Patent Description:
This disclosure relates generally to wireless communication. Aspects of the disclosure relate to wireless communication systems, antenna systems forming part of such wireless communication systems, and electronic devices with wireless communication functionality. The disclosure further relates to electronics-enabled eyewear devices.

Recent trends in consumer electronics have consistently been towards greater miniaturization, while the functionalities of such devices demand increasingly ubiquitous wireless connectivity. Wireless communication systems forming part of electronic devices with a limited form factor struggle to meet the conflicting requirements for increasing compactness while achieving wireless connectivity capable of reliably transferring large amounts of data (e.g., video captured by a pair of smart glasses). These difficulties are exacerbated in wearable devices, where battery power is often at a premium.

In wearable electronic devices, these difficulties are often compounded by heat management considerations. Heat management for such wearable electronics-enabled devices can be problematic owing to space and/or weight constraints. Moreover, cooling by exposure to the ambient atmosphere is often not an option in wearable devices, considering that the exterior of such a device is often in regular contact with parts of a user's body.

<CIT> describes a glasses-type radio communication device which is to be worn on the head of a user. The device includes: right and left eyepiece parts; and an antenna for carrying out radio communication, the antenna being a dipole antenna including an antenna element and a power feeding section which supplies electric power to the antenna element, the power feeding section being provided between the right and left eyepiece parts.

<CIT> describes intellectual development glasses for improving learning and memory ability. The glasses comprise a frame, lenses and glasses legs, wherein one side of each glasses leg is provided with a groove, and a reinforced steel wire is respectively embedded inside the left and the right glasses legs, and the intellectual development glasses are characterized in that: a control chip, a level adjuster, a touch switch and a button cell are arranged inside the grooves through metal conducting wires, and inner side of the end of the other side of each glasses leg is provided with an electrode pad and an infiltration conducting membrane.

Further aspects of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is described: an eyewear device comprising: an eyewear body comprising: an eyewear frame defining one or more optical element holders for holding respective optical elements within view of a user when the eyewear device is worn; and a pair of temples connected to the eyewear frame for supporting the eyewear frame in position during wear; a driven antenna element incorporated in the eyewear frame; a printed circuit board (PCB) that is housed by the device body and that carries on-board communication electronics coupled to the driven antenna element to communicate wireless signals via the driven antenna element, the PCB defining a PCB ground plane coupled to the communication electronics for co-operation with the driven antenna element in signal communication; and a pair of PCB extenders projecting from the PCB in mutually transverse orientations and defining a pair of mutually transverse ground planes for the driven antenna element, each of the pair of PCB extenders comprising a respective conductor electrically connected to the PCB ground plane and projecting from the PCB for co-operation with the driven antenna element in signal communication, wherein one of the pair of PCB extender extenders extending extends along an associated one of the pair of temples.

The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, not by way of limitation, in the accompanying drawings, in which:.

As mentioned, progress in electrical engineering has enabled electronic products to become physically smaller and deliver increasingly greater functionality. A bottleneck in achieving further progress is the relatively slower pace of antenna system miniaturization. In antenna miniaturization, particularly, a popular view is that transmissive performance is approaching limits dictated by physics in view of the size of the relevant components. A brief overview of antenna trends in recent consumer electronics technology is instructive in this regard.

<FIG> provides a schematic overview of the history of antenna systems in consumer electronics with wireless connectivity. The antenna systems for these purposes typically operate at microwave frequencies (<NUM> to <NUM>). Four different antenna configurations are illustrated by idealized schematic representation of antenna systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>. Each of the illustrated antenna systems comprises a driven antenna element connected to communication electronics (e.g., a transceiver system) incorporated in a printed circuit board (PCB) <NUM>. The PCB <NUM> is connected to the driven antenna at a signal feed, schematically represented by reference numeral <NUM>. It will be seen that the differences between the illustrated systems of <FIG> lie in variation in the size, shape, and/or orientation of the driven antenna element relative to the PCB <NUM>.

As illustrated schematically by antenna configuration <NUM>, early consumer electronic devices had comparatively long monopole antennas <NUM>. These antennas can still be seen in walkie-talkies or some performance-demanding wireless communication devices such as military radios. In the pursuit of miniaturization, such monopole antennas <NUM> were replaced in consumer electronics by helical antennas <NUM>. This meant keeping the same length of antenna metal while confining it in a smaller space. The result was antenna miniaturization with minimal performance impact. Next generation devices, schematically represented by system <NUM> replaced these helical antennas with inverted monopole antennas <NUM>, achieving even greater compactness. Inverted monopole antennas <NUM> also allowed embedding thereof inside the consumer electronic devices, since the technology significantly reduced the volume occupied by the driven antenna element <NUM>. The performance of this antenna technology, albeit inferior to the previous generations, was sufficient for contemporary consumer electronic devices due to significant improvements in radiofrequency (RF) infrastructure, and because the antenna still receives contributions to radiation from the PCB <NUM>.

