Patent Description:
Traditionally, printed circuit board (PCB) mounted temperature sensors must wait until the interior temperature of a device, where the PCB is located, has reached equilibrium with the ambient environment before it can take an accurate measurement. This lag time, the time needed for the interior of the device to reach temperature equilibrium, can depend on a number of factors and can take anywhere from a few minutes to over <NUM> minutes. Regardless of the exact lag time, due to, for example, the manufacturing tolerances that exist for physical dimensions of parts, air gaps within the device housing, and/or the insulation properties of the materials used for the device housing, the lag time will be significant even with the use of thermal interface materials (TIM). Additionally, the interior temperature of a device may never reach equilibrium with the ambient environment due to, for example, heat being generated by internal components of the device, or heat being dissipated by internal components of the device.

<CIT> describes heating cost distributor which has a case (<NUM>) mounted on a rear adapter (<NUM>). A main electronic card (<NUM>) is connected to a temperature sensor for measuring external temperature and placed in proximity to the case. Another temperature sensor (<NUM>) measures temperature of a heating element, and is placed adjacent to the adapter. The electronic card carries a flexible sheet surface mount interconnect (<NUM>) connected to the electronic card and an electronic card support (<NUM>) of the sensors. The electronic card support includes a shaped edge identical to a cross section of a housing and/or the adapter.

<CIT> describes a pool thermometer having a fluid impermeable housing which includes a lower support body receiving a battery, with an upper body portion mounting a printed circuit board containing a light-emitting diode panel for indication of temperature with the light-emitting diode panel operative through the printed circuit board and a temperature sensor directed through the housing to effect indication of ambient pool water temperature.

In some implementations, a device having a temperature sensor placed externally with respect to the device's housing is able to accurately detect the ambient temperature with substantially reduced lag time. The temperature sensor can be secured to an internal printed circuit board through a flexible printed circuit substrate, and may be covered with a protective layer. Placing the temperature sensor externally with respect to the device's housing significantly reduces the lag time in detecting the ambient temperature. The protective layer does not substantially affect the lag time due to the thinness of the layer, due to the material properties of the protective layer such as its thermal conductivity, or due to the combination of the protective layer's thinness and material properties.

In one aspect, a device includes a housing that forms an interior space, and that includes (i) an exterior surface, (ii) a pass-through region that defines a through-hole between the interior space to the exterior surface; a printed circuit board disposed within the interior space of the housing; a flexible printed circuit substrate including (i) a first end region that is connected to the printed circuit board that is disposed within the interior space of the housing, (ii) a second end region at an opposite end of the flexible printed circuit substrate than the first end region, the second region being disposed on the exterior surface of the housing, and (iii) a middle region that passes through the through-hole between the first end region and the second end region; a temperature sensor disposed at the second end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate on the exterior surface of the housing; and a protective layer that is disposed on at least a portion of the exterior surface of the housing and that covers the temperature sensor and the through-hole.

In some implementations, the temperature sensor is disposed on a first side of the flexible printed circuit; and the first side of the flexible printed circuit faces the protective layer.

In some implementations, the temperature sensor is in contact with the protective layer.

In some implementations, the housing comprises a recess at the exterior surface that is adjacent to the through-hole.

In some implementations, the recess at the exterior surface of the housing has a deeper section between two higher sections.

In some implementations, a first higher section of the two higher sections of the recess is positioned adjacent to the pass-through hole; a second higher section of the two higher sections of the recess is positioned away from the pass-through hole; and a portion of the second end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate is secured to the second higher section of the two higher sections of the recess.

In some implementations, the temperature sensor is disposed at the second end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate in the deeper section of the recess at the exterior surface of the housing.

In some implementations, the temperature sensor is disposed on a first side of the flexible printed circuit at the second end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate above the deeper section of the recess at the exterior surface of the housing.

In some implementations, a gap is formed between a second side of the flexible printed circuit at the second end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate and the deeper section of the recess at the exterior surface of the housing.

In some implementations, the recess at the exterior surface of the housing has a width that is slightly wider than the width of the second end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate and a length that is slightly longer than the length of the second end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate.

In some implementations, the pass-through region of the housing defines the through-hole such that the through-hole is substantially perpendicular with respect to the protective layer.

In some implementations, the protective layer is a sticker.

In some implementations, the protective layer is formed from a polymer.

