Placement of an antenna in a wrist worn device

• US 9,602,642 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arm IP Limited
• Original Assignee: Arm IP Limited
• Inventors: Vincent, Hugo John Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US14/911,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20160205229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.7, 455/575, 455/1, 455/550.1, 455 901- 903, 455/73, 455/344, 455/566, 455/575.6, 368/13, 368/14, 368/88, 368/281, 343/702, 343/718, 343/720
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/12 inside metal cases
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components

Abstract

A wrist worn device having a main body portion and a strap portion. The main body portion comprises a housing for housing a processor, communication circuitry, a screen and tin antenna. The strap portion comprises a strap for attaching the main body portion to a wrist. The housing comprises a central portion that supports the screen and edge portions arranged around the central portion, one of the portions comprising a non-conductive section on an outer surface of said wrist worn device facing away from said wrist when worn; wherein the antenna is supported within the housing in the one of the edge portions comprising the non-conductive section, such that there is an electromagnetic wave path from the antenna to the outer surface through at least a portion of the non-conductive section wherein a portion of the strip overlays the antenna and a portion of the non-conductive section at the outer surface, the portion of the snap comprising a non-conductive portion.

Claims

1. A wrist worn device comprising:

a main body portion and a strap portion;

said main body portion comprising a housing for housing a processor, communication circuitry, a screen and an antenna;

said strap portion comprising a strap for attaching said main body portion to a wrist;

said housing comprising a central portion that supports said screen and edge portions arranged around said central portion, one of said portions comprising a non-conductive section on an outer surface of said wrist worn device facing away from said wrist when worn;

wherein

said antenna is supported within said housing in said one of said edge portions comprising said non-conductive section, such that there is an electromagnetic wave path from said antenna to said outer surface through at least a portion of said non-conductive section; and

wherein a portion of said strap overlays said antenna and a portion of said non-conductive section at said outer surface, said portion of said strap comprising a non-conductive portion.

2. A wrist worn device according to claim 1, wherein two of said edge portions comprising attachment means for attaching to said strap, said non-conductive section being located on one of said two edge portions comprising said attachment means.

3. A wrist worn device according to claim 2, wherein said at least two of said edge portions comprising said attachment means are arranged at said angle to said central portion such that said at least two of said edge portions follow a contour of said wrist when said wrist worn device is worn.

4. A wrist worn device according to claim 1, wherein said central portion has a planar surface and at least one of said edge portions is arranged at an angle to said central portion, said angle being such that said at least one of said edge portions follow a contour of said wrist when worn, said non-conductive section being located on one of said at least one of said edge portions.

5. A wrist worn device according to claim 1, said wrist worn device further comprising a light generating circuit mounted within said housing;

and wherein

said non-conductive section comprises a transparent plastic section and is arranged to allow light generated by said light generating circuit to pass to said outer surface.

6. A wrist worn device according to claim 5, said transparent plastic section comprising a light guiding section, such that light received from said light generating circuit is guided to said outer surface of said transparent plastic section, said light generating circuit being mounted such that it is not between said antenna and said transparent plastic section.

7. A wrist worn device according to claim 6 wherein said light generating circuit is arranged at a side of said transparent plastic section such that light received from said light generating circuit is reflected through an angle of between 45 and 135 degrees in said light guiding section on a path to said outer surface.

8. A wrist worn device according to claim 7, comprising at least one further antenna arranged within said one of said edge portions close to said antenna, said antenna being configured for electromagnetic waves in a 2.4 GHz band and said further antenna comprising a GPS antenna configured for electromagnetic waves of 1.575 GHz.

9. A wrist worn device according to claim 1, wherein said antenna comprises an antenna configured for frequencies of between 1 and 3 GHz.

10. A wrist worn device according to claim 1, and further comprising a near field antenna configured for 13.56 MHz, and display circuitry being arranged under a central region of said screen, such that data displayed on said display circuitry can be viewed through said screen, said display circuitry and said screen forming a layered display unit;

said further near field antenna being arranged mounted on said screen such that said antenna does not obstruct a view of said display circuitry.

11. A wrist worn device according to claim 1, further comprising a low frequency antenna configured for a frequency of between 10 and 200 KHZ, said low frequency antenna being arranged at another side of said display circuitry to said screen.

12. A wrist worn device according to claim 1, wherein housing comprises a conductive casing for supporting said screen, said screen forming an outer surface of said wrist worn device facing away from said wrist when worn.

13. A wrist worn device according to claim 12, wherein said antenna is arranged between an inner surface of said conductive casing facing said wrist when worn and said non-conductive section.

14. A wrist worn device comprising:

a main body portion and a strap portion;

said main body portion comprising a housing for housing a processor, communication circuitry, a screen and an antenna;

said housing comprising a casing for supporting said screen, said screen forming an outer surface of said wrist worn device facing away from said wrist when worn;

said strap portion comprising a strap for attaching said casing to a wrist;

said housing comprising a central portion that supports said screen and edge portions arranged around said central portion, one of said edge portions comprising a non-conductive section on said outer surface,

wherein said strap is engageable with said casing to retain said main body portion;

wherein a portion of said strap overlays a portion of said non-conductive section at said outer surface, said portion of said strap comprising a non-conductive portion; and

wherein said antenna is supported within said housing in said portion of said non-conductive section overlaid by said non-conductive portion of said strap such that there is an electromagnetic wave path from said antenna to said outer surface through at least a portion of said non-conductive section and said portion of said strap.

15. A wrist worn device according to claim 14, wherein said central portion has a planar surface, said one of said edge portions comprising said non-conductive section being at an angle to said central portion such that said one of said edge portions follows a contour of said wrist when said wrist worn device is worn.