Wrist-worn electronic devices often include functionality that may be used to track a user's current location, distance traveled, velocity, and other performance metrics or data. This functionality may be provided by wirelessly receiving positional information from a satellite-based positioning system such as the global positioning system (GPS). In addition, such devices may communicate wirelessly with other electronic devices, systems, or networks using communication protocols such as Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi™, or cellular signals. One or more antennas may be included in the electronic devices to wirelessly receive signals from GPS satellites and provide wireless communication with other electronic devices, systems, or networks.
The bezel of some conventional wrist-worn electronic devices may partially form an antenna that wirelessly transmits or receives electronic signals. This principle has been used heretofore in wrist-worn electronic devices, such as watches, having a housing, bezel, and an antenna configured to transmit and receive signals communication systems or devices (e.g., Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi™, ANT™, etc.) and/or receive location signals from a satellite-based positioning system (e.g., GPS), where the antenna is integrated with at least a portion of the bezel and coupled with a conductive component at least partially positioned in an internal cavity of the housing. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,172,148, the antenna may be capacitively coupled with the conductive component positioned in the internal cavity of the housing. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,257,740, the antenna may be electrically connected to a second antenna at least partially enclosed within the internal cavity of the housing.
The antenna or a portion thereof may include an inverted-F configuration, which typically includes an upper arm (radiating leg), a signal feed connection to the upper arm from a ground plane, and a shorting pin connection to the upper arm electrically grounding the upper arm at the location of the shorting pin connection. The two connections to the upper arm (for the signal feed and the shorting pin) results in a configuration having an open end opposite the location of the shorting pin connection. The length of an inverted-F antenna is typically measured using the length of the upper arm from the open end to the opposite end of the upper arm, which is typically the location of the shorting pin connection. The length of the upper arm is commonly one-fourth (one-quarter) of a wavelength of an electrical signal transmitted or received by the inverted-F antenna. The signal feed connection to the upper arm is typically closer to the shorting pin connection than the open end of the inverted-F antenna. However, the location of the signal feed connection may be switched with the location of the shorting pin connection, such that the open end is opposite the location of the signal feed connection.
Some conventional wrist-worn electronic devices may include a housing and a slot antenna to transmit and receive communication signals or receive locations. However, the slot antenna is located entirely within the electronic device housing. For instance, the slot may be formed using a plastic carrier or a plurality of vertical supports positioned on the printed circuit board. Other antenna configurations utilize a slot formed from or within an opening defined by a ground plane and a bezel. Specifically, the ground plane may have a slot (opening) and one or more antenna resonating elements may be formed above the slot to increase the distance between the resonating elements and the ground plane. If a printed circuit board of a device forms at least a portion of a ground plane of an antenna, the slot may be formed within the printed circuit such that it may be visible from a top view of the device.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds