Hidden sensors in an electronic device

• US 9,109,952 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Mullens, Christopher T., Tam, Ching Yu John, Huppi, Brian Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOOSALIS, FANI POLYZOS
• Application Number:
  US14/075,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20140077094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 250/339.05, 250/339.06, 250/358.1, 250/360.1, 250/200, 250/206, 250/336.1, 250/372, 250/370.01, 368/10, 455/566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0271 Housings; Attachments or accessories for photometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/041 Mountings in enclosures or in a particular environment
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 3/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments , e.g. of probe tips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electronic device having one or more sensors is provided. The sensors may include any suitable type of sensor that emits or receives radiation (e.g., light waves) from the environment. The electronic device may include openings through which radiation may reach the sensors while keeping the sensors hidden from view. In some embodiments, the sensors may be placed underneath an opening used for an audio receiver such that radiation is piped to the sensors using a light path or a chamfered surface along the opening. In some embodiments, the sensors may be embedded in a screen such that the radiation emitted by the sensors exits the screen instead of being reflected on the screen. In some embodiments, the sensors may be placed along the periphery of the display, such that access to the sensors is provided via discontinuities in a gasket used to couple the display to the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an opening provided through an external surface of the electronic device;

an audio component positioned within the electronic device and configured to communicate audio waves through the opening with an environment external to the electronic device;

an emitter positioned within the electronic device and configured to emit first waves through the opening into the environment external to the electronic device; and

a receiver positioned within the electronic device and configured to receive second waves through the opening from the environment external to the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the audio component comprises an audio speaker.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first waves comprise invisible light waves.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the second waves comprise invisible light waves.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the emitter is separated from the receiver by a divider.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a mesh positioned between a portion of the opening and at least one of the emitter, the receiver, and the audio component.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the receiver is positioned adjacent to the emitter in a direction that is orthogonal to a direction of at least one of the emission of the first waves and the receipt of the second waves.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

one of the audio component, the emitter, and the receiver is positioned directly under the opening; and

another one of the audio component, the emitter, and the receiver is not positioned directly under the opening.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a divider that keeps the first waves separate from the second waves within the electronic device.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a mesh positioned between a portion of the opening and at least one of the emitter, the receiver, and the audio component, wherein the divider extends from the mesh.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a display screen comprising a plurality of visible light sources, wherein each visible light source of the plurality of visible light sources is operative to emit visible light for illuminating the display screen;

at least one sensor embedded among the plurality of visible light sources; and

at least one tunnel configured to direct at least one of;

first waves to the at least one sensor from an environment external to the electronic device; and

second waves emitted by the at least one sensor to the environment external to the electronic device, wherein the operation of at least one visible light source of the plurality of visible light sources is time multiplexed with the operation of the at least one sensor to prevent the visible light emitted from the at least one visible light source from interfering with the operation of the at least one sensor.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one tunnel is configured to direct at least one of:

the first waves through the display screen to the at least one sensor from the environment external to the electronic device; and

the second waves emitted by the at least one sensor to the environment external to the electronic device through the display screen.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising:

a housing portion; and

a gasket that couples the display screen to the housing portion.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the gasket provides a seal between the housing portion and the display screen.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the at least one tunnel comprises an opening in the gasket.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the at least one tunnel comprises an opening between the housing portion and the gasket.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one tunnel extends through the display screen.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a receiver configured to detect the first waves; and

the first waves comprise invisible light waves.

19. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises an emitter configured to emit the second waves; and

the second waves comprise invisible light waves.

20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a receiver configured to detect the first waves;

the at least one sensor further comprises an emitter configured to emit the second waves; and

the receiver and the emitter are positioned such that the receiver does not receive the second waves emitted by the emitter within the electronic device.

21. An electronic device comprising:

an opening provided through an external surface of the electronic device;

a first device component positioned within the electronic device and configured to communicate first waves through a first portion of the opening with an environment external to the electronic device; and

a second device component positioned within the electronic device and configured to communicate second waves through a second portion of the opening with the environment external to the electronic device, wherein;

the first waves comprise sound waves; and

the second waves comprise light waves.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein:

the first device component comprises; and

the second device component comprises at least one of a visible light display, an invisible light emitter, and an invisible light detector.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising a chamfer defining at least a portion of the opening, wherein a geometry of the chamfer is configured to direct the second waves about the portion of the opening.

24. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising:

a chamfer defining at least a portion of the opening; and

ink applied to a portion of the chamfer, wherein the ink comprises low transmissivity to visible light and high transmissivity to invisible light.

25. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising:

a housing portion that defines at least a portion of the opening; and

a gasket that couples the first device component to the housing portion.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the second portion of the opening comprises one of an opening in the gasket and an opening between the housing portion and the gasket.

27. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of openings through a device component of the electronic device;

positioning a source of first waves adjacent to a first opening of the plurality of openings;

situating a detector of second waves adjacent to a second opening of the plurality of openings; and

masking at least a portion of the device component to hide each of the positioned source, the situated detector, and the plurality of openings, wherein the masking comprises applying a mask that comprises a plurality of infrared-painted elements that each correspond to a respective opening of the plurality of provided openings.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the device component comprises a display screen portion and a peripheral portion; and

the providing comprises providing each opening of the plurality of openings through a respective section of the peripheral portion.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the masking comprises applying the mask over an entirety of the peripheral portion.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the positioning further comprises orienting the source such that the first waves emitted by the source travel through the first opening into an environment of the electronic device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the situating further comprises orienting the detector such that the detector receives the emitted first waves from the environment through the second opening.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the masking comprises masking only a predefined area of the device component that surrounds the plurality of provided openings.