CROSS-REFERENCE

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/936,281, filed November 15, 2019, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] A wearable electronic device can be configured to track the location of a user. Such a wearable electronic device can have an antenna that is configured to receive global positioning system (“GPS”) signals from a plurality of satellites. The antenna can be disposed within the housing of the wearable electronic device to protect it from damage. Using the GPS signals, the wearable electronic device can compute the location, e.g., the latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, of the wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device may be made of non-metallic materials to avoid interfering with the GPS signals.

SUMMARY

[0003] The present disclosure provides improved antennas for wearable electronic devices. A wearable electronic device as described herein can have a body, a bezel disposed on the body, and an electronic display disposed on the bezel. An antenna can also be disposed on the bezel, external to the body of the wearable electronic device. The antenna can be configured to receive global positioning system (“GPS”) signals from a plurality of satellites. A processor electrically coupled to the antenna and located in the body of the wearable electronic device can be configured to determine a location of the wearable electronic device using the GPS signals.

[0004] The antenna can be a dipole antenna, e.g., a folded dipole antenna or a center-fed dipole antenna. The antenna can have a ring shape. The location, type, and shape of the antenna can enable the antenna to detect GPS signals at a high carrier-to-noise ratio, e.g., 30 to 40, despite the presence of metal bodies in the wearable electronic device.

[0005] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a wearable electronic device that can comprise an electronic display comprising a user interface, a bezel disposed adjacent to an edge of the electronic display, and a folded dipole antenna disposed on the bezel. The folded dipole antenna can be configured to receive global positioning system (GPS) signals. The wearable electronic device can further comprise a processor electrically coupled to the folded dipole antenna. The processor can be configured to determine a location of the wearable electronic device using the GPS signals.

[0006] In some implementations, the folded dipole antenna has a central angle with respect to the bezel of at most 180 degrees. [0007] In some implementations, the bezel is substantially circular.

[0008] In some implementations, the wearable electronic device further comprises a body containing the electronic display or the processor. In some implementations, the body contains the electronic display and the processor. In some implementations, the body comprises metal. [0009] In some implementations, the processor is implemented on a printed circuit board (PCB), and the PCB is in electrical communication with the body.

[0010] In some implementations, the wearable electronic device further comprises a power management unit in electrical communication with the electronic display and the processor, wherein the power management unit (i) comprises at least one power generation device and at least one energy storage device and (ii) is configured to provide power to the electronic display and the processor. In some implementations, the power generation device is a thermoelectric device. In some embodiments, the power generation device is a solar cell.

[0011] In some implementations, the wearable electronic device further comprises an additional antenna disposed on the bezel. In some implementations, the additional antenna is a Bluetooth antenna. In some implementations, the additional antenna is disposed substantially opposite the folded dipole antenna.

[0012] In some implementations, the electronic display is configured to display the location. In some implementations, the wearable electronic device further comprises inductors and capacitors configured to match an impedance of the folded dipole antenna.

[0013] In some implementations, the folded dipole antenna has a width of at most about 10 millimeters. In some implementations, the folded dipole antenna has a width of at least about 0.1 millimeter. In some implementations, the folded dipole antenna has a thickness of at least about 5 micrometers. In some implementations, the folded dipole antenna has a thickness of at most about 1 millimeter. In some implementations, the folded dipole antenna has a width to thickness ratio from 0.1 to 1000.

[0014] In some implementations, the bezel comprises a polymeric material.

[0015] In some implementations, the electronic display comprises one or more metallic layers.

[0016] In some implementations, the folded dipole antenna is configured to detect the GPS signals at a carrier-to-noise ratio of at least about 25. In some implementations, the carrier-to- noise ratio is at least about 30.

[0017] In some implementations, the wearable electronic device is a watch.

[0018] In some implementations, the user interface comprises a touch interface. [0019] In some implementations, the folded dipole antenna comprises stacked layers of metal. In some implementations, the stacked layers of metal comprise copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), or aluminum (Al).

[0020] In some implementations, the folded dipole antenna comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ni, and Al.

