JP4415180B2 - Wireless module and wristwatch including the wireless module - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless module called a wireless ID (RFID), an electronic tag, and a transponder, which is used in a device that wirelessly transmits and receives data by electromagnetic induction, and a wristwatch including the wireless module.

  Conventionally, there is a wristwatch in which a wireless module having an IC chip and an antenna mounted on a substrate is incorporated in a wristwatch case, and data is transmitted and received wirelessly by electromagnetic induction.

  This type of wristwatch has a configuration in which an IC chip such as a watch chip or a transponder chip and an antenna are mounted on a substrate to form an RFID module, and the RFID module is incorporated in a watch case.

In this case, the substrate also serves as a dial, is formed in a ring shape so as to surround the periphery of the time display unit incorporated in the watch case, and an antenna is provided on at least one of the front and back surfaces. In addition, a part of the ring shape is formed to be wide, and an IC chip is provided in the wide part.
JP 2000-509813 A

  However, in the conventional wristwatch, the RFID module substrate is formed in a ring shape, and a part thereof is formed wide, and an IC chip is provided in the wide part. Therefore, a wide part for providing the IC chip is provided. Therefore, there is a problem that the inner diameter of the ring-shaped substrate is restricted.

  Such a problem is that when an RFID module is incorporated in a watch case, if the outer diameter of the RFID module substrate is limited to a certain size, the inner diameter of the substrate is restricted by the wide portion for providing the IC chip. For this reason, the ring-shaped substrate narrows the display area of the time display section in the wristwatch case, which causes a problem that the display area cannot be sufficiently secured.

  A problem to be solved by the present invention is a wireless module capable of sufficiently securing the display area of the display unit without the display area of the display unit being restricted by the portion where the IC chip is provided, and the wireless module thereof Is to provide a wristwatch equipped with

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes the following components.
In addition, the reference numerals of the drawings attached to the respective elements described in the section of each embodiment described later are attached to the respective constituent elements together with parentheses.
In the first aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, the bent portions (16, 24) are bent at the frame-like portions (15, 23) surrounding the display portion (time display portion 10). A possible film substrate (12, 21), an antenna (13, 22) provided with wiring (17, 28) on at least one of the front and back surfaces of the frame-shaped portion of the film substrate, and the film substrate A wireless module (11, 20) comprising an IC chip (14) provided at the bent portion and electrically connected to the antenna.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the frame-shaped portion (23) overlaps the first frame-shaped portion (25) and the second frame-shaped portion (26). The bent portion (24) is provided in the first frame-shaped portion, and the antenna (22) is configured to connect the first and second frame-shaped portions to each other. It is the structure which provides wiring (28) in each one surface located in the same surface side of the said 1st, 2nd frame shape part and the other surface of the said 1st frame shape part in the expand | deployed state, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. A wireless module (20) according to claim 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, the invention according to claim 3 is a watch case (1), a watch glass (3) provided on the top of the watch case, and the watch glass corresponding to the watch glass. A time display unit (10) provided in a wristwatch case, and a wireless module (11, 20) disposed below the timepiece glass and surrounding the time display unit, the wireless module comprising: A film substrate (12, 21) provided with a foldable portion (16, 24) in a frame-like portion (15, 23) surrounding the periphery of the time display portion, and the front and back surfaces of the frame-like portion of the film substrate An antenna (13, 22) provided with wiring (17, 28) on at least one surface thereof, and an IC chip (14) provided in the bent portion of the film substrate and electrically connected to the antenna Nothing characterized by It is a watch with a module.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the frame-shaped portion (23) of the film substrate (21) includes a first frame-shaped portion (25) and a second frame-shaped portion ( 26) so that they can be folded so as to overlap each other, and the bent portion (24) is provided in the first frame-like portion, the antenna (22) has the first and second frame-like shapes. In a state in which the portion is expanded, wiring (28) is provided on each surface located on the same surface side of the first and second frame-like portions and the other surface of the first frame-like portion. A wristwatch comprising the wireless module according to claim 3.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a film substrate provided with a bent portion in a frame-like portion surrounding the display portion so as to be foldable is provided, and wiring is provided on at least one surface of the front and back surfaces of the frame-like portion of the film substrate. Since the antenna is configured by providing the IC chip in the bent portion of the film substrate, even if the bent portion protrudes from the frame-like portion in the surface direction of the film substrate, the protruding bent portion is framed. It can be bent so as not to protrude from the outer periphery of the shaped part. For this reason, the outer diameter of the entire film substrate is not increased, and the inner diameter of the frame-shaped portion of the film substrate is not restricted by the bent portion for providing the IC chip, so the inner diameter of the frame-shaped portion is decreased. There is nothing. For this reason, the display area of the display unit is not restricted by the portion where the IC chip is provided, and the display area of the display unit can be sufficiently secured.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the antenna is formed on the film substrate, the first and second frame-like portions connected by the connecting portion so as to overlap each other are developed, and in this state, the first and second frame-like portions are developed. The wiring is provided on each one surface of the two frame-shaped portions on the same surface side and the other surface of the first frame-shaped portion, and thereafter, the first and second frame-shaped portions are bent at the connecting portion to form the first, When the other surfaces of the second frame-shaped portion are overlapped with each other, a three-layered antenna in which the wirings do not contact each other can be formed. As a result, the density of the antenna can be increased and the receiving sensitivity can be increased, so that the outer diameter of the frame-shaped portion formed by overlapping the first and second frame-shaped portions is limited to a certain size. The inner diameter can be maximized, and the display area of the display unit can be further widened.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the wireless module that is disposed below the timepiece glass and surrounds the time display unit is provided in a frame-shaped part that surrounds the time display unit so that the bent portion can be bent. The film substrate, the antenna formed with wiring on at least one surface of the front and back surfaces of the frame-shaped portion of the film substrate, and the IC chip provided on the bent portion of the film substrate. Similarly to the invention, even if the bent portion protrudes from the frame-shaped portion in the surface direction of the film substrate, the bent portion can be bent so as not to protrude from the outer periphery of the frame-shaped portion, so that the IC chip is provided. Thus, the display area of the time display unit is not restricted, and the display area of the time display unit can be sufficiently secured.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, as in the invention described in claim 2, when the antenna is formed on the film substrate, the first and second frame-like parts connected by the connecting parts so as to overlap each other. In this state, the first and second frame-shaped portions are arranged on the same surface side, and wirings are provided on both surfaces of the first frame-shaped portion and the other surface of the first frame-shaped portion. Thereafter, the first and second frame-shaped portions are provided. When the portions are bent at the connecting portion and the other surfaces of the first and second frame-like portions are overlapped with each other, an antenna having a three-layer structure in which the wirings do not contact each other can be formed. As a result, the density of the antenna can be increased and the receiving sensitivity can be increased, so that the outer diameter of the frame-shaped portion formed by overlapping the first and second frame-shaped portions is limited to a certain size. The inner diameter can be maximized, and therefore the display area of the time display unit can be further widened.

