Portable electronic device with multipurpose hard drive circuit board

A hard drive for a portable electronic device is provided that contains a multipurpose circuit board. The multipurpose circuit board may be mounted within a hard drive housing. System components and hard drive controller components may be mounted to the multipurpose circuit board. The multipurpose circuit board may be formed from a rigid flex structure or other structure that is able to accommodate translation of the multipurpose circuit board relative to the remainder of the portable electronic device in the event of an impact event. Components may be mounted to the multipurpose board in accordance with their heights. The portable electronic device may include components such as a battery, display, buttons, and other input-output devices that are connected to the multipurpose circuit board via flex circuit portions of a rigid flex or other electrical paths.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, to electronic devices such as portable electronic devices with hard drive circuit boards that use space efficiently.

Handheld electronic devices and other portable electronic devices are becoming increasingly popular. Examples of handheld devices include handheld computers, cellular telephones, media players, and hybrid devices that include the functionality of multiple devices of this type. Popular portable electronic devices that are somewhat larger than traditional handheld electronic devices include laptop computers and tablet computers.

Portable devices often use printed circuit boards. Components that may be mounted to printed circuit boards include integrated circuits, discrete electrical components such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors, and other components such as electrical connectors. Portable devices also may include mass storage devices such as hard drives. Hard drives are controlled by control circuits that are mounted on a hard drive controller printed circuit board. These control circuits are used for functions such as motor control and read-write head placement. To minimize the amount of space that is consumed in a modern small-form-factor hard drive, the hard drive controller printed circuit board is typically mounted within the housing of the hard drive. Although this type of arrangement may be acceptable in some applications, it may lead to packaging inefficiencies. For example, even though space is at a premium in many portable electronic devices, hard drive controller printed circuit boards tend to be sparsely populated. Underutilization of the real estate on hard drive controller boards in this way can be wasteful.

It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved hard drive arrangements for portable electronic devices.

SUMMARY

Portable electronic devices and circuit board structures for use in portable electronic devices are provided. The circuit board structures may include circuit board structures associated with hard drives. A hard drive printed circuit board may be provided with both hard drive controller circuits and integrated circuits and other components that are not directly associated with operating the hard drive. This allows real estate to be used more efficiently within a portable electronic device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, to portable electronic devices such as handheld electronic devices.

The portable electronic devices may be laptop computers or small portable computers of the type that are sometimes referred to as ultraportables. Portable electronic devices may also be somewhat smaller devices. Examples of smaller portable electronic devices include wrist-watch devices, pendant devices, headphone and earpiece devices, and other wearable and miniature devices.

The portable electronic devices may be, for example, handheld electronic devices such as cellular telephones, media players with wireless communications capabilities, handheld computers (also sometimes called personal digital assistants), remote controllers, global positioning system (GPS) devices, and handheld gaming devices. Handheld electronic devices may also be hybrid devices that combine the functionality of multiple conventional devices. Examples of hybrid electronic devices include a cellular telephone that includes media player functionality, a gaming device that includes a wireless communications capability, a cellular telephone that includes game and email functions, and a portable device that receives email, supports mobile telephone calls, has music player functionality and supports web browsing. These are merely illustrative examples.

An illustrative portable electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown inFIG. 1. Device10ofFIG. 1may be, for example, a handheld electronic device that supports media file playback functions. If desired, device10may include wireless capabilities such as 2G and/or 3G cellular telephone and data functions, global positioning system capabilities, and local wireless communications functions (e.g., IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth®). Device10may also be used to implement functions for internet browsing, email and calendar applications, games, other suitable applications, etc.

Device10may have housing12. Housing12, which is sometimes referred to as a case, may be formed of any suitable materials including, plastic, glass, ceramics, metal, other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. In arrangements in which device10includes wireless communications circuitry, housing12or portions of housing12may be formed from a dielectric or other low-conductivity material, so that the operation of conductive antenna elements that are located in proximity to housing12is not disrupted. Housing12or portions of housing12may also be formed from conductive materials such as metal.

Device10may have one or more displays such as display14. Display14may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or any other suitable display. The outermost surface of display14may be formed from one or more plastic or glass layers. If desired, touch screen functionality may be integrated into display14or may be provided using a separate touch pad device. An advantage of integrating a touch screen into display14to make display14touch sensitive is that this type of arrangement can save space and reduce visual clutter and can allow the area of display14to be maximized.

