Apple Inc.

Ashwin Balasubramanian

William Scott Lee

David MacNeil

Tongbi T Jiang

Brad G Boozer

James G Horiuchi

Jiahui Liang

Gregory B Arndt

Caleb C Han

Wei Chen

Jun Zhai

Manoj K Bhattacharyya

Savas Gider

Patrick E O'Brien

Jie-Hua Zhao

Miaolei Yan

Roberto M Ribeiro

Michael K Brown

Brentley M Wiles

Yun X Ma

Roham Solasi

Mark G Walsh

An electronic device, such as a smart watch, incorporating a fluid-based pressure-sensing device is disclosed. The fluid-based pressure-sensing device includes an enclosure, a pressure sensor, a diaphragm and a sensing medium. The enclosure includes an opening and the pressure sensor is disposed inside the enclosure. The diaphragm hermetically seals the opening, and the sensing medium transfers a pressure exerted on the diaphragm to the pressure sensor. The sensing medium can be liquid oil filling a space of the enclosure, and the diaphragm is a polymer material. The pressure-sensing device may sense an environmental pressure, which may be used by the electronic device to modify its operations, change information that is displayed, and so on.

Wearable electronic device with fluid-based pressure sensing

A water detecting pressure-sensing device includes a metal housing including a cavity. A pressure sensor is disposed on a die and configured to generate a signal in response to a pressure variation. A protection medium at least partially fills the cavity and covers the die. One or more electrodes are disposed on the die and are used to detect a presence of a water droplet on the protection medium.

Water detecting pressure sensors

A water detecting and ejecting sensor device includes a housing, a ceramic substrate, an integrated circuit and a sensor. The housing includes a cavity and the integrated circuit is disposed on a ceramic substrate. The sensor is disposed on the integrated circuit. The ceramic substrate includes one or more ports to expose the cavity to a surrounding environment, and each port includes at least two mesh layers.

Integrated water detection and ejection for ceramic substrates

According to some aspects of the subject technology, an apparatus includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a dielectric membrane disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode include a number of pores within a region of an input port of the apparatus. The first electrode, the second electrode and the dielectric membrane form a capacitor that is configured to enable detection of occlusion of the input port by water.

Stand-alone water detector

An electronic device can include a housing defining an internal volume and a pressure sensor assembly disposed in the internal volume and in communication with an ambient environment. The pressure sensor assembly can include a structure at least partially enclosing a sensor volume, a pressure sensor affixed to a die disposed in the sensor volume, and an exposed moisture detection conductor positioned in the sensor volume.

Exposed wire-bonding for sensing liquid and water in electronic devices

A portable communication device includes an apparatus for environmental sensing. The apparatus includes a housing, one or more environmental sensors and an ozone source. The housing includes one or more ports for allowing air flow between the surrounding environment and a cavity of the housing. The environmental sensors are coupled to the housing and can sense an environmental agent included in the air flow. The ozone source can generate ozone gas within the cavity of the housing to decompose unwanted organic compounds inside the port.

Removal of organic contamination by ozone oxidation for environmental sensor integration

An apparatus with embedded water detection and heater includes a substrate including a number of conductive traces and a lid including multiple electrodes. Each electrode is coupled to at least one of the conductive traces through vias. A sensor is placed inside a cavity of the lid and is electrically coupled to one or more conductive traces of the substrate. A gel at least partially fills the lid and covers the sensor. The presence of water on the apparatus is detected by measuring a dielectric permittivity between at least two of the plurality of electrodes, and the electrodes can generate heat to eliminate the water.

Lid with embedded water detection and heater

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Ashwin Balasubramanian