PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11228846-B2
Application Number: US-202016792043-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Sensor assembly for electronic device

Abstract:
Aspects of the subject technology relate to low noise microphone assemblies for electronic devices. A microphone assembly may include components for sensing sound, mounted on a substrate, under a cover disposed on the substrate. The components may receive sound through an opening in the substrate. The microphone assembly may include an interposer on the substrate. The interposer includes one or more contacts on a surface that is spatially separated from the surface of the substrate, in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. A first side of the substrate may be mounted to an inner surface of a housing of the electronic device. The components, the cover, and the interposer may be mounted to an opposing second side of the substrate. A flexible printed circuit may be coupled to the contacts on the surface of the interposer, and mechanically attached to a surface of the cover.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sensor assembly for an electronic device, the sensor assembly comprising:
 a substrate having an opening configured for alignment with an opening in a housing of the electronic device; 
 a sensor element mounted on a surface of the substrate in fluid communication with the opening in the substrate and in electrical communication with a plurality of conductive traces on or within the substrate; 
 a cover sealingly disposed on the surface of the substrate and defining a back chamber for the sensor element between the cover and the surface of the substrate; and 
 an interposer mounted on the surface of the substrate and having a surface that is spaced apart from the surface of the substrate and includes a plurality of electrical contacts coupled to the plurality of conductive traces. 
 
     
     
       2. The sensor assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an application specific integrated circuit that is mounted to the surface of the substrate within the back chamber and that is coupled between the sensor element and the plurality of conductive traces. 
     
     
       3. A sensor assembly for an electronic device, the sensor assembly comprising:
 a substrate having an opening configured for alignment with an opening in a housing of the electronic device; 
 a sensor element mounted on a surface of the substrate in fluid communication with the opening in the substrate and in electrical communication with a plurality of conductive traces on or within the substrate; 
 a cover sealingly disposed on the surface of the substrate and defining a back chamber for the sensor element between the cover and the surface of the substrate; and 
 an interposer mounted on the surface of the substrate and having a surface that is spaced apart from the surface of the substrate and includes a plurality of electrical contacts coupled to the plurality of conductive traces, wherein the cover extends perpendicularly from the surface of the substrate to a first height above the surface of the substrate, wherein the interposer extends perpendicularly from the surface of the substrate to a second height above the surface of the substrate, and wherein the second height is greater than the first height. 
 
     
     
       4. The sensor assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the interposer comprises an elongate interposer body that extends along an outer sidewall of the cover in a direction that is parallel to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       5. The sensor assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are spaced apart along an elongate dimension of the elongate interposer body, and disposed at the second height above the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       6. The sensor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the interposer comprises a plurality of conductive vias that are electrically coupled to the plurality of conductive traces and that each extend, perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate, between the surface of the substrate and a corresponding one of the electrical contacts on the surface of the interposer. 
     
     
       7. The sensor assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a mesh layer that extends over the opening in the substrate. 
     
     
       8. The sensor assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the mesh layer comprises a metal mesh, and wherein the sensor assembly further comprises an environmental liquid barrier membrane that extends over the opening in the substrate. 
     
     
       9. The sensor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor element is a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone. 
     
     
       10. The sensor assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the MEMS microphone comprises a moveable membrane disposed in alignment with the opening in the substrate. 
     
     
       11. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 an opening in the housing configured to fluidly couple an environment external to the housing to an interior volume within the housing; and 
 a sensor assembly disposed within the housing, wherein the sensor assembly comprises:
 a substrate having an opening that is aligned with the opening in the housing; 
 a sensor element mounted on a surface of the substrate in fluid communication with the opening in the substrate and in electrical communication with a plurality of conductive traces on or within the substrate; 
 a cover sealingly disposed on the surface of the substrate and defining a back chamber for the sensor element between the cover and the surface of the substrate; and 
 an interposer mounted on the surface of the substrate and having surface that is spaced apart from the surface of the substrate and includes a plurality of electrical contacts coupled to the plurality of conductive traces; 
 
 processing circuitry disposed within the housing for operation of the electronic device; and 
 a flexible printed circuit that is electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical contacts on the surface of the interposer and extends from the interposer to the processing circuitry, wherein the flexible printed circuit comprises a sensor portion that is attached to an outer surface of the cover, a device portion, and a bend portion having a single bend between the sensor portion and the device portion. 
 
     
     
       12. The electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor portion extends beyond an edge of the outer surface of the cover onto the surface of the interposer. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device of  claim 12 , further comprising a layer of adhesive between the outer surface of the cover and the sensor portion of the flexible printed circuit. 
     
     
       14. The sensor assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the environmental barrier membrane is disposed between the mesh layer and the substrate. 
     
     
       15. The sensor assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the mesh layer and the environmental barrier membrane form an environmental barrier that is disposed within a recess in the substrate. 
     
     
       16. The sensor assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising a sealing material that seals a space between an outer edge of the environmental barrier and an interior edge of the recess in the substrate. 
     
     
       17. The sensor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the interposer comprises an elongate interposer body that extends along an outer sidewall of the cover in a direction that is parallel to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       18. The sensor assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are spaced apart along an elongate dimension of the elongate interposer body. 
     
     
       19. The sensor assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the interposer comprises a plurality of conductive vias that are electrically coupled to the plurality of conductive traces and that each extend, perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate, between the surface of the substrate and a corresponding one of the electrical contacts on the surface of the interposer. 
     
     
       20. The sensor assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a mesh layer that extends over the opening in the substrate. 
     