Note that the PCB <NUM> in such systems is a part of the total radiating system, the PCB <NUM> also being referred to in the literature as ground plane. The PCB <NUM> thus cooperates with the driven antenna element in the communication of wireless signals. The main PCB <NUM> of these devices is essentially the other "pole" that balances the monopole and carries electric currents that causes efficient RF radiation. In PCBs <NUM>, a ground plane is often provided by a comparatively large area of copper foil on a board of the PCB <NUM>, with the metal foil being connected to a power supply ground terminal and serving as a return path for current from different components on the board. For this reason, the signal feed <NUM> is shown in <FIG> as being connected between the driven antenna element and the PCB <NUM>.

Depending on the tuning of the antenna system and the relative sizes and orientation of the PCB ground plane and the driven antenna element, a monopole antenna element <NUM> such as that of system <NUM> can be viewed as and can behave analogously to an offset-fed dipole antenna, with the different arms of the dipole being provided by the monopole conductor <NUM> at the PCB <NUM> respectively.

Inverted monopoles take advantage of the phenomena associated with the PCB ground plane. Adding more inverted monopoles <NUM> of different lengths (shown schematically by antenna system <NUM>) enabled simultaneous wireless communication capability on different radio bands. In essence, this meant more bandwidth and faster communication speeds while sacrificing little antenna volume. Increased reliance was, however, placed on the PCB <NUM> for antenna performance.

With the advent of the internet of things and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the demand for consumer electronics with wireless connectivity, and the performance demands for such devices, has increased significantly. These developments necessitated the inclusion of antennas in devices that previously had none, like refrigerators, digital cameras, offshore wind farms, sensors, controllers, and so forth. Some of these devices have physical form factors too small to have a physical aperture (i.e., neither the antenna volume nor the ground area), to support an efficient radiator. As a result, these systems thus far had to be content with narrow bandwidth, poor efficiency and slower speeds.

Electronics-enabled eyewear devices typically have a relatively small available physical volume for electrical circuitry to provide the various functionalities of the device. The length of the PCB ground plane provided by the integrated PCB <NUM> is in some such existing devices smaller than one tenth of the wavelength (λ/<NUM>) at the lowest transmitting frequency. A length of at least one fourth of the wavelength (λ/<NUM>) is usually considered to be necessary for efficient radiation. Thus, existing antenna systems for many electronic devices are incapable of providing sufficiently efficient wireless data transfer for functionalities such as uploading high-definition video captured by the eyewear device to other devices, particularly limitations of battery-powered operation are considered.

The description that follows discusses illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. It will be evident, however, to those skilled in the art, that embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details.

A first aspect of the disclosure provides for an eyewear device comprising:.

The driven antenna element is a conductive element which is electrically connected to a receiver and/or transmitter. In a transmitting antenna, the driven antenna element is driven or excited by current from communication electronics connected thereto (e.g., via the signal feed <NUM> as discussed in <FIG>), and is the source of transmitted waves. In a receiving antenna, the driven antenna element collects incoming waves for reception, and converts them to oscillating electric currents which are interpreted by the communication electronics connected to the driven antenna element. As discussed previously, a PCB ground plane cooperates with the driven antenna element in such signal communication. The same applies to PCB extenders connected to the PCB ground plane, as discussed later herein.

In some embodiments, the driven antenna element is configured to form a monopole antenna. Such an antenna system may thus have a configuration analogous to system <NUM> described with reference to <FIG>. In other embodiments, the antenna element may be arranged in a dipole configuration.

The eyewear body may comprise a frame defining a pair of optical element holders (e.g., lens holders), and a pair of temples connected to opposite lateral end portions of the frame. In one example embodiment, the PCB is housed at or adjacent one of the lateral end portions of the frame. The antenna element may in such cases project from the PCB to extend along at least part of the corresponding lens holder. Thus, in embodiments where the lens holders are a pair of rims extending peripherally around respective lenses, the antenna element may extend from the PCB around at least a portion of the corresponding rim.

An example embodiment of a wireless communication system and an eyewear device according to the first aspect of the disclosure will now be described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, after which a number of further aspects of the disclosure will be discussed.

<FIG> shows an oblique front view of an electronics-enabled eyewear device <NUM> in the example form of a pair of smart glasses. The eyewear device <NUM> includes a body <NUM> comprising a front piece or frame <NUM> and a pair of temples <NUM> connected to the frame <NUM> for supporting the frame <NUM> in position on a user's face when the eyewear device <NUM> is worn. The frame <NUM> can be made from any suitable material such as plastics or metal, including any suitable shape memory alloy.

The eyewear device <NUM> has a pair of optical elements in the form of a pair of lenses <NUM> held by corresponding optical element holders in the form of a pair of lens rims <NUM> forming part of the frame <NUM>. The rims <NUM> are connected by a bridge <NUM>. In other embodiments, one or both of the optical elements can be a display, a display assembly, or a lens and display combination. The eyewear device <NUM> can, in such embodiments, provide a virtual reality headset or an augmented reality display. Description in this example embodiment of elements relating to lenses or lens holders is thus to be read as, in other embodiments, being analogously applicable to different forms of optical elements.

The frame <NUM> includes a pair of end pieces <NUM> defining lateral end portions of the frame <NUM>. In this example, a variety of electronics components are housed in one or both of the end pieces <NUM>, as discussed in more detail below. In some embodiments, the frame <NUM> is formed of a single piece of material, so as to have a unitary or monolithic construction.

The temples <NUM> are coupled to the respective end pieces <NUM>. In this example, the temples <NUM> are coupled to the frame <NUM> by respective hinges so as to be hingedly movable between a wearable configuration (as shown in <FIG>) and a collapsed configuration in which the temples <NUM> are pivoted towards the frame <NUM> to lie substantially flat against it. In other embodiments, the temples <NUM> can be fixedly connected to the frame <NUM> or be coupled to the frame <NUM> by any suitable means. Each of the temples <NUM> includes a front portion that is coupled to the frame <NUM> and a rear portion for coupling to the ear of the user, such as the curved earpiece illustrated in the example embodiment of <FIG>.

In this description, directional terms such as front, back, forwards, rearwards, outwards and inwards are to be understood with reference to a direction of view of a user when the eyewear device <NUM> is worn. Thus, the frame <NUM> has an outwardly directed front side <NUM> facing away from the user when worn, and an opposite inwardly directed rear side <NUM> side facing towards the user when the eyewear device <NUM> is worn. Similarly, the terms horizontal and vertical as used in this description with reference to different features of the eyewear device <NUM> are to be understood as corresponding to the orientation of the eyewear device <NUM> when it is level on the face of a user looking forwards. A lateral direction of the eyewear device <NUM> extends more or less horizontally between the end pieces <NUM>, while a vertical or upright direction of the eyewear device <NUM> extends transversely to the horizontal direction, such that the lenses <NUM> have a more or less vertical or upright orientation.

The eyewear device <NUM> has onboard electronics <NUM> including a computing device, such as a computer, which can, in different embodiments, be of any suitable type so as to be carried by the body <NUM>. In some embodiments, various components comprising the onboard electronics <NUM> are at least partially housed in one or both of the temples <NUM>. In the present embodiment, various components of the onboard electronics <NUM> are housed in the lateral end pieces <NUM> of the frame <NUM>. The onboard electronics <NUM> includes one or more processors with memory, wireless communication circuitry (e.g., a transceiver system), and a power source (in this example embodiment being a rechargeable battery, e.g. a lithium-ion battery). The onboard electronics <NUM> comprises low-power, high-speed circuitry, and, in some embodiments, a display processor. Various embodiments may include these elements in different configurations or integrated together in different ways. As will be discussed below with reference to <FIG>, at least part of the onboard electronics <NUM> is in this example embodiment provided by a PCB <NUM> housed in one of the end pieces <NUM>.

The onboard electronics <NUM> includes a rechargeable battery. In some embodiments, the battery is disposed in one of the temples <NUM>. In this example embodiment, however, the battery is housed in one of the end pieces <NUM>, being electrically coupled to the remainder of the onboard electronics <NUM>.

The eyewear device <NUM> is camera-enabled, in this example comprising a camera <NUM> mounted in one of the end pieces <NUM> and facing forwards so as to be aligned more or less with the direction of view of a wearer of the eyewear device <NUM>. The camera <NUM> is configured to capture digital photographic as well as digital video content. Operation of the camera <NUM> is controlled by a camera controller provided by the onboard electronics <NUM>, image data representative of images or video captured by the camera <NUM> being temporarily stored on a memory forming part of the onboard electronics <NUM>. The memory is in communication with a wireless communication system (see item <NUM> in <FIG>) incorporated in the eyewear body <NUM>, thus to enable wireless upload to other devices of video content captured by the camera <NUM>. In some embodiments, the eyewear device <NUM> can have a pair of cameras <NUM>, e.g. housed by the respective end pieces <NUM>.

