Enabling arrangement for an electronic device with housing-integrated functionalities and method therefor

Abstract

An electronic device includes a substrate at least one functional element attached to the substrate, a housing material molded on the substrate and at least partially embedding the at least one functional element, a memory attached to the substrate, a processing unit attached to the substrate and configured to transform signals transferred between the at least one functional element and a host device from a known format to another predetermined format according to stored instructions, and a first connector attached to the substrate and connecting the at least one functional element and at least one of the memory or the processing unit.

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a substrate;   at least one functional element attached to the substrate;   a housing material molded on the substrate and at least partially embedding the at least one functional element;   a memory attached to the substrate;   a processing unit attached to the substrate and configured to transform signals transferred between the at least one functional element and a host device from a known format to another predetermined format according to stored instructions; and   a first connector attached to the substrate and connecting the at least one functional element and at least one of the memory or the processing unit.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is preformed to a selected shape prior to molding of the housing material thereon. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device according to  claim 2 , wherein the substrate is preformed to the selected shape by thermoforming. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second connector attached to the substrate and configured to be connected to the host device to enable the host device to utilize at least one functionality associated with the at least one functional element. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device according to  claim 4 , wherein the second connector is a communications interface selected from the group consisting of an WLAN interface, a Bluetooth interface, an infrared interface, a USB interface, an LAN interface, a Firewire-compliant interface, and a CAN bus connection interface. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one functionality associated with the at least one functional element is at least one of tactile feedback, haptic feedback, vibration, communication, visible signal output, sound output, data processing, data storage, proximity sensing, or ambient light sensing. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a system-on-a-chip, wherein the system-on-a-chip includes the memory, the processing unit, and the first connector, 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a flexible film. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one functional element is at least two functional elements. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one functional element is at least two of a strain sensing component, a resistive sensing component, a capacitive sensing component, an optical sensing component, a piezoelectric actuator, a vibration motor, a light emitting component, a microphone, a loudspeaker, a data processing device, a memory chip, a communications chip, a proximity sensor, or an ambient light sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first connector includes a plurality of connecting elements. 
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising:
 preforming a substrate to a selected shape;   molding a housing material on the substrate after preforming the substrate, thereby at least partially embedding at least one functional element in the housing material; and   attaching a system-on-a-chip to the substrate, wherein the at least one functional element and the system-on-a-chip are connected.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the substrate is preformed to the selected shape by thermoforming. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising positioning the at least one functional element in a cavity defined in the substrate. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising connecting a connector of the system-on-a-chip to the at least one functional element. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the system-on-a-chip includes:
 a memory; and   a processing unit configured to transform signals transferred between the at least one functional element and a host device from a known format to another predetermined format according to stored instructions.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the system-on-a-chip further includes a communications interface attached to the substrate and configured to be connected to the host device to enable the host device to utilize at least one functionality associated with the at least one functional element. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the substrate is a flexible film. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one functional element is at least two functional elements. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one functional element is at least two of a strain sensing component, a resistive sensing component, a capacitive sensing component, an optical sensing component, a piezoelectric actuator, a vibration motor, a light emitting component, a microphone, a loudspeaker, a data processing device, a memory chip, a communications chip, a proximity sensor, or an ambient light sennsor.