Transparent module antenna for wearable devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9547335-B1
Application number	US-201414230422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments describe a semi-transparent or transparent module antenna assembly disposed on a transparent portion of a user wearable device (e.g., a head wearable display or a smartwatch). Embodiments describe semi-transparent or transparent antenna assemblies disposed on portions of a wearable computing device not in direct contact with the user when the device is worn to increase the antenna's efficiency for receiving radio signals and to decrease the radiation absorbed by the user's body. Furthermore, the antenna is disposed on a transparent or semi-transparent surface to further increase the antenna's efficiency. For some embodiments utilized by head wearable displays, the portion of the device including the semi-transparent or transparent antenna assembly may be the optical system, which includes a transparent portion (e.g., a prism) for displaying CGI to a user; in other embodiments, the head wearable display including the semi-transparent or transparent antenna assembly is the lens.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wearable computing device comprising:
a transparent member including a prism;
an antenna disposed on a surface of the prism and comprising transparent or semi-transparent material;
radio frequency circuitry coupled to the antenna to receive signal data; and
a wearable housing including the transparent member, the antenna, and the radio frequency circuitry, wherein the antenna does not contact a user when the wearable housing is worn by the user.

2. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable computing device comprises a head wearable display and further includes:
at least one lens; and
at least one image source positioned in front of the at least one lens to generate a light for the head wearable display and to include the prism to output the light;
wherein the wearable housing comprises a frame assembly to support the at least one lens and the at least one image source for wearing on a head of the user.

3. The wearable computing device of claim 2 , wherein the antenna is disposed on a bottom side of the prism.

4. The wearable computing device of claim 2 , wherein the antenna is one of a monopole, dipole, slot, patch, loop, or inverted-F type antenna.

5. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is included within a single planar surface of the prism.

6. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna extends across a plurality of planar surfaces of the prism.

7. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable computing device comprises a wristwatch, the wearable housing comprises a wearable band for wearing on a wrist of the user, and the device further comprises:
an electronic display coupled to the wearable band, wherein the transparent member comprises a display surface of the electronic display.

8. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is to receive radio signals from at least one of a cellular frequency band, a WiFi frequency band, or a Global Positioning System (GPS) frequency band.

9. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of conductive lines.

10. The wearable computing device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of conductive lines comprises nanowires.

11. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a metal oxide film.

12. The wearable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna further comprises a non-transparent portion disposed on a non-transparent surface of the wearable computing device.

13. A head wearable display comprising:
at least one lens;
at least one image source positioned in front of the at least one lens to generate light for the head wearable display and to include a prism to output the light;
an antenna disposed on a plurality of planar surfaces of the prism of the at least one image source;
radio frequency circuitry coupled to the antenna to receive signal data; and
a frame assembly to support the at least one lens and the at least one image source for wearing on a head of a user.

14. The head wearable display of claim 13 , wherein the antenna is one of a monopole, dipole, slot, patch, loop, or inverted-F type.

15. The head wearable display of claim 13 , wherein the antenna further comprises a non-transparent portion disposed on a non-transparent member of the at least one image source.

16. The head wearable display of claim 13 , wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of conductive lines.

17. The head wearable display of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of conductive lines comprises nanowires.

18. The head wearable display of claim 13 , wherein the antenna comprises a metal oxide film.

19. The head wearable display of claim 13 , wherein the head wearable display comprises a monocular augmented reality (AR) display device having a single image source.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Bevelacqua Peter
• Hebenstreit Joseph John

Classifications

• G06F1/1601 Primary

  Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays (constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64) · CPC title

• H01Q1/273 Primary

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

• H01Q1/2291

  used in Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi® devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] (H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W) · CPC title

• H01Q1/44

  using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna {, e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspect}(H01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title