CN116488673A - Electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electronic device. The portable electronic device may include a housing defining an interior volume and an opening. The apparatus may further include: a rear cover disposed in the opening, an inner surface of the rear cover defining the interior volume; and a conductive antenna component embedded within the rear cover.

Description

Electronic equipment

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/374,735, entitled "ELECTRONIC DEVICE", filed on 6 at 9 at 2022, and U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/267,098, entitled "ELECTRONIC DEVICE", filed on 24 at 1 at 2022, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Technical Field

The described embodiments relate generally to electronic devices. More particularly, the present embodiments relate to wearable electronic devices.

Background

In designing electronic devices, the portability of the devices is increasingly considered, for example, to allow users to use the devices in a variety of situations and environments. In the context of wearable devices, these devices may be designed to include many different functions and operate in many different locations and environments. Components of the electronic device, such as the processor, memory, antenna, display, and other components, may determine, in part, the performance level of the electronic device. In addition, the placement of these components relative to one another in the device may also determine the performance level of the electronic device.

The continual advances in electronic devices and components thereof have resulted in considerable improvements in performance. However, existing components and structures of electronic devices may limit the performance level of such devices. For example, while some components may achieve high performance levels in some cases, including multiple components in a device sized to enhance portability may limit the performance of the components, thereby limiting the performance of the device. Accordingly, it may be desirable to further adjust the component arrangement of an electronic device to provide additional or enhanced functionality without introducing or adding undesirable device attributes.

Disclosure of Invention

In at least one example of a portable electronic device described herein, a housing can define an interior volume and an opening. The apparatus may further include: a rear cover disposed in the opening, an inner surface of the rear cover defining the interior volume; and a conductive antenna component embedded within the rear cover.

In at least one example, the conductive antenna component may be disposed outside the interior volume. In at least one example, the antenna component is completely embedded within the back cover. In at least one example, an outer surface of the rear cover may define an outer surface of the electronic device. In at least one example, the back cover may extend over a thickness defined between the outer surface and the inner surface, and the antenna component may be disposed within the thickness. In at least one example, the back cover may comprise plastic. In at least one example, the rear cover may define a first opening, and the antenna component may define a second opening corresponding in position to the first opening.

In at least one example of the present disclosure, an electronic device housing may include a side wall defining a rear opening, a rear cover disposed in the opening and defining an outer surface, and a metal sheet disposed within the rear cover. In at least one example, the back cover can include a plastic body and a hard coating disposed on the plastic body and defining an outer surface.

In at least one example, the metal sheet may include an antenna component. In one example, the antenna component may be embedded within the plastic body. In one example, the antenna component may be insert molded into the plastic body. In one example, the plastic body may comprise glass filled nylon. In one example, the electronic device housing may further include a primer layer disposed between the hard coating and the plastic body. In one example, the hard coating may include a UV curable hard coating material. In at least one example, the hard coating may comprise a UV curable single coating disposed directly on the plastic body. In one example, the UV curable single coating may include between about 190N/mm ² And about 250N/mm ² The indentation hardness between. In one example, the UV curable single coating may include an acrylic polyol having a glass transition temperature of about 50 ℃. In at least one example, the UV curable monocoat may comprise an acrylic monomer and an acrylic polyol resin comprising between about 10% and about 20% by volume of (hydroxyethyl) methacrylate and between about 3% and about 7% by volume of methacrylic acid and acrylic monomer.

In at least one example of the present disclosure, a back cover of an electronic device may include an antenna component including a metal sheet and a non-conductive body molded around the antenna component. In such an example, the outer surface of the body is curved, and the metal sheet may be curved to correspond to the outer surface.

In at least one example, the metal sheet may include a stepped bending geometry. In one example, the stepped curve geometry may include an outer curve portion and an inner curve portion. In one example, the metal sheet may further include an intermediate step portion disposed between the outer curved portion and the inner curved portion. In one example, the inner curved portion is disposed lower than the outer curved portion.

Drawings

The present disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of an electronic device;

FIG. 1B shows a bottom exploded view of the electronic device of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of an electronic device;

FIG. 3A illustrates an exploded view of a portion of an electronic device;

FIG. 3B illustrates an exploded view of a portion of an electronic device;

FIG. 3C shows a cross-sectional view of a rear cover of the electronic device;

fig. 4 shows a top plan view of the electronic device;

FIG. 5A shows a cross-sectional view thereof;

FIG. 5B shows another cross-sectional view thereof;

FIG. 5C shows a close-up view of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A shows a cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6B shows another cross-sectional view thereof;

FIG. 6C shows a close-up view of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 6A;

fig. 7 shows a perspective view of a rear cover of the electronic device;

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view thereof; and is also provided with

Fig. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the rear cover shown in fig. 7.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as defined by the appended claims.