Device10may also include an input-output device such as controller16. Controller16may be, for example, a click wheel that includes multiple buttons. Signals may also be conveyed in and out of device10using audio jacks and other connectors. As an example, device10may have a connector such as 30-pin connector18. Connector18may be used to convey data and power signals to device10(e.g. when device10is mounted in a dock or is connected to a 30-pin data cable). Connector18may also be used to convey signals out of device10.

Display screen14(e.g., a touch screen), click wheel buttons16, and connector18are merely examples of input-output devices that may be used with electronic device10. If desired, electronic device10may have other input-output devices. For example, electronic device10may have user input control devices such as on-off buttons and other buttons, additional input-output jacks (e.g., for audio and/or video), speakers, microphones, etc. The input-output device arrangement ofFIG. 1is shown as an example.

A schematic diagram of a portable electronic device such as handheld electronic device10ofFIG. 1is shown inFIG. 2. As shown inFIG. 2, device10may include storage26. Storage26may include one or more different types of storage such as hard disk drive storage, a solid state drive or other storage device that includes nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically-programmable-read-only memory) or volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc.

Processing circuitry22may be used to control the operation of device10. Processing circuitry22may be based on a processor such as a microprocessor and other suitable integrated circuits. With one suitable arrangement, processing circuitry22and storage26may be used to run software on device10, such as internet browsing applications, voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) telephone call applications, email applications, media playback applications, operating system functions, etc. Processing circuitry22and storage26may be used in implementing communications protocols such as serial and parallel bus communications protocols, internet protocols, wireless local area network protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11 protocols—sometimes referred to as Wi-Fi®), protocols for other short-range wireless communications links such as the Bluetooth® protocol, protocols for handling 3G communications services (e.g., using wide band code division multiple access techniques), 2G cellular telephone communications protocols, etc.

Input-output circuitry24may be used to allow data to be supplied to device10and to allow data to be provided from device10to external equipment20. Display screen14, click wheel16, and dock connector18ofFIG. 1are examples of input-output circuitry24.

Input-output circuitry24can include user input-output devices such as buttons, touch screens, joysticks, click wheels, scrolling wheels, touch pads, key pads, keyboards, speakers, microphones, cameras, etc. A user can control the operation of device10by supplying commands through such user input devices. Display and audio devices within circuitry24may include liquid-crystal display (LCD) screens or other screens, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and other components that present visual information and status data. Audio-video interface equipment in circuitry24such as jacks and other connectors may be used to form connections with external headphones and monitors.

Input-output circuitry24may, if desired, include wireless communications circuitry such as radio-frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry formed from one or more integrated circuits, power amplifier circuitry, passive RF components, antennas, and other circuitry for handling RF wireless signals. Wireless signals can also be sent using light (e.g., using infrared communications).

Device10can communicate with external equipment20over paths such as path28. Path28may include wired and wireless paths. External equipment20may include accessories such as headphones (e.g., a wireless cellular headset or audio headphones) and audio-video equipment (e.g., wireless speakers, a game controller, or other equipment that receives and plays audio and video content), a peripheral such as a wireless printer or camera, etc. External equipment20may also include equipment such as an associated wireless access point (router) or an internal or external wireless card that establishes a wireless connection with device10. A computer such as a personal computer may be included in external equipment20and may form a connection with device10using a connector such as connector18ofFIG. 1, using a wireless link, or using any other suitable communications path. If desired, external equipment20may include network equipment such as a cellular telephone base station, equipment in a local area network, etc.

In a typical portable electronic device, it may be desirable to store media on a hard disk drive. Handheld electronic devices may, for example, use compact hard drives such as hard drives with platters of 1.8 inches in diameter (so-called 1.8 inch drives). A conventional hard drive of this type is shown inFIG. 3.

As shown inFIG. 3, hard drive30has a metal case32. Metal case32has a longitudinal dimension parallel to direction44, a lateral dimension parallel to direction42, and a height or “z” dimension parallel to direction46.

One or more magnetic platters may be connected to motor spindle34. During operation, a motor in drive30rotates spindle34to spin the platter. A read-write head is used to access data on the spinning platter. The head may be mounted to an actuator arm. Actuator36may be used to control the angular position of an actuator arm and thereby control the location of the head during read and write operations.