(Embodiment 1)
A first embodiment in which a wireless module of the present invention is applied to a wristwatch will be described below with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a wristwatch according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA.
This wristwatch includes a wristwatch case 1 as shown in FIGS. A synthetic resin bezel 2 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the watch case 1, and a watch glass 3 is attached to the upper portion of the watch case 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a watch module 4 is disposed inside the watch case 1, and a back cover 5 is attached to the lower surface of the watch case 1 via a waterproof ring 6. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, push button switches 7 are respectively provided at the 3 o'clock side, 6 o'clock side, and 9 o'clock side of the outer peripheral portion of the wristwatch case 1.

  In this case, the timepiece module 4 has at least one of a digital function and an analog function, and includes a housing 8 as shown in FIG. In the housing 8, a time display unit 10 is provided corresponding to the timepiece glass 3, and various parts (not shown) necessary for a timepiece function are incorporated. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the time display unit 10 is a flat display element such as a liquid crystal display element or an EL display element (electroluminescence display element) in the case of a digital function, but in the case of an analog function. Although not shown in the figure, the pointer moves by an analog movement.

  A radio module 11 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 8 so as to surround the time display unit 10. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wireless module 11 has a configuration in which an antenna 13 and an IC chip 14 are provided on a film substrate 12. That is, the film substrate 12 includes a ring-shaped frame portion 15 surrounding the time display portion 10 and a foldable bent portion 16 provided on the 12 o'clock side of the outer periphery of the frame-shaped portion 15. It is the structure which formed these integrally with the film. In this case, an antenna 13 is provided on the frame-like portion 15, and an IC chip 14 is provided on the bent portion 16.

  The antenna 13 has a configuration in which the wiring 17 is formed in a substantially spiral shape on the upper and lower surfaces of the frame-shaped portion 15. That is, the wirings 17 formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the frame-like portion 15 are configured to form one continuous spiral through the through holes 18. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, each wiring 17 on the lower surface of the frame-like portion 15 is formed discontinuously near the 12 o'clock side in order to guide the innermost wiring 17 to the bent portion 16. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the discontinuous portion of the wiring 17 is connected to the connection wiring 19 provided on the upper surface of the frame-like portion 15 by the through hole 18. It is formed to become. The IC chip 14 is a semiconductor chip such as an RFID chip, and is provided on the lower surface of the bent portion 16 so that both ends of the continuous wiring 17 of the antenna 13 are electrically connected.