The architecture and components of the electronic devices described herein may allow for configurations and designs that may maximize the number of functions and capabilities of the portable or wearable electronic devices, while also allowing for the use of relatively low cost or rich materials, as well as reducing complexity and cost of manufacture and assembly. Furthermore, some of the components of the compact portable devices described herein may be delicate and sensitive such that they need to be arranged and configured to be protected. In some examples, components arranged together within a device may provide more than one function, thereby providing a more compact arrangement. In this way, the customization and arrangement of components for electronic devices described herein may provide additional or enhanced functionality without introducing or adding undesirable device characteristics or reduced performance.

For example, in at least one portable electronic device described herein, the housing can define an interior volume and an opening. The apparatus may further include: a rear cover disposed in the opening, an inner surface of the rear cover defining the interior volume; and a conductive antenna component embedded within the rear cover. The antenna component may comprise a conductive metallic material in the form of a metallic sheet. The rear cover may comprise a plastic body in which the metal sheet of the antenna component may be insert molded. In this way, the antenna component may be physically protected by the surrounding body of the rear cover, and the antenna may be used to strengthen or stiffen the rear cover. In at least one example, the back cover may be formed using lighter, cheaper, richer materials such as plastic without sacrificing durability and strength due to the enhanced functionality of the antenna assembly. For example, the back cover may comprise glass filled nylon. Glass filled nylon and other plastic materials may also provide aesthetic advantages because the color of the plastic material may vary.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to fig. 1A-9. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

Fig. 1A shows an example of an electronic device 100. The electronic device shown in fig. 1A is a wristwatch, such as a smartwatch. The smart watch of fig. 1A is merely one representative example of a device that may be used in conjunction with the systems and methods disclosed herein. The electronic device 100 may correspond to any form of wearable electronic device, portable media player, media storage device, portable digital assistant ("PDA"), tablet computer, mobile communication device, GPS unit, remote control device, or other electronic device. The electronic device 100 may be referred to as an electronic device or a consumer device. In some examples, the electronic device 100 may include a body 101 that may carry the operating component, for example, in an interior volume defined at least in part by a housing of the body. The electronic device 100 may also include straps 103 or other retaining means that may secure the device 100 to the user's body as desired. Further details of the electronic device are provided below with reference to fig. 1B.

Referring now to fig. 1B, an electronic device 100 may include a body 101 having a housing 102 and a cover 110 attached to the housing 102. The housing 102 may substantially define at least a portion of an outer surface of the device 100. The cover 110 may comprise a ceramic material such as sapphire, glass, plastic, or any other substantially transparent material, component, or assembly. The cover 110 may cover or otherwise cover a display, a camera, a touch-sensitive surface such as a touch screen, or any component of the device 100. The cover 110 may define a front exterior surface of the device 100. The housing 102 and the cover 110 together may substantially define an outer surface of the device 100.

In some examples, the housing 102 may include a component 130 defining at least an outer surface of the device 100. The component 130 may be referred to as a rear shell or cover, and in some examples, may be attached to one or more other components, such as the housing 102. The component 130 may be attached to the housing 102 by any method known in the art or developed in the future, such as adhesive bonding, brazing, welding, overmolding, interference fit, or other securing methods.

The rear cover 130 may define one or more holes or through-holes. The transparent material 132 may be disposed in one or more holes. In some examples, transparent material 132 may be visually transparent and may include any transparent material, including ceramic materials such as sapphire. The transparent material 132 may provide visual and electromagnetic access to the external environment for one or more components of the device 100, as described herein.

The housing 102 may include one or more features to receive or couple to other components of the device 100. For example, the housing 102 may include features such as a recess 104 for receiving the strap 103 and an aperture 108 for receiving the button 148. The housing may also define one or more apertures for receiving additional input components, such as a dial or crown 146.

The device 100 is merely one example of an electronic device 100. Additional electronic devices and their designs are explicitly contemplated. Further details of example electronic devices and components are provided below with reference to fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of a smart watch 200, which may be substantially similar to devices described herein, such as electronic device 100, and may include some or all of the features of the devices described herein. The device 200 may include a housing 202, a display assembly 210, and a rear cover 230. The housing 202, display assembly 210, and rear cover 230 together may define the exterior surface and interior volume of the device 200. Further, the electromagnetically transparent member 232 may be disposed in an opening defined by the rear cover 330. The electromagnetically transparent member 232 may be adhered, adhered or otherwise connected to the rear cover 330 as shown in fig. 2.

The housing 202 may be a substantially continuous or unitary component and may define one or more openings 204, 206, and 208 to receive components of the electronic device 200 and/or to provide access to internal portions of the electronic device 200. In some examples, the device 200 may include input components, such as one or more buttons 248 and/or crowns 244 that may be disposed in the openings 206, 208. The microphone may be disposed in the interior volume such that it communicates with the outside or ambient environment through the opening 204.

The display assembly 210 may be received by and attachable to the housing 202. The display assembly may include a cover 214 comprising a transparent material, such as plastic, glass, and/or ceramic. Display assembly 210 may also include a display stack 212, which may include a plurality of layers and components, each of which may perform one or more desired functions. For example, display stack 212 may include a display layer 212, which may include a touch detection layer or component, a force sensitive layer or component, and one or more display layers or components that may include one or more pixels and/or light emitting portions for displaying visual content and/or information to a user. In some examples, display layer or component 212 may include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display, and/or any other form of display. Display layer 212 may also include one or more electrical connectors to provide signals and/or power to display layer 212 from other components of device 200.

