OPTICAL SENSORS DISPOSED BENEATH THE DISPLAY OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20170123575A1
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Evans, V, David John, Jiang, Xinrui, Rubin, Andrew E., Hershenson, Matthew, Miao, Xiaoyu
• Granted Patent: US 10,331,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

Various embodiments concern sensors and other components that can be disposed beneath a variable transparency layer of a mobile device. By modifying how much voltage is applied to the variable transparency layer, a component, such as a camera, can be readily hidden when not in use. More specifically, the variable transparency layer may be substantially opaque when the camera is not in use and at least partially transparent when the camera is in use and ready to capture an image. The opacity level of the variable transparency layer can be modified by a voltage source that is electrically coupled to the variable transparency layer. The various levels of opacity could also enable the variable transparency layer to act as an electronic aperture for the camera.

Claims

1. An electronic user device comprising:

a protective substrate disposed within a housing;

a display assembly located below a first portion of the protective substrate,

wherein the display assembly includes

touch circuitry that generates a signal responsive to a user interaction with the protective substrate,

a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel located below the touch circuitry, and

a backlight assembly located below the LCD panel and configured to illuminate the LCD panel;

a processor coupled to the display assembly;

a voltage source disposed within the housing;

a variable transparency layer located below a second portion of the protective substrate,

wherein the variable transparency layer is electrically coupled to the voltage source, and

wherein opacity level of the variable transparency layer varies in response to a voltage being applied to the variable transparency layer by the voltage source; and

a camera disposed within the housing directly beneath the variable transparency layer.

2. The electronic user device of claim 1, further comprising a first optically-clear adhesive layers disposed between the protective substrate and the display assembly and a second optically-clear adhesive layer disposed between the protective substrate and the variable transparency layer.

3. The electronic user device of claim 1, wherein the variable transparency layer is substantially opaque when the camera is not in use.

4. The electronic user device of claim 3, wherein the variable transparency layer is at least partially transparent when the camera is in use.

5. The electronic user device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute an application program that enables a user to capture images using the camera.

6. The electronic user device of claim 5, wherein the variable transparency layer is made substantially transparent in response to determining the user has initiated the application program.

7. The electronic user device of claim 5, wherein the opacity level of the variable transparency layer is modifiable by the user via the application program.

8. The electronic user device of claim 1, wherein the opacity level of the variable transparency layer is automatically modified by the processor based on one or more characteristics.

9. The electronic user device of claim 8, wherein the one or more characteristics include an ambient light level, a duration of inactivity, a distance between the protective substrate and another tangible object, or some combination thereof.

10. A method of modifying the transparency of a variable transparency layer disposed directly above a camera in an electronic user device, the method comprising:

providing an electronic user device that includes

a protective substrate,

a display assembly located below a first portion of the protective substrate,

a processor coupled to the display assembly;

a voltage source;

a variable transparency layer located below a second portion of the protective substrate,

wherein the variable transparency layer is electrically coupled to the voltage source, and

wherein opacity level of the variable transparency layer varies in response to a voltage being applied to the variable transparency layer by the voltage source, and

a camera disposed directly beneath the variable transparency layer;

enabling a user to initiate an application program executed by the processor;

determining whether the user initiated the application program;

upon determining the application program has been initiated,

causing the voltage source to apply a voltage to the variable transparency layer, wherein application of the voltage causes the variable transparency layer to become more transparent;

capturing an image using the camera in response to receiving user input at the application program; and

storing the picture in a memory that is accessible to the electronic user device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the memory is housed within the electronic user device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the memory is accessible to the electronic user device via a connection across a network.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the variable transparency layer includes

a first conducting oxide layer,

an electrochromic layer below the first conducting oxide layer,

an electrolyte layer below the electrochromic layer,

an ion storage layer below the electrolyte layer, and

a second conducting oxide layer below the ion storage layer,

wherein the first and second conducting oxide layers are electrically coupled to the voltage source.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said causing the voltage source to apply the voltage to the variable transparency layer comprises:

causing said voltage source to apply a single instance of the voltage to the second conducting oxide layer,

wherein application of the voltage causes ions to be transferred from the electrochromic layer through the electrolyte layer and into the ion storage layer, which causes the variable transparency layer to become more transparent.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the variable transparency layer includes

a first conductor layer,

a polymer layer below the first conductor layer, wherein liquid crystal droplets are dispersed throughout the polymer layer, and

a second conductor layer,

wherein the first and second conductor layers are electrically coupled to the voltage source.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said causing the voltage source to apply the voltage to the variable transparency layer comprises:

causing said voltage source to continually apply the voltage to the first and second conductor layers,

wherein continual application of the voltage causes the liquid crystal droplets dispersed throughout the polymer layer to become aligned, which causes the variable transparency layer to become more transparent.

17. An electronic user device comprising:

a protective substrate;

a display assembly located below a first portion of the protective substrate;

a processor coupled to the display assembly;

a voltage source;

a variable transparency layer located below a second portion of the protective substrate,

wherein the variable transparency layer is electrically coupled to the voltage source, and

wherein opacity level of the variable transparency layer varies in response to a voltage being applied to the variable transparency layer by the voltage source; and

a camera disposed directly beneath the variable transparency layer.

18. The electronic user device of claim 17, wherein the voltage source includes a lithium-based battery, an alkaline-based battery, a lead-based battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, a nickel-metal-hydride battery, or a combination thereof.

19. The electronic user device of claim 17, wherein the variable transparency layer includes

a first conducting oxide layer,

an electrochromic layer below the first conducting oxide layer,

an electrolyte layer below the electrochromic layer,

an ion storage layer below the electrolyte layer, and

a second conducting oxide layer below the ion storage layer,

wherein the first and second conducting oxide layers are electrically coupled to the voltage source,

wherein application of the voltage to the first conducting oxide layer causes ions to be transferred from the ion storage layer to the electrochromic layer, which causes the variable transparency layer to become more opaque, and

wherein application of the voltage to the second conducting oxide layer causes ions to be transferred from the electrochromic layer to the ion storage layer, which causes the variable transparency layer to become more transparent.

20. The electronic user device of claim 17, wherein the variable transparency layer includes

a first conductor layer,

a polymer layer below the first conductor layer, wherein liquid crystal droplets are dispersed throughout the polymer layer, and

a second conductor layer,

wherein the first and second conductor layers are electrically coupled to the voltage source, and

wherein simultaneous application of the voltage to the first and second conductor layers causes the liquid crystal droplets dispersed throughout the polymer layer to become aligned, which causes the variable transparency layer to become more transparent.

21. The electronic user device of claim 17, wherein the display assembly includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a backlight assembly located below the LCD panel and configured to illuminate the LCD panel.

22. The electronic user device of claim 17, wherein the voltage is applied to the variable transparency layer upon determining that a user initiated an application program associated with the camera.

23. The electronic user device of claim 17, wherein the opacity level of the variable transparency layer is based on how much voltage is applied to the variable transparency layer by the voltage source.

24. The electronic user device of claim 23, wherein the amount of voltage applied by the voltage source is modifiable by a user via an application program associated with the camera that is executable by the electronic user device.