Display-camera integrated apparatus

• US 10,817,032 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2018
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yu, Zhou, Wang, Zhihu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wicklund, Daniel P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Augustin, Christopher L
• Application Number:
  US15/920,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20180373298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133331 Cover glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera

Abstract

An apparatus includes a display panel and a camera. The display panel includes an accommodation portion. The accommodation portion is at an edge of the display panel and in a non-display region of the display panel. The camera is in the accommodating portion. The camera collects ambient light transmitted through the display panel.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display panel including;

an accommodation portion, the accommodation portion being at an edge of the display panel and in a non-display region of the display panel; and

a plurality of layers including a protection glass layer, an outer polarizer layer, a color filter glass layer, a thin-film-transistor glass layer, an inner polarizer layer, a player of a prism sheet layer, a diffusion sheet layer, a light guide plate layer, and a reflection sheet layer sequentially arranged from outside to inside of the display panel;

a camera in the accommodation portion, wherein the camera collects ambient light transmitted through the display panel;

a circuit connecting plate electrically coupling the camera to an electrical component of an electronic device including the apparatus; and

a connector including a first portion in the accommodation portion and a second portion not in the accommodation portion, the first portion of the connector being arranged between the display panel and the camera to connect the display panel to the camera, and the second portion being arranged between the display panel and the circuit connecting plate,

wherein

the protection glass layer extends over the accommodation portion to fully cover over the camera;

both the color filter glass layer and the thin-film-transistor glass layer extend to the accommodation portion to partially cover over the camera and not cover a lens hole of the camera; and

the outer polarizer layer, the inner polarizer layer, the prism sheet layer, the diffusion sheet layer, the light guide plate layer, and the reflection sheet layer are arranged outside of the accommodation portion without covering a portion of the camera.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the connector fixes the apparatus with another portion of the electronic device including the apparatus.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the accommodation portion includes a groove formed from a side to an interior of the display panel.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the lens hole of the camera is oriented toward the protection glass.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the camera is arranged at a rear side of the thin-film-transistor glass layer opposite to a front side of the thin-film-transistor glass layer; and

the rear side of the thin-film-transistor glass layer is further away from the protecting glass layer than the front side of the thin-film-transistor glass layer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the second portion of the connector is arranged between the reflection sheet layer and the circuit connecting plate.

7. A display device comprising:

a bezel; and

the apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein;

the bezel covers the edge of the display panel, and

the bezel includes a through hole corresponding to the camera.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein:

the bezel is an upper bezel of the display device, and

the camera is arranged in the upper bezel.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein:

the upper bezel includes a hollow protrusion formed at a top portion of the upper bezel, and

the camera is arranged in the protrusion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the second portion of the connector, at least partially, is fixedly connected to the circuit connecting plate.