IP Library Granted Patent US 11,567,457
Granted Patent B2
US 11,567,457 · App. 17/899,498 · Granted Jan 31, 2023

Wearable electronic device

Inventors: Fletcher R. Rothkopf (Los Altos, CA); Jonathan Ive (San Francisco, CA); Julian Hoenig (San Francisco, CA); Rico Zorkendorfer (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G04G17/02A61B5/0205A61B5/0261A61B5/0295A61B5/14551A61B5/681G04B39/02G04G21/025G06F1/163G06F1/169G06F1/1643G06F3/015G06F3/016A61B5/02427A61B5/02438A61B5/0816A61B5/14552G04B3/04G04G13/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,567,457
App. No.
17/899,498
Granted
Jan 31, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A consumer product that is a portable and, in some cases, a wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device may have functionalities including: keeping time; monitoring a user's physiological signals and providing health-related information based on those signals; communicating with other electronic devices or services; visually depicting data on a display; gather data form one or more sensors that may be used to initiate, control, or modify operations of the device; determine a location of a touch on a surface of the device and/or an amount of force exerted on the device, and use either or both as input.

Claims (107)

1. A wearable electronic device comprising:

a housing defining a first opening and a second opening;

a display positioned at least partially within the first opening;

a front cover positioned over the display and defining at least a portion of a front exterior surface of the wearable electronic device;

a rear cover positioned at least partially within the second opening and defining an optically transparent window and a protruding convex surface;

a wireless charging receive coil positioned within the housing between the rear cover and the front cover, wherein the wireless charging receive coil is aligned with the second opening; and

a biosensor module comprising:

an optical sensor aligned with the optically transparent window;

a first electrode positioned along a rear surface of the wearable electronic device;

a second electrode positioned along the rear surface of the wearable electronic device; and

a third electrode positioned along a side of the wearable electronic device, wherein:

the wearable electronic device is configured to measure a first physiological parameter of a wearer using the optical sensor; and

the wearable electronic device is configured to measure a second physiological parameter using the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode.

2. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the wearable electronic device further includes a watch band coupled to the housing and configured to couple the wearable electronic device to a user;

the optical sensor is a photoplethysmography sensor; and

the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode are part of an electrocardiograph sensing system.

3. The wearable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein:

the optical sensor comprises a light source and a detector;

the light source and the detector are configured to measure changes in light absorption by a region of skin of the user;

the wearable electronic device is configured to compute a respiration rate using the measured changes in light absorption; and

the display is configured to display information associated with the respiration rate.

4. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first physiological parameter is a respiration rate.

5. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second physiological parameter is a heart rate.

6. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor comprises:

an optical emitter configured to emit light; and

an optical detector configured to receive a reflected portion of the emitted light.

7. The wearable electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:

the optical emitter is a first optical emitter configured to emit light having a first wavelength; and

the optical sensor further comprises a second optical emitter configured to emit light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength.

8. The wearable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein:

the optical detector is a first optical detector;

the reflected portion of the emitted light is a first reflected portion of the emitted light; and

the optical sensor further comprises a second optical detector configured to receive the reflected portion of the emitted light.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable electronic device is configured to measure an electrocardiographic characteristic using the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the wearable electronic device is configured to compute a health metric using the biosensor module; and

the health metric is one or more of: a heart rate, a respiration rate, a blood oxygenation level, a blood volume estimate, or blood pressure.

11. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the wearable electronic device further comprises a first magnet positioned within the housing;

the first magnet is configured to couple to a second magnet positioned within a charging dock; and

the first and second magnets are configured to maintain alignment of the wearable electronic device with respect to the charging dock.

12. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the wearable electronic device further comprises a near-field communication system; and

the near-field communication system is configured to transmit signals through one or more of the housing, the front cover, or the rear cover.

13. An electronic watch comprising:

a housing;

a touch-sensitive display positioned at least partially within the housing;

a rear cover positioned at least partially within a rear opening defined along a rear portion of the housing, the rear cover defining at least a portion of a rear exterior surface of the electronic watch and having an optically transparent portion;

a wireless charging receive coil positioned within the housing and aligned with the rear opening defined along the rear portion of the housing;

a battery operably coupled to the wireless charging receive coil;

an antenna positioned within the housing and configured to facilitate wireless communications with an external device;

an optical sensor positioned within the housing and configured to emit an optical signal through the optically transparent portion;

a first electrode positioned along the rear exterior surface of the electronic watch;

a second electrode positioned along the rear exterior surface of the electronic watch; and

a third electrode positioned along a side of the electronic watch, wherein:

the electronic watch is configured to measure a first physiological parameter of a wearer using the optical sensor; and

the electronic watch is configured to measure a second physiological parameter using the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode.

14. The electronic watch of claim 13 , wherein:

the electronic watch further comprises a first magnet positioned within the housing;

the first magnet is configured to couple to a second magnet positioned within a charging dock; and

the first and second magnets are configured to maintain alignment of the electronic watch with respect to the charging dock.