The eyewear device <NUM> further includes one or more input and output devices permitting communication with and control of the camera <NUM>. In particular, the eyewear device <NUM> includes one or more input mechanisms for enabling user control of one or more functions of the eyewear device <NUM>. In this embodiment, the input mechanism comprises a button <NUM> mounted on the frame <NUM> so as to be accessible on top of one of the end pieces <NUM> for pressing by the user.

As best seen with reference to <FIG> (in which the frame <NUM> is shown in vertical section), the eyewear device <NUM> has an integrated wireless communication system <NUM> for wireless communication with external electronic components or devices. To this end, communication electronics in the form of a transceiver carried on a PCB <NUM> housed in one of the end pieces <NUM> is coupled to an antenna element <NUM> provided by non-loop conductor integrated in the body <NUM> of the eyewear device <NUM>. The PCB <NUM> defines a PCB ground plane, as discussed previously. The antenna element <NUM> is substantially coplanar with the PCB <NUM>, projecting away from the PCB <NUM>. It will thus be seen that the wireless communication system <NUM> corresponds broadly to the antenna configuration described with reference to system <NUM> of <FIG>.

The main PCB <NUM> has an operatively vertical orientation, extending laterally to be substantially coplanar with the frame <NUM> of the eyewear device <NUM>. Due to the relatively small physical size of the PCB <NUM>, relying on the main PCB ground plane as a primary radiating aperture, consistent with conventional inverted antenna configurations, would result in suboptimal performance. In this example embodiment, a dipole concept is utilized by embedding inside the frame <NUM>, in the form of the antenna element <NUM>, a driven antenna element long enough for efficient radiation. In this example embodiment, the length of the antenna element <NUM> is larger than the length of the coplanar PCB ground plane by a factor of about <NUM>. In particular, the antenna element <NUM> in this instance has a length of about λ/<NUM>, while the PCB ground plane has a length of about λ/<NUM>. In other embodiments, the antenna element <NUM> may be twice or more the length of the PCB ground plane. The antenna element <NUM> is in this example embodiment placed on the same side of the frame <NUM> as the main PCB <NUM> and accomplishes reasonably efficient radiation. As will be discussed later herein, however, the efficiency of the antenna system is in other embodiments greatly improved by the addition of one or more PCB extenders.

As can be seen in <FIG>, the monopole antenna element <NUM> is in this example embodiment embedded within the frame <NUM> to project away from the PCB <NUM>, extending more or less downward along part of the corresponding lens rim <NUM>. In other embodiments, the dipole antenna element <NUM> can be replaced with a monopole antenna element. It will thus be seen that the configuration of the antenna system <NUM> is similar to that of system <NUM> in <FIG>.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure (discussed later below, broadly, as a fourth aspect of the disclosure), the driven antenna element <NUM> is thermally connected to one or more heat-generating electronics components of the eyewear device <NUM>. Because the driven antenna element <NUM> is a metal component that is thus in heat exchange relationship with such resources, the antenna element <NUM> serves as a heat sink. The antenna element <NUM> is in this example embodiment thermally coupled to the PCB <NUM> for heat management of the PCB <NUM>. Instead, or in addition, the antenna element <NUM> can be connected to other heat-generating components, such as a battery.

A second aspect of the disclosure provides for an antenna system having one or more PCB extenders connected to a PCB for co-operating with a driven antenna element in signal communication, each PCB extender comprising a conductor connected to and projecting from the PCB ground plane to define a respective ground plane. The second aspect extends to a device including such an antenna system, and to an eyewear device having incorporated therein such an antenna system. Provision of a PCB extender having a length dimension significantly larger than a largest dimension of the PCB ground plane delivers an improved radiating aperture for the antenna system.

In some embodiments, the antenna system has two or more PCB extenders defining respective ground planes with different orientations, so that the driven antenna element cooperates simultaneously with two or more differently oriented ground planes. In some embodiments, at least two of the PCB extenders different in length and/or other dimensions.

Differently defined, a third aspect of the disclosure provides an antenna system that comprises: a PCB defining a PCB ground plane; a driven antenna element coupled to communication electronics carried by the PCB; and a plurality of PCB extenders electrically connected to the PCB ground plane and projecting from the PCB in mutually transverse directions. The plurality of PCB extenders thus defines a plurality of ground planes having different spatial orientations relative to the driven antenna element. The third aspect of the disclosure extends to a device including such an antenna system, and to an eyewear device having incorporated therein such an antenna system. For ease of description, antenna configurations consistent with the third aspect of the disclosure are also referred to herein as multi-plane antenna systems. Such embodiments can deliver multiband functionality, reduced size and/or improved pattern diversity.