[0021] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a wearable electronic device. The method can comprise providing an electronic display comprising a user interface on a bezel; positioning a folded dipole antenna on the bezel, wherein the folded dipole antenna is configured to receive global positioning system (GPS) signals; and electrically coupling the folded dipole antenna to a processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine a location of the wearable electronic device using the GPS signal.

[0022] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for using a wearable electronic device. The method can comprise receiving, on a folded dipole antenna disposed on a bezel of the wearable electronic device, global positioning system (GPS) signals; determining, by a processor electrically coupled to the folded dipole antenna, a location of the wearable electronic device using the GPS signals; and displaying the location on an electronic display of the wearable electronic device, which electronic display comprises a user interface.

[0023] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising machine executable code that, upon execution by one or more computer processors, implements any of the methods above or elsewhere herein.

[0024] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a system comprising one or more computer processors and computer memory coupled thereto. The computer memory comprises machine executable code that, upon execution by the one or more computer processors, implements any of the methods above or elsewhere herein.

[0025] Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described. As will be realized, the present disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

[0026] All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

To the extent publications and patents or patent applications incorporated by reference contradict the disclosure contained in the specification, the specification is intended to supersede and/or take precedence over any such contradictory material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0027] The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings (also “Figure” and “FIG.” herein), of which:

[0028] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a wearable electronic device with a folded dipole antenna;

[0029] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a wearable electronic device with a center-fed dipole antenna;

[0030] FIG. 3 shows the results of a carrier-to-noise test conducted on the folded dipole antenna of FIG. 1.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a computer system that is programmed or otherwise configured to implement methods provided herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] While various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed.

[0033] Whenever the term “at least,” “greater than,” or “greater than or equal to” precedes the first numerical value in a series of two or more numerical values, the term “at least,” “greater than” or “greater than or equal to” applies to each of the numerical values in that series of numerical values. For example, greater than or equal to 1, 2, or 3 is equivalent to greater than or equal to 1, greater than or equal to 2, or greater than or equal to 3.

[0034] Whenever the term “no more than,” “less than,” or “less than or equal to” precedes the first numerical value in a series of two or more numerical values, the term “no more than,” “less than,” or “less than or equal to” applies to each of the numerical values in that series of numerical values. For example, less than or equal to 3, 2, or 1 is equivalent to less than or equal to 3, less than or equal to 2, or less than or equal to 1. [0035] The present disclosure provides improved antennas for wearable electronic devices. A wearable electronic device as described herein can have a body, a bezel disposed on the body, and an electronic display disposed on the bezel. An antenna can also be disposed on the bezel, external to the body of the wearable electronic device. The antenna can be configured to receive global positioning system (“GPS”) signals from a plurality of satellites. A processor electrically coupled to the antenna and located in the body of the wearable electronic device can be configured to determine a location of the wearable electronic device using the GPS signals.

[0036] The antenna can be a dipole antenna, e.g., a folded dipole antenna or a center-fed dipole antenna. The antenna can have a ring shape. The location, type, and shape of the antenna can enable the antenna to detect GPS signals at a high carrier-to-noise ratio, e.g., 30 to 40, despite the presence of metal bodies in the wearable electronic device.

[0037] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a wearable electronic device 100. The wearable electronic device 100 can have a bezel 105, an antenna 110, and a display 115. The wearable electronic device can additionally have a body and a printed circuit board.

[0038] As depicted in FIG. 1, the wearable electronic device 100 is a watch. The watch can be fully digital or partially analog. In alternative implementations, the wearable electronic device 100 can be another type of device. For example, it can be a head-mounted display, a smart backpack, smart footwear, or the like. The wearable electronic device 100 can be wearable on various body parts of a user. For example, the wearable electronic device 100 can be wearable on an arm, hand, wrist, foot, ankle, or neck of the user, or an article of clothing or another object worn by the user. The wearable electronic device 100 can be substantially waterproof or water resistant.

[0039] The bezel 105 can be disposed on the body of the wearable electronic device 100.