In some implementations, the polymer is biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate.

In some implementations, the polymer is epoxy.

In some implementations, the protective layer is formed from a metalized polymer.

In some implementations, the metalized polymer is biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate having a deposit layer of metal thereon.

In some implementations, the protective layer is formed from a metal.

In some implementations, the protective layer is secured to the at least portion of the exterior surface of the housing through an adhesive.

In some implementations, the housing contains an upper housing unit having a top exterior surface and a lower housing unit; the top housing unit is secured to the lower housing unit; and the protective layer is disposed on at least a portion of the top exterior surface.

In another aspect a method includes placing a printed circuit board within an interior space of a housing that includes (i) an exterior surface, and (ii) a pass-through region that defines a through-hole between the interior space to the exterior surface; placing (i) a first end region of a flexible printed circuit substrate within the interior space of the housing, (ii) a second end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate at an opposite end of the flexible printed circuit substrate than the first end region on the exterior surface of the housing, and (iii) a middle region of the flexible printed circuit substrate through the through-hole between the first end region and the second end region; placing a temperature sensor at the second end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate on the exterior surface of the housing; securing the first end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate to the printed circuit board; and covering the temperature sensor and the through-hole with a protective layer.

Advantageous implementations can include one or more of the following features.

The device provides for improved ambient temperature detection by having a temperature sensor placed externally with respect to the device's housing. By having the temperature sensor placed externally with respect to the device's housing, the device is able to take an accurate ambient temperature measurement with substantially reduced lag time. A protective layer which covers the temperature sensor does not substantially affect the lag time due to the thinness of the protective layer, due to the thermal conductivity of material included in the layer, or due to a combination of the protective layer's thinness and material properties.

The device provides for more accurate ambient temperature measurements. In having the temperature sensor placed externally with respect to the device's housing, the device can obtain ambient temperature measurements that are unaffected, or substantially unaffected, by any heat generated by internal components of the device or by any heat dissipated by internal components of the device. In addition, by having the temperature sensor placed externally with respect to the device's housing instead of within the housing, the device can obtain ambient temperature measurements that are unaffected by, for example, manufacturing variation in the device's housing, or the manufacturing tolerances for the device's housing. The device can also obtain more accurate ambient temperature measurements by not relying on any thermal interface materials between the temperature sensor and the device's housing due to, for example, the tendency of many thermal interface materials to migrate overtime.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

<FIG> are diagrams showing an example device <NUM> with improved ambient temperature detection. <FIG> shows a side, cutaway view of the device <NUM>. <FIG> shows a perspective, cutaway view of the device <NUM>.

The device <NUM> includes a temperature sensor <NUM> positioned externally with respect to the device <NUM>'s housing. By having the temperature sensor <NUM> positioned externally, the device <NUM> is able to quickly and accurately measure the ambient temperature of the environment in which the device <NUM> is located. By covering the temperature sensor <NUM> with a layer <NUM>, the device <NUM> can protect the temperature sensor <NUM> and the device <NUM>'s internal components while maintaining the benefit of improved ambient temperature detection.

The device <NUM> may be a computing device, such as a smart phone, a tablet, a smart watch, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a wearable device, an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device, etc. The device <NUM> may be a mobile phone or a cell phone. The device <NUM> may be global positioning system (GPS) tracker. The device <NUM> may be an emergency position indicator radio beacon (EPIRB), a personal locator beacon (PLB), or a personal AIS beacon (PAB). Where the device <NUM> is an EPIRB, a PLB, or a PAB, the device <NUM> may include a GPS unit. The device <NUM> may be part of a vehicle. Where the device <NUM> is part of a vehicle, the housing of the device <NUM> may be formed by one or more external panels of the vehicle. Where the device <NUM> is part of a vehicle, the housing of the device <NUM> may be secured to an external surface of the vehicle, e.g., front bumper, rear bumper, undercarriage, etc., or embedded into an external surface of the vehicle. The device <NUM> may be a geotechnical instrument. The device <NUM> may be an oceanography instrument.

As will be discussed in more detail below, the device <NUM> may be a sealed device, such that it is water resistant, waterproof, dust resistant, and/or dust proof.

The temperature sensor <NUM> may be a thermistor, a resistance temperature detector (RTD), a thermocouple, or a semiconductor-based sensor. The temperature sensor <NUM> may be a surface mounted device (SMD).