  When the wireless module 11 is incorporated in the wristwatch case 1, first, the bent portion 16 of the film substrate 12 is bent substantially at a right angle toward the lower surface side of the film substrate 12 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the bent portion 16 is prevented from protruding laterally from the outer periphery of the frame-shaped portion 15. In this state, it is inserted into the wristwatch case 1 so that the upper surface of the frame-shaped portion 15 faces the lower surface of the watch glass 3 and the bent portion 16 is made to correspond to the side portion of the housing 8 of the watch module 4. Thereafter, when the housing 8 provided with the time display unit 10 is assembled into the wristwatch case 1, the wireless module 11 is disposed so as to surround the time display unit 10 of the housing 8.

  In such a wristwatch, since the wireless module 11 is disposed so as to surround the time display portion 10 of the housing 8, the time is displayed on the time display portion 10 through the watch glass 3 from the outside of the watch case 1 as in the case of a normal wristwatch. In particular, when a wristwatch is brought close to a reader / writer of an external device that generates an electromagnetic field, the radio module 11 incorporated in the wristwatch case 1 is caused by the electromagnetic field generated by the reader / writer. A current flows through the antenna 13 by electromagnetic induction, whereby data can be transmitted and received between the reader / writer and the wireless module 11.

  As described above, according to this wristwatch, the wireless module 11 includes the film substrate 12 in which the bent portion 16 is provided in the frame-like portion 15 surrounding the time display portion 10 so as to be bent, and the frame of the film substrate 12 is provided. Since the wiring 13 is provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the shaped portion 15 to constitute the antenna 13, and the IC chip 14 is provided in the bent portion 16 of the film substrate 12, the bent portion 16 extends from the frame-shaped portion 15 to the film substrate 12. The bent portion 16 does not protrude from the outer periphery of the frame-shaped portion 15 to the side by bending the protruding bent portion 16 in a direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the film substrate 12. Can be.

  For this reason, the outer diameter of the frame-shaped portion 15 of the film substrate 12 does not increase, and the inner diameter of the frame-shaped portion 15 is not limited by the bent portion 16 for providing the IC chip 13, and therefore does not decrease. The display area of the time display unit 10 is not restricted by the bent part 16, and the display area of the time display unit 10 can be sufficiently secured. In this case, since the wiring 17 of the antenna 13 is formed continuously in one spiral on both the upper and lower surfaces of the frame-shaped portion 15 in particular, the wiring 17 of the antenna 13 is provided only on one surface of the frame-shaped portion 15. Compared to the case, since the number of turns of the wiring 17 on each of the upper and lower surfaces can be reduced, the display area can be further widened, the formation density of the antenna 13 can be increased, and the receiving sensitivity can be increased. Thus, data can be transmitted and received reliably and satisfactorily.

  For example, in this wristwatch, when the outer diameter of the ring-shaped frame portion 15 is limited to a certain size, the inner diameter is 19.2 mm (the same as before), which is the narrowest between 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. The inner diameter width is 17.7 mm (previously 14.2 mm), the inner diameter width between 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock in the display area of the time display unit 10 is 18.2 mm (same as before), and 12:00 and 6 o'clock Is 16.0 mm (13.2 mm in the prior art), and the display area of the time display unit 10 can be made wider than the conventional one.

  In the first embodiment, the case where the antennas 13 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the frame-shaped portion 15 of the film substrate 12 is described. However, the antenna 13 is not necessarily provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the frame-shaped portion 15, and the frame shape is not necessarily provided. A configuration in which the antenna 13 is provided on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the portion 15 may be employed.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment in which the wireless module of the present invention is applied to a wristwatch will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and demonstrated to the same part as Embodiment 1 shown by FIGS.
In this wristwatch, the wireless module 20 has a structure different from that of the first embodiment, and the other structure is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. That is, the wireless module 20 has a configuration in which an antenna 22 and an IC chip 14 are provided on a film substrate 21 as shown in FIGS.

  The film substrate 21 includes a ring-shaped frame-like portion 23 surrounding the time display portion 10 and a bent portion 24 provided on the frame-like portion 23 so as to be foldable, and these are integrally formed with a film. It is configured. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the frame-shaped portion 23 can be bent so that the ring-shaped first frame-shaped portion 25 and the ring-shaped second frame-shaped portion 26 overlap each other by the connecting portion 27. When the first and second frame-like portions 25 and 26 are unfolded, they are configured so as to have an approximately eight-letter shape. Further, the bent portion 24 is provided on the outer periphery of the first frame-like portion 25 so as to protrude laterally at the 12 o'clock side.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the antenna 22 has a configuration in which wirings 28 are continuously provided on the upper surfaces of the first and second frame portions 25 and 26 and the lower surface of the first frame portion 25. ing. In this case, the wiring 28 provided on each upper surface of the first and second frame-like portions 25 and 26 is formed in an approximately eight-shape as a whole, and the first and second frame-like portions 25 and 26 are formed. In the connecting portion 27, the wiring 28 on one side where the wiring 28 intersects is formed discontinuously, and the wiring 28 in the discontinuous portion is connected to the connection wiring 29 provided on the lower surface of the continuous portion 27 by the through hole 30. By being, it is formed so as to be continuous in a shape of approximately 8 characters.

  Further, the wiring 28 provided on the lower surface of the first frame-like portion 25 is formed discontinuously on the 12 o'clock side in order to guide the innermost peripheral wiring 28 to the bent portion 24 as in the first embodiment. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the discontinuous portion of the wiring 28 is formed so as to be connected to the connection wiring 29 provided on the upper surface of the first frame-shaped portion 25 by the through hole 30 so as to be continuous. Yes. As a result, the antenna 22 is provided with wirings 28 on the upper surfaces of the first and second frame-like portions 25 and 26 and the lower surface of the first frame-like portion 25, respectively. It is configured to have two spirals. The IC chip 14 is a semiconductor chip such as an RFID chip, is provided on the lower surface of the bent portion 24, and is electrically connected to the antenna 22.

  When manufacturing such a wireless module 20, first, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first and second frame-like portions 25 and 26 and the bent portion 24 of the film substrate 21 are developed, and this In this state, the wiring 28 of the antenna 22 is formed so as to form one spiral continuous with the upper surfaces of the first and second frame portions 25 and 26 and the lower surface of the first frame portion 25. After the IC chip 14 is provided in the bent portion 24, the first and second frame-like portions 25 and 26 are bent at the connecting portion 27 so that the lower surfaces of the first and second frame-like portions 25 and 26 are overlapped with each other. Together, as shown in FIG. 9, the frame-like portion 23 is formed, and the antenna 22 having a three-layer structure in which the wirings 28 are not in contact with each other is formed. Thereby, the wireless module 20 having the antenna 22 having the three-layer structure is obtained.

  When the wireless module 20 is incorporated in the wristwatch case 1, as shown in FIG. 9, the folding portion 24 of the film substrate 21 is bent at a substantially right angle toward the lower surface side of the film substrate 21. As in the first mode, the bent portion 24 is prevented from protruding laterally from the outer periphery of the frame-shaped portion 23. Then, it is inserted into the watch case 1 so that the upper surface of the frame-shaped portion 23 faces the lower surface of the watch glass 3 and the bent portion 24 is made to correspond to the side portion of the housing 8 of the watch module 4. In this state, when the housing 8 provided with the time display unit 10 is incorporated into the wristwatch case 1, the wireless module 20 is disposed so as to surround the time display unit 10 of the housing 8.

  In such a wristwatch, as in the first embodiment, since the wireless module 20 is disposed so as to surround the time display unit 10 of the housing 8, the time is displayed on the time display unit 10 through the watch glass 3 from the outside of the watch case 1. In addition, when the wristwatch is brought close to a reader / writer of an external device that generates an electromagnetic field, the radio module 20 incorporated in the wristwatch case 1 is caused by the electromagnetic field generated by the reader / writer. A current flows through the antenna 22 by electromagnetic induction, whereby data can be transmitted and received between the reader / writer and the wireless module 20.

  As described above, this wristwatch also has the same effects as those of the first embodiment. In particular, the frame-like portion 23 can be bent so that the first and second frame-like portions 25 and 26 overlap each other by the connecting portion 27. The bent portion 24 is provided in the first frame-shaped portion 25, and the upper surfaces of the first and second frame-shaped portions 25, 26 in the frame-shaped portion 23 and the lower surface of the first frame-shaped portion 25 are connected to each other. Since the antenna 22 is configured by continuously providing the wiring 28 so as to form one spiral, the wiring 28 of the antenna 22 is formed in a state where the first and second frame-shaped portions 25 and 26 are expanded. Thereafter, the first and second frame-shaped portions 25 and 26 are folded at the connecting portion 27 and overlapped, whereby the three-layered antenna 22 can be obtained.

