Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-13
2003-04-29
Trost, William (Department: 2746)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S550100, C235S492000, C343S741000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06556847
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to battery mounting and testing apparatuses, methods of forming battery mounting and testing apparatuses, battery-powered test-configured electronic devices, and methods of forming battery-powered test-configured electronic devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic devices come in many shapes and sizes. One type of electronic device can be formed by mounting electronic device components on a substrate. Some substrates can be quite small, i.e. credit card-size or less, such that the resultant device formed thereon is itself quite small. There is generally, within the industry, an emphasis on decreasing overall device dimensions while increasing the overall performance and/or capabilities of a device. Such industry focus presents challenges regarding, among other things, providing a device package which is sufficient for its intended purpose, durable enough to withstand the abuses expected in the operating environment, and one which is configured to permit integrity testing at an intermediate point in the assembly of such devices.
An electronic device
20
is shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. Device
20
includes a flexible circuit substrate
22
upon which various electronic components have been mounted. In the illustrated example, device
20
is configured as a battery-powered communication device which is suitable for use as an RF communication device. Accordingly, device
20
includes an antenna
24
supported over substrate
22
, a thin-profile battery
26
(
FIG. 1
) mounted on the substrate, and an integrated circuitry chip
28
configured for RF operation. An exemplary device and/or chip is shown and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/705,043, which names James O'Toole, John R. Tuttle, Mark E. Tuttle, Tyler Lowrey, Kevin Devereaux, George Pax, Brian Higgin Shu-Sun Yu, David Ovard and Robert Rotzoll as inventors, which was filed on Aug. 29, 1996, is assigned to the assignee of this patent application, and which is incorporated by reference herein.
One challenge in producing a device such as device
20
relates to mounting the electronic components on the substrate; in particular, mounting battery
26
suitably on substrate
22
such that not only are desirable electrical connections made between electronic componentry and the battery, but the battery is sufficiently physically fixed over the substrate so that it does not become inadvertently dislodged. In addition, once electronic components are mounted on the substrate and before further processing, it is desirable to test or otherwise determine if the appropriate electrical connections have been made between the various components.
Referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3
, device
20
is shown prior to battery
26
being mounted thereon. Dashed line
30
in
FIG. 2
depicts an outer perimeter of battery
26
, were it to be mounted on the substrate. Shown generally at
32
and within perimeter
30
is a conductive contact node pattern which, heretofore, has been utilized to form an electrical and mechanical connection with a thin-profile battery such as battery
26
. The contact node pattern can be formed from a suitable conductive printed or screened-on ink such as silver printed thick film ink. Typically, such electrical and mechanical connection is formed through the application of a suitable conductive epoxy over the pattern, with the battery being subsequently bonded into place. When the battery is bonded into place, the contact node pattern is not directly accessible for verifying electrical connection with the battery.
Typically, a battery is bonded with the substrate as shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
. One type of substrate which has been found suitable for use with electronic devices of the type described above includes a temporary carrier substrate
36
having a thin polyester substrate
38
bonded therewith. Conductive epoxy
34
is formed over each of the depicted node portions (not specifically designated). Battery
26
(
FIG. 4
) is placed into abutting contact with the epoxy (and node portions) such that a suitable bond is formed between a terminal housing member of the battery (not specifically designated) and the node portions over which the conductive epoxy was formed. The epoxy is subsequently cured into place, if necessary, and the substrate undergoes subsequent processing to provide a finished device.
It is desirable in some instances to encapsulate or otherwise fortify electronic devices for a number of different reasons. Encapsulant material, such as material
40
in
FIG. 5
, can increase the useful lifetime of the device by protecting the individual electronic components from outside influences. Encapsulant material can provide an added degree of support so that mounted components are not undesirably shifted or otherwise moved over the substrate once mounted thereon. It is also desirable, prior to encapsulating the devices, to test the devices for the integrity of the electrical connections made between the various electronic components thereon. Once the components, and in particular the battery, have been mounted on the substrate, however, it is difficult to suitably test or probe the electrical connection with the substrate because such connections are usually blocked by the components.
This invention arose out of concerns associated with providing improved apparatuses and methods for mounting and testing electronic components over substrates. This invention also arose out of concerns associated with providing improved electronic devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Battery mounting and testing apparatuses and methods of forming the same are described. In one embodiment, a substrate includes a surface area over which a battery terminal housing member is to entirely cover. A conductive first test contact is disposed on the substrate surface and extends from within the surface to outside of the surface area. A conductive second test contact is disposed on the substrate surface and extends from within the surface area to outside the surface area. The second test contact is spied from the first test contact and is preferably electrically isolated therefrom on the substrate. In one aspect, an electronic device is provided by mounting a battery on the first and second test contacts. In-circuit testing is performed after the battery is mounted utilizing the portions of the first and second test contacts which extend outside of the surface area for probe testing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5055968 (1991-10-01), Nish et al.
patent: 5337063 (1994-08-01), Takahira
patent: 5558679 (1996-09-01), Tuttle
patent: 5906661 (1999-05-01), Lake
patent: 6325294 (2001-12-01), Tuttle et al.
patent: 404140193 (1992-05-01), None
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/026,249, Grigg et al., filed Feb. 1998.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/026,250, Dando et al., filed Feb. 1998.
Ferquson Keith
Micro)n Technology, Inc.
Trost William
Wells St. John P.S.
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