IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,399,537
Granted Patent B2
US 12,399,537 · App. 17/884,990 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Electronic device for detecting moisture

Inventors: Daeung Jeong (Suwon-si, KR); Suho Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Shinhee Cho (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
G06F1/1656G06F1/163G06F3/016G06F3/04164
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,399,537
App. No.
17/884,990
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing including a first surface, a second surface and a conductive frame disposed between the first surface and the second surface and including a through-hole, a first electrode is movable within the through-hole, a part of the first electrode protruding to outside of the conductive frame, a second electrode disposed on the second surface, and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to identify whether the first electrode is electrically disconnected to the conductive frame, obtain an information about the user' body through the first electrode and the second electrode, and refrain from obtaining the information based on identifying the first electrode is electrically connected to the conductive frame.

Claims (73)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing including:

a front surface,

a rear surface, and

a side surface including a conductive frame, the side surface positioned between the front surface and the rear surface;

a first electrode spaced apart from the conductive frame and protruding to outside of the side surface;

a second electrode disposed on the rear surface, and in contact with a part of a body of a user when the electronic device is worn on the user;

impedance measurement circuitry;

memory, in the housing, comprising one or more storage media storing instructions; and

at least one processor in the housing, the at least one processor comprising processing circuitry,

wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:

obtain, through the first electrode, an electric signal,

identify, using the impedance measurement circuitry, whether the first electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame based on the electric signal,

in response to identifying that the first electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame, obtain biometric data about the body through the first electrode and the second electrode, and

in response to identifying that the first electrode is electrically connected to the conductive frame, refrain from obtaining the biometric data about the body.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

identify an impedance value using the impedance measurement circuitry,

identify that the first electrode is electrically connected to the conductive frame, based on identifying that the impedance value between the first electrode and the conductive frame is less than a reference value, and

identify that the first electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame, based on identifying that the impedance value exceeds the reference value.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one switch within the housing,

wherein the impedance measurement circuitry is disposed in the housing; and

wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

identify whether the first electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame based on an impedance value between the first electrode and the conductive frame, by electrically connecting the impedance measurement circuitry with the first electrode and the conductive frame via the at least one switch, and

based on identifying the first electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame, disconnect the conductive frame from the impedance measurement circuitry via the at least one switch, and connect the impedance measurement circuitry with the first electrode and the second electrode via the at least one switch.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to obtain the biometric data through the first electrode in contact with another part of the body and the second electrode in contact with the part of the body, based on identifying that the first electrode is electrically connected to the conductive frame.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

identify an input requesting for obtaining the biometric data, and

in response to identifying the input:

in case of identifying that the first electrode is electrically connected to the conductive frame, refrain from obtaining the biometric data, and

in case of identifying that the first electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame, obtain the biometric data.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

provide a notification indicating that the electronic device has submerged, based on identifying that the first electrode is electrically connected to the conductive frame.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an actuator disposed within the housing,

wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

vibrate the electronic device through the actuator based on identifying that the first electrode is electrically connected to the conductive frame.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is protruded from an inside of the housing through a through-hole within the conductive frame.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a first non-conductive member and a second non-conductive member spaced apart from each other and coupled to the conductive frame to be in contact with an inner surface of a through-hole and the first electrode.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a third electrode, the third electrode electrically spaced apart from both the conductive frame and the first electrode; and

a fourth electrode disposed on the rear surface to be contacted with another portion of the body when the electronic device is worn by the user, the fourth electrode electrically spaced apart from the conductive frame,

wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:

in response to identifying a designated event, identify whether the first electrode or the third electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame,

in response to identifying that the first electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame and identifying that the third electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame, obtain biometric data about the user through the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode, and the fourth electrode, and

in response to identifying that the first electrode is electrically connected to the conductive frame or the third electrode is electrically connected to the conductive frame, refrain from obtaining the biometric data about the user.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive frame is configured to function as an antenna radiator.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:

identify an impedance value using another electric signal obtained through the second electrode and the first electrode,

identify whether the body is in contact with both the second electrode and the first electrode based on the impedance value, and

obtain biometric data about the user, using the another electric signal, based on identifying that the body is in contact with both the second electrode and the first electrode.

13. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

in response to identifying the input:

obtain, through the first electrode, the electric signal.

14. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:

identify detecting execution of software used for providing the biometric data as the input requesting for obtaining the biometric data.

15. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:

identify changing a mode of the electronic device from a first designated mode to a second designated mode as the input requesting for obtaining the biometric data.

16. The electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising a sealing member sealing the through-hole by surrounding the first electrode.

17. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

identify that the first electrode or the third electrode is electrically connected to the conductive frame, based on identifying that an impedance value between the first electrode and the conductive frame or the third electrode and the conductive frame is less than a reference value, and

identify that the first electrode or the third electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame, based on identifying that the impedance values between the first electrode and the conductive frame and between the third electrode and the conductive frame exceed the reference value.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

obtain the biometric data through the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode, and the fourth electrode in contact with different portions of the body, based on identifying that the first electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame and identifying the third electrode is electrically disconnected from the conductive frame.

19. The electronic device of claim 17 ,

wherein the first electrode is protruded from an inside of the housing through a through-hole within the conductive frame,

wherein the third electrode is protruded from an inside of the housing through another through-hole within the conductive frame, and

wherein the electronic device comprises:

a first sealing member sealing the through-hole by surrounding the first electrode; and

a second sealing member sealing the another through-hole by surrounding the third electrode.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , further comprising:

a first non-conductive member and a second non-conductive member spaced apart from each other and coupled to the conductive frame to be in contact with an inner surface of the through-hole and the first electrode; and

a third non-conductive member and a fourth non-conductive member spaced apart from each other and coupled to the conductive frame to be in contact with an inner surface of the another through-hole and the third electrode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 10, 2022
From: JEONG, DAEUNG; LEE, SUHO; CHO, SHINHEE
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 060771/0380 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2021-0161385 · Nov 22, 2021 · national
KR 10-2021-0176613 · Dec 10, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2022011583 · Aug 4, 2022
Related Publication 20230161384A1 · May 25, 2023
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