Electronic device including display and sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11061447-B2
Application number	US-202016890481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2020
Priority date	Aug 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

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 housing;
a display unit disposed in the housing, the display unit including an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer;
a lower panel disposed below the OLED layer and including a flexible layer, the flexible layer including a first opening formed therethrough;
a circuit board disposed below the flexible layer, the circuit board including a second opening formed therethrough and at least partially aligned with the first opening; and
a sensor, when viewed in a direction from the display unit, disposed at least partially aligned with the first opening and the second opening such that the sensor is to detect a light received from an outside of the electronic device via the first opening and the second opening,
wherein, when viewed in the direction, a first area of the first opening and a second area of the second opening each have a specified size such that an angle of view of the sensor is not obstructed.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the OLED layer includes a polarization panel and a display panel that is disposed below the polarization panel and includes a plurality of OLED pixels.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible layer includes at least one of an embossed panel or a sponge panel.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible layer is opaque such that, when viewed in the direction, a component below the flexible layer is invisible via the display unit.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the display unit includes a polymer layer deposited below the OLED layer, and
wherein the polymer layer includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being flexible and, when viewed in the direction, extended out of a periphery of the OLED layer, and the second portion being connected to the circuit board.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor includes a sensing portion to detect the light, and a connecting portion to connect electrically with the circuit board, and
wherein the sensor is disposed such that, when viewed in the direction, the sensing portion is positioned within a periphery of the first opening and the second opening.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed such that, when viewed from another direction substantially perpendicular to the direction, at least one portion of the sensor is positioned higher than a bottom of the second opening.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible layer is configured to protect the display unit.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a connector mounted at a bending portion of the circuit board,
wherein the circuit board is electrically coupled with another circuit board via the connector.

10. 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 unit disposed between the front cover and the rear cover, the display unit including an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer;
a lower panel disposed below the OLED layer, the lower panel including a flexible layer configured to protect the display unit, and the flexible layer including a first opening formed therethrough; and
a sensor, when viewed in a direction from the front cover to the rear cover, disposed at least partially aligned with the first opening such that the sensor is to detect a light received from an outside of the electronic device via the first opening,
wherein the display unit 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 is configured such that the sensor is arranged in the active area of the display unit.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the OLED layer includes a polarization panel and a display panel that is disposed below the polarization panel and includes a plurality of OLED pixels.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the flexible layer includes at least one of an embossed panel or a sponge panel.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the flexible layer is opaque such that, when viewed in the direction, a component below the flexible layer is invisible via the display unit.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the sensor includes a sensing portion to detect the light, and is disposed such that, when viewed in the direction, the sensing portion is positioned within a periphery of the first opening and a second opening.

15. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a circuit board disposed below the flexible layer,
wherein the display unit includes a polymer layer deposited below the OLED layer, and
wherein the polymer layer includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being flexible and, when viewed in the direction, extended out of a periphery of the OLED layer, and the second portion being connected to the circuit board.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 ,
wherein the circuit board includes a second opening formed therethrough and at least partially aligned with the first opening, and
wherein the sensor is further at least partially aligned with the second opening such that an angle of view of the sensor is not obstructed.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein a connector mounted at a bending portion of the circuit board, and the circuit board is electrically coupled with another circuit board via the connector.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G09G5/10 Primary

  Intensity circuits · CPC title

• G09G2370/022

  Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally · CPC title

• G09G2360/144

  the light being ambient light · CPC title

• G06F1/1684 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 · CPC title

• G09G2380/08

  Biomedical applications · CPC title