Antenna for wearable devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11522273-B2
Application number	US-201816130411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2018
Priority date	Sep 13, 2018
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

An antenna is provided for a wearable personal computing device, such as an earbud. The antenna integrates with other components of the wearable device, such as an input control. For example, the antenna may at least partially surround a portion of a touchpad input at a surface of the device that is exposed when the device is worn. In one example, the antenna shares a ground plane with the touchpad. In another example, the antenna includes two nested traces, wherein a first trace is connected to ground and a second trace is connected to an antenna feed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An antenna, comprising:
an outer trace extending partially around a portion of an earbud, the outer trace having a first end separated from a second end of the outer trace, the first end configured to serve as a feed for the antenna; and
an inner trace nested with the outer trace and extending partially around the portion of the earbud, the inner trace having a second end coupled to ground;
wherein the first end of the outer trace is positioned opposite the second end of the inner trace,
wherein the first end of the inner trace terminates at the first end of the outer trace and the second end of the inner trace terminates at the second end of the outer trace,
wherein the inner trace and the outer trace are curved,
wherein there is an opening between the first end of the outer trace and the second end of the inner trace, the opening being between 90 degrees and 180 degrees, and the opening including no portion of the outer trace or the inner trace, and
wherein when the earbud is positioned in a user's ear, the opening is oriented towards an upper back portion of the user's head.

2. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the inner trace and the outer trace are quarter wavelength traces.

3. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the inner trace and the outer trace extend around a touchpad near a surface of the earbud.

4. The antenna of claim 3 , wherein the touchpad is not coupled to a ground plane.

5. The antenna of claim 3 , wherein:
the earbud has an exposed surface when inserted in the user's ear;
the touchpad is positioned on the exposed surface; and
the antenna is positioned near an edge of the exposed surface.

6. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the inner trace is nested with the outer trace and along a surface of the earbud.

7. The antenna of claim 6 ,
wherein the inner trace has a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge;
the outer trace has a third edge opposite a fourth edge; and
the second edge of the inner trace is nested with the third edge of the outer trace.

8. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the inner trace is concentrically layered with the outer trace.

9. An earbud, comprising:
a housing, wherein at least one first surface of the housing is shaped to be positioned in a user's ear and at least one second surface of the housing is shaped to be exposed when the earbud is worn by the user;
an input control at the at least one second surface of the housing; and
an antenna at the at least one second surface of the housing, the antenna comprising:
an outer trace extending partially around the input control, the outer trace having a first end separated from a second end of the outer trace, the first end configured to serve as a feed for the antenna; and
an inner trace nested with the outer trace and extending partially around the input control, the inner trace having a second end coupled to ground,
wherein the first end of the outer trace is positioned opposite the second end of the inner trace,
wherein the first end of the inner trace terminates at the first end of the outer trace and the second end of the inner trace terminates at the second end of the outer trace,
wherein the inner trace and the outer trace are curved,
wherein there is an opening between the first end of the outer trace and the second end of the inner trace, the opening being between 90 degrees and 180 degrees, and the opening including no portion of the outer trace or the inner trace, and
wherein when the earbud is positioned in the user's ear, the opening is oriented towards an upper back portion of the user's head.

10. The earbud of claim 9 , wherein the inner trace and the outer trace are quarter wavelength traces.

11. The earbud of claim 9 , wherein the input control is a touchpad.

12. The earbud of claim 11 , wherein the touchpad is not coupled to a ground plane.

13. The earbud of claim 9 , wherein the inner trace is nested with the outer trace and along the at least one second surface of the earbud.

14. The earbud of claim 9 , wherein the inner trace is concentrically layered with the outer trace.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Su Wenjing
• Zhu Jiang
• Aranguren Maura
• Dayringer Eric
• Edwards Troy
• Hermosillo Trevor
• Egan Matthew
• Leung Chi Kin Benjamin
• Ding Yao

Classifications

• H04R5/0335

  Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests (for monophonic headphones H04R1/105) · CPC title

• H04B1/3827

  Portable transceivers · CPC title

• H01Q1/273 Primary

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

• H04M1/03

  Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title