Electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12556860-B2
Application number	US-202217934308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2022
Priority date	Jan 14, 2022
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing sidewall defining an opening and a display component, such as a display cover, disposed in the opening to form a gap between the housing sidewall and the display component. In at least one example, the cavity is defined by the sidewall and the display cover with the cavity in fluid communication with an external environment through the gap. In at least one example, an epoxy component at least partially defines the cavity and can be in direct contact with the housing sidewall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wearable electronic watch, comprising:
a housing having a sidewall, the sidewall defining:
an internal volume, the sidewall extending 360-degrees circumferentially around the internal volume;
a first strap receiving feature;
a second strap receiving feature opposite the first strap receiving feature;
a first sidewall portion extending between the first strap receiving feature and the second strap receiving feature;
a second sidewall portion disposed opposite the first sidewall portion and extending between the first strap receiving feature and the second strap receiving feature;
a first aperture defined by the first sidewall portion;
a second aperture defined by the second sidewall portion between about 155 and 205 degrees counterclockwise relative to the first aperture; and
a third aperture defined by the second sidewall portion closer to the second aperture than the first aperture, the second aperture defined between the first aperture and the third aperture; and
a first microphone disposed in the internal volume and configured to receive sound through the first aperture; a second microphone disposed in the internal volume and configured to receive sound through the second aperture; and a third microphone disposed in the internal volume and configured to receive sound through the third aperture.

2 . The wearable electronic watch of claim 1 , wherein the second aperture and the third aperture are defined on a distal side of the wearable electronic watch.

3 . The wearable electronic watch of claim 2 , wherein the first aperture is defined on a proximal side of the wearable electronic watch.

4 . The wearable electronic watch of claim 3 , wherein the second aperture is defined between about 170 and 190 degrees relative to the first aperture.

5 . The wearable electronic watch of claim 4 , wherein the third aperture is defined between about 30 and 60 degrees counterclockwise along the sidewall relative to the second aperture.

6 . The wearable electronic watch of claim 5 , wherein the third aperture is defined between about 40 and 50 degrees counterclockwise along the sidewall relative to the second aperture.

7 . The wearable electronic watch of claim 1 , wherein the first strap receiving feature is between the first aperture and the second aperture.

8 . The wearable electronic watch of claim 7 , wherein:
the second strap receiving feature is between the third aperture and the first aperture.

9 . A wearable electronic device, comprising:
a housing sidewall defining:
an internal volume;
a first band receiving feature;
a second band receiving feature opposite the first band receiving feature;
a first sidewall portion extending between the first band receiving feature and the second band receiving feature, the first sidewall portion defining a first aperture closer to the first band receiving feature than the second band receiving feature;
a second sidewall portion disposed opposite the first sidewall portion and extending between the first band receiving feature and the second band receiving feature, the second sidewall portion defining a second aperture positioned between about 155 and 205 degrees counterclockwise from the first aperture along the second sidewall portion and a third aperture between 30 and 60 degrees counterclockwise from the second aperture along the second sidewall portion, the second aperture defined closer to the second band receiving feature than the first band receiving feature, and the second aperture defined between the first aperture and the third aperture along the second sidewall portion;
a first microphone disposed in the internal volume adjacent the first aperture; a second microphone disposed in the internal volume adjacent the second aperture; and a third microphone disposed in the internal volume adjacent the third aperture.

10 . The wearable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the first sidewall portion defines a proximal side of the wearable electronic device, and the second sidewall portion defines a distal side of the wearable electronic device.

11 . The wearable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein:
the first aperture is defined closer to the first band receiving feature than the second band receiving feature; and the second aperture is defined closer to the second band receiving feature than the first band receiving feature.

12 . The wearable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the third aperture is defined between the second aperture and the first band receiving feature.

13 . The wearable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the first aperture is defined between about 170 and 190 degrees from the second aperture along the housing sidewall.

14 . The wearable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein:
the first aperture is defined proximally relative to the first band receiving feature and the second band receiving feature; and the second aperture and the third aperture are defined distally relative to the first band receiving feature and the second band receiving feature.

15 . A wearable electronic device, comprising:
a sidewall defining:
an internal volume;
a first band receiving feature disposed in the sidewall;
a second band receiving feature disposed opposite the first band receiving feature in the sidewall;
a first sidewall portion extending between the first band receiving feature and the second band receiving feature;
a second sidewall portion disposed opposite the first sidewall portion and extending between the first strap receiving feature and the second strap receiving feature;
a first aperture defined by the first sidewall portion;
a second aperture defined by the second sidewall portion;
a third aperture defined by the second sidewall portion; and
a fourth aperture defined by the first sidewall portion;
a first microphone disposed in the internal volume adjacent the first aperture; a second microphone disposed in the internal volume adjacent the second aperture; a third microphone disposed in the internal volume adjacent the third aperture; and a speaker disposed in the internal volume adjacent the fourth aperture;
wherein:
a distance along the sidewall between the first and second apertures is larger than a distance along the sidewall between the second and third apertures;
the fourth aperture is adjacent the first aperture; and
the second band receiving feature is disposed between the first aperture and the second aperture along the sidewall.

16 . The wearable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the first microphone is oriented to receive sound from a first direction and the second microphone is oriented to receive sound from a second direction different than the first direction.

17 . The wearable electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction.

18 . The wearable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the first aperture and the fourth aperture are defined on a proximal side of the electronic device.

19 . The wearable electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the second aperture and third aperture are defined on a distal side of the electronic device.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Chiang Eric T
• Robison David W
• Vitt Nikolas T
• Atura Bushnell Tyler S

Classifications

• H04R1/04

  Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor (in electric hearing aids H04R25/00) · CPC title

• H04R2201/401

  2D or 3D arrays of transducers · CPC title

• H04R3/005

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• H04R1/028

  associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles · CPC title

• H04R2499/15

  Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops · CPC title