     
       21. The sensor assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the mesh layer comprises a metal mesh, and wherein the sensor assembly further comprises an environmental barrier membrane that extends over the opening in the substrate.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present description relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to sensors for electronic devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices such as computers, media players, cellular telephones, and other electronic equipment are often provided with acoustic components such as microphones. It can be challenging to integrate acoustic components into electronic devices, such as in compact devices including portable electronic devices. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Certain features of the subject technology are set forth in the appended claims. However, for purpose of explanation, several embodiments of the subject technology are set forth in the following figures. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an example electronic device having a sensor in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electronic device including a sensor assembly adjacent to an opening in a housing of the device in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a rear view of a sensor assembly in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a rear perspective view of a sensor assembly in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a rear perspective view of a sensor assembly coupled to processing circuitry of an electronic device by a flexible printed circuit in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of a sensor assembly attached to a flexible printed circuit in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of a sensor assembly attached to another flexible printed circuit in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a front perspective view of a sensor assembly in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a sensor assembly in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a partially exploded rear perspective view of a sensor assembly in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates an exploded rear perspective view of a sensor assembly in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates side view of another sensor assembly attached to a flexible printed circuit in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a sensor assembly having a mesh layer and a moisture barrier for spanning an opening in a substrate in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 14  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a portion of another sensor assembly having a mesh layer and a moisture barrier for spanning an opening in a substrate in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 15  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a sensor assembly having a moisture barrier for spanning an opening in a substrate in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 16  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a sensor assembly having multiple mesh layers and a moisture barrier for spanning an opening in a substrate in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 17  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a portion of another sensor assembly having multiple mesh layers and a moisture barrier for spanning an opening in a substrate in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 18  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a portion of another sensor assembly a mesh layer and a moisture barrier for spanning an opening in a substrate in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 19  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a portion of another sensor assembly having multiple mesh layers and a moisture barrier for spanning an opening in a substrate in accordance with various aspects of the subject technology. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology may be practiced. The appended drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, it will be clear and apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject technology is not limited to the specific details set forth herein and may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology. 
     Electronic devices such as desktop computers, televisions, set top boxes, internet-of-things (IoT) devices, and portable electronic devices including a mobile phones, portable music players, smart watches, tablet computers, smart speakers, remote controllers for other electronic devices, and laptop computers often include one or more sensors that communicate with air (e.g., from outside a housing of the device) to transduce a signal, and/or one or more components such as speakers that move air based on received signals. The sensors that communicate with air can include acoustic sensors, which may include microphones for sound input to the device, one or more pressure sensors, and/or one or more ultrasonic sensors. 
     For example, a sensor such a pressure sensor, an acoustic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or any combination thereof, may be disposed within the housing of the electronic device and configured to receive input from outside the housing, in part due to airflow from outside the housing into the housing at various openings or ports. 
     In accordance with various aspects of the subject disclosure, an electronic device includes an acoustic component such as a speaker, and/or a sensor such as a pressure sensor, a microphone, an ultrasonic sensor, or any combination thereof. The acoustic component and/or sensor is disposed within a portion of a housing of the electronic device near a port that allows air and/or sound to pass into and/or out of the housing. The port may be an open port or may be covered or partially covered with a membrane or a mesh structure that is permeable to sound and air. 
     In accordance with aspects of the subject disclosure, a sensor assembly may include an a sensor element and/or sensor circuitry (for processing signals such as pressure signals, acoustic signals, and/or ultrasonic signals received by the sensor element) under a can (also referred to herein as a cover) on a substrate. The substrate may be a printed circuit board substrate on which the sensor element and the sensor circuitry are mounted. The substrate of the sensor assembly may have a shelf that extends beyond the cover along one side of the cover (e.g., along only one side) on which one or more electrical contacts are provided. The electrical contacts may be electrically coupled to conductive traces on or within the substrate running between the electrical contacts and the sensor circuitry. The sensor assembly may include an interposer that raises the electrical contacts from the surface of substrate (e.g., from the shelf) to a cover side (e.g., a rear or interior side) of the component. 
     By providing an interposer on the sensor circuit board that moves the electrical contacts for a flex connection from the substrate to the cover side of the sensor assembly, the need for substrate area to accommodate the flex connection (e.g., on multiple sides of the cover) is reduced or eliminated. This allows the cover to extend over a larger area of the substrate. The larger cover provides a larger back chamber for the sensor element than in conventional microphones in which the electrical contacts for the microphone are provided on a front surface of a printed circuit board requiring an area on the printed circuit board for connection to a flex circuit. With the larger back chamber facilitated by the interposer and the larger cover, the disclosed sensor assembly can provide improved noise performance while also facilitating implementation in a compact space within a device housing. 
     Providing a sensor assembly with an interposer as disclosed herein may also facilitate a more reliable, efficient, and cost-effective flex circuit connection to the sensor assembly, as described in further detail hereinafter. The sensor assembly having an interposer as described herein may facilitate implementation of the sensor along a top or bottom edge of a device housing (e.g., adjacent to another component such as a speaker, a camera, or an antenna, that prevents a flex connection to the sensor that exits the sensor along a side of the component). A sensor assembly is also disclosed that includes a substrate having a shelf without an interposer, that may be suitable for implementation along a side of a device housing where additional space may be available for attaching a flex circuit directly to a sensor substrate without an interposer, the flex circuit exiting from the side of the component. 
