CN219802669U

CN219802669U - Electronic module comprising a printed circuit board structure

Info

Publication number: CN219802669U
Application number: CN202190000252.8U
Authority: CN
Inventors: M·J·林奇
Original assignee: Primewell Innovations
Current assignee: Primewell Innovations
Priority date: 2020-01-21
Filing date: 2021-01-19
Publication date: 2023-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 2031-01-19
Also published as: WO2021148781A1; GB202000865D0

Abstract

An electronic module (200) for a wearable article (300). The electronic module (200) includes a controller configured to process signals received from sensing components of the wearable item (300). The electronic module (200) comprises a power supply coupled to the controller and arranged to supply power to the controller. The electronic module (200) comprises a printed circuit board structure (100). The printed circuit board structure (100) comprises a printed circuit board (101) and an antenna unit arranged on the printed circuit board (101). The antenna unit comprises a first antenna (107) and a second antenna (109). The electronic module comprises a housing arranged to house a controller, a power supply and a printed circuit board structure. The first antenna (107) is arranged to wirelessly receive a signal from a sensing component of the wearable item (300) and provide the signal to the controller.

Description

Electronic module comprising a printed circuit board structure

Technical Field

The application relates to an electronic module comprising a printed circuit board structure. The printed circuit board structure includes a first antenna and a second antenna.

Background

A wearable article, such as a garment, containing a sensor is a wearable electronic product for measuring and collecting information from the wearer. Such wearable items are commonly referred to as "smart garments. Which facilitates measurement of the biological signal of the wearer during exercise or other scenes.

It is known to provide garments or other wearable articles with electronic devices (e.g., electronic modules and/or related components) attached at significant locations such as between the chest or scapula. Advantageously, the electronic module is a detachable device. The electronic module is configured to process the input signals and to store and/or display the output obtained from the processing to a user in a suitable manner.

The sensor senses a biological signal, such as an Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal, and the biological signal is coupled to the electronic module through the interface. The sensor may be coupled to the interface by a conductor connected to a terminal provided on the interface to enable a signal from the sensor to be coupled to the interface.

It is desirable to improve the interface between an electronic module and a wearable article.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present disclosure, an electronic module and a wearable assembly comprising a printed circuit board structure as described in the appended claims are provided. Other features of the utility model will be apparent from the dependent claims and from the description which follows.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic module for a wearable article is provided. The electronic module includes a controller configured to process signals received from the sensing component. The sensing component may be part of the electronic module and/or may be separate from the electronic module and incorporated into the wearable article. The electronic module comprises a power supply coupled to the controller and arranged to supply power to the controller. The electronic module includes an antenna unit including a first antenna and a second antenna. The electronic module comprises a housing arranged to house the controller, the power supply and the antenna unit.

The electronic module may comprise a printed circuit board structure. The printed circuit board structure may include a printed circuit board and an antenna element disposed on the printed circuit board.

The first antenna may be arranged to wirelessly receive a signal from a sensing component of the wearable item and provide the received signal to the controller.

Advantageously, the first antenna is arranged to wirelessly receive signals from the sensing means of the wearable item. This enables the electronic module to communicate wirelessly with the sensing component of the wearable article without the need to form a conductive connection. This arrangement avoids the need to form a conductive interface in the wearable article and may also simplify the construction of the electronic module, as removing the conductive interface simplifies the waterproofing and intrusion protection of the electronic module.

The first antenna may be a near field communication antenna. The near field communication may be near field magnetic induction.

The first antenna may include an antenna coil.

The second antenna may comprise an antenna coil.

The second antenna may be a power receiving antenna arranged to receive power wirelessly to charge the electronic module. The second antenna may wirelessly receive power using electromagnetic induction to charge the electronic module.

Advantageously, the second antenna may be arranged to receive power wirelessly to charge the electronic module. This enables the electronic module to be charged wirelessly without the need to form a conductive connection. This arrangement avoids the need to provide a conductive interface, such as a USB charging interface, in the electronic module, thereby reducing the size of the electronic module. This arrangement may also simplify the construction of the electronic module, as the removal of the conductive interface simplifies the waterproofing and intrusion protection of the electronic module.

The first antenna and the second antenna may be disposed in the same plane. Advantageously, providing the first antenna and the second antenna in the same plane reduces the size of the electronic module.

The printed circuit board may be a flexible printed circuit board.

The printed circuit board may be a rigid-flexible printed circuit board.

The printed circuit board may be a first printed circuit board of a printed circuit board structure, wherein the printed circuit board structure further comprises a second printed circuit board. The controller may be disposed on the second printed circuit board.

The first and second printed circuit boards may be arranged in a stacked configuration.

Advantageously, the first and second printed circuit boards may be vertically separated from each other to minimize interference. The first printed circuit board may be positioned toward the bottom shell of the housing. The second printed circuit board may be positioned toward the top shell of the housing.

Conductors may extend from the first printed circuit board to the second printed circuit board to conductively connect the first printed circuit board to the second printed circuit board.

The second printed circuit board may include a third antenna.

The first antenna may be arranged to communicate via a first wireless communication protocol. The third antenna is arranged to communicate via a second wireless communication protocol. The second wireless communication protocol may have a longer communication range than the first wireless communication protocol.

The second printed circuit board may include a light source.