The bezel 105 can be adjacent to the display 115. The bezel 105 can be configured to hold the display 115. For example, the display 115 can sit on an inner lip 106 of the bezel 105. The bezel 105 can also be configured to hold the antenna 110. The bezel 105 can have buttons or other controls that can be used to control the wearable electronic device, e.g., cycle through menus that are shown on the display 115 or use certain applications on the wearable electronic device 100. [0040] The bezel 105 can have any shape. For example, the bezel 105 can be circular or substantially circular, semi-circular, cylindrical, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, or any similar shape. The bezel 105 can have a diameter or length of at least about 15 millimeters (mm), 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm, or greater. In general, the bezel 105 can have a shape and size such that the wearable electronic device 100 fits comfortably on the wrist of a user. The bezel 105 can be made of a plastic, a polymer, a metal, or a composite material. [0041] The antenna 110 can be disposed on the bezel 105. The antenna 110 can be configured to receive global positioning system (“GPS”) signals from a plurality of satellites.

The GPS signals can be electromagnetic waves that encode information (e.g., the time of transmission of the GPS signals and the location of the satellites) that can be used to determine the location of the wearable electronic device. The antenna 110 can be configured to convert the time-varying electromagnetic field of the electromagnetic waves into an electric current.

[0042] The antenna 110 can be a dipole antenna. A dipole antenna can be an antenna with two equal lengths of wire that extend in opposite directions. A dipole antenna can have a length that is equal to one-half of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave that the antenna is designed to detect. Alternatively, impedance matching techniques can be used to create an antenna that has the same “effective” length but is actually short. This may be desirable in applications in which space is limited. Impendence matching will be described in more detail below. A dipole antenna with the appropriate length or effective length can generate a standing wave at a resonant frequency.

[0043] As depicted in FIG. 1, the antenna 110 is a folded dipole antenna. A folded dipole antenna can be a dipole antenna with an additional wire connecting the two equal lengths of wire that extend in opposite directions. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a wearable electronic device 200 that instead has a center-fed dipole antenna 210.

[0044] The antenna 110 can be made of metal. For example, the antenna 110 can be made of copper, nickel, or aluminum. The antenna 110 can be made of a unitary piece of metal, or it can be made of stacked layers of different metals. In one implementation, the antenna 110 can be made of a layer of copper and a layer of nickel.

[0045] The antenna 110 can have various shapes and sizes. The antenna 110 can have a thickness of at least about 1 micrometer (um), 2 um, 3 um, 4 um, 5 um, 10 um, 100 um, 500 um, 1000 um, 2000 um, or more. In some cases, the antenna 110 can have a thickness of less than 1 um. In one implementation, the antenna 110 can have a thickness of 13 um, including a 10 um layer of copper and a 3 um layer of nickel.

[0046] The antenna 110 can have a width of at least about 50 um, 100 um, 200 um, 300 um, 500 um, 1000 um, 2000 um, 3000 um, 4000 um, 5000 um, 10,000 um, or more. The antenna 110 can have a width to thickness ratio between about 0.1 and 1000.

[0047] The antenna 110 can have a central angle with respect to the bezel 105 of about 5 degrees to about 360 degrees. The central angle can be the angle formed by the center of the wearable electronic device and the ends of the antenna 110. In some cases, the central angle can be less than 180 degrees. In one implementation, the central angle can be 116 degrees. [0048] The antenna 110 can be shaped to run along the bezel 105. For example, if the bezel 105 is circular or substantially circular as in FIG. 1, the antenna 110 can have a circular or substantially circular shape. If, on the other hand, the bezel 105 has a hexagonal shape, the antenna 110 can have a hexagonal shape.

[0049] Positioning the antenna 110 on the external rim of the bezel 105 instead of on the interior of the wearable electronic device 100 can reduce electromagnetic interference caused metallic bodies and electronic components in the wearable electronic device 100. The antenna 110 can be configured to detect GPS signals at a carrier-to-noise ratio of at least about 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or more.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows the results of a carrier-to-noise test conducted on the antenna 110 of FIG. 1 u-blox ® ZOE-M8B GPS module. In general, the carrier-to-noise ratio ranged from 30 to 40 depending on the location of the satellite. The cold start lock time of the antenna 110, meanwhile, was measured at between 30 and 60 seconds.

[0051] The wearable electronic device 100 can have a second antenna 111. The second antenna 111 can be, for example, a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi antenna instead of a GPS antenna. The second antenna 111 can be disposed opposite the antenna 110 on the bezel 105.