     An illustrative electronic device including a sensor assembly such as a microphone assembly, a pressure sensor assembly, and/or an ultrasonic sensor assembly is shown in  FIG. 1 . In the example of  FIG. 1 , device  100  (e.g., an electronic device) has been implemented using a housing that is sufficiently small to be portable and carried by a user (e.g., device  100  of  FIG. 1  may be a handheld electronic device such as a tablet computer or a cellular telephone or smart phone). As shown in  FIG. 1 , device  100  includes a display such as display  110  mounted on the front of housing  106 . Device  100  includes one or more input/output devices such as a touch screen incorporated into display  110 , a virtual or mechanical button or switch such as button  104 , and/or other input output components disposed on or behind display  110  or on or behind other portions of housing  106 . Display  110  and/or housing  106  include one or more openings to accommodate button  104 , a speaker, a light source, a microphone, and/or a camera. 
     In the example of  FIG. 1 , housing  106  includes an opening  108  on a top edge  114  of housing  106 . In this example, opening  108  forms a port for a sensor that interacts or communicates with air from outside of housing  106 . For example, opening  108  may form a sensor port for a sensor assembly disposed within housing  106 , such as a microphone port for a microphone assembly disposed within housing  106 , a pressure sensor port for a pressure sensor assembly disposed within housing  106 , and/or an ultrasonic sensor port for an ultrasonic sensor disposed within housing  106 . One or more additional openings in housing  106 , though not explicitly shown in  FIG. 1 , may form a speaker port for a speaker disposed within housing  106 . In the example of  FIG. 1 , housing  106  also includes an opening  112  in a sidewall  116 . In this example, opening  112  may also form a port for a sensor assembly. For example, opening  112  may form a sensor port for a sensor assembly disposed within housing  106 , such as a microphone port for a microphone assembly disposed within housing  106 , a pressure sensor port for a pressure sensor assembly disposed within housing  106 , and/or an ultrasonic sensor port for an ultrasonic sensor disposed within housing  106 . 
     Openings  108  and/or  112  may be open ports or may be completely or partially covered with an air-permeable membrane and/or a mesh structure that allow air and sound to pass through the openings. Although two openings  108  and  112  are shown in  FIG. 1 , this is merely illustrative. One opening  108 , two openings  108 , or more than two openings  108  may be provided on the top edge  114  and/or the bottom edge  113  of housing  106 , and/or one or more openings  112  may be formed on sidewall  116  and/or another sidewall  116  (e.g., a left or right sidewall). Although openings  108  and  112  are depicted, in  FIG. 1 , on the top edge  114  and sidewall  116  of housing  106 , one or more additional openings for acoustic components and/or sensors may be formed on a rear surface of housing  106  and/or a front surface of housing  106  or display  110 . In some implementations, one or more groups of openings  108  in housing  106  may be aligned with a single port of an acoustic component and/or a sensor within housing  106 . 
     Housing  106 , which may sometimes be referred to as a case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. In one example, housing  106  may be formed from a metal peripheral portion that runs (e.g., continuously or in pieces) around the periphery of device  100  to form top edge  114 , bottom edge  113 , and sidewalls  116  running therebetween, and a metal or glass rear panel mounted to the metal peripheral portion. In this example, an enclosure may be formed by the metal peripheral portion, the rear panel, and display  110 , and device circuitry such as a battery, one or more processors, memory, application specific integrated circuits, sensors, antennas, acoustic components, and the like are housed within this enclosure. 
     However, it should be appreciated that the configuration of device  100  of  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative. In other implementations, device  100  may be a computer such as a computer that is integrated into a display such as a computer monitor, a laptop computer, a somewhat smaller portable device such as a smart watch, a pendant device, or other wearable or miniature device, a media player, a gaming device, a navigation device, a computer monitor, a television, a headphone, or other electronic equipment. 
     For example, in some implementations, housing  106  may be formed using a unibody configuration in which some or all of housing  106  is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior housing surfaces, etc.). Although housing  106  of  FIG. 1  is shown as a single structure, housing  106  may have multiple parts. For example, in other implementations, housing  106  may have upper portion and lower portion coupled to the upper portion using a hinge that allows the upper portion to rotate about a rotational axis relative to the lower portion. A keyboard such as a QWERTY keyboard and a touch pad may be mounted in the lower housing portion, in some implementations. 
     In some implementations, device  100  may be provided in the form of a computer integrated into a computer monitor and/or other display, such as a television. Display  110  may be mounted on a front surface of housing  106  and optionally a stand may be provided to support housing  106  (e.g., on a desktop) and/or housing  106  may be mounted on a surface, such as a wall. 
     In some implementations, device  100  may be provided in the form of a wearable device such as a smart watch. For example, in some implementations, housing  106  may include one or more interfaces for mechanically coupling housing  106  to a strap or other structure for securing housing  106  to a wearer. In some implementations device  100  may be a mechanical or other non-electronic device in which a microphone can be mounted within the housing, such as a pen or a support structure such as a monitor stand for a computer monitor. In any of these exemplary implementations, housing  106  includes an opening  108  associated with a microphone assembly. 
     A sensor assembly disposed within housing  106  receives air and/or sound through at least one associated opening  108 . An sensor membrane such as a microphone membrane, a pressure sensor membrane, and/or an ultrasonic sensor membrane is located in a portion of housing  106  that receives a flow of air from an exterior or ambient environment. 
       FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of device  100  in which a sensor assembly is mounted. For illustrative purposes, the sensor assembly is described herein in as being implemented as a microphone assembly  202 . However, it should be appreciated that the microphone assembly  202  can be operable as a pressure sensor assembly and/or an ultrasonic sensor assembly by outputting signals responsive to DC movements (e.g., by air) of a sensor membrane therein (e.g., for pressure sensing) and/or outputting signals responsive to sensor membrane vibrations with a frequency greater than 20 kilohertz (e.g., responsive to air vibrations with a frequency greater than 20 kilohertz). 
     In the example of  FIG. 2 , device  100  includes a sensor assembly implemented as a microphone assembly  202  mounted within housing  106 , adjacent to and aligned with an opening  108  in top edge  114 . In this example, microphone assembly  202  is mounted to an interior surface  221  of housing  106  along top edge  114 , within an enclosure formed by: top edge  114 , rear panel  226  of housing  106  (e.g., rear panel formed from metal, glass, plastic, ceramics and/or other materials), front panel  200  (e.g., a glass outer layer of display  110 ), and sidewalls  116  and bottom edge  113  which are not visible in  FIG. 2 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , microphone assembly  202  is mounted between a ledge  224  of housing  106  and rear panel  226 , ledge  224  supporting front panel  200 . In implementations in which rear panel  226  is formed from a separate panel (e.g., a separate glass or plastic rear panel rather than from a contiguous continuation of the edge of housing  106  as in  FIG. 2 ), a second ledge, opposite to ledge  224  on the other side of microphone assembly  202 , may be provided on top edge  114  to support the rear panel. 
