Electronic device including housing having at least one through hole

• US 10,462,272 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Min Su, Kim, Jae Wan, Hong, Sung Won, Kim, Kwang Tai, Oh, Seung Ah, Lee, Jung Won, Choi, Jong Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US15/945,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20180295222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 455566, 4555501
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4206 Optical features G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing including a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface defining an internal space of the housing, a touch screen display interposed between the first surface and the second surface, and a sensor module disposed under the touch screen display and including a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, wherein the third surface includes a plurality of through holes each including optical structures, wherein a portion of light emitted from the light emitting unit is guided to an exterior of the electronic device through a first optical structure of a first through hole, and wherein at least a portion of light introduced from the exterior of the electronic device is guided to the light receiving unit on a second optical structure of a second through hole.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing including a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface forming an internal space of the housing;

a touch screen display interposed between the first surface and the second surface;

a sensor disposed in the internal space and including a light emitter and a light receiver;

a wireless communication circuit disposed in the internal space; and

wherein the third surface includes a plurality of through holes including a first through hole and a second through hole,

wherein a first optical structure disposed within the first through hole includes a concave surface for concentrating external light of the electronic device to the light receiver, and the concave surface is located at a portion of the first optical structure which is exposed to an exterior of the electronic device, and

wherein a second optical structure is disposed within the second through hole for concentrating emitted light from the light emitter to external of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the third surface includes a curved portion according to a specified curvature.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a central axis of the light emitter corresponds to one end of the first through hole.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a central axis of the light receiver corresponds to one end of the second through hole.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second optical structure includes

a prespecified shape surface to refract light.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second optical structure includes a convex surface, and the convex surface is located at a portion of the second optical structure which is exposed to the exterior of the electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes at least one region formed by a metal material.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication circuit is electrically connected with the housing.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver disposed in the internal space of the housing,

wherein the receiver is aligned with a third through hole for allowing passage of a sound output from the receiver to the exterior of the electronic device.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising:

a light emitting device (LED) disposed in the internal space of the housing,

wherein the LED is aligned to a fourth through hole for allowing passage of light emitted by the LED to the exterior of the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the first through hole and the second through hole are aligned to the sensor.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein a diameter of the third through hole is greater than each of diameters of the first through hole and the second through hole.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the receiver is coupled to a case which includes a space forming a path for the passage of the sound output from the receiver.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the case is coupled to at least one sealing member.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the space is connected to the third through hole.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of through holes is inclined relative to the first surface.

17. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first optical structure and the second optical structure include resin material based on acryl or resin.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a housing including a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface formed along an edge of the first surface, wherein the third surface includes a plurality of through holes arranged along the edge of the first surface;

a touch screen display interposed between the first surface and the second surface;

a wireless communication circuit disposed in an internal space of the housing;

a first light guide including a convex surface and disposed within a first through hole, wherein the convex surface is exposed to an exterior of the electronic device;

a second light guide disposed within a second through hole;

an infrared light source disposed in the internal space corresponding to the first light guide for allowing a passage of emitted light from the infrared light source to the exterior of the electronic device; and

an infrared light detector disposed in the internal space that corresponds to the second light guide for concentrating reflected light from an external object.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one of a speaker disposed in the internal space of the housing and a visible light source,

wherein the speaker is aligned to a third through hole allowing passage of sound output from the speaker to the exterior of the electronic device.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the visible light source is aligned to a fourth through hole including a third light guide allowing passage of light emitted from the visible light source to the exterior of the electronic device.