[0052] The display 115 can also be disposed on the bezel, e.g., on the inner lip 106 of the bezel 105. The display 115 can be configured display data collected by the wearable electronic device 100 and applications configured to run on the wearable electronic device 100. For example, the display 115 can show heart rate data, activity data (e.g., steps or calories expended), location data, sleep data, and mobile device notifications and associated applications. Buttons on the bezel 105 can allow a user of the wearable electronic device to navigate between different menus and applications on the display 115.

[0053] The display 115 can be a gray scale display, or it can be a black and white display. Alternatively, the display 115 can be a color display. In some cases, the display 115 can be a capacitive or resistive touch screen. The display 120 can contain metal, e.g., aluminum, copper, or indium tin oxide (“TGO”).

[0054] The wearable electronic device 100 can additionally have a body, which is not depicted in FIG. 1. The body can hold and be attached to the bezel 105. The body can serve as the ground plane of the wearable electronic device 100. The body can be from 0.1 to 10 mm away from the antenna 110. The body can be made of a plastic, a polymer, a metal, or a composite material. In one implementation, the body can be made of aluminum. The body can contain a PCB and a power management unit.

[0055] The PCB can have a processor and memory. The processor and memory can be electrically coupled to the antenna 110 and the antenna 111. Together, the processor and memory can be configured to execute any of the applications on the wearable electronic device 100 In particular, the processor and memory can be configured to determine a location of the wearable electronic device using the GPS signals from the antenna 110. The GPS signals can include a timestamp and a location from each of four or more satellites. Using navigation equations, the processor can compute the coordinates of the wearable electronic device 100 from the timestamps and satellite locations.

[0056] The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), a field-programmable gate-arrays (FPGA), or the like. The memory can be dynamic or static random-access memory, read-only memory, flash memory, hard drives, or the like. The memory can be configured to store instructions that, upon execution, cause the processor to implement the navigation equations or any of the other applications on the wearable electronic device 100.

[0057] The PCB can additionally have inductors and capacitors that are configured to match the impedance of the antenna 110 to the impedance of a transmitting system, e.g., a GPS satellite. In addition to maximizing power transfer, impedance matching can be used to resonate the antenna 110 at a frequency that is different from its standard resonance frequency. This may be desirable if the antenna 110 is too short to naturally resonate at that frequency.

[0058] The inductor can be a shunt inductor. The inductor can have an inductance of at least about 0 nanohenries (nH), 1 nH, 2 nH, 3 nH, 4 nH, 5 nH, 10 nH, 25 nH, 50 nH, 75 nH, 100 nH, or more. The capacitor can have a capacitance of 0 picofarads (pF), 1 pF, 2 pF, 3 pF, 4 pF, 5 pF, 10 pF, 25 pF, 50 pF, 75 pF, 100 pF, or more. In some implementations, the inductor can have an inductance of 5.6 nH and the capacitor can have a capacitance of 2.4 pF.

[0059] The PCB can be in electrical communication with the exterior of the body. That is, it can be grounded to the body. In other cases, the PCB can be floating, i.e., not grounded.

[0060] The body can also have a power management unit. The power management unit can be in electrical communication with the display 115 and the processor and be configured to provide power to the display 115 and the processor. The power management unit can have at least one power generation device and at least one energy storage device. The power generation device can be a thermoelectric device, a solar cell, a kinetic energy device, or the like. The energy storage device can be, for example, a lithium ion battery.

Thermoelectric devices

[0061] The wearable electronic devices provided in this disclosure can have one or more thermoelectric devices. The thermoelectric devices can provide some or all of the power used by the wearable electronic devices. [0062] A thermoelectric device can have a heat collecting unit, a thermoelectric generator, and a heat expelling unit. The heat collecting unit can be configured to be disposed adjacent to a body surface of a user of the wearable electronic device. For example, in the case of a watch, the heat collecting unit can be configured to be disposed adjacent to the wrist of the user.