Before describing (with reference to <FIG>) specific example embodiments consistent with the third aspect of the disclosure, there will now follow a brief review of antenna theory related to inverted-L antennas, together with a brief discussion of technical aspects of the disclosed multi-plane antenna configuration.

A number of existing systems with different configurations of inverted-L antennae are presented in <FIG>. The leftmost two systems (indicated respectively by reference numerals <NUM> and <NUM>) show single band inverted-L antenna technologies. Like reference numerals indicate like components in <FIG> and in <FIG>. System <NUM> shows an idealized schematic representation of a configuration known as an inverted-L antenna (ILA), in which the PCB <NUM> (and hence the PCB ground plane) and the driven antenna element <NUM> are on the same plane. This corresponds to system <NUM> in <FIG>. In contrast, system <NUM> shows a configuration known as a planar inverted-L antenna (PILA), in which the driven antenna element <NUM> and the PCB <NUM> are on different but parallel planes. Systems <NUM> and <NUM> depict multiband versions of the ILA <NUM> and the PILA <NUM>, respectively, where antenna elements <NUM> of different lengths are connected to the same PCB ground plane to support simultaneous wireless functionality on different frequency bands. These antenna implementations are common in consumer electronics devices with wireless capabilities.

Based partly on the insight that the PCB <NUM> can be considered as providing the other pole of these inverted-L monopole antennas, the third aspect of this disclosure proposes an antenna system structure in which the driven antenna element is shared between multiple ground planes. In some embodiments, these ground planes may be of different lengths and dimensions. Note that such a proposed multi-plane antenna system can be understood as a reciprocal approach to the multiband inverted-L antennas (<NUM>, <NUM>), where multiple antenna elements <NUM> share a single PCB ground plane.

<FIG> illustrates an idealized schematic view of an example embodiment of an antenna system <NUM> having the disclosed multi-plane antenna configuration. In the example embodiment of <FIG>, the antenna system <NUM> uses an inverted-L antenna element <NUM> in combination with a plurality of mutually transverse ground planes. In this example embodiment, the plurality of ground planes is provided by a pair of ground planes <NUM>, <NUM> that are orthogonal relative to one another. Moreover, both ground planes <NUM>, <NUM> are in this example embodiment parallel to the inverted-L antenna element <NUM>. For ease of description only, the ground planes are identified further as the horizontal ground plane <NUM> and the vertical ground plane <NUM>.

In this example embodiment, each of the ground planes <NUM>, <NUM> is provided by a respective PCB extender, being a conductive element electrically connected to the PCB ground plane. Each of these PCB extenders is significantly larger in length than the PCB <NUM>, thus providing a respective ground plane much larger than the PCB ground plane. For this reason, the PCB ground plane is not shown in the schematic representations of <FIG>. In other embodiments, one of the ground planes <NUM>, <NUM> can be provided by the PCB ground plane, with the other ground plane being provided by a PCB extender oriented transversely thereto.

Note that the antenna element <NUM> is substantially coplanar with the horizontal ground plane <NUM>, so that the antenna element <NUM> and the horizontal ground plane <NUM> can be considered together to define an ILA analogous to the configuration <NUM> in <FIG>. The antenna element <NUM>, however, is parallel to but spaced from the plane of the vertical ground plane <NUM>, so that the antenna element <NUM> and the vertical ground plane <NUM> can be considered together to define a PILA analogous to the configuration <NUM> in <FIG>. Thus, the multiplane antenna system <NUM> can be understood as a combination of the ILA <NUM> and the PILA <NUM>, while sharing a common driven antenna element <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a multiplane antenna system <NUM> analogous to the system <NUM> of <FIG>, except that the orthogonal ground planes <NUM>, <NUM> differ in length. In this embodiment, the vertical ground plane <NUM> has an increased length. Graphs <NUM> and <NUM> show respective return loss performances for the antenna systems <NUM> and <NUM>.

An analysis of current modes responsible for radiation in the ground planes <NUM>, <NUM> reveals that, at frequency f1, fundamental mode is excited for the PILA provided in part by vertical ground plane <NUM>, while the ILA provided in part by horizontal ground plane <NUM> is not excited. At frequency f2, however, fundamental mode is excited for the ILA provided in part by the ground plane <NUM>, while the PILA of ground plane <NUM> overmodes. Thus, due to the length difference between the ground planes <NUM> and <NUM>, two distinct radiating modes can be generated by using the same antenna element <NUM>. By adjusting the lengths of these ground planes at design-time, it is possible to control the frequency in which these modes occur.

