Electronic devices with display-integrated light sensors

• US 9,466,653 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: de Jong, Erik G., Shedletsky, Anna-Katrina, Holenarsipur, Prashanth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARORA, AJAY
• Application Number:
  US14/752,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20150303244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 250/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/13 comprising photosensors that control luminance
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/60 OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-sensitive elements, e.g. with inorganic solar cells or inorganic photodiodes

Abstract

An electronic device is provided, with a display and a display-integrated light sensor. The display includes a transparent cover layer, light-generating layers, and a touch-sensitive layer. The display-integrated light sensor is interposed between the transparent cover layer and a display layer such as the touch-sensitive layer or a thin-film transistor layer of the light-generating layers. The light-generating layers include a layer of organic light-emitting material. The display-integrated light sensor can be implemented as an ambient light sensor or a proximity sensor. The display-integrated light sensor may be a packaged light sensor that is integrated into the display layers of the display or may be formed from light-sensor components formed directly on a display circuitry layer such as the touch-sensitive layer or the thin-film transistor layer.

Claims

1. A display, comprising:

light-generating layers;

a transparent cover layer;

an additional layer having conductive traces, wherein the additional layer is interposed between the light-generating layers and the transparent cover layer; and

a light sensor at least partially interposed between the light generating layers and the transparent cover layer, wherein the light sensor is electrically coupled to at least one of the light-generating layers.

2. The display defined in claim 1, wherein the light-generating layers comprise a thin-film transistor layer, and wherein the light sensor is electrically coupled to the thin-film transistor layer.

3. The display defined in claim 2, wherein the light-generating layers comprise a layer of organic emissive material formed on the thin-film transistor layer.

4. The display defined in claim 3, wherein the layer of organic emissive material is interposed between the thin-film transistor layer and the transparent cover layer.

5. The display defined in claim 3, wherein the thin-film transistor layer is interposed between the layer of organic emissive material and the transparent cover layer.

6. The display defined in claim 3, wherein the thin-film transistor layer has first and second opposing surfaces, and wherein the light sensor and the layer of organic emissive material are formed on the first surface.

7. The display defined in claim 3, wherein the thin-film transistor layer has first and second opposing surfaces, wherein the light sensor is attached to the first surface, and wherein the layer of organic emissive material is formed on the second surface.

8. The display defined in claim 1, wherein the additional layer comprises a touch-sensitive layer.

9. A display, comprising:

a cover layer;

a light-emitting layer;

a first substrate interposed between the light-emitting layer and the cover layer and having conductive traces formed thereon;

a second substrate interposed between the first substrate and the cover layer and having conductive traces formed thereon; and

a light sensor electrically coupled to the conductive traces on the first substrate.

10. The display defined in claim 9, wherein the first substrate forms at least part of a thin-film transistor layer.

11. The display defined in claim 10, wherein the thin-film transistor layer comprises the conductive traces on the first substrate.

12. The display defined in claim 10, wherein the thin-film transistor layer comprises first and second opposing surfaces, wherein the light-emitting layer is formed on the first surface, and wherein the light sensor is attached to the second surface.

13. The display defined in claim 10, wherein the second substrate forms at least part of a touch-sensitive layer.

14. The display defined in claim 13, wherein the touch-sensitive layer comprises the conductive traces on the second substrate.

15. A display, comprising:

light-generating layers;

a touch-sensitive layer;

an additional layer having conductive traces interposed between the light-generating layers and the touch-sensitive layer; and

a light sensor electrically coupled to the conductive traces on the additional layer.

16. The display defined in claim 15, wherein the light-generating layers comprise at least one layer having conductive traces formed thereon.

17. The display defined in claim 16, wherein the touch-sensitive layer comprises conductive traces formed thereon.

18. The display defined in claim 16, wherein the at least one layer having the conductive traces formed thereon comprises a thin-film transistor layer, and wherein the light-generating layers further comprise a layer of organic emissive material formed on the thin-film transistor layer.

19. The display defined in claim 15, wherein the light sensor comprises at least one light-emitting component.

20. The display defined in claim 15, wherein the additional layer is configured to transmit signals from the light sensor to control circuitry that controls the display.