Systems and methods for routing cables in an electronic device

• US 9,084,357 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Shedletsky, Anna-Katrina, Werner, Christopher M., Ely, Colin M., Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Leong, Ming, Hobson, Phillip Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Jr., Duane N
• Application Number:
  US13/610,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors of trolley lines B60M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/06 on insulating boards , e.g. wiring harnesses for printed circuits H05K1/18, H05K3/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor

Abstract

Systems and methods for routing cables in an electronic device are provided. In some embodiments, the electronic device may include a touch sensor having a number of traces, a display component, and a mechanical button, each of which may be coupled to a circuit board via a single flexible circuit cable. This may save valuable space within the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a touch sensor substrate having first and second opposing surfaces and comprising a plurality of traces, wherein a first set and a second set of the plurality of traces are formed on the first surface and wherein a third set of the plurality of traces is formed on the second surface;

an input component; and

a cable comprising;

a first bond pad on the first surface of the touch sensor substrate electrically coupled to the first set of the plurality of traces;

a second bond pad on the first surface of the touch sensor substrate electrically coupled to the second set of the plurality of traces;

a third bond pad on the second surface of the touch sensor substrate electrically coupled to the third set of the plurality of traces;

a fourth bond pad electrically coupled to the input component; and

a connector electrically coupled to each one of the first bond pad, the second bond pad, the third bond pad, and the fourth bond pad.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the cable comprises a flexible circuit cable.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor substrate comprises a touch screen input component.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein:

the first set of the plurality of traces comprises a first portion of a plurality of column traces of the touch screen input component; and

the second set of the plurality of traces comprises a second portion of the plurality of column traces of the touch screen input component.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein:

the cable further comprises a fifth bond pad electrically coupled to a fourth set of the plurality of traces; and

the connector is electrically coupled to each one of the first bond pad, the second bond pad, the third bond pad, the fourth bond pad, and the fifth bond pad.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein:

the third set of the plurality of traces comprises a first portion of a plurality of row traces of the touch screen input component; and

the fourth set of the plurality of traces comprises a second portion of the plurality of row traces of the touch screen input component.

7. The electronic device of claim 3, further comprising an opening through which the input component is accessible to a user of the electronic device, wherein:

the first bond pad is positioned on a first side of the opening; and

the second bond pad is positioned on a second side of the opening.

8. The electronic device of claim 3, further comprising an opening through which the input component is accessible to a user of the electronic device, wherein a plane perpendicular to the touch sensor substrate extends through the first bond pad, the second bond pad, and the opening.

9. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the input component comprises a mechanical button input component.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the touch sensor substrate comprises a capacitive touch input component; and

the input component comprises a mechanical input component.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a display assembly for displaying data on an active display area defined by at least a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge;

a touch assembly comprising a plurality of traces on a substrate;

a first cable comprising;

a first bond pad electrically coupled to at least a first set of the plurality of traces; and

a first connector electrically coupled to the first bond pad; and

a second cable that overlaps the first cable, the second cable comprising;

a second bond pad electrically coupled to a component of the display assembly; and

a second connector electrically coupled to the second bond pad, wherein;

the first bond pad is positioned beyond the first edge of the active display area; and

the second bond pad is positioned beyond the second edge of the active display area.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein:

the first connector is positioned beyond the first edge of the active display area; and

the second connector is positioned beyond the first edge of the active display area.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein a plane parallel to the substrate extends through the first connector and the second connector.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein:

the plane is defined by a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and

the first connector and second connector are linear within the plane along the first axis.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the touch assembly and the display assembly combine to provide a touch screen display assembly.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein:

the component of the display assembly comprises a driver chip beyond the second edge of the active display area; and

a touch processor of the touch assembly connects to the plurality of traces at the first connector beyond the first edge of the active display area.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising a housing surface, wherein:

an opening through the housing surface makes the active display area visible to a user of the electronic device, and

the component of the display assembly is positioned underneath the housing surface beyond the opening.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising a battery, wherein a portion of the second cable extends between a portion of the display assembly and a portion of the battery.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein:

the battery is fixed to the portion of the display assembly by a coupling element;

the coupling element comprises a first thickness extending between the battery and the portion of the display assembly;

the portion of the second cable comprises a second thickness extending between the battery and the portion of the display assembly; and

the second thickness is not greater than the first thickness, such that the portion of the second cable does not affect the distance between the battery and the portion of the display assembly.

20. A method comprising:

electrically coupling a first bond pad of a cable to a first electrical contact of a capacitive touch input assembly;

electrically coupling a second bond pad of the cable to a second electrical contract of the capacitive touch input assembly, wherein the first and second electrical contacts are formed on respective first and second opposing surfaces of the capacitive touch input assembly, wherein the first bond pad is on the first surface, and wherein the second bond pad is on the second surface;

electrically coupling a third bond pad of the cable to at least one electrical contact of a mechanical input assembly; and

electrically coupling the first bond pad, the second bond pad, and the third bond pad to a connector at an end region of the cable.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

at least one of the first and second electrical contacts of the capacitive touch input assembly comprises an end of a column trace that extends across a substrate; and

the at least one electrical contact of the mechanical input assembly comprises a tactile switch.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

positioning the third bond pad region between the first bond pad region and the second bond pad region.

23. A method comprising:

providing a display assembly that displays data on an active display area defined by at least a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge;

providing a touch assembly comprising a plurality of traces on a substrate;

electrically coupling a first bond pad of a first cable to an end of a first trace of the plurality of traces at a first position beyond the first edge of the active display area; and

electrically coupling a second bond pad of a second cable to a component of the display assembly at a second position beyond the second edge of the active display area, wherein the first and second cables overlap.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

positioning a first connector of the first cable at a third position beyond the first edge of the active display area;

positioning a second connector of the second cable at a fourth position beyond the first edge of the active display area; and

connecting the first connector and the second connector to the same component at the third and fourth positions.