In some examples, the device 200 may include a gasket or seal 216 that may be disposed between the display assembly 210 and the housing 202 to define a barrier that prevents liquid or moisture from entering the interior volume from the external environment substantially at the location of the seal 216. Seal 216 may include a polymer, metal, and/or ceramic material, as described herein. The device 200 may also include a seal 234, which may be disposed between the housing 202 and the back cover 230 to define a barrier to liquid or moisture from the external environment into the interior volume substantially at the location of the seal 234. Seal 234 may comprise a polymer, metal, and/or ceramic material, as described herein. Seal 234 may be substantially similar to seal 216 and may include some or all of the features of the seal.

The device 200 may also include internal components such as a haptic engine 224, a battery 222, and a logic board 240 (also referred to as a main logic board 240) that may include a System In Package (SiP) 242 disposed thereon that includes one or more integrated circuits such as a processor, sensors, and memory. SiP 242 may also include a package.

In some examples, the internal components may be disposed below the main logic board 240 and may be disposed at least partially within a portion of the internal volume defined by the rear cover 230. For example, device 200 may include electromagnetic shielding components, alternatively referred to as electronic shield 252, that may shield other components in device 200 from electromagnetic radiation from the surrounding environment and/or electromagnetic radiation emitted by other components in device 200. The device 200 may also include a second logic board 250 that may communicate with one or more sensors or transmitters of the device 200, for example, to receive information or signals from an external environment. In some examples, the second logic board 250 may also include a SiP 242. In some examples, device 200 may include one or more wireless antennas, such as antenna 254, which may be in electrical communication with one or more other components of device 200. In some examples, antenna 254 may receive and/or transmit wireless signals at one or more frequencies and may be, for example, one or more of a cellular antenna such as an LTE antenna, a Wi-Fi antenna, a bluetooth antenna, a GPS antenna, a multi-frequency antenna, and the like. The antenna 254 may be communicatively coupled to one or more additional components of the electronic device 200. The exploded view of fig. 2 also shows one or more circuitry components 241, which may include one or more conductive wires, electrical wires, RF antenna leads, and other electrical connection components configured to connect the antenna component 254 to the logic board 240 of the device 200.

The internal components may be disposed within an internal volume defined at least in part by the housing 202 and may be attached to the housing 202 via an adhesive, an internal surface, attachment features, threaded connectors, studs, posts, or other features formed into, defined by, or otherwise part of the housing 202 and/or the cover 214 and/or the back cover 330.

1A-2, any number or variety of components in any of the configurations described with reference to FIGS. may be included in any other electronic device described herein with reference to other figures, alone or in combination. The components may include any combination of features described herein, and may be arranged in any of the various configurations described herein. The construction and arrangement of the apparatus components and concepts relating to the use and operation of the components may be applied not only to the specific examples discussed herein, but also to any number of embodiments in any combination. Various examples of electronic devices and electronic device components are described below with reference to fig. 3A-9, including components having various features in various arrangements.

Fig. 3A shows an exploded view of a portion of an exemplary device 300, including a housing 302 and a rear cover 332 that form a side wall 360. Fig. 3B shows an exploded view of the rear cover 330, and fig. 3C shows a cross-sectional view of the rear cover 330 at a position passing through the rear cover 330, as shown in fig. 3B. Referring to fig. 3A, a sidewall 360 of the housing 302 may define an interior volume 356 and an opening 358. In the orientation of the device 300 shown in fig. 3A, the opening 358 may be a rear opening 358, and the rear cover 330 may be disposed in the rear opening 358 when the device 300 is assembled. In at least one example, the electromagnetically transparent member 332 may be fixed to the rear cover 330. In at least one example, the electromagnetically transparent member 332 can be disposed in an opening defined by the rear cover 330.

Fig. 3B shows an exploded view of the back cover 330 and the electromagnetically transparent member 332. As described above, the rear cover 330 may define an opening 364 in which the electromagnetically transparent member 332 may be disposed when assembled. Further, in at least one example, an adhesive layer, component, or ring 362 can secure the electromagnetically transparent component 332 to the back cover 330 in the opening 364. One or more other securing means may also secure the electromagnetically transparent member 332 to the back cover 330, including adhesives and glues, such as pressure sensitive adhesives, chemical bonds, interlocking mechanical structures, including mechanical securing mechanisms, such as screws, latches, fasteners, or other mechanical securing means, and the like. In at least one example, the adhesive component 362 can include dispensed glue.

