Fitbit, Inc.

Christos Kinezos Ioannou

Kevin Li

Yonghua Wei

Faton Tefiku

Peter W Richards

Lindsey Michelle Sunden

Dennis Jacob McCray

Man-Chi Liu

Kyung Nim Noh

Jonah Avram Becker

Chadwick John Harber

Eric John Fairbanks

Patrick James Markan

Nan Xu

Allen Yu-Li Wang

Teemu Taneli Raafael Kaiponen

Dennis Jacob Mccray

Multiple circuits in a computing device can share one or more conductive elements. The use of the conductive element can vary by circuit, such as an antenna radiator for a radio frequency (RF) circuit or an electrode for an electrocardiography (ECG) circuit. The circuitry sharing a conductive element can utilize signals obtained over different frequency ranges. Those ranges can be used to select decoupling circuitry, or elements, that can enable the respective circuits to obtain signals over a respective frequency range, excluding signals over one or more other frequency ranges corresponding to other circuitry sharing the circuit. Such an approach allows for concurrent independent operation of the circuitry sharing a conductive element.

Integrated ECG electrode and antenna radiator

Various antenna designs are presented that can be used to provide for wireless communication in electronic devices, such as wearable electronic devices. Various embodiments provide antenna structures and designs that can support multiple frequency bands in a relatively compact space. Various embodiments utilize a ring antenna forming a portion of an outer perimeter of the housing, the ring antenna including a plurality of connections coupled the PCB, the plurality of connections. The plurality of connections include at least one feed connection coupled to at least one signal source on the PCB, respectively, and at least one ground connection coupled to a ground point on the PCB. In some embodiments, the connections may be inductively or capacitively loaded. The ring antenna may include a single feed connection or multiple feed connections respectively coupled to different signal sources.

Multiple band antenna structures

Various antenna designs are presented that can be used to provide for wireless communication in electronic devices, such as wearable electronic devices. Various embodiments provide antenna structures and designs that can support multiple frequency bands in a relatively compact space. Various embodiments utilize a slot and patch antenna design to support multiple frequency bands. Other embodiments utilize a slot and inverted 'F' antenna (IFA) assembly, hybrid slot antenna assembly, or external slot antenna assembly. A split ring antenna assembly can also be used, where individual segments of the ring antenna can support specific frequency bands. Other embodiments utilize a dielectrically loaded planar inverted 'F' antenna (PIFA) assembly to support various frequency bands.

Various antenna designs are presented that can be used to provide for wireless communication in electronic devices, such as wearable electronic devices. Various embodiments provide antenna structures and designs that can support multiple frequency bands in a relatively compact space. Various embodiments utilize a primary conductive ring embedded in the walls of the housing as antennas for various forms of wireless communication. The conductive ring includes a plurality of conductive elements separated from each other by portions of the housing, the plurality of conductive elements coupled respectively to the one or more signal sources on the PCB. Embodiments may additionally utilize a ground extension element positioned a distance away from the primary conductive ring in an opposite direction from the display module, in which the ground extension element is coupled to a ground connection of the PCB and boosting the antenna signal strength.

A band latch mechanism that is configured to connect a wristband to a fitness tracker is provided. The band latch mechanism may be configured to be inserted into a cavity of a housing of the fitness tracker and configured so that any metallic body of the band latch mechanism does not contact metallic surfaces of the cavity in order to prevent an electrical ground from being positioned within a keep-out zone of an antenna of the fitness tracker. A housing with integrated antenna structures is also disclosed.

Band latch mechanism and housing with integrated antenna

A wearable computing device can include a monopole-excited slot antenna formed by a gap between a housing (such as a highly conductive housing) and a bracket (such as a highly conductive bracket) within the highly conductive housing and by a back cavity between the highly conductive bracket and the PCB. The antenna configuration can include a monopole antenna electrically coupled to a printed circuit board and a slot antenna that is excited through coupled electromagnetic fields. The highly conductive bracket is positioned near a display window of the device, mostly below and partially enclosing a battery. The highly conductive bracket is positioned above the printed circuit board. This configuration allows for a relatively small dead band in the display window, a larger battery, compact and mechanically simple configuration, and superior water resistance.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Christos Kinezos Ioannou