Consequently, if the ground planes <NUM> and <NUM> are of the same or closely similar length, then the antenna system <NUM> will have both fundamental modes in the same frequency but will radiate in different directions and will receive different polarizations. This is because the currents in the respective PCB extenders are orthogonal to each other. These phenomena will result in pattern and polarization diversity because the antenna system <NUM> can "see" a broader area, limit its dead spots and immunize the antenna system from polarization mismatches.

<FIG> shows an impedance behavior graph <NUM> of the multiplane antenna system <NUM> with ground planes of different length. In the graph <NUM>, the solid line indicates the impedance behavior of the composite antenna system <NUM>; the chain-dotted line indicates the impedance behavior of the ILA component provided by ground plane <NUM> together with the antenna element <NUM>; and the chain-dotted line indicates the impedance behavior of the PILA component provided by ground plane <NUM> together with the antenna element <NUM>. As can be seen from graph <NUM>, when the PCB extension ground planes are of different lengths, then the antenna system <NUM> can radiate at different frequencies, achieving multi-band capability. The solid line clearly shows the two modes of radiation, whereas the broken and chain-dotted lines are single radiation modes.

Note that although the behavior of multi-plane antenna system <NUM> is described with reference to an inverted-L antenna <NUM>, the discussed considerations apply analogously to configurations in which multiple ground planes (e.g., <NUM> and <NUM>) are used in combination with a monopole or a dipole driven antenna element, such as the antenna element <NUM> discussed with reference to system <NUM> in <FIG>. The example embodiments discussed below with reference to <FIG>, for example, employ multiplane configurations with non-inverted antennas <NUM>.

Implementation of the above concepts in electronic devices in some embodiments comprise defining one or more antenna ground planes (in addition to that provided by the PCB) by incorporating in the device one or more PCB extenders, being respective electrically conductive elements that are electrically coupled to the PCB ground plane and that extend transversely relative to a driven antenna element.

An example of one such an implementation is illustrated with reference to <FIG>, which shows an eyewear device <NUM> analogous to that of <FIG> and <FIG>, with the additional provision of a pair of substantially orthogonal PCB extenders <NUM>, <NUM>. <FIG> shows an idealized schematic version of a resultant multiplane antenna system <NUM> forming part of the eyewear device of <FIG>.

In this example embodiment, the PCB extenders <NUM>, <NUM> are provided by respective copper wires that are electrically connected to the PCB <NUM>, for example by contact fastener, soldering, or the like. In some embodiments, the electrical connection between the PCB <NUM> and one or more of the PCB extenders <NUM>, <NUM> can be inductive.

The PCB extension wires in this example embodiment comprises a top wire <NUM> extending along a top bar defined by upper portions of the respective lens rims <NUM> and bridge <NUM> extending between them, and a temple wire <NUM> extending along the temple <NUM> that is hingedly connected to the frame <NUM> at the end piece <NUM> in which the PCB <NUM> is housed. Note that both of these wires are in this example embodiment fully embedded and encased by the polymeric plastics material of the frame <NUM> and temple <NUM>. Note that the plastics material of the temple <NUM> in question is omitted in <FIG> to afford a clear view of the temple wire <NUM>. In some embodiments, one or more conductors providing respective PCB extenders may be exposed on an exterior of the eyewear device <NUM>, for example provided by metallic trim pieces.

Turning now to <FIG>, note that the antenna system <NUM> is shown in an orientation different from that in <FIG>, corresponding instead to the orientation of <FIG>. With respect to the schematic diagram of <FIG>, it will be appreciated that the top wire <NUM> defines ground plane <NUM>, while the ground plane <NUM> (oriented vertically in <FIG>) is defined by the temple wire <NUM>. The remaining schematic ground plane in <FIG> is the PCB ground plane provided by the PCB <NUM>. This configuration therefore provides a combination of a single antenna <NUM> with three ground planes (<NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>) for pattern polarization diversity and multiband operation. One of these ground planes <NUM> is substantially orthogonal to the other two ground planes <NUM>, <NUM>.

Note that the driven antenna element <NUM> is shown in <FIG> to be coplanar both of the ground planes <NUM>, <NUM> defined by the respective PCB extenders <NUM>, <NUM>. The antenna element <NUM> can, however, in some embodiments be offset from one or both of the additional ground planes <NUM>, <NUM>. In other embodiments, the common antenna element may be provided by an inverted-L antenna such as that described with reference to <FIG>.