The housing may include a top shell and a bottom shell. The bottom shell may be closest to the wearer of the wearable article and/or the wearable article in use. The top shell may be furthest from the wearer of the wearable article and/or the wearable article in use. The longitudinal axis extends from the top housing to the bottom housing. The antenna element may be proximate the top housing. This is beneficial for near field communication with a mobile device because it minimizes the communication distance between the antenna and the mobile device. An antenna element including first and second antennas may be proximate the bottom housing. This facilitates short range communication with the wearable item, as it minimizes the communication distance between the antenna and the wearable item.

The electronic module may also include a sensor. The sensor may be arranged to detect a mobile device being brought close to the electronic module. In response to the sensor detecting that the mobile device is brought into proximity with the electronic module, the controller may be arranged to wake up and control the antenna to transmit data (e.g. to the mobile device) or to perform any other form of control operation. The sensor may be a motion sensor arranged to detect a displacement of the electronic module caused by a mobile device brought close to the electronic module. That is, the sensor is able to detect a "tap" input of the mobile device caused by a tap against the electronic module. The sensor need not necessarily be a motion sensor. Other forms of sensors, such as capacitive sensors, optical sensors, and ultrasonic sensors, may be used to detect mobile devices brought into proximity with the electronic module. One or both of the first and second antennas (or different antennas) may be used as a sensor. That is, induced currents in one or both of the first and second antennas (or different antennas) may wake up the controller and control one or both of the antennas (or different antennas) to transmit data or perform any other form of control operation.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a wearable assembly comprising the electronic module of the first aspect of the present disclosure and a wearable article. The electronic module may be arranged to be removably coupled to the wearable article.

The wearable article may be a garment.

The wearable article may include one or more sensing components. The sensing component may be a biosensing component. The sensing means may comprise one or more of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a motion sensor, a potential sensor, an electrical impedance sensor, an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor. Here, "component" means that not all components of the sensor may be provided in the wearable article. Processing logic, power supplies, and other functions may be provided in the electronic module. The wearable article may include only minimal functionality to perform sensing, such as only including sensing electrodes. The temperature sensor may be arranged to measure an ambient temperature, a skin temperature of the human or animal body, or a core temperature of the human or animal body. The humidity sensor may be arranged to measure humidity or the skin surface humidity level of the human or animal body. The motion sensor may include one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer sensor. The motion sensor may comprise an inertial measurement unit. The potentiometric sensor may be arranged to perform one or more bioelectrical measurements. The electrical potential sensor may include one or more of an Electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor module, an Electrogastrogram (EGG) sensor module, an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor module, and an Electromyogram (EMG) sensor module. The electrical impedance sensor may be arranged to perform one or more bio-impedance measurements. The bioimpedance sensor may include one or more of a plethysmographic sensor module (e.g., for respiration), a body composition sensor module (e.g., hydration, fat, etc.), and an electrical impedance imaging (EIT) sensor. The optical sensor may comprise a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor module or an orthophoto map (OPG) sensor module.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a printed circuit board structure is provided. The printed circuit board structure comprises a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes a first region defining an aperture extending through the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes a first antenna disposed in a first region of the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes a second antenna disposed in the first region of the printed circuit board.

Importantly, the printed circuit board structure comprises (at least) two antennas and thus has more functions than a single antenna printed circuit board structure. In addition, the aperture allows other components, such as other antennas or light sources, to have a line of sight through the printed circuit board structure. This is particularly advantageous when the printed circuit board structure is arranged in a housing with other electronic components. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a printed circuit board structure that can reduce the interference effects of signal transmissions by other devices in the vicinity of the printed circuit board structure.

The first antenna may include an antenna coil. The second antenna may comprise an antenna coil. The antenna coil may comprise a helical coil wire.

The aperture may be located in a central region of the printed circuit board.

The first region may include an outer region and an inner region. The inner region may be located between the outer region and the orifice. One of the first and second antennas may be disposed in the outer region. The other of the first and second antennas may be disposed in the interior region.

The first antenna may be interleaved with the second antenna.

The first antenna may be a communication antenna.

The first antenna may be a short-range communication antenna. The short-range communication antenna may be arranged to transmit and/or receive data over a communication range of up to 50 meters, alternatively up to 30 meters, alternatively up to 10 meters and alternatively up to 1 meter. The short-range communication antenna may include one or more of near field communication NFC, wireless body area network BAN, and wireless personal area network PAN communication antennas. The short-range communication antenna may include NFC, Low power consumption->Mesh、/>5. One of Thread, zigbee, IEEE 802.15.4 and Ant communication antennasOr more.

The first antenna may be a medium range communication antenna. The medium range communication antenna may be arranged to transmit and/or receive data over a communication range of up to 200 meters, alternatively up to 100 meters, alternatively up to 50 meters, alternatively up to 30 meters. The medium range communication antenna may include one or more of a wireless near area network, NAN, a wireless local area network, WLAN, and Wi-Fi, communication antenna.

The first antenna may be a telecommunications antenna. The telecommunication antenna may be arranged to transmit and/or receive data in a communication range of up to 200 meters, alternatively up to 100 meters, alternatively up to 50 meters. The telecommunication antennas may comprise one or more of a wireless metropolitan area network WMAN, a wireless wide area network WAN, a low power wide area network LWAN, and a cellular antenna. The cellular antenna may be configured to transmit or receive data over one or more of fourth generation (4G) LTE, LTE-advanced (LTE-a), LTE Cat-M1, LTE Cat-M2, NB-IoT, fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), and/or any other currently or future developed cellular wireless network.