The techniques disclosed in this document can reduce the time for a device to accurately measure the ambient temperature. The device <NUM> provides for enhanced ambient temperature detection by, for example, having the temperature sensor <NUM> placed externally with respect to the device <NUM>'s housing. With the temperature sensor <NUM> placed externally with respect to the device <NUM>'s housing, the device <NUM> is able to take an accurate ambient temperature measurement with substantially reduced lag time. The layer <NUM> does not substantially affect the lag time due to the thinness of the layer <NUM>, e.g., <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>, etc., due to the thermal conductivity of material included in the layer <NUM>, or due to a combination of the layer <NUM>'s thinness and material properties.

The techniques disclosed can improve the accuracy of ambient temperature measurements. In having the temperature sensor <NUM> placed externally with respect to the device <NUM>'s housing, the device <NUM> can obtain ambient temperature measurements that are unaffected, or substantially unaffected, by any heat generated by internal components of the device <NUM>, or by any heat dissipated by internal components of the device <NUM>. These internal components may include, for example, CPUs, graphics cards, GPUs, disk drives, heat sinks. In addition, by having the temperature sensor <NUM> placed externally with respect to the device <NUM>'s housing instead of within the housing, the device <NUM> can obtain ambient temperature measurements that are unaffected by, for example, manufacturing variation in the device <NUM>'s housing, or the manufacturing tolerances for the device <NUM>'s housing. The device <NUM> can also obtain more accurate ambient temperature measurements by not relying on any TIM between the temperature sensor and the device <NUM>'s housing due to, for example, the tendency of many TIMs to migrate overtime.

As shown in <FIG>, the device <NUM> includes a upper housing <NUM> having a pass-through region that defines a through-hole <NUM>, a lower housing <NUM>, a seal <NUM> between the upper housing <NUM> and the lower housing <NUM>, a PCB <NUM> placed within an interior chamber formed from the upper housing <NUM> and the lower housing <NUM>, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) <NUM>, the temperature sensor <NUM> mounted on the FPC <NUM>, and the layer <NUM>.

The upper housing <NUM> and the lower housing <NUM> may be formed from a polymer or a metal. The upper housing <NUM> and the lower housing <NUM> may be formed from the same type material. For example, the upper housing <NUM> and the lower housing <NUM> are both from the same type of polymer, from the same type of metal, etc. The upper housing <NUM> and the lower housing <NUM> may be formed from different materials. For example, the upper housing <NUM> may be formed from a metal, whereas the lower housing <NUM> may be formed from a polymer. Where the upper housing <NUM> and/or the lower housing <NUM> are made from one or more polymers, e.g. one or more thermoplastics, the upper housing <NUM> and/or the lower housing <NUM> may be manufactured through injection molding. Where the upper housing <NUM> and/or the lower housing <NUM> are made from one or more metals, the upper housing <NUM> and/or the lower housing <NUM> may be manufactured through casting.

The upper housing <NUM> may be secured to the lower housing <NUM> through one or more clips. The upper housing <NUM> may be secured to the lower housing <NUM> through one or more fasteners. The one or more fasteners may be, for example, one or more screws, one or more bolts with corresponding nuts, etc. The upper housing <NUM> may be secured to the lower housing <NUM> through a combination of one or more clips and one or more fasteners. A seal <NUM> may be placed between the upper housing <NUM> and the lower housing <NUM>. The seal <NUM> may be locked in place by the shape or design of the upper housing <NUM> and/or the lower housing <NUM> when the upper housing <NUM> is secured to the lower housing <NUM>. The seal <NUM> may be continuous around the perimeter of the device <NUM> or around the perimeter of the lower housing <NUM>. The seal <NUM> may be formed from rubber. The seal <NUM> may be formed from a polymer. The seal <NUM> may be formed from silicon. As an example, the seal <NUM> may be an O-ring.

The upper housing <NUM> includes the through-hole <NUM>. As shown, the through-hole <NUM> is substantially perpendicular with respect to a substantially planar top surface <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM> and extends from the interior chamber formed from the combination of the upper housing <NUM> and the lower housing <NUM> to the exterior surface of the upper housing <NUM>, specifically the top surface <NUM>. The through-hole <NUM> corresponds with a second region <NUM> such that through-hole <NUM> is located within the region <NUM> and the length of the through-hole <NUM> is equal to, substantially equal to, or slightly less than the width of the region <NUM>.