In addition, note that the temple wire <NUM> is in this embodiment configured for disconnection and reconnection with the PCB ground plane together with hinged displacement of the corresponding temple <NUM> relative to the frame <NUM>. In usual fashion, the temples <NUM> are typically folded flat against the frame when the glasses are disposed in a stowed configuration, and are hinged away from the frame <NUM> into the configuration shown in <FIG> when the eyewear device <NUM> is to be worn. A coupling may be incorporated in the articulated joint between the frame <NUM> and the temple <NUM> such as automatically to connect the temple wire <NUM> to the ground plane of the PCB <NUM> when the temple <NUM> is in the extended configuration. Such a coupling may be constructed and configured analogously to that described in the disclosure in any of Applicant's <CIT> (filed September <NUM>, <NUM> as application number <NUM>/<NUM>,<NUM>); <CIT> titled EYEWEAR HAVING SELECTIVELY EXPOSABLE FEATURE (filed April <NUM>, <NUM> as application number <NUM>/<NUM>,<NUM>); and <CIT> titled EYEWEAR HAVING LINKAGE ASSEMBLY BETWEEN A TEMPLE AND A FRAME (filed April <NUM>, <NUM> as <NUM>/<NUM>,<NUM>).

Note that, in some embodiments, as described below with reference to the fourth aspect of the disclosure, the PCB extenders <NUM>, <NUM> may additionally function as heatsinks, being thermally connected in a heat transfer relationship with the PCB <NUM> and/or other heat sources in the associated end piece <NUM>. In such instances, the temple joint may be configured to provide automatic connection and disconnection of both an electrical and a thermal connection between the temple wire <NUM> and the PCB <NUM> responsive to opening and/or closing of the temple <NUM>. In some embodiments, electrical and thermal interface between the relevant wire <NUM>, <NUM> and the PCB <NUM> can be provided by a single connection.

At least some of the PCB extenders <NUM>, <NUM> in some embodiments serve triple functions of not only defining a ground plane for the antenna system <NUM> and serving as a heat sink, but can additionally be a mechanical or structural component of the device component of which they form part. For example, the temple wire <NUM> serves as a core wire for the temple <NUM>, providing structural integrity and rigidity of the temple. The same applies in some embodiments to the top wire <NUM>. In some such embodiments, a polymeric plastics material of the frame <NUM> or temple <NUM> is molded over the respective core wire PCB extender.

As will be understood from the earlier discussion with reference to <FIG>, the PCB extenders <NUM>, <NUM> as described provide the driven antenna element <NUM> with additional and longer ground planes <NUM>, <NUM>, thus providing pattern-polarization diversity and, in some embodiments, also multi-band operation. Note that the lengths and/or shapes of the respective PCB extenders <NUM>, <NUM> may be selected such as to provide desired composite antenna performance. In embodiments where the antenna system <NUM> is configured for multiband operation, communication electronics of the PCB <NUM> is configured for cooperation with the antenna system <NUM> to facilitate multiband wireless communication. Thus, for example, the communication electronics in some such embodiments include a transceiver connected to a diplexer to provide frequency-domain discrimination between signals received in different frequency bands.

In some embodiments, the antenna system <NUM> may include one or more different PCB extenders instead of or in addition to a pair of orthogonal extenders such as the top wire <NUM> and the temple wire <NUM>. One such example embodiment is illustrated in <FIG>, which shows an eyewear device <NUM> analogous to the eyewear device <NUM> of <FIG> by incorporating a number of additional PCB extenders.

An antenna system <NUM> of the eyewear device <NUM> is largely similar to the antenna system <NUM> described with reference to <FIG>, except that it has a number of additional extension wires to define respective ground planes that are spaced from and/or transverse to another. These PCB extenders include three rim wires <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> extending partially along a respective lens holders <NUM>. Note that these rim wires in this example embodiment correspond more or less in orientation and dimension to the driven antenna element <NUM>, being laterally spaced therefrom. A further PCB extender is provided by a second temple wire <NUM> extending along the temple <NUM> furthest from the PCB <NUM>. Earlier considerations with respect to hinged connectivity, thermal conductivity, and structural functionality apply equally to both temple wires <NUM> and <NUM>.

Thus, it will be seen that the embodiment of <FIG> provides a number of additional ground planes, essentially increasing the number of bands that the antenna can support.

As exemplified by the example embodiments of <FIG>, it will be seen that, worded differently, the second aspect of the disclosure provides an antenna system comprising:.

This aspect of the disclosure extends to an electronic device and to an electronics-enabled eyewear device that incorporates such an antenna system. In embodiments according to the invention, a plurality of PCB extenders are provided in mutually transverse orientations, thereby to define a plurality of transverse antenna ground planes.