The second antenna may be a power receiving antenna.

The second antenna may be a communication antenna. The communication antenna may be any of the short, medium and long range communication antennas described above. The first antenna may be a short-range communication antenna and the second antenna may be a short-range communication antenna. The first and second antennas may use different communication protocols. The first antenna may be a short range communication antenna and the second antenna may be a medium range communication antenna, or vice versa. The first antenna may be a short-range communication antenna and the second antenna may be a long-range communication antenna, or vice versa. The first antenna may be a medium range communication antenna and the second antenna may be a remote communication antenna or vice versa.

The printed circuit board may be a flexible printed circuit board.

The printed circuit board is a rigid-flexible printed circuit board.

The printed circuit board structure can also include a controller communicatively coupled to at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna. The printed circuit board may be a first printed circuit board of the printed circuit board structure. The printed circuit board structure may further comprise a second printed circuit board. The controller may be disposed on the second printed circuit board.

The first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board may be arranged in a stacked configuration.

The printed circuit board structure may be a rigid-flexible printed circuit board structure. The first and second printed circuit boards may be rigid components of a rigid-flexible printed circuit board structure. The conductors may be flexible components that are rigidly and flexibly coupled to the printed circuit board structure.

The second printed circuit board may include a third antenna. The third antenna may be arranged on the printed circuit board such that the antenna has a line of sight through the aperture. The first antenna may be used for communication using a first wireless communication protocol. The third antenna may be used for communication using a second wireless communication protocol. The first wireless communication protocol may be near field communication. The second wireless communication protocol may beOr low power consumption->The present disclosure is not limited to these examples. The third antenna may be any of the short range, medium range, and long range communication antennas described above.

The second printed circuit board may include a light source. The light source may be arranged on the printed circuit board such that the light source has a line of sight through the aperture. The light source may comprise one or more light emitting diodes.

One or both of the first antenna and the second antenna may be in the form of a global navigation satellite system, GNSS, receiver.

The printed circuit board structure may be used in an electronic module of the first aspect of the present disclosure.

According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic module for a wearable article is provided. The electronic module comprises the printed circuit board structure of the third aspect of the present disclosure.

The electronic module may further comprise an interface arranged to be communicatively coupled with the electronic device of the wearable article, thereby forming a signal path between the electronic module and the electronic device.

The electronic module may further comprise a power source coupled to the printed circuit board structure and arranged to supply power to the printed circuit board structure.

The electronic module may comprise a printed circuit board structure as disclosed above in relation to the third aspect of the present disclosure. The electronic module may include some or all of the features disclosed above in relation to the first aspect of the present disclosure. The electronic module may be used in the wearable assembly of the second aspect of the present disclosure.

According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a printed circuit board structure is provided. The printed circuit board structure comprises a printed circuit board comprising a first communication antenna for transmitting and/or receiving data via a first wireless communication protocol; and a second communication antenna for transmitting and/or receiving data via a second wireless communication protocol.

Importantly, the printed circuit board structure includes (at least) first and second communication antennas having more functionality than a single antenna printed circuit board structure.

According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a printed circuit board structure is provided. The printed circuit board structure comprises a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board comprises: a first power receiving antenna; and a second communication antenna for transmitting and/or receiving data via a wireless communication protocol. The wireless communication protocol may be a communication protocol other than near field communication.

Importantly, the printed circuit board structure includes (at least) a power receiving antenna and a communications antenna and thus has more functionality than a single antenna printed circuit board structure.

According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a printed circuit board structure is provided, the printed circuit board structure comprising a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board comprises a first antenna in the form of a global navigation satellite system GNSS receiver; and a second antenna.

Importantly, the printed circuit board structure comprises (at least) a GNSS receiver antenna and another antenna, such as a power receiving antenna or a communication antenna, and thus has more functions than a single antenna printed circuit board structure.

The printed circuit board structures of the fifth, sixth and seventh aspects of the present disclosure may comprise any of the features of the printed circuit board structures of the third aspect of the present disclosure and may be incorporated into the wearable article and the electronic module of the first, second and fourth aspects of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure is not limited to wearable articles. The electronic module disclosed herein may be incorporated into other forms of devices such as consumer electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones). In addition, they may be incorporated into any form of textile product. The textile product may comprise decorations, such as may be placed on furniture, vehicle seats, as wall or ceiling decorations, etc.

Drawings

Examples of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example printed circuit board structure in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another example printed circuit board structure in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of yet another example printed circuit board structure in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of another example system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of yet another example system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates an exploded view of an example electronic module, according to aspects of the present disclosure;

fig. 8 and 9 show perspective views of the electronic module of fig. 7;

FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of components of a garment in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and

fig. 11 shows a perspective view of the electronic module of fig. 8 and 9 mounted on the garment of fig. 10.

