which extend generally transversely away from the planar mounting surface, the walls of the pair of openings respectively extending through the plastic housing member;

the mounting surface having another opening therein which is spaced from the pair of openings and a wall which is joined with the another opening and which extends generally transversely away from the mounting surface;

at least two detents joined with the planar mounting surface and extending away therefrom, the detents having respective cross-sectional shapes which lie in planes which are parallel with the mounting surface plane;

a generally rectangularly-shaped printed circuit substrate smaller in dimension than the plastic housing member;

the printed circuit substrate having a pair of generally planar oppositely-facing surfaces and a thickness therebetween sized to enable the printed circuit substrate to be nestedly received by the housing member;

the printed circuit substrate further having an outer edge region disposed proximate the housing member ledge;

at least two registration apertures extending through the printed circuit substrate and positioned to receive the respective at least two detents on the mounting surface, the apertures having respective cross-sectional shapes in planes parallel to the planes of the oppositely-facing printed circuit substrate surfaces which are generally complementary to the respective cross-sectional shapes of the detents;

a single integrated circuitry chip mounted on the printed circuit substrate and positioned thereon in registration with the another opening in the mounting surface, the chip having a portion which extends into the another opening;

the chip comprising a transceiver chip;

a pair of individual battery receptacles mounted on the printed circuit substrate;

each of the pair of individual battery receptacles having a pair of conductive walls joined with the printed circuit substrate and extending generally transversely away therefrom and a roof portion joined to the conductive walls and extending laterally therebetween, the walls and roof portion defining an opening into an interior battery receptacle region sized to accommodate insertion of a thin profile battery;

individual roof portions having at least one spring-biased contact member disposed within the interior battery receptacle region and configured to conductively engage a battery inserted therewithin and urge the battery against the printed circuit substrate;

each of the pair of individual battery receptacles being positioned on the printed circuit substrate in registration with the respective openings of the pair of openings in the mounting surface and extending thereinto and being circumscribed by the walls of the respective openings;

the battery receptacles being spaced from one another on the printed circuit substrate and operably connected with the single integrated circuitry chip;

an antenna connected with the transceiver chip and supported by the printed circuit substrate;

the antenna being dimensioned to fit entirely within the printed circuit substrate;

the antenna having an operative conductive connection with the transceiver chip with extends away from the transceiver chip along the printed circuit substrate and between the pair of battery receptacles;

a first cover disposed over the printed circuit substrate and the mounting surface and nestedly received by the housing member;

the first cover having an edge region which is bonded with the housing member ledge to form a continuous seal therewith proximate the housing member'"'"'s peripheral edge; and

a second cover joined with the housing member proximate the outermost surface of the housing member which does not have the ledge joined therewith;

the second cover having an edge region which is bonded with the housing member to form a continuous seal therewith proximate the housing member peripheral edge.