In some embodiments, the PCB extenders are conductive elements having a length three or more times greater than the largest dimension of the PCB. In some embodiments, such as that described with reference to <FIG>, the PCB extenders are essentially one-dimensional elements, for example being metal wires extending transversely to one another. In other embodiments, however, one or more of the PCB extenders may be provided by a substantially planar element, such as a metal plate.

Note that the disclosed antenna system is not limited to use in eyewear devices, such as those disclosed herein. Instead, it is envisaged that the benefits provided by the disclosed antenna systems can find beneficial implementation in many different devices and components. It will be appreciated that the size and orientation of the PCB extenders will in different embodiments be influenced or dictated by the physical dimensions of the device or article in which it is incorporated. Provision, for example, of the disclosed antenna system on a motor vehicle will allow use of at least one planar PCB extender located with a roof panel of the vehicle. Note also that the antenna system incorporated in a device may in some embodiments have a common inverted antenna, such as that described with reference to <FIG>, instead of having the configuration exemplified in the eyewear device of <FIG> and represented schematically in <FIG>.

As mentioned previously, one or more of the PCB extenders may in some embodiments additionally be connected to the PCB to be in heat transfer relationship with one or more heat sources on the PCB or otherwise housed in the device body, thereby to serve as respective heat sinks for heat-generating electronic components of the device. In such cases, the mass of the respective PCB extenders can be greater than that which is required for signal transmission/reception purposes, thereby to provide greater thermal mass for the corresponding heat sink. In the example embodiment of <FIG>, for example, each of the PCB extenders <NUM>, <NUM> is a copper wire that is in contact coupling with the PCB <NUM> for thermal transfer, and has a thickness at or approaching a maximal thickness permitted by the physical dimension of the particular device components in which the wires are located.

A fourth aspect of the disclosure thus provides a device (e.g., a wearable device) comprising:.

The heat management characteristics of the one or more heat sink elements forming part of the antenna system may be similar or analogous to those described for the heat sink elements of Applicant's prior <CIT> as <CIT>); <CIT> as <CIT>); and <CIT>.

In some embodiments, only one of the antenna system components is thermally connected to the PCB for heat management purposes. One example of such an embodiment is described with reference to <FIG>, in which the driven antenna element <NUM> serves as a heat sink element. In one embodiment of an eyewear device analogous to that described with reference to <FIG>, only the antenna element <NUM> is in heat transfer relationship with the PCB or other electronic components, with the PCB extenders <NUM>, <NUM> thermally isolated from heat-generating electronic components. In other embodiments, the driven antenna element may be thermally isolated from the PCB, the one or more heat sink elements being provided by respective PCB extenders.

In other embodiments, two or more of the PCB extenders may serve as heatsinks. For example, in an embodiment analogous to that described with reference to <FIG>, both the top wire <NUM> and the temple wire <NUM> may be heat sinks. Similarly, in the example embodiment of <FIG>, all of the various PCB extender wires may be thermally connected, directly or indirectly, to the PCB for heat management purposes.

Although an overview of the disclosed matter has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of embodiments of the present disclosure. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually or collectively, by the term "invention" merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single disclosure or inventive concept if more than one is, in fact, disclosed.

Claim 1:
An eyewear device (<NUM>) comprising:
an eyewear body (<NUM>) comprising:
an eyewear frame (<NUM>) defining one or more optical element holders for holding respective optical elements within view of a user when the eyewear device (<NUM>) is worn; and
a pair of temples (<NUM>) connected to the eyewear frame (<NUM>) for supporting the eyewear frame (<NUM>) in position during wear;
a driven antenna element (<NUM>, <NUM>) incorporated in the eyewear frame (<NUM>);
a printed circuit board (PCB) (<NUM>) that is housed by the device body (<NUM>) and that carries on-board communication electronics coupled to the driven antenna element (<NUM>, <NUM>) to communicate wireless signals via the driven antenna element (<NUM>, <NUM>), the PCB (<NUM>) defining a PCB ground plane coupled to the communication electronics for co-operation with the driven antenna element in signal communication; and characterized by
a pair of PCB extenders (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) projecting from the PCB (<NUM>) in mutually transverse orientations and defining a pair of mutually transverse ground planes for the driven antenna element, each of the pair of PCB extenders comprising a respective conductor electrically connected to the PCB ground plane and projecting from the PCB (<NUM>) for co-operation with the driven antenna element (<NUM>, <NUM>) in signal communication, wherein one of the pair of PCB extenders (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) extends along an associated one of the pair of temples (<NUM>).