In addition, fig. 3B illustrates access points 343a, 343B, 343c, and 343d through which one or more of the circuitry components 241 shown in fig. 2 may extend through the rear cover 330 to make electrical contact with antenna components 354 disposed within the rear cover 330. In one or more other examples, the number, size, shape, and location of access points 343a-d can vary. The access points 343a-d can include apertures defined by the back cover 330 through which circuitry components can extend to contact the conductive material of the antenna component 354 embedded within the back cover 330, as shown in fig. 3C. The circuitry component 241 described above may contact the embedded antenna component 354 to form a Radio Frequency (RF) circuit within the devices described herein. The RF circuitry and antenna component 354 may form a functional antenna configured to receive, process, and transmit electromagnetic signals.

Fig. 3C shows a cross-sectional view of the rear cover 330 at a position passing through the rear cover 330, as shown in fig. 3B. As shown, the rear cover 330 may be disposed in the opening 358, with the inner surface 370 of the rear cover 330 defining an interior volume 356. In at least one example, the antenna component 354 may be embedded within the back cover 330.

The embedded antenna component 354 may increase the vertical distance (also referred to as the "Z-distance") between the antenna component 354 and its associated ground plane. The embedded antenna component 354 is not disposed within the interior volume, but is disposed further down into the back cover 330 to increase the Z-distance of the antenna. Embedding the antenna component 354 in the back cover 330 also reduces interference with other components. Furthermore, the back cover 330 may physically protect the antenna component 354 disposed therein by surrounding the antenna component 354 such that other components or objects do not come into contact with the antenna component 354 during normal use or during a fall event or when the device 300 is subjected to external forces that may be damaging.

Further, in at least one example, the antenna component 354 may include or be formed of a harder and/or stronger material than the material and configuration of the back cover 330 alone. In this manner, in at least one example, the antenna component 354 may also be used to structurally support, strengthen, and/or stiffen the rear cover in addition to the antenna function of the antenna component 354. Thus, the embedded antenna component 354 reinforces the back cover 330 and provides a more durable, longer lasting device 300.

Furthermore, in at least one example, the presence of antenna component 354, which may include a conductive material embedded within the back cover, may dissipate eddy currents. In examples where the device 300 includes a charging coil disposed in the interior volume 356 of the device 300, this may be advantageous during battery charging of the device 300.

As seen in fig. 3C, in at least one example of the device 300, the antenna component 354 may be disposed entirely or embedded within the back cover 330 such that the back cover 330 covers two opposite sides of the antenna component 354 and from one edge to the other. In at least one example, the inner surface 370 of the back cover 330 at least partially defines the interior volume 356 of the device 300 such that the antenna component 354 disposed within the back cover 330 is disposed outside of the interior volume 356. In at least one example, the antenna component 354 may be insert molded into the body 366 of the rear cover 330. For example, during manufacture, the first shot of the body 366 of the back cover 330 may be molded, and then the antenna component 354 may be placed, molded, or adhered to the first shot of the back cover 330. Then, in at least one example during manufacture, a second shot of the body 366 of the back cover 330 may be molded over the antenna component 354 and the first shot of the body 366 of the back cover 330.

In at least one example, the outer surface 368 of the back cover 330 defines an outer surface of the electronic device 300, and the back cover 330 extends over a thickness defined between the outer surface 368 and the inner surface 370. According to this example, the antenna component 354 is disposed within the thickness of the back cover 330. As shown in fig. 3C, the body 366 of the rear cover may include the rear cover 330 disposed between an outer surface 368 and an inner surface 370. As described above, the antenna component 354 may include conductive materials, such as one or more metallic materials, conductive ceramic materials, and/or one or more other conductive materials. The body 366 of the rear cover 330 may include a non-conductive material, including one or more plastic materials or other polymeric materials.

The material of the back cover 330 may be selected to maximize the adhesive strength of the electromagnetically transparent member 332 to the back cover 330 using the glue or other adhesive described above.

According to one example of the device 300, the back cover 330 includes an antenna component that includes a metal sheet 354 and a non-conductive body 366 molded around the antenna component 354. In such an example, the outer surface 368 of the body 366 is curved, as shown in fig. 3C. In at least one example, the curvature of the outer surface 368 is convex. In at least one example, the metal sheet 354 of the antenna component may also be bent to correspond to the curvature of the outer surface 368. For example, the metal sheet 354 of the antenna component 354 may be convex. The terms "corresponding" or "corresponding" as used herein may be used to refer to similar bend orientations, such as convex or concave, but do not refer to exact similarity of bend radii or dimensions. Conversely, the corresponding nature of the curvature of the metal sheet 354 of the antenna component indicates that the metal sheet 354 follows the general curvature and configuration of the outer surface 368 of the back cover 330.