Detailed Description

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the various embodiments of the disclosure defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to aid understanding, but these are to be considered exemplary only. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to a bibliographic sense, but are used only by the applicant to achieve a clear and consistent understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following descriptions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It should be understood that the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Reference throughout this disclosure to "wearable article" may refer to any form of electronic device that may be worn by a user, such as a smart watch, necklace, bracelet, or glasses. The wearable article may be a textile product. The wearable article may be a garment. A garment may refer to a piece of clothing or apparel. The garment may be a jacket. The coat may be a shirt, T-shirt, blouse, sweater, jacket/coat, waistcoat. The garment may be a dress, brassiere, shorts, pants, arm or leg wear, waistcoat, jacket/coat, glove, armband, undergarment, hair band, bristled/beanie, collar, wristband, stocking, sock or shoe, sportswear, swimsuit, wet wetsuit or dry wetsuit. The wearable article/garment may be made of woven or nonwoven materials. The wearable article/garment may be made of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or natural fibers mixed with one or more other materials, which may be natural or synthetic. The yarn may be cotton. Depending on the particular application, cotton may be mixed with polyester and/or viscose and/or polyamide. Silk can also be used as natural fibers. Cellulose, wool, hemp, and jute fibers are also natural fibers that can be used in wearable articles/garments. Polyester, polyester cotton, nylon and viscose are synthetic fibers that can be used in wearable articles/garments. The garment may be a tight fitting garment. Advantageously, the close fitting garment helps ensure that the sensor means of the garment remain in contact or in proximity with the skin surface of the wearer. The garment may be a compression garment. The garment may be a sportswear such as an elastomeric sportswear.

The following description relates to specific examples of the present disclosure in which the wearable article is a garment. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to garments, and that other forms of wearable articles are also within the scope of the present disclosure as outlined above.

Referring to fig. 1, a printed circuit board structure 100 is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The structure 100 includes a printed circuit board 101. The printed circuit board 101 includes a first region 103 defining an aperture extending through the printed circuit board 101. A first antenna in the form of a first antenna coil 107 and a second antenna in the form of a second antenna coil 109 are arranged in the first region 103 of the printed circuit board 101. The following examples refer to specific examples in which the first antenna and the second antenna are antenna coils. This is not necessary in all aspects of the present disclosure, and other antenna structures, such as dipole antennas, are also within the scope of the present disclosure. Importantly, the printed circuit board structure 100 comprises (at least) two antenna coils 107, 109 and thus has more functions than a single antenna coil printed circuit board structure. In addition, the aperture 105 enables other components, such as other antennas or light sources, to have a line of sight through the printed circuit board structure 100. This is particularly advantageous when the printed circuit board structure 100 is arranged in a housing with other electronic components.

The printed circuit board 101 may be a single-sided circuit board 101. The first antenna coil 107 and the second antenna coil 109 may be disposed on one side of the single-sided circuit board.

The printed circuit board 101 has an annular region. The aperture 105 is located in a central portion of the annular region of the printed circuit board 101 and has a circular shape. The first antenna coil 107 extends around the circular aperture 105 and comprises one (as shown, may include a plurality of) coil loops. The second antenna coil 109 extends around the circular aperture and comprises a plurality (three shown) of coil loops. The first antenna coil 107 is located inside the second antenna coil 109. This means that the first area 103 of the printed circuit board 101 comprises an outer area and an inner area. The inner region is located between the outer region and the aperture 105. The first antenna coil 107 is arranged in the inner region. The second antenna coil 109 is arranged in the outer area. Such an arrangement is not required in all implementations of the present disclosure, but for example, the first antenna coil may be interleaved with the second antenna coil.

The printed circuit board 101 has a connection region 104 extending from the annular region. The connection region 104 includes contact points of the first and second antenna coils 107, 109 and allows the first and second antenna coils 107, 109 to be electrically connected to other components. The contact points may be provided as connection pads (not shown). The contact points may be provided on different sides of the printed circuit board 101.

The first antenna coil 107 may be a communication coil and is preferably a short-range communication coil such as a near field communication coil.

The second antenna coil 109 may be a power receiving coil. The power receiving coil may be a wireless charging (WLC) coil operating at a unidirectional power transmission frequency. The power receiving coil may be compatible with standards of one or all of the wireless power alliance (A4 WP), the power supply alliance (PMA), and the wireless charging alliance (WPC). The printed circuit board 101 may be disposed on a ferrite board such that the printed circuit board may be used as an inductive transmission board for wireless charging.

In other examples, the first antenna coil 107 and the second antenna coil 109 may be any one of a short range communication coil, a medium range communication coil, and a long range communication coil, a GNSS receiver coil, or a power receiving coil.

In general, if the first antenna coil 107 is a near field communication coil and the second antenna coil 109 is a power receiving coil for wireless charging, it is contemplated that the two coils operate in different frequency bands. NFC coil 107 is typically short in length and will operate at a bi-directional communication frequency. The power receiving coil 109 will have a longer length than the NFC coil 107 and will operate at a unidirectional power transmission frequency. Although fig. 1 shows the power receiving coil 109 outside and the NFC coil 107 inside, it should be understood that the locations of these coils may be interchanged.

The first and second antenna coils 107, 109 may be formed on the printed circuit board 101 by etching, coating, or plating or by using other conventional methods known in the art.