[0063] The heat collecting unit can be any shape or size. For example, the heat collecting unit can be a mathematical shape (e.g., circular, triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, or hexagonal), a two-dimensional geometric shape, a multi-dimensional geometric shape, a polyhedron, a polytope, a curve, a minimal surface, a ruled surface, a non-orientable surface, a quadric, a pseudo-spherical surface, an algebraic surface, a Riemann surface, a Cuisenaire rod, a partial shape, or a combination of shapes thereof. If the heat collecting unit is circular or substantially circular, the circumference of the heat collecting unit can be at least about 1 centimeter (cm), 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm, 20 cm, or greater. In some implementations, the circumference of the heat collecting unit can be less than 1 cm.

[0064] The heat collecting unit can be made of a material that is thermally conductive but electrically insulating. The thermal conductivity of the material can be at least about 5 Watts/meter-Kelvin (W/m-K), 6 W/m-K, 7 W/m-K, W/m-K, 8 W/m-K, 9 W/m-K, 10 W/m-K,

15 W/m-K, 20 W/m-K, 50 W/m-K, 100 W/m-K, or greater. The heat collecting unit can be made of a metallic (or metal-containing) material. The metallic material can include one or more of the following elemental metals: aluminum, copper, carbon, titanium, iron, tin, tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, cobalt, bismuth, cadmium, titanium, zirconium, antimony, manganese, beryllium, chromium, germanium, vanadium, gallium, hafnium, indium, niobium, rhenium and thallium, and their alloys. Alternatively or additionally, the heat collecting unit can be made of a semiconductor-containing material, such as silicon or a silicide. Alternatively or additionally, the heat collecting unit can be made of a polymeric material. The polymeric material can include one or more of the following polymers: polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene, polyisobutene, and poly [ethylene-vinyl acetate] copolymer. Alternatively or additionally, the heat collecting unit can be made of a composite material. The composite material can include, for example, reinforced plastics, ceramic matrix composites, and metal matrix composites.

[0065] A thermoelectric generator can be disposed between the heat collecting unit and the heat expelling unit. The thermoelectric generator can be configured to generate electric power upon application of a temperature differential between the heat collecting unit and the heat expelling unit. The temperature differential can be caused by the difference in temperature between the surface of the user’s body and the ambient temperature of the air surrounding the wearable electronic device. [0066] The thermoelectric generator can include a plurality of thermoelectric elements. The plurality of thermoelectric elements can include at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or more thermoelectric elements. An adhesive can coat one or both sides of the thermoelectric elements. The adhesive can permit the thermoelectric elements to be securely coupled to the heat collecting unit and to the heat expelling unit. The adhesive can be sufficiently thermally conductive.

[0067] In general, the thermoelectric generator can include n-type semiconductor elements and p-type semiconductor elements connected alternately in series that project from the heat collecting unit to the heat expelling unit. When there is a temperature differential between the heat collecting unit and the heat expelling unit, holes in the n-type semiconductor elements and electrons in p-type semiconductor elements can diffuse from the heat collecting unit to the heat expelling unit. This can result in a voltage difference between electrical contacts on each side of the thermoelectric generator. When a closed circuit is formed, e.g., by electrically coupling a load to the contacts, an electric current can flow. The current at a maximum temperature difference can be at most 10 Amperes (“A”), 9 A, 8 A, 7 A, 6 A, 5 A, 4 A, 3 A, 2 A, 1 A, 0.9 A, 0.8 A, 0.7 A, 0.6 A, 0.5 A, 0.4 A, 0.3 A, 0.2 A, 0.1 A, or less. In some cases, the current at the maximum temperature difference can be more than 10 A. The maximum temperature difference can be at most 20°C, 15°C, 10°C, 9°C, 8°C, 7°C, 6°C, 5°C, 4°C, 3°C, 2°C, 1°C, or less. In some cases, the maximum temperature difference can be more than 20°C.

[0068] The thermoelectric elements can individually or collectively provide output power of at least about 1 microwatt (pW), 10 pW, 100 pW, 1 milliwatt (mW), 10 mW, 20 mW, 30 mW,

40 mW, 50 mW, 100 mW, 1 watt (W), or greater. In some cases, the thermoelectric elements can individually or collectively provide output power of less than 1 microwatt (pW). In some cases, the thermoelectric elements an individually or collectively provide output power of greater than 1 microwatt.