     As shown, microphone assembly  202  may include a substrate  204  (e.g., a printed circuit board) attached to interior surface  221  by adhesive  212 . Adhesive  212  may be, for example, a sealing pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) that attaches substrate  204  to interior surface  221  such that the mounting interface is sealed against ingress of moisture or other contaminants into housing  106 . An opening  214  in substrate  204  is aligned with opening  108  in housing  106  to allow air and sound to pass from the exterior of housing  106  to an sensor element  206  mounted on substrate  204 . In this way, sensor element  206  is in fluid communication with opening  214  in substrate  204  (and with opening  108 ). Sensor element  206  may be, for example, a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone having a moveable or flexible membrane that, when moved or flexed by incoming sound, causes the MEMS microphone to generate electrical signals corresponding to the incoming sound. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the sensor element  206  of microphone assembly  202  is disposed under a cover  208  (sometimes referred to as a can or a shield can) mounted on substrate  204  over the sensor element  206 . In this configuration, a cavity formed between substrate  204  and cover  208  defines a back chamber  210  of sensor element  206 . In the configuration shown in  FIG. 2 , a flexible printed circuit  218  is attached to a surface  220  of cover  208  by an adhesive  222 . Flexible printed circuit  218 , sometimes referred to as a flex circuit, may include one more conductive traces on or within a flexible substrate such as a polyimide substrate. Adhesive  222  may be, for example, surface mount (SMT) glue such as a thermo-setting epoxy adhesive.  FIG. 2  also shows how an environmental barrier  216  may be provided that spans opening  214  in substrate  204  to prevent ingress of moisture or other contaminants into microphone assembly  202 . 
       FIGS. 3-8  show various views of microphone assembly  202  to illustrate other features of the assembly. For example,  FIG. 3  illustrates a rear view of microphone assembly  202  in which surface  220  (e.g., a rear surface) of cover  208  is shown without flexible printed circuit  218  attached thereto. The rear view of  FIG. 3  also shows how microphone assembly  202  can include an interposer  300  mounted to substrate  204 . In the example of  FIG. 3 , interposer  300  includes an interposer body  302  that has a surface  306  (e.g., a rear surface), and an elongate dimension that extends along one sidewall (e.g., an outer sidewall  308 ) of cover  208  in a direction that is parallel to the surface of the substrate. Surface  306  of interposer  300  includes electrical contacts  304  that are spaced apart along the elongate dimension of interposer body  302 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a rear perspective view of microphone assembly  202  with a view of interposer  300 . In this example, interposer  300  is shown in partial transparency so that electrical contacts  400  on substrate  204  can be seen. As described in further detail in connection with, for example,  FIG. 9 , electrical contacts  400  may be coupled to sensor circuitry for microphone assembly  202  by one or more conductive traces on or within substrate  204 . 
     Interposer  300  is mounted on the surface of substrate  204  and has a surface  306  that is spaced apart from the surface of the substrate  204  and includes electrical contacts  304  coupled to the plurality of conductive traces in substrate  204 . For example, interposer  300  may include electrical connections such as conductive vias  402  that are electrically coupled to the plurality of conductive traces (e.g., via electrical contacts  400 ) and that each extend, perpendicularly to the surface of substrate  204 , between (e.g., electrical contacts  400  on) the surface of the substrate  204  and a corresponding one of the electrical contacts  304  on the surface of the interposer. 
     Although conductive vias  402  that extend through interposer body  302  are shown in  FIG. 3 , it should be appreciated that other conductive structures may be used to connect electrical contacts  304  on surface  306  to electrical contacts  400  on the surface of substrate  204  (e.g., conductive traces running on or within interposer  300 ). In the examples of  FIGS. 3 and 4 , interposer  300  includes six electrical contacts  304  and six corresponding conductive vias  402 . However, it should also be appreciated that more or fewer than six contacts and vias can be provided as needed. 
     In the example of  FIGS. 3 and 4 , conductive vias  402  extend through interposer body  302  (e.g., in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of substrate  204 ) to couple electrical contacts  400  on substrate  204  to electrical contacts  304  on interposer  300 , and electrical contacts  304  on interposer  300  are spatially separated from the surface of substrate  204  in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. In this way, interposer  300  provides a raised connection surface (e.g., surface  306 ) for electrically coupling flexible printed circuit  218  (see  FIG. 2 ) to microphone assembly  202 . This arrangement allows flexible printed circuit  218  to be mechanically attached to surface  220  of cover  208 , and to receive signals from microphone assembly  202  without being required to directly access substrate  204 , which would require a more complex flexible circuit arrangement that could stress the flexible printed circuit over time, and/or require additional space within housing  106  to accommodate the flex circuit. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a rear perspective view of microphone assembly  202  with flexible printed circuit  218  mechanically attached to surface  220  of cover  208  and electrically coupled to interposer  300 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , providing microphone assembly  202  with an interposer  300  that provides a raised connection surface (e.g., surface  306 ) for flexible printed circuit  218  on the rear side of microphone assembly  202 , facilitates implementation of flexible printed circuit  218  with a bend portion  512  having a single bend between the portion of the flexible printed circuit that is attached to microphone assembly  202  and the portion of the flexible printed circuit that is attached to processing circuitry of device  100 . The processing circuitry may include one or more general processors (e.g., a central processing unit) of device  100  on a main circuit board of the device to which flexible printed circuit  218  is attached, and/or processing circuitry  508  mounted to the flexible printed circuit. 
     The processing circuitry (e.g., processing circuitry  508  and/or other processing circuitry of the device) is disposed within housing  106  for operation of device  100 . Flexible printed circuit  218  is electrically coupled (e.g., with solder or another conductive adhesive) to electrical contacts  304  on surface  306  of interposer  300  and extends from the interposer  300  to the processing circuitry  508  (e.g., via portion  502  that spans a gap between interposer  300  and cover  208 , the portion that is attached to surface  220  of cover  208 , and a single bend at bend portion  512 ). In this way, flexible printed circuit  218  is arranged to provide input signals from microphone assembly  202  to device processing circuitry (e.g., processing circuitry  508 ) and/or control and/or power signals from device processing circuitry (e.g., processing circuitry  508 ) to microphone assembly  202 . 
