Apparatus and method for manufacturing an electronic package

• US 9,111,189 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LBT IP LLC (Location Based Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Location Based Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Scalisi, Joseph F., Morse, David M., Butler, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US11/933,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20090111393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,848 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14639 for obtaining an insulating effect, e.g. for electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3456 Antennas, e.g. radomes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1316 Moulded encapsulation of mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1322 Encapsulation comprising more than one layer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/239 Complete cover or casing

Abstract

An apparatus to package an electronic device. The apparatus includes a composite plastic package that is durable to environmental conditions. In particular, a mold process to produce a plastic composite material package and support an electronic component inserted therein. At least one injection nozzle supplies a specified level of plastic composite material into the mold to produce a substantially hermetically sealed package. A multi-patch antenna provides increased receiver sensitivity. An inductive battery power option provides a user flexibility to charge a tracking device and communicate near-field signals and energy with a tracking monitoring station.

Claims

1. A tracking device comprising:

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving one or more location and tracking signals, the one or more location and tracking signals carrying information regarding location of the tracking device;

a printed circuit board substrate comprising wireless location and tracking circuitry to assist in monitoring location coordinates of an object or individual attached thereto;

a first patch antenna mounted on a first surface of the tracking device;

a second patch antenna disposed substantially parallel to the first patch antenna and mounted on a second surface of the tracking device, the second surface opposed to the first surface of the tracking device, wherein the first surface is in a different plane than the second surface;

wherein the first patch antenna and the second patch antenna are configured to periodically communicate signals to the wireless location and tracking circuitry processor to determine if the first patch antenna or the second patch antenna provides optimal antenna performance when the transceiver is placed in a low-power mode or when the tracking device has an at least partially obstructed communication path; and

wherein the signals configured to determine optimal antenna performance are processed by the tracking device using a sampling interval that is substantially less than a duration of one or more communicated location and tracking signals.

2. The tracking device of claim 1, further comprising inductive charging circuitry coupled to a charge storage unit within the tracking device.

3. The tracking device of claim 1, further comprising memory to store a first identification code to identify an object or individual associated with the tracking device to at least one of a user and an information server.

4. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the wireless location and tracking circuit communicates with a server that stores informational profile of an individual or an object to monitor or track and communicates the informational profiles in accordance with authorization criteria in both a secure and an insecure manner.

5. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the tracking device is capable of selectively communicating location coordinates with other tracking devices in a secure manner.

6. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the tracking device is capable of computing its location coordinates utilizing location coordinates of other tracking devices in response to at least one of inadequate signal strength and last known positional coordinates within an adequate signal strength area of the tracking device.

7. The tracking device of claim 1, further comprising a battery;

inductive charging circuitry to provide non-contact power charging of the battery; and

an electronic package configured to conform to a shape of an inductive charger located proximal to the tracking device.

8. The tracking device of claim 1, further comprising a demodulator circuit;

a battery, battery charging circuitry, and inductive charging circuitry magnetically coupled to a location and tracking device monitoring station through an inductive charging station to provide a near field communication link.

9. The tracking device of claim 1, further comprising inductive charging circuitry and a demodulator circuit to provide battery charging capability to the tracking device and a near field communication link with a proximally located monitoring station.

10. The tracking device of claim 1, further comprising an electronic package shaped to conform to shape of a proximately located battery charger unit that magnetically couples to the tracking device, the tracking device configured to receive at least one of battery charging signals or near field electrical signals from the battery charger unit electrically coupled to a transformation network from either a computer or a standard AC wall outlet.