Electronic devices with switchable diffusers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11105677-B2
Application number	US-201816141183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2018
Priority date	Nov 6, 2017
Publication date	Aug 31, 2021
Grant date	Aug 31, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a display. An optical component window may be formed in the inactive area of the display. The optical component window may transmit infrared light from an infrared light source. The infrared light source may include a diffuser to allow the light source to operate in a flood illumination mode and a structured light mode. The diffuser may include liquid crystal material between first and second substrates. A sealant may surround the liquid crystal layer, and one or more spacer walls may be located between the sealant and the liquid crystal layer. An additional spacer wall may be used outside of the sealant to prevent metal from creating an electrical short between electrodes in the diffuser. Conductive material in the sealant may be used to couple a top electrode to a metal pad on a bottom substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A diffuser, comprising:
first and second transparent substrates;
liquid crystal material between the first and second substrates;
a sealant surrounding the liquid crystal material; and
inner and outer spacer walls interposed between the liquid crystal material and the sealant, wherein the outer spacer wall contacts the sealant and the inner spacer wall has at least one opening.

2. The diffuser defined in claim 1 wherein the inner and outer spacer walls are separated by a gap.

3. The diffuser defined in claim 1 wherein the inner and outer spacer walls comprise polymer.

4. The diffuser defined in claim 1 wherein the outer spacer wall forms a continuous perimeter.

5. The diffuser defined in claim 4 wherein the continuous perimeter is rectangular.

6. The diffuser defined in claim 1 further comprising a first electrode formed only on the first substrate and a second electrode having a first portion formed on the first substrate and a second portion formed on the second substrate.

7. The diffuser defined in claim 6 further comprising a conductive material within the sealant that electrically couples the first portion of the second electrode to the second portion of the second electrode.

8. The diffuser defined in claim 7 further comprising a passivation layer that covers the first electrode.

9. The diffuser defined in claim 8 wherein the passivation layer has openings and wherein the conductive material is coupled to the second portion of the second electrode through the openings in the passivation layer.

10. The diffuser defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one opening in the inner spacer wall comprises first and second openings.

11. The diffuser defined in claim 10 wherein the outer spacer wall has third and fourth openings that are offset from the first and second openings.

12. The diffuser defined in claim 11 wherein at least some of the liquid crystal material is located between the inner spacer wall and the outer spacer wall.

13. An infrared light source operable in a structured light mode and a flood illumination mode, comprising:
an infrared light emitter that emits infrared light; and
a diffuser formed over the infrared light emitter, wherein the diffuser is configured to diffuse the infrared light in the flood illuminate mode and to transmit the infrared light unaltered in the structured light mode, and wherein the diffuser comprises:
a liquid crystal layer;
a spacer surrounding the liquid crystal layer; and
a sealant surrounding the spacer and the liquid crystal layer, wherein the spacer contacts the sealant.

14. The infrared light source defined in claim 13 wherein the spacer comprises acrylic.

15. The infrared light source defined in claim 13 further comprising an additional spacer between the liquid crystal layer and the spacer.

16. The infrared light source defined in claim 15 wherein the spacer comprises a continuous perimeter of material and the additional spacer has gaps.

17. The infrared light source defined in claim 13 wherein the infrared light emitter comprises a laser.

18. A diffuser, comprising:
first and second substrates;
a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates;
a first electrode on the first substrate;
a second electrode on the second substrate;
sealant surrounding the liquid crystal layer, wherein the sealant includes a conductive material coupled to the first electrode; and
a spacer contacting the sealant that separates the sealant from the liquid crystal layer.

19. The diffuser defined in claim 18 further comprising an additional spacer, wherein the sealant is interposed between the spacer and the additional spacer.

20. The diffuser defined in claim 18 further comprising first and second metal pads on the second substrate, wherein the first metal pad is electrically coupled to the first electrode on the first substrate and the second metal pad is electrically coupled to the second electrode on the second substrate.

21. The diffuser defined in claim 18 further comprising a passivation layer that covers the second electrode, wherein the passivation layer has openings to allow the conductive material to contact the first electrode.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Lim Junhwan
• Ge Zhibing
• Boitnott Christopher L
• Chang Shih-Wei
• Choi Sang Un
• Jinasundera Sudirukkuge T

Classifications

• G02F1/1339 Primary

  Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells · CPC title

• G02F1/13756

  the liquid crystal selectively assuming a light-scattering state (G02F1/1334, G02F1/13718 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/13394

  spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars (G02F1/133377 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/13318

  Circuits comprising a photodetector · CPC title

• G02F2203/11

  involving infrared radiation · CPC title