     In the arrangement shown in  FIG. 5 , flexible printed circuit  218  includes a sensor portion  500  that is attached to surface  220  of cover  208 , a device portion  506  and extending to the device processing circuitry, and a bend portion  512  having a single bend between the sensor portion  500  and the device portion  506 . In the example of  FIG. 5  sensor portion  500  is depicted as a first planar portion, and device portion  506  is depicted as a second planar portion that is perpendicular to the first planar portion. However, it should be appreciated that sensor portion  500  and device portion  506  can be non-planar and/or non-perpendicular depending on positioning and attachment constraints within housing  106 . As shown device portion  506  may be mounted to a rigid panel  510  such as a stiffening layer, and internal rigid structure within housing  106 , or a portion of housing  106 . This arrangement, in which flexible printed circuit  218  is provided with a single bend between sensor portion  500  and device portion  506 , may help reduce or eliminate strain on adhesive  212  (see  FIG. 2 ) that attaches microphone assembly  202  to housing  106 . As shown in the example of  FIG. 5 , sensor portion  500  extends beyond an edge of the surface  220  (e.g., an outer surface) of the cover  208  to form portion  502 , spanning the gap between cover  208  and interposer  300 , and portion  504  which extends onto surface  306  of interposer  300 .  FIG. 5  also shows how flexible printed circuit  218  may include one or more tabs  520  that extend beyond the footprint of microphone assembly  202  (e.g., to allow for removal and/or replacement of microphone assembly  202 ). 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of microphone assembly  202  with flexible printed circuit  218  attached to surface  220  of cover  208  by adhesive  222  and to interposer  300  by solder  601 . In the side view of  FIG. 6 , it can be seen that, in some implementations, cover  208  extends perpendicularly from the surface  603  of substrate  204  to a first height HC above the surface  603  of the substrate  204 . In this example, interposer  300  extends perpendicularly from the surface  603  of the substrate  204  to a second height HI above the surface  603  of the substrate  204 . In this example, the second height HI of interposer  300  is greater than the first height HC of cover  208 . That is, interposer  300  in this example is proud of cover  208 . In this arrangement, flexible printed circuit  218  can be attached to surface  220  of cover  208  by adhesive  222  and to surface  306  of interposer  300  by solder  601  with portions  500 ,  502 , and  504  in a contiguous and substantially planar configuration, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 6 , a polymer layer  604  such as a polyimide layer is provided on portions  500 ,  502 , and  504  of flexible printed circuit  218 , and bend portion  512  of flexible printed circuit  218  can be seen curving away from the plane defined by surface  220 .  FIG. 6  also shows how conductive structures such as conductive vias  402  of interposer  300  extend from a first side to a second side of interposer  300 , which is attached respectively to flexible printed circuit  218  by solder  601  and to surface  603  of substrate  204  by solder  605 .  FIG. 6  also illustrates that electrical contacts  304  on surface  306  of interposer  300  are disposed at the second height HI above surface  603  of substrate  204 . Although not explicitly shown in  FIG. 6 , an opening may be provided in a portion of polymer layer  604  to allow one or more additional components (e.g., circuitry) to be mounted to flexible printed circuit  218  (e.g., on a side of the flexible printed circuit that is opposite to the side attached to surface  220 ). 
     In the example of  FIGS. 3-6 , bend portion  512  extends from sensor portion  500  of flexible printed circuit  218  on a side of microphone assembly  202  that is perpendicular to the side of microphone assembly  202  on which interposer  300  is disposed. However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, such as in the example of  FIG. 7 , the portion of flexible printed circuit  218  that extends from interposer  300  toward processing circuitry  508  (e.g., portion  702  in  FIG. 7 ) can extend from the same side of microphone assembly  202  as the side on which interposer  300  is mounted. In this example, flexible printed circuit  218  can also be provided with a tab  704  on an opposing side of microphone assembly  202 , and microphone assembly  202  can be provided with a support structure  700  that partially fills a space between flexible printed circuit  218  and interposer body  302  to support portion  702 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a front perspective view of microphone assembly  202  in which opening  214  in substrate  204  can be seen. Opening  214  allows the flow of air, and resultantly sound, into the cavity formed between substrate  204  and cover  208 , in which the sensor element  206  is mounted. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates schematic a cross-sectional view of microphone assembly  202  showing additional features and/or components that may be included in microphone assembly  202 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , microphone assembly  202  includes sensor circuitry  906 , such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that is mounted to surface  603  of substrate  204  within the back chamber  210  formed by the cavity between surface  603  and cover  208 . As shown, sensor circuitry  906  is coupled between sensor element  206  (e.g., a MEMS microphone) and one or more conductive traces  912  on or within substrate  204 . Conductive traces  912  extend between electrical contacts  1006  on surface  603  under cover  208  and electrical contacts  400  on surface  603  outside of cover  208 . 
     As shown, electrical contacts  400  are coupled to conductive vias  402  by solder  605 , and electrical contacts  304  are coupled to conductive vias  402  and exposed for connection to flexible printed circuit  218  (e.g., by solder  601 ). In the example of  FIG. 9 , sensor element  206  is coupled to sensor circuitry  906  by wire bonds  904 , and sensor circuitry  906  is coupled to electrical contacts  1006  (and thus to conductive traces  912 ) by wire bonds  910 . Sensor element  206  is in electrical communication with conductive traces  912  on or within substrate  204  (e.g., via wire bonds  904 , sensor circuitry  906 , wire bonds  910 , and electrical contacts  1006 ). In this example, sensor element  206  is mounted to surface  603  of substrate  204  by adhesive  902  (e.g., a conductive adhesive) and sensor circuitry  906  is mounted to surface  603  of substrate  204  by adhesive  908  (e.g., a conductive adhesive). In this way, interposer  300  is provided with conductive vias  402  that are electrically coupled to conductive traces  912  and that each extend, perpendicularly to the surface  603  of substrate  204 , between the surface  603  of the substrate  204  and a corresponding one of the electrical contacts  304  on the surface  306  of the interposer  300 . However, it should be appreciated that sensor element  206  and/or sensor circuitry  906  can be electrically coupled together and/or to electrical contacts  400  by one or more additional conductive traces in substrate  204  rather than by wire bonds, in some implementations. 
     In the example of  FIG. 9 , microphone assembly  202  also includes an environmental barrier  918  disposed in a recess  914  in substrate  204 , spanning opening  214 , to prevent ingress of moisture and/or other contaminants into microphone assembly  202 . For example, environmental barrier  918  may be an implementation of environmental barrier  216  of  FIG. 1 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 9 , environmental barrier  918  spans opening  214  and is mounted within recess  914  adjacent to a metal layer  916  such as a grounding layer within substrate  204 , and a sealing material  920  that seals the space between the outer edges of environmental barrier  918  and the interior edges of recess  914 . In this example, opening  214  is formed by multiple openings  900  in substrate  204 , however this is merely illustrative and opening  214  may be a single continuous opening. 
     Environmental barrier  918  may include one or more layers of material that prevent passage of moisture and/or other contaminants. For example, environmental barrier  918  may include a mesh layer that extends over the opening  214  in substrate  204 . The mesh layer may be, for example, a metal mesh. Environmental barrier  918  may also, or alternatively, include an environmental barrier membrane that extends over the opening in the substrate. For example, the membrane may be a membrane that prevents passage of moisture (e.g., water or oil) therethrough while allowing passage of air therethrough. Various examples of layers of material that can be included in environmental barrier  918  are described hereinafter in connection with, for example,  FIGS. 13-19 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a partially exploded perspective view of microphone assembly  202  in which cover  208  is removed from substrate  204 . In the example of  FIG. 10 , sensor element  206  and sensor circuitry  906  can be seen mounted to surface  603  of substrate  204 . As shown, a ring of conductive adhesive  1008  (e.g., solder) is provided on surface  603  around sensor element  206  and sensor circuitry  906  in a pattern matching the shape of the edge of cover  208 , for mounting the cover  208  to surface  603 . 
