Portable electronic device having a water exposure indicator label

• US 8,913,771 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Filson, John Benjamin, Moolsintong, Pinida Jan, Sanford, Emery
• Primary Examiner(s): Miyoshi, Jesse Y
• Application Number:
  US12/398,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20100226509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 381/109, 381/384, 381/312, 381/314, 381/315, 381/322, 381/323, 381/329
• US Class Current: 381/334
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0516 Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/021 to the belt
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/02 Evacuated cases; Cases filled with gas or liquids; Cases containing substances for absorbing or binding moisture or dust
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/103 Combination of monophonic or stereophonic headphones with audio players, e.g. integrated in the headphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/09 Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

Electronic devices such as compact portable media players are provided. A housing for an electronic device may be relatively compact. The housing may include a door assembly with an attached spring-loaded clip. The electronic device may include a hold switch. Depending on the state of the hold switch, the electronic device may be in an off mode, a continuous playback mode, or a shuffle playback mode. The electronic device may not have integrated media playback controls such as play, pause, rewind, fast forward, etc. As one example, the electronic device may connect to an accessory that has media playback controls. Buttons and other user interfaces may be included in the accessory and user input information may be conveyed between the accessory and the electronic device using a wired path including audio connectors. The electronic device may include a printed circuit board assembly that is nested together with a battery assembly.

Claims

1. A media player, comprising:

audio playback circuitry;

a housing in which the audio playback circuitry is enclosed;

a female audio connector exposed through an opening in the housing; and

a water exposure indicator label that changes color when exposed to water positioned at an end of the female audio connector.

2. The media player defined in claim 1 wherein the media player communicates with an accessory over a wired communications path, the media player further comprising:

receiver circuitry that is coupled to the female audio connector and that detects incoming media playback control signals from the accessory.

3. The media player defined in claim 1 wherein the media player communicates with an accessory over a wired communications path, the media player further comprising:

receiver circuitry that is coupled to the female audio connector and that detects incoming user-generated volume control signals from the accessory in the form of ultrasonic tones that serve as the exclusive volume control signals for the electronic device.

4. The media player defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a clip pivotably mounted to the housing; and

a spring that biases the clip against the housing.

5. The media player defined in claim 1, wherein the water exposure indicator label is visible to a user of the media player through the female audio connector enabling a determination that water has infiltrated the interior of the device through inspection of the water exposure indictor label.

6. The media player defined in claim 1, wherein the water exposure indicator label is configured to indicate if water has infiltrated the media player.

7. The media player defined in claim 1, wherein the patch water exposure indicator label is a water dot.

8. A media player, comprising:

a housing having at least one end face;

a female audio connector having an opening on the end face;

a printed circuit board;

a screw that holds the printed circuit board and the female audio connector to the housing;

a status light on the end face, wherein the opening of the female audio connector and the status light are on the same end face of the housing;

a light source offset from the status light and in communication with the status light via a light pipe that redirects light from the light source to the status light; and

a water exposure indicator label that changes color when exposed to water positioned at an end of the female audio connector.

9. The media player defined in claim 8 further comprising:

a multi-position sliding switch having a button member that extends outwardly from the end face for actuation by a user.

10. The media player defined in claim 9 wherein the multi-position sliding switch further comprises:

a switch mechanism within the housing;

a bracket mounted between the switch mechanism and the button member, wherein the button member has a protruding arm that extends past the bracket into the switch mechanism.

11. The media player defined in claim 8 further comprising:

the printed circuit board having a first side and a second side;

processing circuitry mounted on the first side of the printed circuit board; and

storage circuitry mounted on the second side of the printed circuit board.

12. The media player defined in claim 8 further comprising:

a battery including multiple battery cells;

an

a flex circuit soldered to the battery cells.

13. The media player defined in claim 8 further comprising:

processing circuitry mounted on a first side of the printed circuit board;

storage circuitry mounted on a second side of the printed circuit board;

a battery including multiple battery cells, wherein the battery includes an enclosure that is wrapped around the cells and wherein the enclosure extends from the battery cells on one side of the battery to form a ledge; and

a flex circuit soldered to the battery cells, wherein the printed circuit board is mounted in the housing at least partially extending over the ledge and wherein the flex circuit is coupled to the processing circuitry.

14. The media player defined in claim 8, wherein the screw passes through the printed circuit board and an audio connector assembly that includes the female audio connector, and wherein the screw is mounted to the housing.

15. A media player comprising:

a printed circuit board assembly;

a battery assembly comprising;

battery cells; and

an enclosure that is wrapped around the battery cells that shields the battery cells from nearby conductive material of the media player, wherein;

the enclosure extends from the battery cells on one side of the battery cells to form a ledge;

the printed circuit board assembly is nested within the ledge; and

a female audio connector and a water exposure indicator label that changes color when exposed to water positioned at an end of the female audio connector.

16. The media player of claim 15, wherein the enclosure comprises a film.

17. The media player of claim 16, wherein the ledge comprises a folded portion of the film.

18. The media player of claim 16, wherein the film comprises at least one of polyimide film and tape.

19. The media player of claim 15, wherein the enclosure provides structural integrity to the battery assembly.

20. The media player of claim 15, wherein the enclosure insulates at least one battery cell of the battery cells.

21. The media player of claim 15, wherein the printed circuit board assembly comprises safety circuitry for the battery assembly.

22. The media player of claim 21, wherein the battery assembly does not comprise any safety circuitry.

23. The media player of claim 21, wherein the safety circuitry is electrically coupled to the battery assembly.

24. The media player of claim 15, further comprising a flex circuit soldered to the battery cells, wherein the flex circuit is electrically coupled to the printed circuit board assembly.