Biometric key including a textured ceramic cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11113494-B2
Application number	US-202016812297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2020
Priority date	Nov 11, 2019
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device is provided, the electronic device having a keyboard including a biometric input device. The biometric input device may be a biometric key or button. A cap of a biometric key or button may include a textured ceramic cover, such as a textured sapphire cover. The cap may further include a rear decorative coating and a front antireflective coating disposed on or over the textured ceramic cover. The cap may have one or more visual and or tactile properties which resemble those of an adjacent key of the keyboard.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computing device comprising:
an upper portion comprising an upper housing and a display positioned in the upper housing; and
a lower portion comprising a lower housing coupled to the upper portion by a hinge, the lower portion including a keyboard comprising:
an array of keys, each key of the array of keys having a plastic keycap; and
a biometric power button positioned adjacent to one or more keys of the array of keys and comprising:
a sapphire cover defining:
a textured front surface; and
a rounded edge extending from the textured front surface to a side surface;

an inorganic multilayer coating disposed on a rear surface of the sapphire cover and having an optical density of at least 3;
a biometric sensor positioned below the sapphire cover; and
a switch positioned below the biometric sensor.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein:
the biometric power button further comprises an anti-reflection coating disposed over the textured front surface of the sapphire cover and having a thickness from about 75 nm to about 150 nm;
the textured front surface defines a surface roughness having an arithmetic mean height (Sa) from about 300 nm to about 700 nm; and
the inorganic multilayer coating disposed on the rear surface of the sapphire cover has a thickness from about 1 micron to about 2 microns and comprises multiple dielectric layers and multiple metal layers.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic multilayer coating disposed on the rear surface of the sapphire cover has an optical density from 3 to 5.

4. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the biometric sensor is a fingerprint sensor.

5. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the biometric power button further comprises a circuit layer in electrical communication with the fingerprint sensor and configured to produce a signature that corresponds to a fingerprint.

6. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein:
the lower portion of the computing device further comprises a touch sensitive display configured to display a set of virtual keys; and
the touch sensitive display is spaced apart from the biometric power button.

7. A computing device comprising:
an upper portion comprising an upper housing and a display positioned within the upper housing; and
a lower portion comprising a keyboard and a lower housing rotatably coupled to the upper housing, the keyboard including:
a set of keys, each key of the set of keys including a keycap formed of a polymer material; and
a biometric input key comprising:
a textured cap comprising:
a transparent cover formed of alumina and defining:
 a front surface including a set of surface features configured to diffusely reflect light from the front surface;
 a side surface; and
 a curved surface extending between the front surface and the side surface;
a first coating covering the front surface and comprising a plurality of inorganic dielectric layers configured to cause destructive interference between light reflected from the first coating and light reflected from the front surface of the transparent cover; and
a second coating covering a rear surface of the transparent cover and configured to absorb visible light;

a biometric sensor positioned below the transparent cover; and
an electromechanical switch positioned below the biometric sensor and configured to actuate in response to a press on the biometric input key.

8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the textured cap has a reflectance of less than 15% over a visible spectrum.

9. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the textured cap has a reflective haze from about 30 to about 70.

10. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein:
the set of surface features is a first set of surface features;
the curved surface includes a second set of surface features configured to diffusely reflect light from the curved surface; and
the first coating covers the curved surface.

11. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the curved surface defines a radius of curvature from about 0.05 mm to about 0.25 mm.

12. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein:
the biometric sensor is a capacitance-based fingerprint sensor; and
the biometric input key further comprises a metal support positioned below and coupled to the textured cap.

13. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein:
the textured cap has a first color described by a first L* value;
the keycap formed of the polymer material has a second color described by a second L* value; and
a difference between the first L* value and the second L* value is less than 5.

14. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the biometric input key further comprises a key mechanism defining a spring plate.

15. A computing device comprising:
a keyboard comprising:
a biometric button comprising:
a cap including:
a sapphire cover defining:
 a front surface having a first texture configured to provide a first matte appearance;
 a side surface; and
 a curved edge between the front surface and the side surface, the curved edge having a second texture;
an anti-reflection coating disposed over the front surface of the sapphire cover and comprising a first plurality of inorganic dielectric layers; and
an optically dense coating disposed over a rear surface of the sapphire cover and comprising a second plurality of inorganic dielectric layers and a plurality of metal layers;

an electrically conductive support positioned below and coupled to the cap;
a biometric sensor positioned below the cap; and
a switch positioned below the biometric sensor; and

a set of keys, each key of the set of keys including a polymeric keycap having a second matte appearance.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein each of the cap and the polymeric keycap has a gloss value from about 2 to about 8.

17. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein each of the cap and the polymeric keycap has an L* value from about 20 to about 30.

18. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein a side of the cap is flush with or extends beyond a side of the electrically conductive support.

19. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein a tolerance of a radius of curvature of the curved edge is from 0% to 35% of a target radius of curvature.

20. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein:
the second texture is laser-formed; and
the second texture is configured to provide a third matte appearance to the curved edge of the sapphire cover.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Gupta Vivek
• Renda Nicholas A
• Xu Chi
• Jayanathan Stephen V

Classifications

• G02B5/285 Primary

  comprising deposited thin solid films (G02B5/281 - G02B5/289 take precedence; multilayered film filters for fibre optic multiplexing G02B6/29361) · CPC title

• G06V10/147

  Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19) · CPC title

• G06V40/13

  Sensors therefor · CPC title

• G02B1/18

  Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films (G02B1/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B1/115

  Multilayers · CPC title