       FIG. 10  also shows how sensor circuitry  906  can be covered with an encapsulant  1004  such as a glob top. In the example of  FIG. 10 , the moveable membrane  1002  of sensor element  206  is also visible, and an adhesive block  1106  can be seen for providing a mechanical attachment between interposer  300  and substrate  204 . Although not visible in  FIG. 10 , sensor element  206  may also include a rigid air-permeable backplate disposed between the moveable membrane and the opening  214  in the substrate  204 . When air moves into and/or out of device  100  through opening  108 , and/or when sound waves in the air travel into device  100  through opening  108 , moveable membrane  1002  moves and/or vibrates correspondingly. The movement and/or vibrations of moveable membrane  1002  cause sensor element  206  to generate sensor signals corresponding to the movement and/or vibrations. In circumstances in which the moveable membrane  1002  moves in a DC fashion due to air moving into or out of the device and thus changing the pressure, the sensor signals may be interpreted by processing circuitry of device  100  as pressure sensor signals. In circumstances in which the moveable membrane  1002  vibrates due to vibrations in the air, the sensor signals may be interpreted by processing circuitry of device  100  as microphone signals if the frequency of the vibration is below 20 kilohertz or as ultrasonic sensor signals if the frequency of the vibration is above 20 kilohertz. 
     Additional details of microphone assembly  202  can be seen in the exploded perspective view of  FIG. 11 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , microphone assembly  202  may include a mesh layer such as an acoustic mesh  1110  that attaches to substrate  204  by an adhesive  1112  such as a PSA. Acoustic mesh  1110  may be attached to a first side of substrate  204  that is opposite to surface  603 . Acoustic mesh  1110  may form a port of environmental barrier  918 , and may be mounted to the opposing surface of substrate  204  or within a recess such as recess  914  of  FIG. 9 . When attached to substrate  204 , acoustic mesh  1110  spans opening  214  in substrate  204 . 
     In the exploded view of  FIG. 11 , electrical contacts  1006  and  400  on surface  603  of substrate  204  can be seen.  FIG. 11  also shows adhesive  908  for attaching sensor circuitry  906  to surface  603 , and adhesive  902  for attaching sensor element  206  to surface  603 . Wire bonds  910  and  904 , and encapsulant  1004  are also shown.  FIG. 11  also shows how moveable membrane  1002  is disposed in alignment with opening  214  in substrate  204 . 
       FIG. 11  also shows conductive adhesive  1008  for attaching cover  208  to surface  603 , and solder  605  arranged to couple electrical contacts  400  on surface  603  to corresponding contacts a surface  1121  of interposer  300 . Electrical contacts  304  on surface  306  of interposer  300 , and adhesive block  1106  are also shown. 
     In the examples described above in connection with  FIGS. 2-11 , microphone assembly  202  is provided with an interposer  300  that provides electrical contacts  304  for coupling to a flexible printed circuit at a height above the surface of substrate  204 . This can be particularly useful in mounting microphone assembly  202  along a top edge  114  or a bottom edge  113  of a device such as device  100  ( FIG. 1 ). For example, arrangements of microphone assembly  202  that include an interposer can be helpful in facilitating installation of the microphone assembly adjacent to or between other components such as a camera or a speaker. 
     However, in some circumstances, microphone assembly  202  may be mounted at a location within a device such as device  100  in which additional space is available along one side of the microphone assembly  202 , such as a location along a sidewall  116  of device  100 . In such circumstances, microphone assembly  202  can be provided without an interposer, as shown in the example of  FIG. 12 . In the example of  FIG. 12 , substrate  204  includes a shelf  1200  that extends beyond the peripheral edge of the cover  208  on one side of the cover (e.g., on the side corresponding to outer sidewall  308 ). Shelf  1200  is configured for attachment to a flexible printed circuit. For example, as shown in  FIG. 12 , a flexible printed circuit  1218  may be directly attached to shelf  1200 . For example, solder  1206  may couple electrical contacts  400  on surface  1204  of shelf  1200  directly to corresponding contacts on surface  1202  of flexible printed circuit  1218 . In this example, electrical contacts  400  on the shelf  1200  are electrically coupled to conductive traces  912  as in the example of  FIG. 9   
     In the example of  FIG. 12 , shelf  1200  has an elongate dimension that extends in a direction parallel to the one side (e.g., outer sidewall  308 ) of cover  208  (e.g., a direction into the page in the representation of  FIG. 12 ). Although not visible in  FIG. 12 , shelf  1200  may include multiple electrical contacts  400  spaced apart along the elongate dimension of the shelf (e.g., as shown in  FIG. 11 ). Microphone assembly  202  in the arrangement of  FIG. 12  is configured for installation adjacent to a sidewall  116  of housing  106  of device  100  (e.g., aligned with an opening  112 ). 
       FIGS. 13-19  show various examples of layers of materials that may be included in environmental barrier  918 , as described in connection with  FIG. 9 , which may be an implementation of environmental barrier  216  of  FIG. 2 . The environmental barrier  918  of  FIG. 13  may be provided within or over the opening  214  in substrate  204  of any of the examples of  FIGS. 2-12 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 13 , environmental barrier  918  includes a mesh layer  1300  (e.g., an implementation of acoustic mesh  1110  of  FIG. 11 ) that may be attached to substrate  204  (e.g., within a recess  914 ) by a layer of conductive adhesive  1304  (e.g., an implementation of adhesive  1112  if  FIG. 11 ). Mesh layer  1300  may, for example, be a calendared mesh of wires having a diameter of between 50 microns and 100 microns, and apertures in the mesh of between 50 microns and 150 microns. Mesh layer may be formed from one or more metals such as stainless steel. Conductive adhesive  1304  may, for example, be a heat-activated conductive adhesive film. 
     As shown in  FIG. 13 , environmental barrier  918  may include additional layers such as one or more layers of adhesive  1306  (e.g., an insulating heat-activated films (HAF)) between mesh layer  1300 , and a membrane  1302  that functions as a moisture barrier (e.g., a water barrier) that allows passage of air therethrough. For example, membrane  1302  may be a polymer membrane such as a membrane formed form polytetrafluoroethylene. 
     Mesh layer  1300  and membrane  1302  span, or extend over, an opening  1310  in the environmental barrier  918  that is arranged to be co-aligned with opening  214  in substrate  204 , so that mesh layer  1300  and  1302  span, or extend across opening  214 . As shown, conductive adhesive  1304  and the layers of adhesive  1306  have openings that partially define opening  1310 . In the example of  FIG. 13 , environmental barrier  918  also includes an additional layer of adhesive  1306  on an opposing side of membrane  1302 , and a stiffener layer  1308  attached to membrane  1302  by the additional layer of adhesive  1306 . Stiffener layer  1308  may be, for example, a polyimide layer. As shown, the additional layer of adhesive  1306  and stiffener layer  1308  each include a co-aligned opening that further partially define opening  1310 . 
     Environmental barrier  918  of  FIG. 13  may be provided in a recess  914  in substrate  204  such that conductive adhesive  1304  attaches the environmental barrier  918  to substrate  204  (e.g., in contact with a grounding layer such as metal layer  916  of  FIG. 9 ), such that stiffener layer  1308  forms an outermost layer of environmental barrier  918 . 
       FIG. 14  illustrates another implementation of environmental barrier  918  that may be provided in the opening  214  of substrate  204  in any of the examples of  FIGS. 1-12 . In the example of  FIG. 14 , mesh layer  1300  is arranged as the outermost layer of environmental barrier  918 , attached to membrane  1302  by a layer of adhesive  1306  (e.g., a HAF layer), which is arranged to be attached to substrate  204  by additional layers of adhesive  1306 . In this example, membrane  1302  is disposed between sensor element  206  and mesh layer  1300 . 
