Portable electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11330351-B2
Application number	US-202017020564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2020
Priority date	Apr 2, 2020
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A portable electronic device can include a housing defining an aperture and a display positioned in the aperture. The display and the housing can define an internal volume and a speaker assembly can be positioned in the internal volume. The speaker assembly can include a speaker enclosure sealed to the housing within the internal volume, the speaker enclosure and the housing defining a speaker volume, and a speaker module in fluid communication with the speaker volume, the speaker module including a diaphragm positioned at an aperture defined by the speaker volume, the diaphragm defining multiple ridges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a processor positioned within the housing;
a display positioned at least partially within the housing;
a fingerprint sensor, comprising:
a sensor cover defining an input surface;
a conductive frame surrounding the sensor cover;
a force sensor configured to output a signal in response to a detection of an amount of a force exerted on the input surface, the conductive frame configured to translate with the sensor cover in response to the force; and
a capacitive sensor positioned below the sensor cover and configured to capture a fingerprint image in response to the force sensor outputting the signal;

a bracket affixed to the housing and supporting the fingerprint sensor in a position relative to the housing; and
an operational component comprising an electrical choke disposed on the bracket, the operational component in communication with the processor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operational component comprises an environmental sensor.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a transparent cover overlying the display and secured to the housing.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the transparent cover overlies the environmental sensor.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the environmental sensor comprises an ambient light sensor.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein a brightness of the display is at least partially determined by an amount of ambient light detected by the ambient light sensor.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor cover has a length that exceeds a width of the sensor cover.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor cover is substantially flush with an exterior surface defined by the housing.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is at least partially recessed within the housing and positioned at a sidewall of the housing.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
at least a portion of the fingerprint sensor is disposed in a resonating volume of an antenna.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing comprising a sidewall, the sidewall defining an aperture;
a biometric input component aligned with the aperture, the biometric input component comprising:
a sensor cover defining an input surface, the sensor cover having a length that exceeds a width of the sensor cover;
a conductive frame surrounding the sensor cover;
a capacitive sensor positioned below the sensor cover and configured to capture a fingerprint image; and
a stiffener comprising a conductive material, the stiffener electrically coupled to the conductive frame to electrically ground the conductive frame to the housing; and

a bracket affixed to the housing to support the biometric input component,
wherein the stiffener electrically grounds the conductive frame to the housing through the bracket.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the sensor cover is sealed to the conductive frame along a periphery of the sensor cover.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the conductive frame at least partially surrounds and supports the capacitive sensor.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein:
the capacitive sensor comprises a sensing pixel; and
the conductive frame comprises a sidewall positioned adjacent to the sensing pixel.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein a distance between the sidewall and the sensing pixel is less than about 0.5 mm.

16. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising a processor in communication with the capacitive sensor;
the processor configured to adjust a value of a signal transmitted from the capacitive sensor to compensate for noise in the signal caused by the conductive frame.

17. A biometric sensing component for an electronic device, comprising:
a sensor cover defining an input surface;
a force sensor configured to output a signal in response to a detection of an amount of a force exerted on the input surface;
a capacitive sensor positioned below the sensor cover and configured to capture a fingerprint image, the capacitive sensor having a length that exceeds a width of the capacitive sensor;
a conductive frame at least partially surrounding a periphery of the capacitive sensor, the conductive frame configured to translate with the sensor cover in response to the force; and
a bracket supporting the force sensor and the capacitive sensor,
wherein the conductive frame is electrically grounded to a housing of the electronic device through the bracket.

18. The biometric sensing component of claim 17 , further comprising a flexible electrical connector electrically coupled to the force sensor and the capacitive sensor.

19. The biometric sensing component of claim 18 , wherein:
the bracket defines a retention feature; and
the flexible electrical connector is electrically coupled to a portion of the bracket defining the retention feature.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Su Stephanie Y
• Judoprasetijo Brittany
• Deng Andrew
• Setlak Dale
• Oster Carli E
• Kuna Melody L
• Joyce Andrew W
• Xu Ran

Classifications

• H01Q1/2258

  used with computer equipment · CPC title

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title

• H04R1/2803

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title

• H05K5/0217

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title

• G06F1/1688 Primary

  the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers · CPC title