Electronic wearable device

• US 7,271,774 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Puuri, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hoang V.
• Application Number:
  US11/254,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20070091004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 343/718, 343/767, 343/872, 343/702
• US Class Current: 343/718
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas

Abstract

The invention concerns a wrist-wearable electronic device comprising a slot antenna and a method of manufacturing the slot antenna. Such a device comprises an outer housing defining an assembly zone and a radio unit contained within the assembly zone. According to the invention the outer housing is made at least partly of conductive material and comprises an integral slot antenna formed in the conductive material portion thereof, the antenna being electrically connected to the radio unit. The invention provides a convenient antenna structure for wirelessly communicating wristop computers and the like.

Claims

1. A wrist-wearable electronic device, comprising:

an outer housing defining an assembly zone, the outer housing being made at least partly of conductive material,

a radio unit contained within the assembly zone, and

an integral slot antenna formed in the conductive material portion of the outer housing, the antenna being electrically connected to said radio unit, and

a receiving device which receives through the slot antenna data provided by a peripheral device, the peripheral device being one of a vital function-sensitive transmitter, a motion-sensitive transmitter, a location-sensitive transmitter, and an environment sensor.

2. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the slot antenna is formed on the outer surface of the housing.

3. The wearable device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the slot antenna is in the form of an elongated recess in the housing, the width of the recess being limited by a first conductive boundary and a second conductive boundary opposing the first boundary, and the length of the recess being limited by conductive end portions.

4. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is essentially entirely made of conductive material, the slot antenna being provided in the form of an elongated opening in the housing.

5. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises dielectric first material portion and conductive second material applied on surface thereof, the slot antenna being formed on the second material portion.

6. The wearable device according to claim 5, wherein the conductive second material is located on the outer surface of the first material portion.

7. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least two parts, at least some portions of said parts forming the longitudinal boundaries of the slot antenna.

8. The wearable device according to claim 7, wherein one of said parts forms one longitudinal boundary of the slot antenna and another of said parts frames an opposing longitudinal boundary of the slot antenna and said parts are attached together with conductive mounting means, which form end portions of the slot antenna.

9. The wearable device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein one of said parts is a holder designed to hold a protective glass or plastic of the face of the device.

10. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the slot is filled with dielectric material, such as polymer, for sealing the slot.

11. The wearable device according to claim 1, which further comprises a timer unit, microprocessor, memory unit and at least one sensor functionally connected to each other and the slot antenna for transmitting data provided by the sensor.

12. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the means for receiving through the slot antenna data from the peripheral device are adapted to receive data from a heart rate monitor or a speed- and/or distance-measuring device.

13. A method for forming a slot antenna for a wrist-wearable device, the method comprising:

providing a device housing capable of accommodating a radio unit, the housing being at least partly made of conductive material, and

removing conductive material from said housing in order to form an elongated recess having a first conductive boundary and a second conductive boundary opposing the first boundary and two conductive end portions which connect the first and second boundaries on each end of the recess.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said removal of material is carried out by mechanical fabrication, such as sawing or milling, or by chemical means, such as etching.

15. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

an outer housing defining an assembly zone, the outer housing being made at least partly of conductive material,

a radio unit contained within the assembly zone, and

an integral slot antenna formed in the conductive material portion of the outer housing, the antenna being electrically connected to said radio unit,

a timer unit, a microprocessor, a memory unit and at least one sensor functionally connected to each other and the slot antenna for transmitting data provided by the sensor.

16. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

an outer housing defining an assembly zone, the outer housing being made at least partly of conductive material,

a radio unit contained within the assembly zone,

an integral slot antenna formed in the conductive material portion of the outer housing, the antenna being electrically connected to said radio unit, and

a transmitting device which transmits through the slot antenna data provided by one of a vital function-sensitive sensor, a motion-sensitive sensor, a location-sensitive sensor or an environment sensor.

17. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

an outer housing defining an assembly zone, the outer housing being made at least partly of conductive material,

a radio unit contained within the assembly zone, and

an integral slot antenna formed in the conductive material portion of the outer housing, the antenna being electrically connected to said radio unit,

wherein the housing comprises at least two parts, at least some portions of said parts forming the longitudinal boundaries of the slot antenna, and one of said slot-forming parts being a member used for mounting a protective glass or plastic or a display to the device.

18. The wearable electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the slot-forming parts are a separate conductive element formed as one of a bezel, plate, ring, and rod.