Electronic optical sensing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11635786-B2
Application number	US-202017019172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2020
Priority date	Jun 11, 2020
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device can include a housing that includes an optically transparent component. First and second light emitters can be positioned in the internal volume defined by the housing. A light detector can be positioned in the internal volume and can be optically isolated from the first and second light emitters within the internal volume. An opaque material can be disposed on the optically transparent component and can be positioned to inhibit light emitted from the second light emitter from reaching the light detector and to allow light emitted from the first light emitter to reach the light detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing at least partially defining an internal volume, the housing comprising an optically transparent component at least partially defining an exterior surface of the electronic device;
a first light emitter positioned in the internal volume;
a second light emitter positioned in the internal volume;
a light detector positioned in the internal volume, the light detector optically isolated from the first light emitter and the second light emitter within the internal volume; and
an opaque material disposed on the optically transparent component, the opaque material positioned between the first light emitter and the second light emitter, the opaque material being closer to the exterior surface than the first light emitter and the second light emitter, the opaque material positioned to:
inhibit light emitted from the second light emitter from reaching the light detector along a path from the second light emitter, through a medium adjacent to a portion of exterior surface defined by the optically transparent component, and onto the light detector through the optically transparent component; and
allow light emitted from the first light emitter to reach the light detector along a path from the first light emitter, through the medium, and onto the light detector through the optically transparent component.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the optically transparent component comprises glass.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the opaque material is opaque to green light.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the opaque material is transparent to infrared light.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the opaque material has a major dimension of 10 mm or less.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the opaque material has a thickness of 10 microns or less.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a lens positioned over the opaque material.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the optically transparent component comprises sapphire.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the optically transparent component comprises a silicon dioxide layer; and
the opaque material is disposed on the silicon dioxide layer.

10. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing defining an internal volume, the housing comprising an optically transparent portion;
a light emitter disposed in the internal volume;
a first light detector disposed in the internal volume;
a second light detector disposed in the internal volume; and
a light blocking component disposed between the first light detector and the second light detector and on an internal surface of the optically transparent portion, the light blocking component sized and positioned to:
prevent light emitted by the light emitter from passing out of the electronic device through the optically transparent component in a direction oriented more towards the second light detector than the first light detector; and
allow light emitted by the light emitter to pass out of the electronic device through the optically transparent component in a direction oriented more towards the first light detector than the second light detector.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the light blocking component has a substantially circular shape.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the light blocking component has a diameter of 10 mm or less.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the light blocking component comprises a layer of ink.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the layer has a thickness of about 10 microns or less.

15. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the light emitter comprises an LED.

16. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein:
the light blocking component comprises a first light blocking component; and
the electronic device further comprises a second light blocking component positioned in the internal volume between the light emitter and the first light detector.

17. A housing for an electronic device, comprising:
a cover defining an aperture;
an optically transparent component positioned in the aperture and secured to the cover, the optically transparent component at least partially defining an internal surface of the housing and an external surface of the housing;
a lens overlying a portion of the optically transparent component defining the internal surface; and
an opaque material disposed on the portion of the optically transparent component defining the internal surface, the opaque material positioned between the optically transparent component and the lens.

18. The housing of claim 17 , wherein the opaque material is opaque to visible light and at least partially transparent to infrared light.

19. The housing of claim 17 , wherein the lens comprises a Fresnel lens.

20. The housing of claim 17 , wherein the optically transparent component comprises glass.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Block Ueyn L
• Copeland Devon K
• Shao Guocheng
• Venugopal Vivek

Classifications

• H10F77/40

  Optical elements or arrangements (surface textures H10F77/70) · CPC title

• H10F39/8063

  Microlenses · CPC title

• H10F39/804

  Containers or encapsulations · CPC title

• H04B17/27

  for locating or positioning the transmitter · CPC title

• H05K5/0017

  with operator interface units · CPC title