[0069] The thermoelectric elements can be configured to have a large thermoelectric figure of merit (“ZT”) to facilitate significant electric power generation. Z can be an indicator of the efficiency of a given thermoelectric element, and T can be an average temperature of the heat collecting unit and the heat expelling unit. The ZT of the given thermoelectric element can be at least about 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45 0.5, 0.55, 0.6, 0.65, 0.7, 0.75, 0.8, 0.85, 0.9, 0.95, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8,

1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, or greater at 25°C. ZT can be a function of temperature, e.g., ZT can increase with temperature.

[0070] The thermoelectric elements can have inclusions, e.g., holes or wires. The inclusions can be ordered and can have uniform sizes and distributions. Alternatively, the inclusions may not be ordered and may not have a uniform distribution. The inclusions can cause a phonon drag effect in the thermoelectric elements. Phonon drag is a process by which phonons impart their momentum in electrons and holes, which can increase the diffusion of the electrons and holes down the temperature gradient.

[0071] The thermoelectric elements can be flexible. A flexible material is a material that can be conformed to a shape, twisted, or bent without experiencing plastic deformation. This can enable the thermoelectric elements to conform to the shape of a body surface of the user without deforming or breaking. The thermoelectric elements can include at least one semiconductor element that is flexible. Individual semiconductor elements can be rigid but substantially thin (e.g., 500 nm to 1 millimeter (“mm”) or 1 micron to 0.5 mm) such that they can provide a flexible thermoelectric generator when disposed adjacent one another.

[0072] The heat expelling unit can be in thermal communication with the thermoelectric elements. The heat expelling unit can be made of any sufficiently thermally conductive but electrically insulating material. The thermal conductivity of the material can be at least about 5 W/m-K), 6 W/m-K, 7 W/m-K, W/m-K, 8 W/m-K, 9 W/m-K, 10 W/m-K, 15 W/m-K, 20 W/m-K, 50 W/m-K, 100 W/m-K, or more. The heat expelling unit can be made of polymer foil (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polystyrene, polyimide, etc.); elastomeric polymer foil (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane, polyisoprene, natural rubber, etc.); fabric (e.g., conventional cloths, fiberglass mat, etc.); ceramic, semiconductor, or insulator foil (e.g., glass, silicon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, etc.); insulated metal foil (e.g., anodized aluminum or titanium, coated copper or steel, etc.); or combinations thereof. [0073] The heat expelling unit can be any shape or size. For example, the heat collecting unit can be a mathematical shape (e.g., circular, triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, or hexagonal), a two-dimensional geometric shape, a multi-dimensional geometric shape, a polyhedron, a polytope, a curve, a minimal surface, a ruled surface, a non-orientable surface, a quadric, a pseudo- spherical surface, an algebraic surface, a Riemann surface, a Cuisenaire rod, a partial shape, or a combination of shapes thereof. If the heat collecting unit is circular or substantially circular, the circumference of the heat collecting unit can be at least about 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm, 20 cm, or greater. In some implementations, the circumference of the heat collecting unit can be less than 1 cm.

[0074] The heat expelling unit can include a plurality of fins that extend radially away from the thermoelectric device and provide an increased heat transfer area, i.e., surface area. Gaps can separate the plurality of fins to facilitate convective cooling. [0075] In some cases, the thermoelectric device can include multiple heat collecting units, thermoelectric generators, and heat expelling units arranged around the wearable electronic device to increase the amount of electric power generated.

Methods for forming thermoelectric devices

[0076] The heat collecting unit and heat expelling unit described above can be formed by using one or more manufacturing techniques. The one or more manufacturing techniques can include subtractive manufacturing, injection molding, blow molding, or additive manufacturing processes such as 3D printing. A subtractive manufacturing can be used to create the heat collecting unit or the heat expelling unit by successively cutting material away from a solid block of material. Injection molding can involve a high-pressure injection of raw materials into one or more molds. The one or more molds can shape the raw material into the desired shape of the heat collecting unit or the heat expelling unit. Blow molding can involve multiple steps. The multiple steps can be melting down the raw material, forming the raw material into a parison, placing the parison into a mold, and air blowing through the parison to push the material out to match the mold. An additive manufacturing processes can be used to create the heat collecting unit or heat expelling unit by laying down successive layers of material, each of which can be seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the target heat collecting unit or heat expelling unit. The heat collecting unit and heat expelling unit can be manufactured as a single, unitary piece. Alternatively, they can be manufactured as separate pieces.

