Wearable Electronic Patch with Antenna Enhancement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016149292-A1
Application number	US-201414550318-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 21, 2014
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A wearable electronic patch with an enhanced radio antenna includes an antenna, radio circuitry, a base portion, a distal portion, and intermediate portion, and a spacer, configured to raise the antenna away from the base portion, and thus away from a wearer to improve radiation properties of the antenna. The spacer may be sized and shaped to expand from a compressed state, as it may be when the patch is packaged, to an expanded state that raises the antenna when it is applied to a wearer. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wearable electronic patch for biological monitoring of a wearer, comprising:
an antenna; a base portion; a distal portion spaced away from and opposed to the base portion, wherein the antenna is secured to the distal portion, wherein the base portion is configured to be closer to the wearer than the distal portion; an intermediate portion joining the base portion and the distal portion; and a spacer sized and shaped to expand from a compressed state for moving the antenna away from the base portion.

2 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , wherein when compressed the spacer maintains a space between the base portion and the antenna.

3 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , wherein the spacer is formed of a foam material configured to expand after the base portion is secured to the wearer.

4 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , wherein the spacer has a dielectric constant of approximately 1.0.

5 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , wherein the base portion, the distal portion and the intermediate portion form a continuous printed circuit board.

6 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the intermediate portion attached to the distal portion is folded over a second end of the intermediate portion attached to the base portion.

7 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive layer securing at least one of the base portion to the spacer and the spacer to the distal portion.

8 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is a circuit element printed onto the distal portion.

9 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , further comprising radio circuitry coupled to the antenna, wherein the radio circuitry is disposed between the base portion and the distal portion.

10 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor attached to at least one of the base portion and the distal portion, wherein the sensor is configured to measure one or more physical characteristics.

11 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , further comprising a body detection circuit configured to detect when the wearable electronic patch is worn by the wearer.

12 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , further comprising a battery at least partially disposed between the base portion and the distal portion.

13 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , further comprising a removable packaging covering at least one of the base portion and the distal portion, wherein removing of the packaging releases the spacer to expand from the compressed state.

14 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , further comprising a permanent packaging encasing at least the base portion, the distal portion and the intermediate portion, wherein the permanent packaging is configured to expand in response to expansion of the spacer.

15 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor coupled to the base portion, wherein the spacer is positioned and configured to separate the sensor from the antenna.

16 . A wearable electronic patch for biological monitoring of a wearer, comprising:
means for resiliently biasing a distal portion of the wearable electronic patch to expand away from a base portion of the wearable electronic patch, wherein the distal portion is spaced away from and opposed to the base portion, wherein an antenna is secured to the distal portion, and the base portion is configured to be closer to the wearer than the distal portion; and means for using the antenna secured to the distal portion for one or more functions selected from a group consisting of transmitting and receiving radio signals.

17 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 16 , wherein when fully compressed the means for resiliently biasing maintains a space between the base portion and the antenna.

18 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 16 , wherein the means for resiliently biasing has a dielectric constant of approximately 1.0.

19 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 16 , further comprising means for securing at least one of the base portion to the means for resiliently biasing and the means for resiliently biasing to the distal portion.

20 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 16 , further comprising means for detecting when the wearable electronic patch is attached to the wearer based upon one or more detectable physical characteristics of the wearer.

21 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 16 , further comprising means for powering the wearable electronic patch at least partially disposed between the base portion and the distal portion.

22 . The wearable electronic patch of claim 16 , wherein the means for resiliently biasing the distal portion to expand away from the base portion comprises means for separating a sensor coupled to the base portion from other electronic components of the wearable electronic patch.

23 . A method of making and using a wearable electronic patch for applying to a wearer, comprising:
resiliently biasing a distal portion of a printed circuit board of the wearable electronic patch with a compressible spacer to expand away from a base portion of the printed circuit board; spacing the distal portion away from and opposed to the base portion, wherein the base portion is configured to be closer to the wearer than the distal portion; and using an antenna, secured to the distal portion, for at least one of transmitting and receiving radio signals.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein resiliently biasing the distal portion of the printed circuit board of the electronic patch with the compressible spacer to expand away from the base portion of the printed circuit board comprises releasing the compressible spacer to allow the compressible spacer to expand from a first state to a second state.

25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising compressing the compressible spacer during assembly of the wearable electronic patch, wherein a distance between the distal portion and the base portion is reduced when the compressible spacer is compressed.

26 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising limiting compression of the wearable electronic patch using the compressible spacer maintaining a space between the base portion and the antenna when the compressible spacer is fully compressed.

27 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising activating a sensor attached to at least one of the base portion and the distal portion, wherein the sensor is configured to measure one or more detectable physical characteristics of the wearer.

28 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising activating a body detection circuit configured to detect when the wearable electronic patch is worn by the wearer.

29 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising removing a packaging covering at least one of the base portion and the distal portion, wherein removing of the packaging releases the compressible spacer to expand from a compressed state.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Ganton Robert Bruce
• Ballam Robert Scott

Classifications

• H01Q1/273 Primary

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

• H05K3/30

  Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistors · CPC title

• A61B5/14532

  for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement · CPC title

• A61B5/0402

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61B5/02438

  with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient · CPC title