Light sensor windows for electronic devices

• US 9,645,008 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jia, Zhang, Erickson, Christopher S., Dudley, James J., Nakajima, Kenichi, Li, Chunji
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn, Seung C
• Application Number:
  US14/468,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20160054175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 250574
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0233 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0407 Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. manifolds, windows, holograms, gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0411 using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0418 using attenuators
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0474 Diffusers cavities G01J2001/0481
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with light sensors. The electronic device may have an electronic device housing in which a display is mounted. The display may have a transparent layer such as a transparent display cover layer, a thin-film transistor layer, or a color filter layer. An opaque masking layer such as a layer of black ink may be used to cover an inner surface of the transparent layer in an inactive area of the display. Sensor window openings may be formed in the black ink layer. A layer of ink may be formed in each sensor window opening. Each layer of ink may have a diffuse reflectivity that is matched to that of the black ink. A diffuser layer such as a polymer coating layer with light-scattering particles may be coated on the inner surface of the layer of ink in a sensor window opening.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted in the housing, wherein the display has a transparent layer with an active area and an inactive area and wherein the inactive area is coated with a layer of opaque masking material;

a sensor; and

a sensor window formed from an opening in the opaque masking material, wherein the sensor window includes a layer of diffuser material that is deposited on the transparent layer and that covers the opening, and wherein the sensor is aligned with the sensor window and receives light through the sensor window.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the layer of diffuser material comprises a polymer coating layer having light-scattering features.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the light-scattering features comprise light-scattering particles.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the light-scattering features are selected from a group consisting of:

light-scattering surface texture on the layer of diffuser material and voids in the diffuser material.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the layer of diffuser material has a haze value of greater than 60%.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 further comprising a polymer layer interposed between the layer of diffuser material and the transparent layer.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the polymer layer comprises a layer of ink.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the layer of ink has a greater visible light transmittance than the layer of opaque masking material.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the light sensor comprises an ambient light sensor and wherein the layer of opaque masking material comprises black ink.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the layer of ink and the layer of opaque masking material have diffuse reflectivities that differ by less than 10%.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a layer of ink between the layer of diffuser material and the transparent layer; and

a display, wherein the transparent layer comprises a display cover layer that protects the display.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the opening includes a plurality of perforations having lateral dimensions of less than 60 microns.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a first layer of ink between the layer of diffuser material and the transparent layer;

an additional sensor in the housing; and

an additional sensor window aligned with the additional sensor, wherein the additional sensor window is formed from an additional opening in the opaque masking layer, and includes a second layer of ink that covers the additional opening, and wherein the additional sensor receives light through the additional opening.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the first layer of ink and the layer of opaque masking material have diffuse reflectivities that differ by less than 20%.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the second layer of ink and the layer of opaque masking material have diffuse reflectivities that differ by less than 20%.

16. A display, comprising:

a transparent layer having opposing outer and inner surfaces;

an opaque masking layer coating on a portion of the inner surface;

a sensor window opening in the opaque masking layer;

a layer of ink on the inner surface in the opening;

a diffuser layer deposited on the layer of ink in the opening.

17. The display defined in claim 16 wherein the diffuser layer comprises a polymer coating layer with light-scattering particles.

18. The display defined in claim 17 wherein the diffuser layer has a thickness of less than ten microns, wherein the opaque masking layer has a first transmittance, and wherein the layer of ink has a second transmittance greater than a first transmittance.

19. The display defined in claim 18 wherein the layer of ink has an infrared transmittance and has a visible transmittance that is less than the infrared transmittance.

20. Apparatus, comprising:

a transparent display cover layer;

a black ink layer on the transparent display cover layer;

a light sensor window opening in the black ink layer; and

a layer of ink in the opening, wherein the black ink layer and the layer of ink in the opening have diffuse reflectivities that differ by less than 20%.

21. The apparatus defined in claim 20 wherein the layer of ink in the opening has a greater visible light transmittance than the black ink layer, the apparatus further comprising:

a layer of polymer diffuser material on the layer of ink in the opening.

22. The display defined in claim 21, wherein the layer of polymer diffuser material comprises a polymer coating that includes light scattering pigment particles.

23. The display cover layer defined in claim 22 wherein the layer of polymer diffuser material has a haze value of greater than 60%.

24. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted in the housing, wherein the display has a transparent layer with an active area and an inactive area;

a sensor; and

a sensor window formed from a lens in an opening in the transparent layer, wherein the sensor window includes a layer of diffuser material that is deposited on the lens and that covers the opening, and wherein the sensor is aligned with the sensor window and receives light through the sensor window.

25. The electronic device defined in claim 24 wherein the layer of diffuser material comprises a polymer coating layer having light-scattering features.

26. The electronic device defined in claim 25 wherein the light-scattering features comprise light-scattering particles.

27. The electronic device defined in claim 25 wherein the light-scattering features are selected from a group consisting of:

light-scattering surface texture on the layer of diffuser material and voids in the diffuser material.

28. The electronic device defined in claim 24 wherein the layer of diffuser material has a haze value of greater than 60%.