The through-hole <NUM> may be formed during the manufacturing process of the upper housing <NUM>. For example, the through-hole <NUM> may be formed during an injection molding process while manufacturing the upper housing <NUM> out of plastic. As another example, the through-hole <NUM> may be formed during a casting process while manufacturing the upper housing <NUM> out of metal. The through-hole <NUM> may be formed after the upper housing <NUM> has been manufactured. For example, the through-hole <NUM> may be formed through drilling or milling, cutting or sawing, heat staking, ultrasound techniques, etc..

The through-hole <NUM> may be rectangular in shape having dimensions larger than the width and depth of at least part of the FPC <NUM> so as to accommodate at least part of the FPC <NUM>. The through-hole <NUM> may have a width that is slightly larger than the width of the FPC <NUM>. For example, the width of the through-hole <NUM> may be <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s width, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s width, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s width, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s width, etc. The through-hole <NUM> may have a length that is slightly larger than the depth of the FPC <NUM>. For example, the length of the through-hole <NUM> may be <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, etc. The through-hole <NUM> may have a length that is moderately larger than the depth of the FPC <NUM>. For example, the length of the through-hole <NUM> may be <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, etc. The through-hole <NUM> may have a length that is significantly larger than the depth of the FPC <NUM>. For example, the length of the through-hole <NUM> may be <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the FPC <NUM>'s depth, etc..

In some implementations, the through-hole <NUM> is not substantially perpendicular with respect to the top surface <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>. In these implementations, the through-hole <NUM> may be formed in the upper housing <NUM> at an angle in order to, for example, eliminate one or more stress points on the FPC <NUM> and/or to reduce the impact of one or more stress points on the FPC <NUM>. For example, the through-hole <NUM> may be formed at a <NUM>-<NUM> degree angle, a <NUM>-<NUM> degree angle, a <NUM> to <NUM> degree angle, a <NUM> to <NUM> degree angle, a <NUM> degree angle, etc..

The FPC <NUM> includes a flexible substrate. The substrate may be formed from one or more layers of polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), or polyester film. The substrate may be formed from one or more layers of flexible glass. The substrate may be formed from one or more layers of flexible silicon. A number of wires/conductors may be embedded in the substrate. One or more electrical components may be embedded in the substrate. The substrate and any wires/conductors (e.g., copper wires/conductors) and/or electrical components embedded in the substrate may be coated with a material (e.g., an additional layer of polyimide film).

The FPC <NUM> and the substrate of the FPC <NUM> include a first end region having a first end, a middle region, and a second end region having a second end. The first end region of the FPC <NUM> corresponds with a first region <NUM> such that the first end region of the FPC <NUM> is located within the first region. The FPC <NUM> may be secured to the PCB <NUM> at the first end region within the interior chamber formed from the upper housing <NUM> and the lower housing <NUM>. As an example, the first end region of the FPC <NUM> may be secured to the PCB <NUM> through one or more connectors, pins, or fingers. As another example, the first end region of the FPC <NUM> may be secured to the PCB <NUM> using through-hole technology. As another example, in some implementations, the FPC <NUM> and the PCB <NUM> are part of a single rigid-flex circuit where the FPC <NUM> is a flexible portion of the rigid-flex circuit and the PCB <NUM> is a rigid portion of the rigid-flex circuit.

The middle region of the FPC <NUM> corresponds with the second region <NUM> such that the middle region of the FPC <NUM> is located within the second region <NUM>. The middle region of the FPC <NUM> passes through the through-hole <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>. During manufacture of the device <NUM>, the first end region of the FPC <NUM> may be passed through the through-hole <NUM> so that the middle region of the FPC <NUM> passes through the through-hole <NUM>. Similarly, during manufacture of the device <NUM>, the second end region of the FPC <NUM> may be passed through the through-hole <NUM> so that the middle region of the FPC <NUM> passes through the through-hole <NUM>.

