Methods and apparatus for conductive element deposition and formation
First Claim
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1. A method of manufacturing an article of manufacture with a conductive trace pattern thereon, the method comprising:
- receiving information defining the conductive trace pattern;
analyzing the information to define at least first and second domains, the first and second domains comprising respective first and second portions of the conductive trace pattern, the first and the second domains differing based at least upon a geometric factor associated with the conductive trace pattern;
generating a first output relating at least in part to the first domain, and a second output relating at least in part to the second domain;
sending the first output to a first printing apparatus for use thereby; and
sending the second output to a second printing apparatus for use thereby, the second printing apparatus having different printing capabilities from the first printing apparatus.
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Abstract
A conductive element such as an antenna, for use in electronic devices, including mobile devices such as cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptops, and wireless tablets, and methods of, and apparatus for, forming the same. In one exemplary aspect, the present disclosure relates to a conductive antenna formed using deposition of conductive fluids as well as the method and equipment for forming the same. In one embodiment, a complex (3D) conductive trace is formed using two or more different print technologies via creation of different domains within the conductive trace pattern.
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20 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing an article of manufacture with a conductive trace pattern thereon, the method comprising:
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receiving information defining the conductive trace pattern; analyzing the information to define at least first and second domains, the first and second domains comprising respective first and second portions of the conductive trace pattern, the first and the second domains differing based at least upon a geometric factor associated with the conductive trace pattern; generating a first output relating at least in part to the first domain, and a second output relating at least in part to the second domain; sending the first output to a first printing apparatus for use thereby; and sending the second output to a second printing apparatus for use thereby, the second printing apparatus having different printing capabilities from the first printing apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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5. An article of manufacture with a conductive trace pattern thereon, the conductive trace pattern formed according to the method comprising:
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receiving at least one data structure defining the conductive trace pattern; analyzing at least portions of the at least one data structure to define at least two domains comprising a first domain and a second domain, the first and second domains being different based at least upon a geometry-related threshold, the at least two domains defining the entire conductive trace pattern and having a boundary therebetween; generating a first print file based at least upon the first domain, and a second print file based at least upon the second domain, one or more traces described in the first print file extending to overlap one or more traces described in the second print file by a distance at least exceeding a misalignment tolerance between two printing systems; sending the first print file to a first of the two printing systems; and sending the second print file to a second of the two printing systems; wherein the first of the two printing systems is configured to deposit a conductive fluid having a different size attribute from that of the second one of the two printing systems. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification