Electronic apparatus and antenna setting method for electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10177798-B2
Application number	US-201615578241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2016
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

The present invention discloses an electronic apparatus and an antenna setting method for electronic apparatus, wherein the electronic apparatus comprises a metal appearance surface; the metal appearance surface consists of a plurality of mutually separated metal pieces; an insulating piece is provided between the two adjacent metal pieces; each metal piece is provided thereon with one or more antennas, each antenna is connected with a communication module on a master chip of the electronic apparatus. The technical proposal provided by the present invention provides a solution for a multi-frequency antenna for an electronic apparatus having a metal appearance surface, the metal appearance surface of the electronic apparatus is divided into a plurality of metal pieces, these metal pieces are used directly to achieve multi-antennas, effectively utilizing the physical size of the metal pieces, solving the contradiction between an antenna body and the metal pieces in the antenna design in the prior art, reducing the design restriction of the metal pieces, achieving the visual effect that the metal appearance surface of the electronic apparatus maintains the unity, and realizing the design of the multi-frequency antenna without affecting the appearance surface integrity of the electronic apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus, wherein the electronic apparatus comprises a metal made appearance surface;
wherein the metal appearance surface consists of a plurality of mutually separated metal pieces;
an insulating piece is provided between two adjacent metal pieces;
each metal piece is provided thereon with one or more antennas, and each antenna is connected with a communication module on a master chip of the electronic apparatus;
wherein the electronic apparatus is a smart watch; and each metal piece, through a connection device, is elastically connected with the communication module on the master chip in the smart watch, so that the corresponding antenna is connected with the communication module;
the communication module is provided on the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) of the master chip, and the PCB is provided thereon with an antenna contact position;
the connection device is a bi-directional pogo pin, wherein one end of the bi-directional pogo pin is in contact with the metal piece, and the other end of the bi-directional pogo pin is placed in the antenna contact position.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic apparatus further comprises a plastic base for mounting and fixing the metal appearance surface;
the plastic base is provided thereon with a partitioning plastic piece;
when the metal appearance surface is mounted on the plastic base, the partitioning plastic piece is embedded between the adjacent two metal pieces as the insulating piece.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the width of the partitioning plastic piece is smaller than a width threshold, and the partitioning plastic piece and the plastic base use the same type of injection molding plastic.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
for the a plurality of the metal pieces, the antennas provided on the different metal pieces support different communication bands and/or communication types, respectively;
the communication module comprises a plurality of radio frequency transceiver modules, and each radio frequency transceiver module supports a communication frequency band and/or a communication type;
the a plurality of the radio frequency transceiver modules are adapted to the antennas provided on the a plurality of the metal pieces, respectively.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the metal appearance surface is a metal made upper watch casing;
the upper watch casing is divided into two symmetrical metal pieces.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the electronic apparatus further comprises a watch band;
the upper watch casing is divided into two metal pieces which are symmetrical in a direction parallel to a watch spindle;
the two metal pieces and the two ends of the watch band are assembled by the watch spindle, respectively.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the surface of each metal contact portion on the a plurality of the metal pieces for achieving the connection with the communication module is plated with gold;
the metal piece is made of different synthetic metal components.

8. An antenna setting method for an electronic apparatus, wherein the method comprises:
dividing a metal appearance surface of the electronic apparatus into a plurality of mutually separated metal pieces;
providing an insulating piece between two adjacent metal pieces;
providing one or more antennas on each metal piece, and connecting each antenna with a communication module on a master chip of the electronic apparatus;
wherein the electronic apparatus is a smart watch, and connecting each antenna on the metal piece with the communication module comprises:
elastically connecting each metal piece with the communication module on the master chip in the smart watch through a connection device, so that the corresponding antenna is connected with the communication module;
providing the communication module on the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) of the master chip, and providing the PCB thereon with an antenna contact position;
the connection device comprising at least one of a bi-directional pogo pin, a unidirectional pogo pin and a metal clip;
when the connection device is the bi-directional pogo pin, contacting one end of the bi-directional pogo pin with the metal piece, and positioning the other end of the bi-directional pogo pin in the antenna contact position; when the connection device is the unidirectional pogo pin or the metal clip, contacting one end of the unidirectional pogo pin or the metal clip with the metal piece, and welding the other end of the unidirectional pogo pin or the metal clip in the antenna contact position.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
mounting and fixing the metal appearance surface of the electronic apparatus on the plastic base;
providing a partitioning plastic piece on the plastic base;
when the metal appearance surface is mounted on the plastic base, the partitioning plastic piece being embedded between the adjacent two metal pieces as the insulating piece.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
for the a plurality of the metal pieces, setting the antennas provided on the different metal pieces as the antennas supporting different communication bands and/or communication types, respectively;
the communication module comprising a plurality of radio frequency transceiver modules, each radio frequency transceiver module supporting a communication frequency band and/or a communication type;
the a plurality of the radio frequency transceiver modules being adapted to the antennas provided on the a plurality of the metal pieces, respectively.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein
taking the metal made upper watch casing of the smart watch as the metal appearance surface of the electronic apparatus;
dividing the metal appearance surface of the electronic apparatus into a plurality of mutually separated metal pieces comprises dividing the upper watch casing into two symmetrical metal pieces.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein dividing the upper watch casing into two symmetrical metal pieces comprises dividing the upper watch casing into two metal pieces which are symmetrical in a direction parallel to a watch spindle; and
the smart watch further comprises a watch band; and the method further comprises: assembling the two metal pieces and the two ends of the watch band by the watch spindle.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
the surface of each metal contact portion on a plurality of the metal pieces for achieving the connection with the communication module being plated with gold;
the metal piece being made of different synthetic metal components.

14. An electronic apparatus, wherein the electronic apparatus comprises a metal made appearance surface;
wherein the metal appearance surface consists of a plurality of mutually separated metal pieces;
an insulating piece is provided between two adjacent metal pieces;
each metal piece is provided thereon with one or more antennas, and each antenna is connected with a communication module on a master chip of the electronic apparatus;
wherein the electronic apparatus is a smart watch; and each metal piece, through a connection device, is elastically connected with the communication module on the master chip in the smart watch, so that the corresponding antenna is connected with the communication module;
the communication module is provided on the Printed Circuit Board (PC

Assignees

• Goertek Inc

Inventors

• Zhao Peijie
• Zhao Degang
• Zhang Hongyi
• Wang Lin

Classifications

• H01Q1/273

  Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals · CPC title

• H04B2001/3855

  carried in a belt or harness · CPC title

• H04B1/401

  for selecting or indicating operating mode · CPC title

• H01Q21/30

  Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system · CPC title

• H04B1/385 Primary

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title