Electronic devices with infrared blocking filters

• US 10,838,126 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2017
• Issued: 11/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Ligang, Jia, Zhang, Isikman, Serhan O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thong Q
• Application Number:
  US15/630,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20180081100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/282 reflecting for infrared and transparent for visible light, e.g. heat reflectors, laser protection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/285 comprising deposited thin solid films G02B5/281 - G02B5/289 take precedence; multilayered film filters for fibre optic multiplexing G02B6/29361

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with one or more light-sensing components such as a camera and a color ambient light sensor. Optical structures such as camera lenses or a light pipe may be used to convey light from a window in an electronic device to a light-sensing component. One or more infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light transmitting light filters may be interposed between a light-receiving window in an electronic device and a light-sensing component. The light filters may include infrared-light-blocking glass substrates, silver or other infrared-light-blocking thin films, and/or thin-film interference filters formed from stacks of dielectric layers that serve as infrared light-blocking layers.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a window that transmits visible light and infrared light;

a layer of material on the window that has a light transmission of 1-10%;

a light sensitive component aligned with the window; and

an infrared-light-blocking filter configured to receive the visible and infrared light and to pass the visible light and block the infrared light, comprising;

an infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate that is configured to pass the visible light and block the infrared light, wherein the infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate has opposing first and second surfaces;

a thin-film interference filter formed from a stack of dielectric layers with different refractive indices on the first surface of the infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate, wherein the thin-film interference filter is configured to pass the visible light and block the infrared light; and

a layer of metal on the second surface of the infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate that blocks the infrared light and passes the visible light.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the thin-film interference filter includes a stack of dielectric layers having first, second, and third refractive index values, wherein the second refractive index value is between the first and third refractive index values.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate is an ionically colored glass layer.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the layer of metal comprises a layer of silver.

5. An electronic device comprising:

a window that transmits visible light and infrared light;

a layer of material on the window that has a light transmission of 1-10%;

a light sensitive component aligned with the window; and

an infrared-light-blocking filter between the window and the light sensitive component comprising;

an infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate; and

a thin-film layer of metal on the infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate that blocks infrared light and passes visible light.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate is an ionically colored glass layer.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the layer of metal comprises a layer of silver.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the layer of silver has a thickness of 0.4 microns to 2.5 microns.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a window that transmits visible and infrared light;

a layer of material on the window that has a light transmission of 1-10%;

a light sensitive component aligned with the window; and

a light filter between the window and the light sensitive component that blocks the infrared light and transmits the visible light, wherein the light filter includes an infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate and a thin-film interference filter formed from a stack of dielectric layers with different refractive indices on the infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the light sensitive component comprises a light sensitive component selected from the group consisting of:

a camera and an ambient light sensor.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the thin-film interference filter includes a stack of dielectric layers having first, second, and third refractive index values and wherein the second refractive index value is between the first and third refractive index values.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the thin-film interference filter includes a stack of dielectric layers having alternating higher and lower indices of refraction.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the light-sensing component comprises a color ambient light sensor.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising a light guide that guides the visible and infrared light from the window to the light filter.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 further comprising a layer of adhesive that attaches the light filter to a surface of the light guide.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 further comprising a layer of metal interposed between the layer of adhesive and the infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting glass substrate.

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

an array of pixels; and

a display cover layer having a first portion that overlaps the array of pixels and having a second portion coated with an opaque masking layer, wherein the window is formed in an opening in the opaque masking layer.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the light filter further comprises a layer of metal that blocks the infrared light and that passes the visible light.