Attorney Docket No. 122202-5654 (P3 5420USl)
`
`CLAIMS
`
`WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
`
`1.
`
`A portable electronic device, comprising:
`
`a housing having an internal cavity;
`
`a structure that separates the internal cavity from an environment external to the
`
`housing; the structure comprising an opening;
`
`an air-permeable; liquid-resistant cover over the opening; and
`
`a sensor; integrated with the cover; and configured to detect an occlusion of the
`
`opening.
`
`2.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 1; wherein the structure comprises a
`
`portion of the housing.
`
`3.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 1; wherein the structure comprises a wall
`
`within the housing that separates the internal cavity from another cavity that is located within the
`
`housing and adjacent to an opening in the housing.
`
`4.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 1; wherein the sensor comprises at least
`
`one conductive trace on the cover that extends across the opening in the structure.
`
`5.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 1; wherein the sensor comprises at least
`
`one conductive thread woven into the cover.
`
`6.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 1; wherein the cover comprises a
`
`conductive polymer material and forms at least a portion of the sensor.
`
`7.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 1; wherein the sensor comprises a
`
`conductive plate that is capacitively coupled to the cover.
`
`-17-
`
`

`

`Attorney Docket No. 122202-5654 (P3 5420USl)
`
`8.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an occlusion
`
`mitigation component operable to mitigate the occlusion of the opening responsive to the
`
`detection of the occlusion by the sensor.
`
`9.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the sensor and the occlusion
`
`mitigation component each comprises resistive conductive structures on or within the cover.
`
`10.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the occlusion mitigation
`
`component comprises a vibratory component that is directly mechanically coupled to the cover.
`
`11.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the vibratory component
`
`comprises an ultrasonic piezoelectric water vaporizer.
`
`12.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the occlusion mitigation
`
`component comprises an infrared heater.
`
`13.
`
`A portable electronic device, comprising:
`
`a housing having an internal cavity, and
`
`an intelligent barometric vent that separates the internal cavity from an
`
`environment external to the housing, wherein the intelligent barometric vent comprises an
`
`opening and a sensor to detect an occlusion of the opening.
`
`14.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises a
`
`conductive structure that extends across the opening and is conductively coupled to occlusion
`
`detection circuitry within the housing.
`
`15.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the occlusion detection
`
`circuitry is configured to sense a change in conductivity of the conductive structure due to
`
`contact with an occluding liquid, and wherein the device further comprises occlusion mitigation
`
`circuitry configured to drive a current through the conductive structure to heat the conductive
`
`structure to encourage evaporation of the occluding liquid.
`
`-18-
`
`

`

`Attorney Docket No. 122202-5654 (P3 5420USl)
`
`16.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 13, further comprising an occlusion
`
`mitigation component operable to remove at least some of the detected occlusion.
`
`17.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the intelligent barometric vent
`
`comprises a water-resistant cover that prevents ingress of moisture from the environment
`
`external to the housing into the internal cavity.
`
`18.
`
`The portable electronic device of claim 17, further comprising a battery and a
`
`main logic board disposed in the internal cavity.
`
`19.
`
`A method, comprising:
`
`detecting an occlusion of an opening in a structure of a portable electronic device
`
`using a cover-integrated sensor associated with a cover for the opening,
`
`wherein the structure comprises a portion of a barometric vent disposed between a
`
`cavity within the device and an external environment.
`
`20.
`
`The method of claim 19, further comprising:
`
`operating an occlusion mitigation component, responsive to the detection by the
`
`cover-integrated sensor, to at least partially remove the detected occlusion.
`
`-19-
`
`

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