       FIG. 15  illustrates another implementation of environmental barrier  918  that may be provided in the opening  214  of substrate  204  in any of the examples of  FIGS. 1-12 . In the example of  FIG. 15 , environmental barrier  918  is provided without a mesh layer  1300 . In this example, membrane  1302  is configured to be attached to substrate  204  by a layer of adhesive  1306  (e.g., a HAF layer), and a stiffener layer  1308  is attached to membrane  1302  by an additional layer of adhesive  1306 . 
       FIG. 16  illustrates another implementation of environmental barrier  918  that may be provided in the opening  214  of substrate  204  in any of the examples of  FIGS. 1-12 . In the example of  FIG. 16 , environmental barrier  918  is provided with two mesh layers  1300 , disposed on opposing sides of a membrane  1302 . 
     In this example, a mesh layer  1300  (e.g., an implementation of acoustic mesh  1110  of  FIG. 11 ) is provided that may be attached to substrate  204  (e.g., within a recess  914 ) by a conductive adhesive  1304  (e.g., an implementation of adhesive  1112  if  FIG. 11 ). In this example, environmental barrier  918  may include one or more additional layers of adhesive  1306  between mesh layer  1300  and membrane  1302  that functions as a moisture barrier that allows passage of air therethrough. 
     In the example of  FIG. 16 , environmental barrier  918  also includes one or more additional layers of adhesive  1306  on an opposing side of membrane  1302 , and an additional mesh layer  1300  attached to membrane  1302  by the additional layer of adhesive  1306 . In this arrangement, the additional mesh layer  1300  forms an outermost layer of environmental barrier  918 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 16 , mesh layers  1300  are electrically separated by layers of adhesive  1306  and membrane  1302 , and the outer mesh layer  1300  is electrically separated from conductive adhesive  1304 . However, in other implementations, such as in the example of  FIG. 17 , the outer mesh layer  1300  may be conductively coupled to the inner mesh layer  1300  and conductive adhesive  1304 . In the example of  FIG. 17 , this conductive coupling is achieved by providing an additional layer of conductive adhesive  1304  on an opposing side of the inner mesh layer  1300 , a first layer that includes both adhesive  1306  and conductive adhesive  1304  between the additional layer of conductive adhesive  1304  and membrane  1302 , and a second layer that includes both adhesive  1306  and conductive adhesive  1304  between the membrane and a further additional layer of conductive adhesive  1304  that attaches the outer mesh layer  1300  to the environmental barrier  918 . In this arrangement, a continuous conductive path is provided between the conductive adhesive  1304  that attaches environmental barrier  918  to substrate  204  and the outer mesh layer  1300 . 
       FIG. 18  illustrates another implementation of environmental barrier  918  that may be provided in the opening  214  of substrate  204  in any of the examples of  FIGS. 1-12 . In the example of  FIG. 18 , environmental barrier  918  is provided with layers similar to the layers described above in connection with  FIG. 17 , except that the outer mesh layer  1300  is replaced with a conductive layer  1700  having an opening, co-aligned with the openings in the layers of conductive adhesive  1304  and the layers having both conductive adhesive  1304  and adhesive  1306 , that partially defines opening  1310 . Conductive layer  1700  may be, for example, a conductive film such as a metal film (e.g., a gold-plated nickel film). 
     In the example of  FIG. 18 , conductive layer  1700  is provided instead of the outer mesh layer  1300  shown in  FIG. 17 . However, in the example of  FIG. 19 , environmental barrier  918  is provided with a conductive layer  1700  in addition to an outer mesh layer  1300 . In this example, outer mesh layer  1300  is conductively coupled to the inner mesh layer  1300  by the layers of conductive adhesive  1304  as in  FIG. 17 , and an additional layer of conductive adhesive  1304  is provided on an opposing (outer) side of mesh layer  1300 . As shown in  FIG. 19 , conductive layer  1700  may be attached to the outer side of outer mesh layer  1300  by the additional layer of conductive adhesive  1304 . In this example, conductive layer  1700  forms an outermost layer of environmental barrier  918 . 
     In operation of device  100 , sound generated externally to device  100  may pass into housing  106  via openings  108  or  112 , and into microphone assembly  202  by passing through opening  214  in substrate  204  (e.g., through one or more layers of an environmental barrier such as environmental barrier  918  as described herein). The sound that passes into microphone assembly may cause membrane  1002  of sensor element  206  to move. Sensor element  206  may be a MEMS microphone that generates electrical signals corresponding to the movement of membrane  1002 . 
     The electrical signals generated by sensor element  206  may be provided to sensor circuitry  906 . Sensor circuitry  906  may digitize, filter, or otherwise process the signals from sensor element  206  before providing the processed signals to device circuitry such as processing circuitry  508  via conductive traces  912  in substrate  204  and flexible printed circuit  218 . The device circuitry may process and/or provide the signals from sensor circuitry  906  as audio input, for example, to one or more applications such as recording applications, messaging applications, video conferencing applications, telephony applications, and/or any other applications running on the device circuitry of device  100  that can receive audio input. 
     In accordance with some aspects of the subject disclosure, a sensor assembly for an electronic device is provided, the sensor assembly includes a substrate having an opening configured for alignment with an opening in a housing of the portable electronic device; a sensor element mounted on a surface of the substrate in fluid communication with the opening in the substrate and in electrical communication with a plurality of conductive traces on or within the substrate; a cover sealingly disposed on the surface of the substrate and defining a back chamber for the sensor element between the cover and the surface of the substrate; and an interposer mounted on the surface of the substrate and having surface that is spaced apart from the surface of the substrate and includes a plurality of electrical contacts coupled to the plurality of conductive traces. 
     In accordance with other aspects of the subject disclosure, an electronic device is provided that includes a housing; an opening in the housing configured to fluidly couple an environment external to the housing to an interior volume within the housing; and a sensor assembly disposed within the housing. The sensor assembly includes a substrate having an opening that is aligned with the opening in the housing; a sensor element mounted on a surface of the substrate in fluid communication with the opening in the substrate and in electrical communication with a plurality of conductive traces on or within the substrate; a cover sealingly disposed on the surface of the substrate and defining a back chamber for the sensor element between the cover and the surface of the substrate; and an interposer mounted on the surface of the substrate and having surface that is spaced apart from the surface of the substrate and includes a plurality of electrical contacts coupled to the plurality of conductive traces. 
     In accordance with other aspects of the subject disclosure, a sensor assembly for an electronic device is provided, the sensor assembly including a substrate having an opening configured for alignment with an opening in a housing of the portable electronic device; a sensor element mounted on a surface of the substrate in fluid communication with the opening in the substrate and in electrical communication with a plurality of conductive traces on or within the substrate; and a cover having a peripheral edge that is sealingly disposed on the surface of the substrate and defines a back chamber for the sensor element between the cover and the surface of the substrate. The substrate includes a shelf that extends beyond the peripheral edge of the cover on one side of the cover; and a plurality of electrical contacts on the shelf that are electrically coupled to the plurality of conductive traces. 