Referring to fig. 2, a cross-sectional view of a printed circuit board structure 100 is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The printed circuit board structure 100 comprises a first printed circuit board 101 and a second printed circuit board 111, the first printed circuit board 101 being identical to the printed circuit board 101 of fig. 1. The second printed circuit board 111 is disposed vertically below the first printed circuit board 101. Thus, the first printed circuit board 101 and the second printed circuit board 111 are disposed in a stacked configuration. The second printed circuit board 111 includes a third antenna coil 113 disposed at a central region of the second printed circuit board 111. At least one component of the third antenna coil 113 is aligned with the aperture 105 of the first printed circuit board 101 such that the third antenna coil 113 has a line of sight through the aperture 105. The third antenna coil 113 may be, for example, forLow power consumption->Mesh、/>5. Thread, zigbee, IEEE 802.15.4, or Ant, wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN), wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), or communication antenna coil for cellular communication through a cellular communication network. The cellular communication network may be a fourth generation (4G) LTE, LTE-advanced (LT E-a), LTE Cat-M1, LTE Cat-M2, NB-IoT, fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), and/or any other currently or future developed cellular wireless network.

Referring to fig. 3, a cross-sectional view of another printed circuit board structure 100 is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The printed circuit board structure 100 comprises a first printed circuit board 101 and a second printed circuit board 111, the first printed circuit board 101 being identical to the printed circuit board 101 of fig. 1. The second printed circuit board 111 is disposed vertically below the first printed circuit board. Thus, the first printed circuit board 101 and the second printed circuit board 111 are disposed in a stacked configuration. The second printed circuit board 111 includes a third antenna coil 113 disposed at a central region of the second printed circuit board 111. At least one component of the third antenna coil 113 is aligned with the aperture 105 of the first printed circuit board 101 such that the third antenna coil 113 has a line of sight through the aperture 105. The third antenna coil 113 may be, for example, forOr a communication antenna coil for cellular communication. In addition, a light source 115 is provided in a central region of the second printed circuit board 111. The light source 115 is aligned with the aperture 105 of the first printed circuit board 101 such that the third antenna coil 113 has a line of sight through the aperture 105. It will be appreciated that it is not required that the light source 115 and the third antenna coil 113 be provided on the second printed circuit board 111 at the same time. Alternatively, one of the light source 115 and the third antenna coil 113 may be provided. The light source 115 may be one or more light emitting diodes.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, the second printed circuit board 111 further includes a controller 117. The controller 117 is communicatively coupled to at least one of the first antenna coil 107 and the second antenna coil 109. The controller 117 may, for example, control the energization of the first antenna coil 107 to transmit data using a communication protocol such as NFC. The controller 117 may be communicatively coupled to the third antenna coil 113. The controller 117 may control the energization of the third antenna coil 113 to be used, for exampleOr cellular communication protocolAnd the like, to transmit data. The controller 117 may be communicatively coupled to the light source 115 to control the light emission of the light source 115.

In some examples of the printed circuit board structure 100 of fig. 2 and 3, conductors (not shown) extend from the first printed circuit board to the second printed circuit board to conductively connect the first printed circuit board to the second printed circuit board.

In some examples of the printed circuit board structure 100 of fig. 2 and 3, the printed circuit board structure 100 has a rigid-flexible bond structure. The first and second printed circuit boards 101, 111 are rigid components of the rigid-flexible combination. The conductors are flexible components of the flexible-rigid-bonded printed circuit board structure. In other examples, the printed circuit boards 101, 111 are flexible printed circuit boards. In other examples, the printed circuit boards 101, 111 and conductors are rigid components.

Referring to fig. 4, an example system 10 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The system 10 comprises an electronic module 200, a garment 300, and a mobile device 400, the electronic module 200 comprising the printed circuit board structure 100 of any of fig. 1 to 3. The garment 300 is worn by a user. The electronic module 200 is attached to the garment 300. The electronic module 200 is arranged to be integrated with the electronic components incorporated into the garment 300 in order to obtain signals from said electronic components. The electronic component may comprise a component of a sensor. The electronic component may comprise an electrode. The electronic module 200 is further arranged to wirelessly transmit data to the mobile device 400. Various protocols enable wireless communication between electronic module 200 and mobile device 400. Example communication protocols includeLow power consumptionAnd Near Field Communication (NFC).

The electronic module 200 may be removable from the garment 300. The electronic module 200 may be configured to be removably mechanically coupled to the garment 300. The mechanical coupling of the electronic module 200 to the garment 300 may be provided by mechanical interfaces such as clips, plug and socket devices, and the like. The mechanical coupling or mechanical interface may be configured to maintain the electronic module 200 in a particular orientation relative to the garment 300 when the electronic module 200 is coupled to the garment 300. This is beneficial in ensuring that the electronic module 100 is securely held in place relative to the garment 300 and/or optimizing any electronic coupling of the electronic module 200 to the garment 300 (or component of the garment 300). For example, friction or a positive engagement mechanism may be used to maintain the mechanical coupling.

Advantageously, the removable electronic module 200 can house all components required for data transmission and processing, such that the garment 300 includes only sensor components and communication pathways. In this way, the manufacture of garment 300 may be simplified. In addition, the garment 300 with fewer electronic components attached thereto or incorporated therein may be easier to clean. Further, the removable electronic module 200 may be easier to maintain and/or troubleshoot than embedded electronics. The electronic module 200 may include a flexible electronic device such as a Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC). The electronic module 200 may be configured to be electrically coupled to the garment 300.