The second end region of the FPC <NUM> corresponds with a third region <NUM> such that the second end region is located within the third region <NUM>. The second end region of the FPC <NUM> is located at an opposite end of the FPC <NUM> than the first end region. The temperature sensor <NUM> is mounted on the second end region of the FPC <NUM> on a first side of the FPC <NUM> away from the upper housing <NUM>. Mounting the temperature sensor <NUM> on the first side of the FPC <NUM> away from the upper housing <NUM> allows the temperature sensor <NUM> to directly contact the layer <NUM> once the layer <NUM> is secured to the top surface <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>. Having the temperature sensor <NUM> come to into direct contact with the layer <NUM> allows the temperature sensor <NUM> to measure the ambient temperature with substantially reduced lag time due to, for example, the thinness of the layer <NUM>, e.g. <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>, etc., due to the thermal conductivity of material included in the layer <NUM>, or due to a combination of the layer <NUM>'s thinness and material properties.

The temperature sensor <NUM> may be mounted to the FPC <NUM> through surface mount technology (SMT). Accordingly, the FPC <NUM> may include the temperature sensor <NUM>. The temperature sensor <NUM> may be mounted to the FPC <NUM> using through-hole technology.

As shown in <FIG>, adjacent to the through-hole <NUM> is a recess <NUM> to accommodate the second end region of the FPC <NUM>. The recess <NUM> also corresponds with the third region <NUM> such that the recess <NUM> is located within the third region <NUM> and the recess <NUM> has a length that is equal to, substantially equal, or slightly less than the width of the third region <NUM>. The recess <NUM> includes a first section <NUM>, a second section <NUM>, and a third section <NUM>. The second section <NUM> is provided between the first section <NUM> and the third section <NUM>. The first section <NUM>, the second section <NUM>, and the third section <NUM> may have varying depths with respect to the top surface <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>. The recess <NUM> may be formed during the manufacturing process of the upper housing <NUM>, e.g., during injection molding, during casting, etc. The recess <NUM> may be formed after the upper housing <NUM> has been manufactured, e.g. through milling. The recess <NUM> may be formed with the formation of the through-hole <NUM>.

All or part of the first section <NUM> of the recess <NUM> may have a depth that is equivalent, substantially equivalent, or slightly larger than the depth of the FPC <NUM>. This may allow, for example, a portion of the FPC <NUM> in the first section <NUM> of the recess <NUM> to be in contact with the upper housing <NUM>, or an adhesive applied to a portion of the upper housing <NUM>, and the layer <NUM> once the layer <NUM> is applied to the top surface <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>. In some implementations, a portion of the external surface of the upper housing <NUM> corresponding with the first section <NUM> may have an adhesive applied to it so as to adhere at least a portion of the second end region of the FPC <NUM> to the upper housing <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the recess <NUM>, specifically the first section <NUM> of the recess <NUM>, may eliminate a sharp angled surface that would have otherwise been formed between the upper housing <NUM> and the through-hole <NUM> in order to provide a curved surface for contact with the FPC <NUM>. The curved surface created by the first section <NUM> of the recess <NUM> lessens the likelihood of damage to the FPC <NUM>, such as a crease forming in the FPC <NUM>, by preventing the FPC <NUM> from coming into contact with at least one sharp angled surface at a stress point.

As shown in <FIG>, the second section <NUM> of the recess <NUM> has a depth larger than both the first section <NUM> and the third section <NUM>. The depth of the second section <NUM> accommodates both the height of temperature sensor <NUM> and the depth of the FPC <NUM> such that it is equivalent, substantially equivalent to, or larger than the height of the temperature sensor <NUM> combined with the depth of the FPC <NUM>. As shown, the depth of the second section <NUM> is larger than the height of the temperature sensor <NUM> combined with the depth of the FPC <NUM>, resulting in the formation of an air gap <NUM>. The air gap <NUM> is formed between a portion of the FPC <NUM> and the upper housing <NUM> due to the inherent properties of the FPC <NUM> which results in an upwards spring force when the layer <NUM> brings the temperature sensor <NUM> into the plane of the top surface <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>.