[0077] A thermoelectric element as described herein can be made using electrochemical etching techniques. The thermoelectric element can be formed by cathodic or anodic etching, in some cases without the use of a catalyst. The thermoelectric element can be formed without use of a metallic catalysis. The thermoelectric element can be formed without providing a metallic coating on a surface of a substrate to be etched. Etching can also be performed using purely electrochemical anodic etching and suitable etch solutions and electrolytes. As an alternative, a thermoelectric can be formed using metal catalyzed electrochemical etching in suitable etch solutions and electrolytes, as described in, for example, PCT/US2012/047021, filed July 17,

2012, PCT/US2013/021900, filed January 17, 2013, PCT/US2013/055462, filed August 16,

2013, PCT/US2013/067346, filed October 29, 2013, each of which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

[0078] A thermoelectric element can be formed using one or more sintering processes. The one or more sintering processes can comprise spark plasma sintering, electric sintering, electro sinter forging, pressure-less sintering, microwave sintering, and liquid phase sintering. For example, the thermoelectric element can be formed using one of the techniques described in PCT/US2015/022312, filed March 24, 2014, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference. The spark plasma sintering can be conducted by using a spark plasma sintering instrument. The spark plasma sintering instrument can apply external pressure and an electric field simultaneously to enhance the densification of a precursor of the thermoelectric element. The spark plasma sintering instrument can use a direct current (DC) pulse as the electric current to create spark plasma and spark impact pressure.

[0079] A thermoelectric can alternatively be formed by heating an uncompacted powder in a mold as described in U.S. Patent Publication 2016/0380175, filed on December 29, 2016, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

Computer systems

[0080] The present disclosure provides computer systems that are programmed to implement methods of the disclosure. FIG. 4 shows a computer system 401 that is programmed or otherwise configured to implement the applications on the wearable computing device 100 of

FIG. 1

[0081] The computer system 401 includes a central processing unit (CPU, also “processor” and “computer processor” herein) 405, which can be a single core or multi core processor, or a plurality of processors for parallel processing. The computer system 401 also includes memory or memory location 410 (e.g., random-access memory, read-only memory, flash memory), electronic storage unit 415 (e.g., hard disk), communication interface 420 (e.g., network adapter) for communicating with one or more other systems, and peripheral devices 425, such as cache, other memory, data storage and/or electronic display adapters. The memory 410, storage unit 415, interface 420 and peripheral devices 425 are in communication with the CPU 405 through a communication bus (solid lines), such as a motherboard. The storage unit 415 can be a data storage unit (or data repository) for storing data. The computer system 401 can be operatively coupled to a computer network (“network”) 430 with the aid of the communication interface 420. The network 430 can be the Internet, an internet and/or extranet, or an intranet and/or extranet that is in communication with the Internet. The network 430 in some cases is a telecommunication and/or data network. The network 430 can include one or more computer servers, which can enable distributed computing, such as cloud computing. The network 430, in some cases with the aid of the computer system 401, can implement a peer-to-peer network, which may enable devices coupled to the computer system 401 to behave as a client or a server. [0082] The CPU 405 can execute a sequence of machine-readable instructions, which can be embodied in a program or software. The instructions may be stored in a memory location, such as the memory 410. The instructions can be directed to the CPU 405, which can subsequently program or otherwise configure the CPU 405 to implement methods of the present disclosure. Examples of operations performed by the CPU 405 can include fetch, decode, execute, and writeback.

[0083] The CPU 405 can be part of a circuit, such as an integrated circuit. One or more other components of the system 401 can be included in the circuit. In some cases, the circuit is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0084] The storage unit 415 can store files, such as drivers, libraries and saved programs.

The storage unit 415 can store user data, e.g., user preferences and user programs. The computer system 401 in some cases can include one or more additional data storage units that are external to the computer system 401, such as located on a remote server that is in communication with the computer system 401 through an intranet or the Internet.