15. The electronic watch of claim 13 , wherein:

the electronic watch further comprises a near-field communication system; and

the near-field communication system is configured to transmit signals through one or more of the housing or the rear cover.

16. The electronic watch of claim 13 , wherein the electronic watch further comprises one or more communication channels that are configured to transmit and receive data over a wireless communications interface.

17. The electronic watch of claim 16 , wherein the wireless communications interface comprises one or more of radio frequency cellular interfaces, Bluetooth® interfaces, or Wi-Fi interfaces.

18. The electronic watch of claim 13 , wherein the rear cover defines a convex exterior surface.

19. The electronic watch of claim 18 , wherein the rear cover protrudes outward from the rear exterior surface of the housing to facilitate alignment between the rear cover and a mating surface of an external wireless charging device.

20. The electronic watch of claim 18 , wherein the convex exterior surface is configured to protrude toward a portion of skin of the wearer when the electronic watch is worn.

21. The electronic watch of claim 13 , further comprising an input device positioned along a side of the housing.

22. The electronic watch of claim 13 , wherein:

the electronic watch is configured to compute a health metric using the optical sensor; and

the health metric is one or more of: a heart rate, a respiration rate, a blood oxygenation level, a blood volume estimate, or blood pressure.

23. A wearable electronic device comprising:

a housing defining a first opening and a second opening;

a touch-sensitive display positioned at least partially within the first opening;

a cover positioned at least partially within the second opening and defining an optically transparent window and a protruding convex surface;

a wireless charging receive coil positioned within the housing and aligned with the second opening;

a battery operably coupled to the wireless charging receive coil;

a processor;

a memory;

an antenna positioned within the housing and configured to facilitate wireless communications with an external device;

an optical sensor positioned within the housing and configured to emit an optical signal through the optically transparent window;

a first electrode positioned along a rear surface of the wearable electronic device;

a second electrode positioned along the rear surface of the wearable electronic device; and

a third electrode positioned along a side of the wearable electronic device, wherein:

the wearable electronic device is configured to measure a first physiological parameter of a wearer using the optical sensor; and

the wearable electronic device is configured to measure a second physiological parameter using the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode.

24. The wearable electronic device of claim 23 , wherein the first physiological parameter is a respiration rate.

25. The wearable electronic device of claim 23 , wherein the second physiological parameter is a galvanic skin response.

26. The wearable electronic device of claim 23 , wherein:

the optical sensor comprises: a light source and a detector;

the light source and the detector are configured to measure changes in light absorption by a region of skin of the wearer;

the wearable electronic device is configured to compute a respiration rate using the measured changes in light absorption; and

the display is configured to display information associated with the respiration rate.

27. The wearable electronic device of claim 23 , wherein the optical sensor comprises:

a light source configured to emit an optical signal; and

a detector configured to receive a reflected portion of the optical signal.

28. The wearable electronic device of claim 27 , wherein:

the light source is configured to emit light having a first wavelength; and

the optical sensor further comprises a second light source configured to emit light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength.

29. The wearable electronic device of claim 28 , wherein:

the detector is a first detector;

the reflected portion of the optical signal is a first reflected portion of the optical signal; and

the optical sensor further comprises a second detector configured to receive a second reflected portion of the optical signal.

30. The wearable electronic device of claim 23 , wherein the wearable electronic device is configured to measure an electrocardiographic characteristic using the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode.

Continuity (24)
Continuation 17672653 · Feb 15, 2022
Continuation 17188966 · Mar 1, 2021
Continuation 16826130 · Mar 20, 2020
Continuation 14842617 · Sep 1, 2015
Continuation 15261917 · Sep 10, 2016
Continuation 14842617 · Sep 1, 2015
Continuation 15261914 · Sep 10, 2016
Continuation 14842617 · Sep 1, 2015
Continuation 15261912 · Sep 10, 2016
Continuation 14842617 · Sep 1, 2015
Continuation 17188995 · Mar 1, 2021
Continuation 16826130 · Mar 20, 2020
Continuation 14842617 · Sep 1, 2015
Continuation 15261917 · Sep 10, 2016
Continuation 14842617 · Sep 1, 2015
Continuation 15261914 · Sep 10, 2016
Continuation 14842617 · Sep 1, 2015
Continuation 15261912 · Sep 10, 2016
Continuation 14842617 · Sep 1, 2015
Continuation 17899498
Continuation 17188966 · Mar 1, 2021
Continuation 17188995 · Mar 1, 2021
Provisional Application 62044974 · Sep 2, 2014
Related Publication 20220413446A1 · Dec 29, 2022
Cited By (10)
US 12,189,342 US 12,189,347 US 12,259,690 US 12,307,047 US 12,326,697 US 12,346,070 US 12,396,686 US 12,596,334 US 12,619,201 US 12,669,784