It may be desirable to avoid direct contact of the electronic module 200 with the skin of the wearer while wearing the garment 300. It may be desirable to avoid contact of the electronic module 200 with perspiration or moisture on the skin of the wearer. The electronic module 200 may be provided with a waterproof coating or a waterproof housing. For example, the electronic module 200 may be provided with a silicone housing. It may also be desirable to provide a pouch or pocket in the garment to contain the electronics module to prevent chafing or rubbing, thereby improving the comfort of the wearer. The pouch or pocket may be provided with a waterproof liner to prevent the electronic module 200 from coming into contact with moisture.

Referring to fig. 5, a schematic diagram of an example system 10 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The system 10 includes an electronic module 200 that attaches to the garment 300 and communicates with the mobile device 400. The electronic module 200 comprises a printed circuit board structure 100, such as those printed circuit board structures 100 shown in any of fig. 1 to 3. The printed circuit board structure 100 comprises a first printed circuit board 101 and a second printed circuit board 111. The first printed circuit board 101 includes a first antenna coil 107 (fig. 1) and a second antenna coil 109 (fig. 1). The first antenna coil 107 is an NFC communication coil 107. The second antenna coil 109 is electric powerA receiving coil 109 arranged to receive power wirelessly to charge the electronic module 200. The second printed circuit board 111 includes a third antenna coil 113 (fig. 2 or 3) and may include additional components such as a controller 117 (fig. 2 or 3) and a light source 115 (fig. 3). The third antenna coil 113 isA communication coil 113. The first printed circuit board 101 is disposed near the top of the electronic module 200 such that the first printed circuit board 101 is closest to the mobile device 400 and furthest from the garment 300. Advantageously, this arrangement minimizes the communication distance between the NFC communication coil 107 and the mobile device 400. / >Has a longer communication range than NFC and will therefore +.>113 are located farther from the mobile device 400 than the NFC coil 107 without being opposite +.>Communication has a negative impact.

Referring to fig. 6, a schematic diagram of an example system 10 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The system 10 includes an electronic module 200 that attaches to the garment 300 and communicates with the mobile device 400. The electronic module 200 comprises a printed circuit board structure 100, such as those printed circuit board structures 100 shown in any of fig. 1 to 3. The printed circuit board structure 100 comprises a first printed circuit board 101 and a second printed circuit board 111. The first printed circuit board 101 includes a first antenna coil 107 (fig. 1) and a second antenna coil 109 (fig. 1). The first antenna coil 107 is an NFC communication coil 107. The second antenna coil 109 is a power receiving coil 109 arranged to wirelessly receive power to charge the electronic module 200. The second printed circuit board 111 includes a third antenna coil 113 (fig. 2 or 3) and may include additional components such as a controller 117 (fig. 2 or 3) and a light source 115 (fig. 3). The third antenna coil 113 isA communication coil 113. The first printed circuit board 101 is disposed near the bottom of the electronic module 200 such that the first printed circuit board 101 is closest to the garment 300 and furthest from the mobile device 400. Advantageously, this arrangement minimizes the communication distance between the NFC communication coil 107 and the communication coil 301 of the garment 300. This enables the electronic module 200 to communicate wirelessly with the electronic components of the garment 300 without the need to form conductive connections. / >The communication coil 113 communicates with the mobile device 400. In this example, the first printed circuit board 101 need not have an aperture because it is not within the communication path of the third communication coil 113.

Referring to fig. 7, an exploded view of an example electronic module 200 is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The electronic module 200 comprises a printed circuit board structure 100. The printed circuit board structure 100 comprises a first printed circuit board 101 and a second printed circuit board 111.

The first printed circuit board 101 includes a first antenna coil 107 (fig. 1) and a second antenna coil 109 (fig. 1). The first antenna coil 107 is an NFC communication coil 107. The second antenna coil 109 is a power receiving coil 109 arranged to wirelessly receive power to charge the electronic module 200.

The printed circuit board structure 100 comprises a second printed circuit board 111. The second printed circuit board 111 includes a controller 117 having an integrated third antenna coil 113. The second printed circuit board 111 is further provided with a light source 115. The third antenna coil 113 and the light source 115 are positioned such that they have a line of sight through the aperture 105 in the first printed circuit board 101. The first printed circuit board 101 is provided with integral rigid conductors 119 forming a mating arrangement with the sockets 121 on the second printed circuit board 111. Thus, the first printed circuit board 101 is electrically connected to the second printed circuit board 111.

The electronic module 200 further comprises a power supply 123. The power supply 123 is coupled to the controller 117 and is arranged to supply power to the controller 117. The power supply 123 may include a plurality of power supplies. The power source 123 may be a battery. The battery may be a rechargeable battery. The battery may be a rechargeable battery adapted for wireless charging, such as inductive charging. The power source 123 may include an energy harvesting device. The energy harvesting device may be configured to generate an electrical power signal in response to a dynamic event, such as a dynamic event performed by a wearer of the garment. The dynamic event may include walking, running, exercising, or breathing of the wearer. The energy harvesting material may include a piezoelectric material that generates electrical energy in response to mechanical deformation of the transducer. The energy harvesting device may harvest energy from the body heat of the wearer of the garment. The energy harvesting device may be a thermoelectric energy harvesting device. The power source may be a super capacitor or an energy battery.

The electronic module 200 also includes an interface 125. The interface 125 includes a magnet 127 and two conductive pins 129, 131. The interface 125 is arranged to be communicatively coupled with an electronic device of the garment 300 (fig. 4-6) in order to receive signals from the electronic device. The controller 117 is communicatively coupled to the interface 125 and arranged to receive signals from the interface 125. The interface 125 does not require the use of conductive pins 129, 131. The interface 125 forms a conductive coupling or a wireless (e.g., inductive) communicative coupling with an electronic component of the wearable article.