In at least one example, the metal sheet 354 includes a stepped bending geometry including an outer bending portion 372 and an inner bending portion 374. The outer curved portion 372 may be disposed radially outward from the inner curved portion 374 relative to the opening 364 defined by the rear cover 330. Further, the stepped geometry of the metal sheet 354 of the antenna component may include an intermediate step portion 376 disposed between the outer curved portion 372 and the inner curved portion 374. In at least one example, the inner curved portion 374 is disposed lower than the outer curved portion 372. The intermediate step portion 376 may connect the inner curved portion 374 and the outer curved portion 372 and span between a higher level or position of the outer curved portion 372 and a lower level or position of the inner curved portion 374.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurations described with reference to fig. 3A-3C may be included in any other electronic device described herein with reference to other figures, alone or in combination. The components may include any combination of features described herein, and may be arranged in any of the various configurations described herein. The construction and arrangement of the apparatus components and concepts relating to the use and operation of the components may be applied not only to the specific examples discussed herein, but also to any number of embodiments in any combination. Various examples of electronic devices and electronic device components are described above and below with reference to fig. 1A-2 and 4-9, including components having various features in various arrangements.

As shown in fig. 3B and 4, in at least one example of the electronic device 300, 400, the rear cover 330 defines a first opening 364 and the antenna member 454 defines a second opening 478 that corresponds in position to the first opening 364, as shown in the top view of fig. 4. In such an example, the back cover 430 and the antenna component 454 together define an opening in which the electromagnetically transparent component 432 may be disposed. In at least one example, the antenna component 454 may comprise a metal sheet 454 comprising a conductive material.

As described above with reference to fig. 3C, the antenna component of fig. 4 may be embedded within the plastic body (designated 366 in fig. 3C) of the rear cover 430. The illustrated example of fig. 4 indicates the position of the antenna component 454 relative to the opening 432 of the rear cover 430, the housing 402 of the device 400, and the electromagnetically transparent component 432. However, when assembled and during use, the antenna component 454 may be embedded within the rear cover 430 such that the antenna component 454 is not visible or largely invisible. In at least one example, the antenna component 454 may be insert molded into the plastic body of the rear cover 430.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurations described with reference to fig. 4 may be included in any other electronic device described herein with reference to other figures, alone or in combination. The components may include any combination of features described herein, and may be arranged in any of the various configurations described herein. The construction and arrangement of the apparatus components and concepts relating to the use and operation of the components may be applied not only to the specific examples discussed herein, but also to any number of embodiments in any combination. Various examples of electronic devices and electronic device components are described above and below with reference to fig. 1A-3C and 5A-9, including components having various features in various arrangements.

Fig. 5A shows a cross-sectional view of a device 500 similar to the device 400 shown in fig. 4, taken along the orientation line Y-Y shown in fig. 4. The apparatus includes a housing 502, a back cover 530 defining an opening in which an electromagnetically transparent member 532 is disposed, and various other internal components. In addition, the device 500 includes an antenna component 554 embedded within the rear cover. Fig. 5B shows a cross-sectional view of a device 500 similar to the device 400 shown in fig. 4, taken along the orientation line X-X shown in fig. 4. Fig. 5C shows a close-up view of the cross-sectional view of fig. 5A. As shown in fig. 5A-5C, the antenna component may include a stepped geometry that varies depending on the orientation of the cross-sectional profile. In either view, the stepped geometry and curvature of the antenna component 554 corresponds to the curvature of the outer surface of the rear cover 530.

In this way, the distance between the average vertical position of the antenna component 554 and another component of the antenna (such as the ground plane or ground component of the antenna of the device 500) may be maximized to improve antenna performance and sensitivity. The back cover 530 may be curved at the outer surface to form an aesthetically pleasing transition profile between the housing 502 and the electromagnetically transparent member 532 and to improve or increase contact between the user's wrist or skin and the electromagnetically transparent member 532 when the device 500 is worn. In this way, sensors and other detectors disposed in the device 500 may interact with the user's body through the electromagnetically transparent member 532 with consistent contact.

Further, as shown in fig. 5A-5C, the antenna component 532 may be disposed around one or more interior components and peripherally around the electromagnetically transparent component 532 and/or the opening defined by the rear cover 530 in which the electromagnetically transparent component 532 is disposed. In this way, the antenna component 532 does not create physical interference in the space or location of any other internal components of the device 500. Further, the antenna component 532 may structurally support and strengthen the rear cover 530 at all times, or at least partially surround the entire rear cover 530, which surrounds and defines the opening in which the electromagnetically transparent component 532 is disposed.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurations described with reference to fig. 5A-5C may be included in any other electronic device described herein with reference to other figures, alone or in combination. The components may include any combination of features described herein, and may be arranged in any of the various configurations described herein. The construction and arrangement of the apparatus components and concepts relating to the use and operation of the components may be applied not only to the specific examples discussed herein, but also to any number of embodiments in any combination. Various examples of electronic devices and electronic device components are described above and below with reference to fig. 1A-4 and 6A-9, including components having various features in various arrangements.

Fig. 6A shows a cross-sectional view of a device 600 similar to the device 400 shown in fig. 4, taken along the orientation line Y-Y shown in fig. 4. The device includes a housing 602, a back cover 630 defining an opening in which an electromagnetically transparent member 632 is disposed, and various other internal components. In addition, the device 600 includes an antenna component 654 embedded within the back cover.