     Various functions described above can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, in computer software, firmware or hardware. The techniques can be implemented using one or more computer program products. Programmable processors and computers can be included in or packaged as mobile devices. The processes and logic flows can be performed by one or more programmable processors and by one or more programmable logic circuitry. General and special purpose computing devices and storage devices can be interconnected through communication networks. 
     Some implementations include electronic components, such as microprocessors, storage and memory that store computer program instructions in a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (alternatively referred to as computer-readable storage media, machine-readable media, or machine-readable storage media). Some examples of such computer-readable media include RAM, ROM, read-only compact discs (CD-ROM), recordable compact discs (CD-R), rewritable compact discs (CD-RW), read-only digital versatile discs (e.g., DVD-ROM, dual-layer DVD-ROM), a variety of recordable/rewritable DVDs (e.g., DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, etc.), flash memory (e.g., SD cards, mini-SD cards, micro-SD cards, etc.), magnetic and/or solid state hard drives, ultra density optical discs, any other optical or magnetic media, and floppy disks. The computer-readable media can store a computer program that is executable by at least one processing unit and includes sets of instructions for performing various operations. Examples of computer programs or computer code include machine code, such as is produced by a compiler, and files including higher-level code that are executed by a computer, an electronic component, or a microprocessor using an interpreter. 
     While the above discussion primarily refers to microprocessor or multi-core processors that execute software, some implementations are performed by one or more integrated circuits, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). In some implementations, such integrated circuits execute instructions that are stored on the circuit itself. 
     As used in this specification and any claims of this application, the terms “computer”, “processor”, and “memory” all refer to electronic or other technological devices. These terms exclude people or groups of people. As used in this specification and any claims of this application, the terms “computer readable medium” and “computer readable media” are entirely restricted to tangible, physical objects that store information in a form that is readable by a computer. These terms exclude any wireless signals, wired download signals, and any other ephemeral signals. 
     To provide for interaction with a user, implementations of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented on a computer having a display device as described herein for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, such as a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. 
     Many of the above-described features and applications are implemented as software processes that are specified as a set of instructions recorded on a computer readable storage medium (also referred to as computer readable medium). When these instructions are executed by one or more processing unit(s) (e.g., one or more processors, cores of processors, or other processing units), they cause the processing unit(s) to perform the actions indicated in the instructions. Examples of computer readable media include, but are not limited to, CD-ROMs, flash drives, RAM chips, hard drives, EPROMs, etc. The computer readable media does not include carrier waves and electronic signals passing wirelessly or over wired connections. 
     In this specification, the term “software” is meant to include firmware residing in read-only memory or applications stored in magnetic storage, which can be read into memory for processing by a processor. Also, in some implementations, multiple software aspects of the subject disclosure can be implemented as sub-parts of a larger program while remaining distinct software aspects of the subject disclosure. In some implementations, multiple software aspects can also be implemented as separate programs. Finally, any combination of separate programs that together implement a software aspect described here is within the scope of the subject disclosure. In some implementations, the software programs, when installed to operate on one or more electronic systems, define one or more specific machine implementations that execute and perform the operations of the software programs. 
     A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, declarative or procedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network. 
     It is understood that any specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes disclosed is an illustration of example approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes may be rearranged, or that all illustrated blocks be performed. Some of the blocks may be performed simultaneously. For example, in certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. 
     In one aspect, a term coupled or the like may refer to being directly coupled. In another aspect, a term coupled or the like may refer to being indirectly coupled. 
     Terms such as top, bottom, front, rear, side, horizontal, vertical, and the like refer to an arbitrary frame of reference, rather than to the ordinary gravitational frame of reference. Thus, such a term may extend upwardly, downwardly, diagonally, or horizontally in a gravitational frame of reference. 
     The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his) include the feminine and neuter gender (e.g., her and its) and vice versa. Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and do not limit the subject disclosure. 
     The predicate words “configured to”, “operable to”, and “programmed to” do not imply any particular tangible or intangible modification of a subject, but, rather, are intended to be used interchangeably. For example, a processor configured to monitor and control an operation or a component may also mean the processor being programmed to monitor and control the operation or the processor being operable to monitor and control the operation. Likewise, a processor configured to execute code can be construed as a processor programmed to execute code or operable to execute code 
     A phrase such as an “aspect” does not imply that such aspect is essential to the subject technology or that such aspect applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to an aspect may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A phrase such as an aspect may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa. A phrase such as a “configuration” does not imply that such configuration is essential to the subject technology or that such configuration applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to a configuration may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A phrase such as a configuration may refer to one or more configurations and vice versa. 
     The word “example” is used herein to mean “serving as an example or illustration.” Any aspect or design described herein as “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or design 
     All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.” Furthermore, to the extent that the term “include,” “have,” or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20200214
Publication Date: 20220118
Grant Date: 20220118
Priority Date: 20200214
Inventors: OW, FLORENCE W.
HRUDEY, PETER C.
HSU, YU-CHUN
MINERVINI, ANTHONY D.
QUEENEY, JOHN K.
ASHCROFT, Tavys Q.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04R2499/11", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/083", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R19/005", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2499/15", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/086", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R19/04", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2499/11", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2201/003", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R7/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R19/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R19/005", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2201/003", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R19/04", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R7/16", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R7/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R19/04", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2201/003", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R7/16", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 77228130