ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING DISPLAY AND SENSOR

• US 20170045918A1
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Published: 02/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HAN, Seon-Ho, PARK, Seung-Hyun, LEE, Jun-Hui
• Granted Patent: US 10,261,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/08 Biomedical applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing including a first housing surface that faces a first side, a second housing surface that faces a second side, and a side surface that surrounds at least a portion of a space between the first housing surface and the second housing surface, a display arranged within the housing and including a first display surface including a display screen exposed through the first housing surface and a second display surface that faces the second side, a structure arranged between the second display surface and the second housing surface including a contact surface, the structure including a through-opening, and a sensor, at least a portion of which is arranged within the opening and which is arranged to detect at least a portion of light received from the outside of the housing after passing through the first housing surface and the display.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising a first housing surface that faces a first side, a second housing surface that faces a second side opposite to the first side, and a side surface that surrounds at least a portion of a space between the first housing surface and the second housing surface;

a display unit arranged within the housing and comprising a first display surface comprising a display screen exposed through the first housing surface and a second display surface that faces the second side;

a structure arranged between the second display surface and the second housing surface and comprising a contact surface at a corresponding part of the second display surface, the structure comprising a through-opening which is viewed as an opening when viewed from an upper side of the first housing surface, and

a sensor, at least a portion of which is arranged within the opening and which is configured to detect at least a portion of light received from the outside of the housing after passing through the first housing surface and the display unit.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises:

a first polymer layer forming the second display surface;

a second polymer layer in contact with the first polymer layer and comprising a part arranged between the first polymer layer and the first display surface;

an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer in contact with the second polymer layer and arranged between the second polymer layer and the first display surface; and

a first conductive pattern arranged between the OLED layer and the first display surface.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second polymer layer further comprises a part extending from the part arranged between the first polymer layer and the first display surface and bent towards the second side.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising:

a second conductive pattern arranged between the first polymer layer and the second polymer layer.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises:

a first adhesive layer in contact with the second display surface; and

a flexible layer in contact with the first adhesive layer and arranged between the first adhesive layer and the second housing surface.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the structure further comprises a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) comprising a first part arranged between the flexible layer and the second housing surface.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising:

a wireless communication circuit,

wherein the structure further comprises a conductive pattern arranged between the flexible layer and the part of the FPCB and electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication circuit performs wireless communication based on a near field communication (NFC) protocol.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the FPCB further comprises a second part extending from the first part and bent towards the second side.

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

a support member connected to the structure while supporting the sensor.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second display surface and a surface of the sensor that faces the first side are spaced apart from each other by a first distance.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first distance is 0.2 mm or more.

13. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein a second opening corresponding to the opening is provided in the FPCB.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the illumination intensity sensor member comprises:

a second circuit board mounted at a location corresponding to the location of the second opening, stacked on a bottom surface of the first circuit board, and electrically connected to the first circuit board; and

an illumination intensity sensor unit mounted within the opening and the second opening and electrically coupled to an upper portion of the second circuit board, configured to detect external incident light introduced through the first and second openings.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein a coupling member that couples the second circuit board to the first circuit board is provided at a predetermined location of the second circuit board, and a connection terminal that electrically connects the second circuit board to a terminal unit of the first circuit board is provided at another location of the second circuit board.