Fig. 6B shows a cross-sectional view of a device 600 similar to the device 400 shown in fig. 4, taken along the orientation line X-X shown in fig. 4. Fig. 6C shows a close-up view of the cross-sectional view of fig. 6A. As shown in fig. 6A-6C, the antenna component may include a stepped geometry that varies depending on the orientation of the cross-sectional profile. In either view, the stepped geometry and curvature of the antenna component 654 corresponds to the curvature of the outer surface of the rear cover 630. The antenna component 654 shown in fig. 6A-6C, including stepped geometry, bend, position, shape, size, or other configuration, differs from the bend, position, shape, size, and configuration of the antenna component 554 shown in fig. 5A-5C.

In both examples, including the examples of antenna component 654 shown in fig. 6A-6C, the distance between the average vertical position of antenna component 654 and another component of the antenna (such as the ground plane or ground component of the antenna of device 600) may be maximized to improve antenna performance and sensitivity. The rear cover 630 may be curved at the outer surface to form an aesthetically pleasing transition profile between the housing 602 and the electromagnetically transparent member 632 and to improve or increase contact between the user's wrist or skin and the electromagnetically transparent member 632 when the device 600 is worn. In this way, sensors and other detectors disposed in the device 600 may interact with the user's body through the electromagnetically transparent member 632 with consistent contact.

Further, as shown in fig. 6A-6C, the antenna component 632 may be disposed around one or more internal components, and around the electromagnetically transparent component 632 and/or the periphery of the opening defined by the rear cover 630 provided with the electromagnetically transparent component 632. In this way, antenna component 632 does not create physical interference in the space or location of any other internal components of device 600. Further, the antenna component 632 may structurally support and strengthen the rear cover 630 at all times, or at least partially surround the entire rear cover 630, which surrounds and defines the opening in which the electromagnetically transparent component 632 is disposed.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurations described with reference to fig. 6A-6C may be included in any other electronic device described herein with reference to other figures, alone or in combination. The components may include any combination of features described herein, and may be arranged in any of the various configurations described herein. The construction and arrangement of the apparatus components and concepts relating to the use and operation of the components may be applied not only to the specific examples discussed herein, but also to any number of embodiments in any combination. Various examples of electronic devices and electronic device components are described above and below with reference to fig. 1A-5C and 7-9, including components having various features in various arrangements.

Fig. 7 shows a bottom perspective view of the rear cover 730 and an electromagnetically transparent member 732 disposed in an opening defined by the rear cover 730. The rear cover 330 may define an exterior surface of an electronic device, including any of the electronic devices described herein and shown in the drawings. Further, although not shown in fig. 7, the metal sheet 354 of the antenna part may be disposed within the rear cover 730, and the rear cover 730 may include a plastic body (similar to the main body 366 labeled in fig. 3C). Further, in at least one example, the hard coating defines an outer surface of the device and is disposed on the body of the rear cover 730.

For example, as shown in fig. 8, the body 880 of the rear cover may include a plastic material, and a hard coating 884 may be disposed on the plastic body 880 of the rear cover. The hard coating 884 can define the rear cover and the outer surface of the electronic device. In at least one example, the body 880 of the rear cover can include glass filled nylon. In at least one example, the hard coating 884 can include a UV curable hard coating material. In at least one example, the rear cover can further include a primer layer 882 disposed between the hard coating 884 and the main body 880. Primer layer 882 may be disposed directly against the material of body 880.

In another example, as shown in fig. 9, the back cover may include a hard coating 986 disposed directly against the body 980 without an intermediate primer layer disposed therebetween. In the example shown in fig. 9, the hard coating 986 may comprise a UV curable single coating that forms the outer surface of the rear cover and thus the outer surface of the device of which the rear cover is a part. Hard coatings 884 and 986, shown in fig. 8 and 9, respectively, may provide scratch resistant material on the user facing outer surface of the rear cover. The hard coats 884 and 986 may also provide various aesthetic options for the rear cover of the device, such as a matte finish.

In at least one example, the hard coating 986 shown in fig. 9 can include a single coat hard layer that includes a concentrated primer and hard coating material in one layer. The single coating 986 may combine the chemical components of the primer with the UV curable chemical components of the hard coating to provide durable bonding with the body 980 and sufficient hardness for protecting the rear cover. The single coating 986 can provide excellent adhesion without the application of a primer layer. In other words, when using a primer, the application of the hard coating uses a single applicator instead of two applicators. The single coating 986 shown in fig. 9 can be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and provides a pleasing aesthetic appearance.

In one example, the UV curable single coating 986 may include between about 190N/mm ² And about 250N/mm ² The indentation hardness between. In some examples, the indentation hardness of the UV curable single coating 986 prevents the single coating from chipping without sacrificing chemical durability and strength. In some examples, the indentation hardness of the UV curable single coating 986 may be between about 190N/mm ² And about 200N/mm ² Between about 200N/mm ² And about 220N/mm ² Between about 220N/mm ² And about 235N/mm ² Between, or between about 235N/mm ² And about 250N/mm ² Within a range between.

