Electronic devices with light sensors and displays

• US 9,947,901 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2017
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Shedletsky, Anna-Katrina, Drzaic, Paul S., de Jong, Erik G., Rothkopf, Fletcher R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn, Seung C
• Application Number:
  US15/483,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20170214004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 2502141, 2502081, 257290-292
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/818 Reflective anodes, e.g. ITO combined with thick metallic layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/828 Transparent cathodes, e.g. comprising thin metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/856 comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/865 comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. light-blocking layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/13 comprising photosensors that control luminance
• 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 light sensor that receives light that passes through the display. The display includes features that increase the amount of light that passes through the display. The features may be translucency enhancement features that allow light to pass directly through the display onto a light sensor mounted behind the display or may include a light-guiding layer that guides light through the display onto a light sensor mounted along an edge of the display. The translucency enhancement features may be formed in a reflector layer or an electrode layer for the display. The translucency enhancement features may include microperforations in a reflector layer of the display, a light-filtering reflector layer of the display, or a reflector layer of the display that passes a portion of the light and reflects an additional portion of the light.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a light sensor; and

a display formed over the light sensor, the display comprising;

a substrate layer;

a first electrode layer;

a second electrode layer;

a layer of organic emissive material between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer; and

a layer of light-blocking material interposed between the first electrode layer and the light sensor, wherein the layer of light-blocking material comprises an opening that is aligned with the light sensor, and wherein the light sensor receives light through the opening in the layer of light-blocking material.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the second electrode layer is an anode layer and wherein the anode layer comprises conductive traces and an array of thin-film transistors.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2, wherein the conductive traces comprise modified portions that are configured to allow light from outside the display to pass through the display to the light sensor.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3, wherein the opening in the layer of light-blocking material is aligned with at least one of the modified portions of the conductive traces to allow light to pass through both the opening and the at least one of the modified portions of the conductive traces to reach the light sensor.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer is a cathode layer and wherein the cathode layer is formed from a layer of conductive material having a thinned portion that that is configured to allow light from outside the display to pass through the display to reach the light sensor.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5, wherein the thinned portion of the layer of conductive material is aligned with the opening in the layer of light-blocking material to allow light to pass through both the opening and the thinned portion to reach the light sensor.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the light sensor is one of a plurality of light sensors mounted beneath the display, and wherein a plurality of openings in the layer of light-blocking material are aligned with the plurality of light sensors mounted beneath the display.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a light sensor; and

a display formed over the light sensor, the display comprising;

an electrode layer comprising a thin-film transistor and a layer of conductive material, wherein the layer of conductive material has modified portions that are configured to allow light from outside the display to pass through the display to the light sensor;

a cathode layer; and

a layer of organic emissive material between the electrode layer and the cathode layer.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the layer of conductive material forms conductive traces, and wherein the modified portions of the conductive material comprise thinned portions of the conductive traces that are aligned with the light sensor.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9, wherein light passes between the thinned portions of the conductive traces to reach the light sensor.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein layer of conductive material forms conductive traces, and wherein the modified portions of the conductive material comprise curved portions of the conductive traces that are aligned with the light sensor.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein light passes between the curved portions of the conductive traces to reach the light sensor.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 8, further comprising:

a substrate on which the electrode layer, the cathode layer, and the layer of organic emissive material are formed; and

a layer of light-blocking masking material between the cathode layer and the substrate, wherein the layer of light-blocking masking material comprises openings that are aligned with the modified portions of the layer of conductive material.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13, wherein the light sensor receives light that passes through the aligned openings in the layer of light-blocking masking material and the modified portions of the layer of conductive material.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a light sensor; and

a display formed over the light sensor, the display comprising;

an electrode layer comprising a thin-film transistor and an anode layer;

a cathode layer formed from conductive material, wherein the conductive material comprises locally thinned portions that are configured to allow light from outside the display to pass through the display to the light sensor; and

a layer of organic emissive material between the anode layer and the cathode layer.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15, further comprising:

a substrate on which the electrode layer, the cathode layer, and the layer of organic emissive material are formed; and

a layer of light-blocking material interposed between the cathode layer and the substrate, wherein the layer of light-blocking material comprises openings that are configured to pass light from outside the display to the light sensor.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16, wherein at least one of the locally thinned portions of the conductive material and at least one of the openings in the layer of light-blocking material are aligned with the light sensor so that light from outside the display passes through the at least one of the locally thinned portions and the at least one of the openings to reach the light sensor.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16, wherein the electrode layer is interposed between the substrate and the cathode layer.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 15, further comprising:

conductive traces in the electrode layer, wherein the conductive traces comprise modified portions configured to pass light from outside the display to the light sensor.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 15, wherein the display comprises an active area and an inactive area, and wherein the light sensor is mounted beneath the active area.