The components of the electronic module 100 are disposed within a housing formed by a top housing 133 and a bottom housing 135. The longitudinal axis 137 extends from the top housing 133 to the bottom housing 135. The first printed circuit board 101 is disposed proximate the top housing 133. The bottom housing 135 is closest to the wearer's body in use, while the top housing 119 is furthest from the wearer's body in use. Advantageously, positioning the first antenna 107 near the top housing 119 minimizes the communication distance between the first antenna 107 and the mobile device. This is especially beneficial when the first antenna 107 is a short range communication antenna 107, such as an NFC antenna 107.

The first antenna coil 107 may be used to exchange information with the mobile device 400 via a first wireless communication protocol to facilitate pairing of the electronic module 200 with the mobile device 400 via a second wireless communication protocol. This may enable the third antenna coil 113 to communicate with the mobile device 400 via a third wireless communication protocol. The first wireless communication protocol may be near field communication (NFC) protocol. The second wireless communication protocol may beProtocol or low power consumption->Protocol. Outside the field of electronic modules of wearable items, the use of near field communication technology is enhanced>The user experience of technical applications is well known. In particular, the NFC forum- >Publication published by special interest group on 2014, 1, 9, "use NFC +.>Secure simple pairing "describes that NFC can be used at least for enhancement +.>Selection of devices, ++>Secure connection of devices, andinitialization of an application on a device. The disclosure of this document is incorporated herein by reference.

The electronic module 200 may additionally comprise a sensor (not shown). The sensor 111 is arranged to detect that the mobile device 400 is brought close to the electronic module 200. In particular, the sensor may be a motion sensor arranged to detect a displacement of the electronic module 200 due to the mobile device 400 being brought close to the electronic module 200. These displacements of the electronic module 200 may be caused by the mobile device 400 being tapped against the electronic module 200. Physical contact between the mobile device 400 and the electronic module 200 is not necessary, as the electronic module 200 may be in a pocket of the garment 300. This means that there may be a fabric (or other material) barrier between the electronic module 200 and the mobile device 400. In any event, contact of the electronic module 200 with the fabric of the pocket will cause a pulse to be applied to the electronic module 200 that will be sensed by the sensor.

The motion sensor may be an inertial measurement unit. The inertial measurement unit may include an accelerometer and optionally one or both of a gyroscope and a magnetometer. Not all examples require a gyroscope/magnetometer, but only an accelerometer may be provided, or a gyroscope/magnetometer may be present but placed in a low power state. The processor of the sensor may perform processing tasks to classify different types of detected motion. The processor of the sensor may particularly perform a machine learning function in order to perform such classification. Performing processing operations on the sensor rather than the controller 117 (fig. 2 or 3) is advantageous because it reduces power consumption and allows the controller 117 to be free to perform other tasks. In addition, even when the controller 117 is operating in a low power mode, motion events are allowed to be detected. The sensor communicates with the controller 117 via serial protocols such as Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), integrated circuit bus (I2C), I3C, controller Area Network (CAN), and recommendation 232 (RS-232). Other serial protocols are within the scope of this disclosure. The sensor can also send an interrupt signal to the controller 117 when needed to transition the controller 117 from the low power mode to the normal power mode upon detection of a motion event. The interrupt signal may be transmitted through one or more dedicated interrupt pins.

The sensor detecting that the mobile device 400 is brought close to the electronic module 200 may cause, among other things, the controller 117 to wake up, or any of the antenna coils 107, 109, 113 to be energized to transmit data to the mobile device 400. In addition to being used to trigger the antenna coil to transmit information, motion (e.g., "tap") detection of the sensor may be used to control operation of the electronic module 200. In this way, the detected tap may replicate the basic functionality of the user button on the existing electronic module 200. The present example does not require a physical button. A single tap may be used to wake up the electronic module or to cycle between different modes of operation.

The electronic module 200 may include a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) to enable the electronic module 200 to access services provided by a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) or a Virtual Mobile Network Operator (VMNO). The UICC may include at least Read Only Memory (ROM) configured to store MNO/VMNO profiles that the electronic module 200 may use to register and interact with. The UICC may be in the form of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. The electronic module 200 may have a receiving portion arranged to receive a SIM card. In other examples, the UICC is directly embedded in the controller of the electronic module 200. That is, the UICC may be an electronic/embedded UICC (eUICC). The eUICC is beneficial because it does not need to store many MNO profiles, i.e., electronic subscriber identity modules (esims). In addition, the eSIM can be provided to the electronic module 200 remotely. The electronic module 200 may include a secure element represented by an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC).

