Electronic device including display and sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10705576-B2
Application number	US-201916284312-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2019
Priority date	Aug 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing including a first housing surface that faces a first side, a second housing surface that faces a second side, and a side surface that surrounds at least a portion of a space between the first housing surface and the second housing surface, a display arranged within the housing and including a first display surface including a display screen exposed through the first housing surface and a second display surface that faces the second side, a structure arranged between the second display surface and the second housing surface including a contact surface, the structure including a through-opening, and a sensor, at least a portion of which is arranged within the opening and which is arranged to detect at least a portion of light received from the outside of the housing after passing through the first housing surface and the display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a front cover forming at least part of a front surface of the electronic device;
a rear cover forming at least part of a rear surface of the electronic device;
a display disposed between the front cover and the rear cover;
a lower panel disposed between the display and the rear cover, the lower panel including a first opening formed through the lower panel;
a circuit board disposed between the lower panel and the rear cover, the circuit board including a second opening formed through the circuit board and aligned with the first opening; and
a sensor configured to detect at least a portion of light received via the display and from an outside of the electronic device,
wherein at least a portion of the sensor is positioned inside the second opening.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises:
a first polymer layer forming at least part of a surface of the display facing the lower panel;
a second polymer layer disposed over the first polymer layer;
an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer disposed over the second polymer layer; and
a conductive pattern disposed over the OLED layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the second polymer layer includes:
a flat portion positioned at least partially overlapped with the first polymer layer; and
a bending portion extended from an edge of the flat portion and bent toward the circuit board.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the second polymer layer is electrically coupled with the circuit board via the bending portion.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board includes a bending portion bent toward the rear cover.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , further comprising:
a connector mounted at an end of the bending portion of the circuit board, and
wherein the circuit board is electrically coupled with another circuit board via the connector.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display and the sensor are spaced apart from each other by a specified distance such that an air gap is formed between the display and the sensor.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is in contact with another circuit board and electrically connected with the circuit board via the other circuit board.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a connector mounted on the other circuit board, and
wherein the sensor is electrically connected with the circuit board via the connector.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the display comprises an active area in which a screen is displayed and a non-active area surrounding at least part of the active area, and
wherein the first opening and the second opening are formed below the active area.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a display;
a supporting member disposed below the display and configured to support at least part of the display, the supporting member including a first opening formed through the supporting member;
a circuit board disposed below the supporting member, the circuit board including a second opening formed through the circuit board and aligned with the first opening; and
a sensor disposed below the first opening and configured to detect at least a portion of light received from an outside of a housing through at least part of a space formed from the first opening and the second opening,
wherein at least a portion of the sensor is positioned inside the second opening.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the display includes:
a first polymer layer forming at least part of a surface of the display facing the supporting member; and
a second polymer layer disposed over the first polymer layer, and
wherein the second polymer layer includes a flat portion positioned at least partially overlapped with the first polymer layer and a bending portion extended from an edge of the flat portion.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the bending portion is bent toward the circuit board and the second polymer layer is electrically coupled with to the circuit board via the bending portion.

14. The electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a connector mounted at a bending portion of the circuit board, and
wherein the circuit board is electrically coupled with another circuit board via the connector.

15. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the display and the sensor are spaced apart from each other by a specified distance such that an air gap is formed between the display and the sensor.

16. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is in contact with another circuit board and electrically connected with the circuit board via the other circuit board.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the sensor is electrically connected with the circuit board via a connection member.

18. An electronic device comprising:
a display including an active area and a non-active area surrounding at least part of the active area;
a lower panel disposed below the display, and including a first opening formed in a portion of the lower panel corresponding to the active area;
a circuit board disposed below the lower panel, and including a second opening formed through the circuit board and aligned with the first opening; and
a sensor configured to acquire an image corresponding to biometric information, at least a portion of the sensor positioned inside the second opening.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 ,
wherein the display includes a polymer layer, and
wherein the polymer layer includes a flat portion positioned at least partially overlapped with the lower pane and a bending portion extended from an edge of the flat portion and bent toward the circuit board, and the display is electrically coupled with the circuit board via the bending portion.

20. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the display and the sensor are spaced apart from each other by a specified distance such that an air gap is formed between the display and the sensor.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Han Seon-Ho
• Park Seung-Hyun
• Lee Jun-Hui

Classifications

• G09G5/10 Primary

  Intensity circuits · CPC title

• G02F1/13318

  Circuits comprising a photodetector · CPC title

• G06F1/1647

  including at least an additional display (G06F1/1692 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G09G2380/08

  Biomedical applications · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title