The dimensions of hard drive30are limited by its components. For example, the height of drive30is generally limited by the required height of spindle34and its motor. If spindle34and the motor that is used to drive spindle34are reduced appreciably in size, it will not be possible to adequately spin the hard drive platters. Similarly, if the height of actuator36is reduced appreciably, the actuator will not be able to satisfactorily move the actuator arm and hard drive head.

Because of the height requirements of actuator36and motor34, there is generally a recess available within case32above the drive platters. This recess is typically used to mount a hard drive controller printed circuit board such as board38. As shown inFIG. 3, components40may be mounted to the underside of printed circuit board38. These components may include integrated circuits and other devices for controlling motor34and actuator36(collectively “hard drive controller circuits”).

The lateral and longitudinal dimensions of conventional hard drives are constrained by the sizes required to accommodate the hard drive platters and the head actuator mechanisms. Accordingly, there is a relatively large amount of circuit board area (“real estate”) available on conventional printed circuit boards such as printed circuit board38. This real estate is not generally fully utilized, so conventional hard drive controller printed circuit boards tend to be sparsely populated with components.

A cross-sectional view of a conventional handheld electronic device that includes a hard drive such as conventional hard drive30ofFIG. 3is shown inFIG. 4. As shown inFIG. 4, handheld electronic device48may contain a display50, a battery52, hard drive30, and a system board such as system board62. The components of device48may be interconnected using communications paths such as paths58and66. For example, hard drive controller board38may be electrically connected to a main system board such as system board62using path58. Path58may be formed from a flex circuit bus. Flex circuits (also sometimes referred to as flexible printed circuit boards) may be formed from flexible dielectrics such as polyimide with conductive traces.

In the arrangement ofFIG. 4, flex circuit58is connected to hard drive controller board38by connector54and is connected to system board62by connector60. Similarly, a communications path such as path66(e.g., a flex circuit) may be connected to system board62using connector64and may be connected to display50using connector68. Battery52may be connected to system board62using wires.

System board62may be used to mount components such as a processor integrated circuit, an audio integrated circuit, memory chips, and other electrical components for device48. Hard drive controller components such as the motor and actuator controller chips for drive30are mounted on hard drive controller board38. This type of arrangement may be satisfactory for some applications, but tends to be inefficient, because system board62consumes potentially valuable space within the housing of device48. This space may, for example, limit the size of display50.

An illustrative handheld electronic device10in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown in the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 5. As shown inFIG. 5, device10may include components such as battery70, hard drive80, and display14. These components may be housed within a housing such as housing12. Hard drive80may include a multipurpose circuit board78. Circuit board78may include both system components and hard drive controller components. For example, circuit board78may include system components such as a main processor integrated circuit, system memory, and audio chips and traditional hard drive controller components such as controller integrated circuits for the platter motor and head actuator. Board78may provide some or all of the system board real estate that would conventionally be provided by system boards such as system board62ofFIG. 4. As a result, the total amount of space within device10that is consumed by printed circuit boards and their associated components may be reduced, thereby allowing other components to be provided in larger sizes. In theFIG. 5arrangement, for example, display14has been enlarged relative to the size of conventional display50ofFIG. 4.

The components of device10may be interconnected using any suitable connection arrangement. For example, flex circuit paths, wires, other suitable paths may be used to distribute signals. As shown inFIG. 5, battery70may be connected to multipurpose board78using path74. Path74may be connected to battery70using a connector such as connector72. Path74may be connected to multipurpose board78using a connector such as connector76. Path86(e.g., a flex circuit path) may be connected to board78using connector84and may be connected to display14using connector88.

Connectors such as connectors88,84,76, and72may be formed using any suitable connector arrangement. Examples of connectors that may be used include zero insertion force (ZIF) connectors, board-to-board connectors, soldered wire connectors, connectors that use conductive foam, and conductive structures that use anisotropic conductive film (as examples). Paths such as paths86and74may be formed using wire (e.g., stranded wire), flex circuits, rigid printed circuit board structures, metal clips, springs, combinations of these structures, etc.

Illustrative layouts that may be used for the components on multipurpose board78are shown in the cross-sectional views ofFIGS. 6,7,8, and9. Board78may be populated with integrated circuits and other components (e.g., system components such as the components associated with storage26, processing circuitry22, and input-output circuitry24ofFIG. 2). Some of the components on board78may be associated with hard drive control functions. These components, which are labeled “HD” in the illustrative examples ofFIGS. 6,7,8, and9, may include, for example, a spindle motor controller and a hard-drive head actuator controller and may be provided in the form of one or more integrated circuits and associated discrete devices. The remaining components (i.e., the unlabeled components in the examples ofFIGS. 6,7,8, and9) may be system components such as processing integrated circuits (e.g., microprocessors, digital signal processors, custom processors), application specific integrated circuits, audio codecs, volatile and nonvolatile memory chips, power management unit chips, display drivers, jacks and other connectors, and other system integrated circuits and discrete components.