The air gap <NUM> can serve as a protective measure for the temperature sensor <NUM> in case an external force is exerted on the device <NUM> at or near the second section <NUM> of the recess <NUM>. For example, if the device <NUM> is dropped on a rock such that a portion of the layer <NUM> comes into contact with the rock and the portion of the layer <NUM> corresponds with the recess <NUM>, the temperature sensor <NUM> can be pushed deeper into the second section <NUM> of the recess <NUM> before the corresponding portion of the FPC <NUM> comes into contact with the upper housing <NUM>. In addition, as the temperature sensor <NUM> is pushed deeper into the second section <NUM> of the recess <NUM>, the spring force generated by the FPC <NUM> will increase, thereby helping to counteract the force of the drop, preventing the corresponding portion of the FPC <NUM> from coming into contact with the upper housing <NUM>, and/or deaccelerating, or lessening the acceleration of, the temperature sensor <NUM> before the corresponding portion of the FPC <NUM> comes into contact with the upper housing <NUM>. Accordingly, the air gap <NUM> can decrease the likelihood of damage to the temperature sensor <NUM> and the FPC <NUM>, and/or can lessen the amount of damage to the temperature sensor <NUM> and the FPC <NUM>.

All or part of the third section <NUM> of the recess <NUM> may have a depth that is equivalent, substantially equivalent, or slightly larger than the depth of the FPC <NUM>. This may allow, for example, a portion of the FPC <NUM> in the third section <NUM> of the recess <NUM> to be in contact with the upper housing <NUM>, or an adhesive applied to a portion of the upper housing <NUM>, and the layer <NUM> once the layer <NUM> is applied to the top surface <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>. A portion of the external surface of the upper housing <NUM> corresponding with the third section <NUM> may have an adhesive applied to it so as to adhere at least a portion of the second end region of the FPC <NUM> to the upper housing <NUM> including the second end of the FPC <NUM>. In implementations where an adhesive is applied to the external surface of the upper housing <NUM> corresponding with the third section <NUM> in order to adhere at least a portion of the FPC <NUM> to the upper housing <NUM>, the portion of the external surface of the upper housing <NUM> corresponding with third section <NUM> may not have an adhesive applied to it so as to leave a portion of the second end region of the FPC <NUM>, including the second end of the FPC <NUM>, floating.

The layer <NUM> is applied to the top surface <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM> and contacts the temperature sensor <NUM>. The layer <NUM> covers the through-hole <NUM> and the recess <NUM>. The layer <NUM> may additionally cover fasteners used, for example, to secure the upper housing <NUM> to the lower housing <NUM>. The layer <NUM> may, in addition to the seal <NUM>, help to seal the device <NUM> so as to aid in making the device waterproof, water resistant, dust proof, and/or dust resistant. The layer <NUM> may be secured to the top surface <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM> with adhesive, with an adhesive layer that may be part of the layer <NUM>, and/or with one or more fasteners.

The device <NUM> may have a ridge <NUM> in the upper housing <NUM> which defines the area of the upper housing <NUM> meant to receive the layer <NUM>. The layer <NUM> may be formed and/or shaped to fit the area defined by the ridge <NUM>. For example, the layer <NUM> may be formed and/or shaped through die cutting.

The layer <NUM> may include a one or more layers of different material. The layer <NUM> may include an adhesive layer. The layer <NUM> may be a sticker having multiple material layers with at least one adhesive layer. The layer <NUM> may include a polymer layer. The polymer may be a polycarbonate. The polymer may be biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate. The polymer may be an epoxy. The layer <NUM> may include a metalized polymer layer. The metalized polymer layer may be biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate having a deposit layer of metal. The deposit layer of metal may be aluminum. The layer <NUM> may include a metal layer and/or a metal alloy layer. The metal may be, for example, aluminum, copper, nickel, iron, or titanium. The metal alloy may be, for example, an alloy containing aluminum, copper, nickel, iron, or titanium (e.g., steel, stainless steel, brass, etc.).

Despite certain materials not having a very high thermal conductivity such as certain plastics, the temperature sensor <NUM> may still obtain ambient temperature measurements without substantial lag time due to the thinness of the layer <NUM>, e.g., <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>, etc..

In some implementations, the layer <NUM> does not necessarily need to be thin, e.g., may be thicker than <NUM>, may be thicker than <NUM>, may be thicker than <NUM>, etc. In these implementations, the layer <NUM> may include a layer of material having high thermal conductivity such as, for example, copper, aluminum, brass, etc..

In some implementations, in place of the layer <NUM>, the temperature sensor <NUM>, the second end region of the FPC <NUM> including the temperature sensor <NUM>, the through-hole <NUM>, and/or the recess <NUM> are sealed. In these implementations, the temperature sensor <NUM>, the second end region of the FPC <NUM> including the temperature sensor <NUM>, the through-hole <NUM>, and/or the recess <NUM> may be sealed with epoxy. In these implementations, any fasteners may be separately sealed. In these implementations, any fasteners may be separately sealed with epoxy.