In one example, the UV curable single coating used to form single coating 986 can include an acrylic polyol having a glass transition temperature of about 50 ℃. The glass transition is the gradual and reversible transition of the acrylic polyol from a hard and relatively brittle state to a viscous state with increasing temperature. The glass transition temperature of the acrylic polyol characterizes the temperature range over which this glass transition occurs.

The UV curable single coating achieves a good balance between crack resistance, scratch resistance and chemical durability. The coating formulation may combine a UV curable acrylic monomer and a thermally curable acrylic polyol resin. In at least one example, the UV curable monocoat may comprise acrylic monomer and about 10% to about 20% of (hydroxyethyl) methacrylate and about 3% to about 7% of acrylic polyol of methacrylic acid by volume.

In some examples, the UV curable monocoat may include an acrylic polyol comprising, by volume, about 35% to about 45% methyl methacrylate, about 15% to about 25% isobutyl methacrylate, and about 15% to about 25% ethylhexyl acrylate. In one example, the UV curable monocoat may include an acrylic polyol comprising, by volume, about 40% methyl methacrylate, about 20% isobutyl methacrylate, and about 20% ethylhexyl acrylate; and about 15% by volume of (hydroxyethyl) methacrylate and about 5% methacrylic acid. About 40% methyl methacrylate and about 20% isobutyl methacrylate may be included as acrylic monomers to control the glass transition temperature of the acrylic polyol. About 20% ethylhexyl acrylate can be included to provide and/or assist in viscosity control. About 15% of (hydroxyethyl) methacrylate may be included to provide and/or aid in crosslinking, and about 5% methacrylic acid may provide and/or aid in adhesion to nylon (e.g., glass filled nylon of plastic bodies).

Although the present examples are provided as UV curable, any number of curing processes and methods may be used to cure the UV curable single coating, including but not limited to the application of UV radiation or dual curing methods. According to one example, the dual curing method for the UV curable single coating of the present invention may include a drying step followed by the application of UV radiation to complete the first cure. After the first cure, the single coating may be fully cured (a second cure) by a baking process. Any combination of UV radiation, drying and baking may be used to alter the cure level and resulting properties of the UV curable single coat.

In some examples, the single coating may be applied in various thicknesses. According to one example, a single coating may be applied to the rear cover 730 in a range of about 8um-25um, about 10um-15um, or 10um-25 um.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurations described with reference to fig. 7-9 may be included in any other electronic device described herein with reference to other figures, alone or in combination. The components may include any combination of features described herein, and may be arranged in any of the various configurations described herein. The construction and arrangement of the apparatus components and concepts relating to the use and operation of the components may be applied not only to the specific examples discussed herein, but also to any number of embodiments in any combination. Various examples of electronic devices and electronic device components are described above and below with reference to fig. 1A-6C, including components having various features in various arrangements.

Any features or aspects of the devices and components discussed herein may be combined or included in any variation of the combinations. For example, the design and shape of the components or devices are not limited in any way and may be formed by any number of processes, including those discussed herein. As used herein, the terms outer, inner and inner are used for reference purposes only. The outer portion or outer portion of the component may form part of the outer surface of the component, but may not necessarily form the entire exterior of the outer surface of the component. Similarly, the inner or inner portion of the component may form or define the inner or inner portion of the component, but may also form or define a portion of the outer or outer surface of the component.

Various inventions are described herein with reference to certain specific embodiments and examples. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, as the invention set forth in the following claims is intended to cover all modifications and adaptations of the invention disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention. The terms "comprising" and "having" as used in the specification and claims shall have the same meaning as the term "comprising".

Within the limits applicable to the present technology, the collection and use of data from various sources may be used to improve the delivery of heuristic content or any other content to the user that may be of interest to the user. The present disclosure contemplates that in some examples, such collected data may include personal information data that uniquely identifies or may be used to contact or locate a particular person. Such personal information data may include demographic data location-based data, telephone number, email address, and method for determining a location of a mobile device,ID. Home address, health or wellness with userHealth level related data or records (e.g., vital sign measurements, medication information, exercise information), birth date, or any other identifying or personal information.

The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information data in the present technology may be used to benefit users. For example, the personal information data may be used to deliver targeted content of greater interest to the user. Thus, the use of such personal information data enables a user to have programmatic control over the delivered content. In addition, the present disclosure contemplates other uses for personal information data that are beneficial to the user. For example, health and fitness data may be used to provide insight into the overall health of a user, or may be used as positive feedback to individuals using technology to pursue health goals.

The present disclosure contemplates that entities responsible for collecting, analyzing, disclosing, transmitting, storing, or otherwise using such personal information data will adhere to established privacy policies and/or privacy practices. In particular, such entities should exercise and adhere to privacy policies and practices that are recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining the privacy and security of personal information data. Such policies should be readily accessible to the user and should be updated as the collection and/or use of the data changes. Personal information from users should be collected for legal and reasonable use by entities and not shared or sold outside of these legal uses. In addition, such collection/sharing should be performed after informed consent is received from the user. Moreover, such entities should consider taking any necessary steps to defend and secure access to such personal information data and to ensure that others having access to the personal information data adhere to their privacy policies and procedures. In addition, such entities may subject themselves to third party evaluations to prove compliance with widely accepted privacy policies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should be adjusted to collect and/or access specific types of personal information data and to suit applicable laws and standards including specific considerations of jurisdiction. For example, in the united states, the collection or acquisition of certain health data may be governed by federal and/or state law, such as the health insurance flow and liability act (HIPAA); while health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be processed accordingly. Thus, different privacy practices should be maintained for different personal data types in each country.