Both system components and hard-drive controller components are depicted as components92inFIGS. 6,7,8, and9. A cylindrical hole or other such opening may be provided in board78to accommodate the hard drive spindle. This opening is shown as opening90inFIGS. 6,7,8, and9.

In the illustrative arrangements ofFIGS. 6 and 7, system components92are mounted to both the upper and lower sides of board78. In the example ofFIG. 6, hard drive controller components are mounted only to the lower side of board78, whereas system components are mounted to the upper side of board78. In the example ofFIG. 7, hard drive controller components and system components are intermingled. As this example demonstrates, hard drive controller components92may be mounted to either side of board78and system components92may be mounted to either side of board78.

FIG. 8presents an example in which system components92and hard drive components92are only mounted to the upper side of board78(i.e., the side of board78that faces away from hard drive80).FIG. 9presents an example in which system components92and hard drive components92are mounted only to the lower (inner) side of board78. An advantage of the arrangement ofFIG. 9is that the board78ofFIG. 9has a fairly smooth outer surface that may help to accommodate additional components within device10such as display14(FIG. 5).

If desired, connections between components may be formed using a film that becomes conductive with exposure to pressure. This type of connection may be used, for example, to mount an end of a flex circuit (e.g., a flex circuit path such a path86or path74ofFIG. 5) to a board such as multipurpose board78. As shown in the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 10, connector104may form electrical pathways102between flex circuit94and board78. Flex circuit94may have one or more conductive pads such as pads96. Board78may have corresponding pads such as pads98. Film100(which is sometimes referred to as an anisotropic conductive film) may be placed between pads96and98. When flex circuit94is pressed against board78, portions102that lie between protruding pads96and98are compressed and become conductive, thereby forming connector104.

If desired, multipurpose circuit board78may be formed from a rigid flex structure. Rigid flex circuits incorporate rigid circuit board portions and flex circuit portions in a unitary structure. An arrangement of this type is shown inFIG. 11. As shown in the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 11, rigid flex106may include rigid printed circuit board layers such as layers108. Rigid printed circuit board layers108may be formed, for example, from fiberglass-filled epoxy or other suitable rigid dielectrics. Rigid flex106also contains flex circuit layers such as flex circuit layers110. Flex circuit materials that may be used for flex circuit portion110include polyimide and other flexible dielectrics. Conductive traces (e.g., of copper, gold, or other suitable conductors) may be patterned within layers108and110to form desired interconnection patterns, electrical buses, etc.

As shown inFIG. 11, at least some flex circuit portions in rigid flex106protrude from the rigid circuit board portions, so that some of rigid flex106is rigid (e.g., portion112) and some of rigid flex106is flexible (e.g., portion114). The use of interconnection arrangements such as the rigid flex arrangement ofFIG. 11to interconnect components in device10may help to reduce the number of connections that are formed in device10during assembly (e.g., by eliminating the need for some of the ZIF connectors, board-to-board connectors and other connectors that might otherwise be used in device10).

For shock protection, it may be desirable to mount hard drive30so that there is some potential for movement relative to case12. Shock mounting arrangements may involve encasing drive30in foam or ribbed plastic structures that can help hard drive30to absorb the force associated with an unintended impact on device10. When such shock mounting arrangements are used, it may be advantageous to form connections to system board78using flexible electrical paths such as flex circuit paths and wires, rather than inflexible paths such as direct connections to circuit boards. The flexibility of electrical paths of this type may help to prevent damage to the electrical paths when device10is subjected to an impact.

With one suitable arrangement, multipurpose board78may be formed from a rigid flex of the type shown inFIG. 11. A portion of the rigid flex may be rigid to accommodate the mounting of integrated circuits, whereas flexible tail portions may be used to form flexible electrical paths to other components. This type of arrangement is shown inFIG. 12. In the diagram ofFIG. 12, central rectangular portion112represents an illustrative rigid portion of a rigid flex structure (e.g., a fiberglass-filled epoxy portion), whereas portions114represent flexible portions of the rigid flex structure (e.g., flex circuit tails). As shown inFIG. 12, flex circuit portions114of rigid flex board78may be used to form electrical pathways to components such as click wheel16, 30-pin connector18, battery70, audio jack116, and display14. If desired, components such as battery70may be alternatively connected using stranded wire with soldered connections (as an example).

