APPARATUS WITH RADIATING ELEMENT ISOLATED FROM AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE WEARABLE APPARATUS CARRIER DEVICE

• US 20150378321A1
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fraser, Nicholas A., Gitzinger, Thomas E., Isaacs, Dickon, Paradise, Michael F., Russell, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,703,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/04 Mounting of electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R

Abstract

A wearable apparatus can include a transceiver. The apparatus can include an electrically conductive housing, the transceiver carried in the housing, the housing including at least a first wearable apparatus carrier device connection area. The apparatus can include a radiating element, the radiating element connected to the housing, the radiating element coupled to a feed point that is coupled to the transceiver, and the radiating element configured to radiate radio frequency signals. The apparatus can include a current isolation element. The apparatus can include an electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device coupled to the electrically conductive housing via the current isolation element, where the current isolation element provides electrical isolation between the electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device and the electrically conductive housing and/or the radiating element.

Claims

1. A wearable apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

an electrically conductive housing, the transceiver carried in the electrically conductive housing, the electrically conductive housing including at least a first wearable apparatus carrier device connection area;

a radiating element connected to the electrically conductive housing, the radiating element coupled to a feed point that is coupled to the transceiver, and the radiating element configured to radiate radio frequency signals;

a current isolation element; and

an electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device coupled to the electrically conductive housing via the current isolation element, where the current isolation element provides electrical isolation between the electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device and the radiating element.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive housing comprises a watch housing and the radiating element includes at least a portion of the watch housing.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiating element comprises a tuned radiating element.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiating element forms at least a portion of a slot antenna.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an electrically conductive element electrically coupled to the feed point, wherein a slot of the slot antenna is defined by the electrically conductive element and the electrically conductive housing.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the isolation element is positioned adjacent to the slot.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the isolation element extends into the slot.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a ground point connecting the electrically conductive element to the electrically conductive housing, wherein the slot antenna is defined at least by the electrically conductive element, the feed point, the ground point, and the electrically conductive housing.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a printed circuit board including electrically conductive material,

wherein the slot antenna is defined at least by the electrically conductive element, the feed point, the ground point, the electrically conductive housing, and the printed circuit board.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the current isolation element comprises a first current isolation element,

wherein the first wearable apparatus carrier device connection area comprises a first watch band connection area,

wherein the electrically conductive housing further comprises a second watch band connection area on an opposite side of the electrically conductive housing from the first watch band connection area

wherein the electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device comprises a electrically conductive watch band coupled to the electrically conductive housing via a second current isolation element at the second watch band connection area, where the second current isolation element provides electrical isolation at least between the electrically conductive watch band and the electrically conductive housing.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the current isolation element prevents contact between the electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device and electrically conductive elements defining the radiating element.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the current isolation element secures a side of the wearable apparatus carrier device against a wall section in the housing to control rotation of the wearable apparatus with respect to the electrically conductive housing.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive housing includes a housing pocket comprising the first wearable apparatus carrier device connection area, where at least the current isolation element is inserted into the housing pocket.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device is connected to the current isolation element, and an electrically conductive portion of the electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device is not inserted into the housing pocket.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device is inserted in the isolation element within the housing pocket.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the electrically conductive housing includes at least one wall section within the housing pocket, and

wherein a current isolation element side of the current isolation element and an electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device side are shaped to contact the at least one wall section upon rotation when coupled in the housing to limit rotation with respect to the electrically conductive housing.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the at least one wall section, the current isolation element side, and the electrically conductive wearable apparatus carrier device side are substantially flat.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing and components carried within the housing define an antenna slot, and the current isolation element extends into the slot when the carrier device is connected to the housing.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the electrically conductive housing comprises a first conductive surface constructed from a segment of the electrically conductive housing, wherein the first conductive surface spans a first axis through the apparatus, and

wherein the radiating element is part of an antenna including:

the first conductive surface;

a second conductive surface that spans the first axis, wherein the second conductive surface is constructed from a set of contacting metal elements that are internal to the apparatus, wherein the first and second conductive surfaces are separated by a space; and

a contact element having the feed point that connects the first conductive surface to the second conductive surface along a plane that is normal to the first conductive surface.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

a radiating element including a feed point coupled to the transceiver;

a watch housing including a front watch housing, the front housing comprising electrically conductive material, the front housing covering the transceiver and the radiating element, the watch housing including a back watch housing coupled to the front watch housing, the watch housing including a first watch band connection area on one side of the watch housing, and the watch housing including a second watch band connection area on an opposite side of the watch housing from the first watch band connection area;

a first current isolation element coupled to housing near the radiating element at the first watch band connection area;

a second isolation element coupled to housing at the second watch band connection area; and

an electrically conductive watch band coupled to the watch housing via the first and second current isolation element, where the current isolation elements isolate the electrically conductive watch band from the electrically conductive housing and space the electrically conductive portions of the watch band from the radiating element.