In spite of the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates embodiments in which a user selectively prevents use or access to personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates that hardware elements and/or software elements may be provided to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, with respect to advertisement delivery services, the present technology may be configured to allow a user to choose to "opt-in" or "opt-out" to participate in the collection of personal information data during or at any time after registration with the service. In another example, the user may choose not to provide mood-related data for the targeted content delivery service. In another example, the user may choose to limit the length of time that the mood-related data is maintained, or to completely prohibit development of the underlying mood state. In addition to providing the "opt-in" and "opt-out" options, the present disclosure also contemplates providing notifications related to accessing or using personal information. For example, the user may be notified that his personal information data will be accessed when the application is downloaded, and then be reminded again just before the personal information data is accessed by the application.

Further, it is an object of the present disclosure that personal information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of inadvertent or unauthorized access or use. Once the data is no longer needed, risk can be minimized by limiting the data collection and deleting the data. In addition, and when applicable, included in certain health-related applications, the data de-identification may be used to protect the privacy of the user. De-identification may be facilitated by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth, etc.), controlling the amount or specificity of stored data (e.g., collecting location data at a city level instead of at an address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data among users), and/or other methods, as appropriate.

Thus, while the present disclosure broadly covers the use of personal information data to implement one or more of the various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that the various embodiments may be implemented without accessing such personal information data. That is, various embodiments of the present technology do not fail to function properly due to the lack of all or a portion of such personal information data. For example, the content may be selected and delivered to the user by inferring preferences based on non-personal information data or absolute minimum amount of personal information such as content requested by a device associated with the user, other non-personal information available to the content delivery service, or publicly available information.

For purposes of explanation, the foregoing descriptions use specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above teachings.

Claims (23)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing defining an interior volume and an opening;

a rear cover disposed in the opening, an inner surface of the rear cover defining the interior volume; and

a conductive antenna component embedded within the rear cover.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the conductive antenna component is disposed outside the interior volume.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the antenna component is fully embedded within the rear cover.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the rear cover defines an exterior surface of the electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein:

the rear cover extends over a thickness defined between the outer surface and the inner surface; and is also provided with

The antenna component is disposed within the thickness.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the rear cover comprises plastic.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the rear cover defines a first opening; and is also provided with

The antenna component defines a second opening that corresponds in position to the first opening.

8. An electronic device housing, comprising:

a sidewall defining a rear opening;

a rear cover disposed in the opening and defining an exterior surface; and

a metal sheet disposed within the rear cover;

wherein, the back lid includes:

a plastic body; and

a hard coating disposed on the plastic body and defining the exterior surface.

9. The electronic device housing of claim 8, wherein the metal sheet comprises an antenna.

10. The electronic device housing of claim 9, wherein the antenna is embedded within the plastic body.

11. The electronic device housing of claim 10, wherein the antenna is insert molded into the plastic body.

12. The electronic device housing of claim 8, wherein the plastic body comprises glass-filled nylon.

13. The electronic device housing of claim 8, further comprising a primer layer disposed between the hard coating and the plastic body.

14. The electronic device housing of claim 8, wherein the hard coating comprises a UV curable material.

15. The electronic device housing of claim 8, wherein the hard coating comprises a UV curable single coating comprising an acrylic polyol and disposed directly on the plastic body.

16. The electronic device housing of claim 15, wherein the UV curable single coating comprises between about 190N/mm ² And about 250N/mm ² The indentation hardness between.

17. The electronic device housing of claim 15, wherein the acrylic polyol has a glass transition temperature of about 50 ℃.

18. The electronic device housing of claim 15, wherein the acrylic polyol further comprises an acrylic monomer; and is also provided with

Wherein the acrylic polyol comprises between about 10% and about 20% by volume of (hydroxyethyl) methacrylate and between about 3% and about 7% methacrylic acid.

19. A back cover for an electronic device, comprising:

a non-conductive body having an exterior surface with a first bend; and

an antenna member embedded in the non-conductive body and having a second curved portion corresponding to the first curved portion.

20. The back cover of the electronic device of claim 19, wherein the second bend comprises a stepped bend geometry.

21. The back cover of the electronic device of claim 20, wherein the stepped bending geometry comprises an outer bending portion and an inner bending portion.

22. The back cover of the electronic device of claim 21, wherein the stepped bending geometry further comprises an intermediate stepped portion disposed between the outer bending portion and the inner bending portion.

23. The back cover of the electronic device of claim 22, wherein the inner curved portion is disposed lower than the outer curved portion.