  For this reason, the density of the antennas 22 in the wireless module 20 can be increased and the receiving sensitivity can be increased as compared with the wireless module 11 of the first embodiment, and each of the first and second frame portions 25 and 26 can be increased. Since the number of turns of each wiring 28 provided on the upper surface and the lower surface of the first frame-like portion 25 can be reduced, the outside of the frame-like portion 23 formed by overlapping the first and second frame-like portions 25, 26. When the diameter is limited to a certain size, the inner diameter can be maximized. For this reason, the inner diameter of the frame-shaped portion 23 of the antenna 22 can be further increased as compared with the antenna 13 having the two-layer structure in which the wiring 17 is provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the frame-shaped portion 15 as in the first embodiment. Further, the display area of the time display unit 10 can be enlarged.

  For example, in this wristwatch, when the outer diameter of the ring-shaped frame-shaped portion 23 is limited to a certain size, the inner diameter is 20.6 mm (19.6 mm in the prior art), which is the narrowest between 12:00 and 6 The inner diameter width is 17.7 mm (previously 14.2 mm), the inner diameter width between 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock in the display area of the time display unit 10 is 19.6 mm (previously 18.2 mm), 12 The inner diameter width between the hour and the six o'clock is 16.0 mm (previously 13.2 mm), and the display area of the time display unit 10 can be significantly widened compared to the conventional one.

  In the first and second embodiments and the modifications thereof, the case where the wireless modules 11 and 20 are applied to a wristwatch has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited to this. -It can be applied to electronic devices such as assistants, and can also be widely applied to non-contact type IC cards.

It is a front view of the wristwatch to which the radio module of the present invention is applied. (Embodiment 1) It is sectional drawing in the AA arrow of FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view of the wireless module of FIG. 2 as viewed from above. It is the bottom view which looked at the radio module of Drawing 2 from the lower part. It is a side view of the state which bent the bending part of the radio | wireless module of FIG. It is a front view of the wristwatch to which the radio module of the present invention is applied. (Embodiment 2) It is a top view of the state which expand | deployed the wireless module integrated in the wristwatch of FIG. It is the bottom view which looked at the radio | wireless module of FIG. 7 from the downward direction. It is the side view which showed the state which overlap | superposed the 1st and 2nd frame-shaped part of FIG. 7, and bent the bending part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Watch case 3 Watch glass 4 Watch module 11, 20 Wireless module 12, 21 Film board 13, 22 Antenna 14 IC chip 15, 23 Frame-like part 16, 24 Bending part 17, 28 Wiring 18, 30 Through hole 19, 29 Connection wiring 25 1st frame-shaped part 26 2nd frame-shaped part 27 Connection part

Claims (4)

A film substrate provided with a bendable portion in a frame-shaped portion surrounding the display portion;
An antenna provided with wiring on at least one of the front and back surfaces of the frame-shaped portion of the film substrate;
A wireless module comprising: an IC chip provided at the bent portion of the film substrate and electrically connected to the antenna.   The frame-shaped portion is configured so that the first frame-shaped portion and the second frame-shaped portion are connected to each other so that the first frame-shaped portion and the second frame-shaped portion overlap each other, and the bent portion is provided in the first frame-shaped portion. The antenna is wired to one surface located on the same surface side of the first and second frame-shaped portions and the other surface of the first frame-shaped portion with the first and second frame-shaped portions deployed. The wireless module according to claim 1, wherein a wireless module is provided. A watch case, a watch glass provided on the top of the watch case, a time display unit provided in the watch case corresponding to the watch glass, and the time display disposed below the watch glass Wireless module surrounding the periphery of the part,
The wireless module includes a film substrate in which a bent portion is provided in a frame-like portion surrounding the periphery of the time display portion so as to be bendable, and wiring is provided on at least one surface of the front and back surfaces of the frame-like portion of the film substrate. A wristwatch comprising a radio module, comprising: an antenna; and an IC chip provided at the bent portion of the film substrate and electrically connected to the antenna. The frame-shaped portion of the film substrate has a configuration in which the first frame-shaped portion and the second frame-shaped portion are connected to each other so that the first frame-shaped portion and the second frame-shaped portion overlap each other. The antenna has one surface located on the same surface side of the first and second frame-like portions in a state where the first and second frame-like portions are unfolded and the other of the first frame-like portion. The wristwatch provided with the wireless module according to claim 3, wherein wiring is provided on the surface.

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