Electronic devices having electrically adjustable optical shutters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11740527-B2
Application number	US-202217894022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2022
Priority date	Sep 13, 2017
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device has an electrically adjustable shutter. The shutter may be placed in a transparent state or a nontransparent state. The shutter may overlap a portion of a display, may overlap a liquid contact indictor or a structure with text in a device, or may overlap an optical component such as an optical proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, visible light-emitting diode or laser, infrared light-emitting diode or laser, visible light image sensor, or infrared light image sensor. Control circuitry in the electronic device may place the shutter in an opaque state to hide an overlapped component from view or may place the shutter in a transparent state to allow the overlapped component to transmit or receive light. The adjustable shutter may exhibit changes in its transmission spectrum in different modes of operation and may be used as a camera filter or neutral density filter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a display coupled to the housing; and
an electrochromic component coupled to a portion of the housing, wherein the electrochromic component is adjustable between a first mode and a second mode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor interposed between the display and the electrochromic component.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic component is adjustable between a first color in the first mode and a second color that is different from the first color in the second mode.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first color is blue.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the second color is gray.

6. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first color is selected from the group of colors consisting of: blue, red, green, blue-black, white, black, and gray.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic component is adjustable between exhibiting a first haze in the first mode and a second haze that is different from the first haze in the second mode.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic component comprises first and second electrodes and wherein the electrochromic component is adjustable between the first and second modes by applying a voltage to the first and second electrodes.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the first and second electrodes are respectively formed on first and second glass substrates.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic component is adjustable between at least one additional mode.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic component is configured not to draw power when in the first mode or the second mode.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the electrochromic component is continuously adjustable between the first mode and the second mode.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the housing is opposite the display.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising:
an optical component that receives light through the portion of the housing.

15. A wearable electronic device, comprising:
a display;
a housing comprising a transparent member; and
an electrochromic component positioned behind the transparent member, wherein the electrochromic component is adjustable between a first mode and a second mode.

16. The wearable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the electrochromic component has a first color in the first mode and a second color that is different from the first color in the second mode.

17. The wearable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the electrochromic component has a first haze in the first mode and a second haze that is different from the first haze in the second mode.

18. The wearable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the electrochromic component is transparent in the first mode and opaque in the second mode.

19. A wearable electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a display coupled to the housing;
an optical component window in a portion of the housing;
an optical component that receives light through the optical component window; and
an electrically adjustable component that is separate from and overlaps the optical component.

20. The wearable electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the electrically adjustable component has an adjustable optical characteristic selected from the group consisting of: visible light transmission, haze, and color.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Firka Michael W
• Fletcher Ashley E
• Pope Benjamin J
• Hooton Lee E
• Myers Scott A
• Bustle Benjamin Shane
• Young Garam
• Coughenour Blake M

Classifications

• G02F1/13781 Primary

  using smectic liquid crystals (G02F1/141 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B26/005

  based on electrowetting · CPC title

• G02F1/13306

  Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells (G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence) · CPC title

• G09G3/348

  based on the deformation of a fluid drop, e.g. electrowetting · CPC title

• G09G3/36

  using liquid crystals · CPC title