In theFIG. 12example (and other examples in which board78is connected using flex circuit buses), flex tails may be connected using anisotropic conductive films, board-to-board connectors, solder connections (e.g., for low-pin-count components such as audio jack116), or any other suitable connectors.

As described in connection withFIG. 12, it may be advantageous to form flex circuit paths between board78and other portions of device10, because this allows a shock-mounted hard drive30to which board78is mounted to translate slightly relative to case12in the event that device10is subjected to an impact. If desired, translational motion of this type may be accommodated using other arrangements such as metal springs or clips (particularly for low-pin-count connections).

If desired, flexible paths may be provided between hard drive circuitry and peripheral components using other arrangements. As an example, a hard drive printed circuit board that is formed from rigid materials (e.g., a standard printed circuit board formed from fiberglass-filled epoxy or other printed circuit board materials) may be provided with flex circuit paths for interconnecting components by connecting flex circuits to the rigid printed circuit board using suitable connectors (e.g., board-to-board connectors, zero insertion force connectors, etc.). This type of hard drive printed circuit board may be mounted within the housing walls of the hard drive (i.e., as an integral portion of the hard drive) or may be otherwise attached to the hard drive.

A rigid hard drive printed circuit board that is mounted to a hard drive or that is formed integrally within a hard drive may also be provided with flexible tails by connecting flex circuits to the rigid printed circuit board using connectors formed from anisotropic conductive film. The circuitry on the rigid printed circuit board may be connected to components in the hard drive (e.g., a hard drive motor, an actuator for a hard drive head, etc.), whereas the flex circuit paths may be connected to input-output components in the handheld device.

In theFIG. 12example, it was described how a rigid flex printed circuit board that is attached to a hard drive or that is formed integrally within the hard drive may be provided with flex circuit tail portions that are connected to input-output connector18, liquid crystal display14, audio jack116, battery70, click wheel16, and other suitable components. If desired, such rigid flex arrangements may be used in conjunction with other printed circuit board arrangements. For example, a rigid flex with flex circuit tails may be used to form connections to some of the components in a handheld device whereas a rigid printed circuit board with attached flex circuit paths may be used to interconnect other components in device10. If desired, all or most of the hard drive and system circuitry that would otherwise be mounted on a rigid printed circuit board or a rigid flex in a hard drive may be formed on a flex printed circuit. All or part of this flex circuit may be mounted within the housing of the hard drive. Both hard drive controller circuits and system circuits may be mounted on the flex circuit. Flex circuit tails that extend from this type of integral flex circuit may be used in forming electrical connections to components such as input-output connector18, liquid crystal display14, audio jack116, battery70, click wheel16, and other suitable components.

Board78may be provided in the form of multiple subboards such as subboards78A and78B in the example ofFIG. 13. As shown inFIG. 13, boards78A and78B may form a circular opening that accommodates hard drive motor spindle118and an opening120that accommodates an actuator for the hard drive head actuator arm.

Another illustrative arrangement is shown inFIG. 14. As shown inFIG. 14, multipurpose board78need not be the only device that is mounted within hard drive case122of hard drive30. Other components (e.g., battery70in theFIG. 14example) may be accommodated in the spaces between the vertical walls of case122, spindle118, and actuator124.

A cross-sectional end view of an illustrative hard drive30with a multipurpose circuit board78is shown inFIG. 15. As shown inFIG. 15, hard drive case122may have a lower surface130(e.g., a rectangular planar surface), and sidewalls132. Upper portion134of case122may be substantially open (as an example). Case122may be formed from metal or other suitable materials.

Hard drive components126may include magnetic platters, motor components, head actuator arms, etc. Multipurpose circuit board78may, as shown inFIG. 15, generally be mounted within the confines of walls132. If desired, components92may be mounted on board78according to their heights. For example, tall components92(e.g., the component labeled “T” in theFIG. 15example) may be placed near the center of board78, whereas shorter components (e.g., the components labeled “S” in theFIG. 15example) may be placed near the edges of board78. This forms an arrangement of components92that varies in height according to dashed line128. This type of configuration may be used, for example, when hard drive30is mounted within a device10that has a curved housing12.