Electronic device including structure compensating for height difference between sensor and elastic member disposed on back surface of display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11348358-B2
Application number	US-201917266156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2019
Priority date	Aug 6, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device having a step compensated fingerprint sensor is disclosed. The electronic device includes a display panel including a front surface and a rear surface; an elastic member, disposed on the rear surface of the display panel, including an opening and having a first designated height; a sensor having a second designated height lower than the first designated height and disposed in an inner space formed by a side surface, having the first designated height, of the opening and the rear surface of the display panel; a connection member electrically connected to the sensor and disposed on the sensor with a third designated height compensating for a difference between the first designated height and the second designated height; and a flexible substrate electrically connected to the connection member in the opening and extended to an area of the elastic member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a display panel including a front surface and a rear surface;
an elastic member, disposed on the rear surface of the display panel, including an opening and having a first designated height;
a sensor disposed in an inner space formed by a side surface of the opening having the first designated height and the rear surface of the display panel wherein the sensor has a second designated height lower than the first designated height;
a connection member, electrically connected to the sensor, disposed on the sensor wherein the connection member has a third designated height compensating for a difference between the first designated height and the second designated height; and
a flexible substrate electrically connected to the connection member through the opening and extending from the opening and disposed under the elastic member.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the connection member includes a first signal terminal on one side and a second signal terminal on the other side electrically connected to the first signal terminal, and
wherein the connection member is electrically connected to the sensor using the first signal terminal and electrically connected to the flexible substrate using the second signal terminal.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the connection member comprises an FPCB (Flexible Printed Circuit Board) or a rigid PCB.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising an anisotropic conductive member disposed between the connection member and the sensor, and between the connection member and the flexible substrate, wherein the connection member is electrically connected to the sensor and the flexible substrate by the anisotropic conductive member.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the connection member and the anisotropic conductive member are disposed on the sensor to have a fourth designated height compensating for a difference between the first designated height and the second designated height.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a fingerprint sensor, and the fingerprint sensor outputs an ultrasonic wave through at least a portion of the display panel and obtains biometric information by receiving a reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave output from the fingerprint sensor.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an active area and a non-active area surrounding the active area, and the connecting member is disposed on at least a portion of the non-active area.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein one end of the flexible substrate is disposed to overlap with the connection member, and the other end of the flexible substrate is disposed to overlap with the elastic member.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a blocking member disposed between the elastic member and the rear of the display panel.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the connection member is disposed in the rear of the display panel in a space between side surfaces of the elastic member.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing including a first plate facing a first direction, a second plate facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a side member surrounding at least a portion of a space between the first plate and the second plate;
a display panel including a front surface facing the first direction and a rear surface facing the second direction, and disposed on at least a portion of the first plate in the second direction;
at least one sheet layer disposed on the rear surface of the display panel in the second direction and having an opening in at least a portion;
a fingerprint sensor disposed in contact with the rear surface of the display panel in the opening;
a flexible substrate wherein at least a portion of the flexible substrate overlaps with the fingerprint sensor and at least another portion of the flexible substrate overlaps with the at least one sheet layer; and
a step compensation member disposed between the fingerprint sensor and the flexible substrate, electrically connecting the fingerprint sensor and the flexible substrate, and compensating for a step difference due to a height difference between the sensor and the at least one sheet layer.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the step compensation member comprises at least one or more substrates in which a plurality of first electrodes electrically connected to the fingerprint sensor are formed on one surface, and a plurality of second electrodes electrically connected to the plurality of first electrodes and electrically connected to the flexible substrate are formed on the other surface.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the fingerprint sensor comprises an active region for acquiring a bio-signal for an external object and an inactive region in which at least one signal terminal for transmitting the bio-signal is formed, and wherein the step compensation member is disposed in at least a portion of the inactive region and disposed to overlap with one end of the flexible substrate.

14. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one sheet layer comprises a blocking member attached to one surface, facing the second direction, of the display panel and an elastic member attached to one surface, facing the second direction, of the blocking member.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein at least a partial region of the opening of the blocking member is spaced apart from a side surface of the fingerprint sensor by a first interval, and at least a partial region of the opening of the elastic member is spaced apart from the side surface of the fingerprint sensor by a second interval greater than the first interval.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Joohan
• Rhee Bongjae
• Lee Yongwon
• Hwang Seungho
• Choi Hyunsuk

Classifications

• H05K3/32

  electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits · CPC title

• G06V40/1306 Primary

  non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing · CPC title

• G06F1/1684

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

• G06F1/181

  Enclosures (for portable computers G06F1/1613) · CPC title

• H04M1/0266

  for a display module assembly · CPC title