[0085] The computer system 401 can communicate with one or more remote computer systems through the network 430. For instance, the computer system 401 can communicate with a remote computer system of a user (e.g., a mobile device). Examples of remote computer systems include personal computers (e.g., portable PC), slate or tablet PC’s (e.g., Apple® iPad, Samsung® Galaxy Tab), telephones, Smart phones (e.g., Apple® iPhone, Android-enabled device, Blackberry®), or personal digital assistants. The user can access the computer system 401 via the network 430.

[0086] Methods as described herein can be implemented by way of machine (e.g., computer processor) executable code stored on an electronic storage location of the computer system 401, such as, for example, on the memory 410 or electronic storage unit 415. The machine executable or machine-readable code can be provided in the form of software. During use, the code can be executed by the processor 405. In some cases, the code can be retrieved from the storage unit 415 and stored on the memory 410 for ready access by the processor 405. In some situations, the electronic storage unit 415 can be precluded, and machine-executable instructions are stored on memory 410.

[0087] The code can be pre-compiled and configured for use with a machine having a processer adapted to execute the code, or can be compiled during runtime. The code can be supplied in a programming language that can be selected to enable the code to execute in a pre compiled or as-compiled fashion.

[0088] Aspects of the systems and methods provided herein, such as the computer system 401, can be embodied in programming. Various aspects of the technology may be thought of as “products” or “articles of manufacture” typically in the form of machine (or processor) executable code and/or associated data that is carried on or embodied in a type of machine readable medium. Machine-executable code can be stored on an electronic storage unit, such as memory (e.g., read-only memory, random-access memory, flash memory) or a hard disk. “Storage” type media can include any or all of the tangible memory of the computers, processors or the like, or associated modules thereof, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives and the like, which may provide non-transitory storage at any time for the software programming. All or portions of the software may at times be communicated through the Internet or various other telecommunication networks. Such communications, for example, may enable loading of the software from one computer or processor into another, for example, from a management server or host computer into the computer platform of an application server. Thus, another type of media that may bear the software elements includes optical, electrical and electromagnetic waves, such as used across physical interfaces between local devices, through wired and optical landline networks and over various air-links. The physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical links or the like, also may be considered as media bearing the software. As used herein, unless restricted to non-transitory, tangible “storage” media, terms such as computer or machine “readable medium” refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution.

[0089] Hence, a machine readable medium, such as computer-executable code, may take many forms, including but not limited to, a tangible storage medium, a carrier wave medium or physical transmission medium. Non-volatile storage media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as any of the storage devices in any computer(s) or the like, such as may be used to implement the databases, etc. shown in the drawings. Volatile storage media include dynamic memory, such as main memory of such a computer platform. Tangible transmission media include coaxial cables; copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a bus within a computer system. Carrier-wave transmission media may take the form of electric or electromagnetic signals, or acoustic or light waves such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media therefore include for example: a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD or DVD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards paper tape, any other physical storage medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave transporting data or instructions, cables or links transporting such a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer may read programming code and/or data. Many of these forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a processor for execution.

[0090] The computer system 401 can include or be in communication with an electronic display 435 that comprises a user interface (UI) 440 for providing, for example, the location, heart rate data, activity data (e.g., steps or calories expended), location data, sleep data, or mobile device notifications of the user of the wearable electronic device 100. Examples of UEs include, without limitation, a graphical user interface (GUI) and web-based user interface.

[0091] Methods and systems of the present disclosure can be implemented by way of one or more algorithms. An algorithm can be implemented by way of software upon execution by the central processing unit 405. The algorithm can, for example, implement the navigation equations that process GPS signals to compute a location of the wearable electronic device 100. [0092] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. It is not intended that the invention be limited by the specific examples provided within the specification. While the invention has been described with reference to the aforementioned specification, the descriptions and illustrations of the embodiments herein are not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Furthermore, it shall be understood that all aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific depictions, configurations or relative proportions set forth herein which depend upon a variety of conditions and variables. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is therefore contemplated that the invention shall also cover any such alternatives, modifications, variations or equivalents. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.