Referring to fig. 8 and 9, an electronic module 200 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The electronic module 200 may be the same as any of the electronic modules 200 described above with respect to fig. 4-7. The electronic module 200 includes a housing that accommodates components of the electronic module 200. The housing includes a top housing 133 and a bottom housing 135. The bottom housing 135 is closest to the wearer's body in use, while the top housing 133 is furthest from the wearer's body in use. The first and second conductive pins 129, 131 extend from openings 137, 139 in the bottom housing 135. The first and second conductive pins 129, 131 are capable of electrically conductive connection with conductive elements disposed on the textile, thereby electrically conductively connecting the electronic module 200 to the conductive elements of the textile. It is not necessary in all aspects of the present disclosure to use conductive pins 129, 131 to conductively connect the electronic module 100 to a textile. Other forms of conductive connection may be provided, such as through conductive posts or conductive pins. In addition, a conductive connection may not be required as a wireless communication connection may be formed between the electronic module 200 and the electronic components of the textile to enable data exchange between the electronic module 200 and the electronic components of the textile. In one example, electronic module 200 includes NFC coils proximate to bottom housing 135 and the textile material includes corresponding NFC coils. When the electronic module 100 is brought close to the textile, these NFC coils form a communicative coupling to allow data exchange. Fig. 6 shows an example of a wireless communication arrangement between the electronic module 200 and the garment 300.

Referring to fig. 10, an example textile layer of a garment 300 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The garment 300 comprises a textile material 302 and conductive elements 301, 303, 305, 307 disposed on the textile material 302. The conductive elements 301, 303, 305, 307 include a first terminal 301 and a first conductive via 303, the first conductive via 303 extending from the first terminal 301 to a first electrode (not shown). The first conductive via 303 thus electrically connects the first terminal 301 to the first electrode. The conductive element 301, 303, 305, 307 further comprises a second terminal 305 and a second conductive via 307, the second conductive via 307 extending from the second terminal 305 to a second electrode (not shown). The second conductive path 307 thus electrically connects the second terminal 305 to the second electrode. The first and second electrodes may be used to measure an electrical potential signal, such as an Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. The first and second terminals 301, 305 are arranged in concentric circles. A portion of the first conductive via 303 extends below the second terminal 305. An insulating layer (not shown) insulates the first conductive via 303 from the second terminal 305. This is just one example of the placement of conductive pathways on a textile. Other arrangements such as different positioning of conductive vias, use of different materials, and the like are also within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the conductive path may be formed by a conductive wire or a metal wire. The conductive paths may be incorporated into the textile. The conductive path may be a conductive track or film. The conductive path may be a conductive transmission member. The conductive material may be formed from fibers or yarns of a textile. This may mean that the conductive material is incorporated into the fibers/yarns. In some examples, the conductive pathway may be disposed on a lower surface of the textile. In some examples, apertures may be provided in the textile to allow the electronic module to be conductively connected to the conductive vias.

Referring to fig. 11, the electronic module 200 of fig. 8 and 9 is shown attached to the garment 300 of fig. 10. The first conductive pin 129 is in conductive contact with the first terminal 201 and the second conductive pin 131 is in conductive contact with the second terminal 205. Magnets 127 (fig. 7) may be provided in the electronic module 200 and on the lower surface of the garment 300 to keep the electronic module 200 removably attached to the garment 300.

While the above examples refer to printed circuit board structures having apertures, it should be understood that this is not required for all aspects of the present disclosure.

In this disclosure, an electronic module may also be referred to as an electronic device or an electronic unit. These terms may be used interchangeably.

At least some of the example embodiments described herein may be constructed, in part or in whole, using dedicated, special purpose hardware. Terms such as "component," "module," or "unit" as used herein may include, but are not limited to, a hardware device such as a circuit in the form of a discrete or integrated component, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that performs certain tasks or that provide related functionality. In some embodiments, the described elements may be configured to reside on a tangible, persistent, addressable storage medium and may be configured to execute on one or more processors. In some embodiments, these functional elements may include, for example, components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, processes, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. Although the exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to the components, modules and units discussed herein, these functional elements may be combined into fewer elements or separated into additional elements. Various combinations of optional features have been described herein, and it should be appreciated that the described features may be combined in any suitable combination. In particular, features of any one example embodiment may be combined with features of any other embodiment as appropriate, unless such combinations are mutually exclusive. Throughout this specification, the terms "comprise" or "comprising" are intended to include the specified components, but not exclude the presence of other components.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The application is not limited to the details of the foregoing embodiments. The application extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. An electronic module for a wearable article, the electronic module comprising:

a controller configured to process signals received from the sensing component;

a power supply coupled to the controller and arranged to supply power to the controller;

A printed circuit board structure comprising a printed circuit board and an antenna unit disposed on the printed circuit board, the antenna unit comprising a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna is a communication antenna for transmitting and/or receiving data via a first wireless communication protocol, and wherein the second antenna is a communication antenna for transmitting and/or receiving data via a second wireless communication protocol, and wherein the second antenna has a larger communication range than the first antenna;

and

a housing arranged to house the controller, the power supply and the printed circuit board structure.

2. The electronic module of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is a first printed circuit board of the printed circuit board structure, and wherein the printed circuit board structure further comprises a second printed circuit board, and wherein the controller is disposed on the second printed circuit board.

3. The electronic module of claim 2, wherein the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are arranged in a stacked configuration.

4. The electronic module of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board includes a first region defining an aperture extending through the printed circuit board, and wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are disposed in the first region of the printed circuit board.

5. The electronic module of claim 1, wherein the first antenna is arranged to wirelessly receive a signal from the sensing component of the wearable article and provide the received signal to the controller.

6. The electronic module of claim 1, further comprising an interface arranged to be communicatively coupled with an electronic device of the wearable article, thereby forming a signal path between the electronic module and the electronic device.

7. The electronic module of claim 1, wherein the first antenna is a near field communication antenna.