In manufacturing the device <NUM>, there may be a specific order to how the elements are put together. For example, the seal <NUM> and the PCB <NUM> may be first placed on or secured to the lower housing <NUM>. Next, the first end region of the FPC <NUM> is passed through the through-hole <NUM> before being secured to the PCB <NUM>. Alternatively, the first end region of the FPC <NUM> is secured to the PCB <NUM> and the second end region of the FPC <NUM> is passed through the through-hole <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>. The upper housing <NUM> is then secured to the lower housing <NUM>. Finally, the layer <NUM> is secured to the top surface <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>. The temperature sensor <NUM> is likely already mounted to the FPC <NUM> as part of the FPC <NUM> before the start of this process. However, in some implementations, the temperature sensor <NUM> may be mounted to the FPC <NUM> later such as, for example, after the middle region of the FPC <NUM> passes through the through-hole <NUM>.

<FIG> is an example process <NUM> for manufacturing a device with improved ambient temperature detection. The process <NUM> can be a process for manufacturing the device <NUM> described herein.

The process <NUM> includes placing a printed circuit board within a housing (<NUM>). As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the printed circuit board may be the PCB <NUM>. As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the housing may be the combination of the upper housing <NUM> with lower housing <NUM>, and the interior space may be interior chamber formed when the upper housing <NUM> is joined to the lower housing <NUM>. As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the housing may include the top surface <NUM>. As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the housing may include a pass-through region that defines the through-hole <NUM> and may include the recess <NUM>.

The process <NUM> includes placing a flexible printed circuit substrate in an appropriate location (<NUM>). As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the flexible printed circuit substrate may be the substrate of the FPC <NUM>. As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the flexible printed circuit substrate may include the first end region of the FPC <NUM> substrate that corresponds with the first region <NUM>, the middle region of the FPC <NUM> substrate that corresponds with the second region <NUM>, and the second end region of the FPC <NUM> substrate that corresponds with the third region <NUM>.

The process <NUM> includes placing a temperature sensor (<NUM>). As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the temperature sensor may be the temperature sensor <NUM>. As an example, the temperature sensor may be placed at the second end region of the FPC <NUM> substrate in the recess <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>.

The process <NUM> includes securing a first end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate (<NUM>). As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the first end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate may be the first end region of the FPC <NUM> substrate that corresponds with the first region <NUM>. As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the first end region may be secured to the PCB <NUM> through one or more connectors, pins, or fingers. As another example, with respect to <FIG>, the first end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate may be secured to the PCB <NUM> using through-hole technology. As another example, in some implementations, the flexible printed circuit, which includes the flexible printed circuit substrate, and the printed circuit board are part of a single rigid-flex circuit. In this example, the flexible printed circuit is a flexible portion of the rigid-flex circuit and the printed circuit board is a rigid portion of the rigid-flex circuit.

The process <NUM> includes placing a protective layer (<NUM>). As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the protective layer may be the layer <NUM>. As an example, with respect to <FIG>, the protective layer may cover the temperature sensor <NUM>, the recess <NUM>, and/or the through-hole <NUM>.

To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the invention can be implemented on a device having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse, touch screen, trackpad, or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the device.

While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of the invention.

Claim 1:
A device (<NUM>) comprising:
a housing (<NUM>, <NUM>) that forms an interior space, and that includes (i) an exterior surface, and (ii) a pass-through region that defines a through-hole (<NUM>) between the interior space to the exterior surface;
a printed circuit board (<NUM>) disposed within the interior space of the housing;
a flexible printed circuit substrate (<NUM>) including (i) a first end region that is connected to the printed circuit board that is disposed within the interior space of the housing, and (ii) a second end region at an opposite end of the flexible printed circuit substrate than the first end region, the second end region being disposed on the exterior surface of the housing, wherein a portion of the flexible printed circuit substrate that is between the first end region and the second end region passes through the through-hole;
a temperature sensor (<NUM>) disposed at the second end region of the flexible printed circuit substrate on the exterior surface of the housing; and
a protective layer (<NUM>) that is disposed on a portion of the exterior surface of the housing and that covers the temperature sensor and the through-hole.