Electronic devices with optical identification sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12033018-B2
Application number	US-202318446228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2023
Priority date	Sep 8, 2021
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device may be attached to an external item. The electronic device may include an optical identification sensor configured to sense a color-encoded tag in the external item when the item is attached to the device. The optical identification sensor may include a board layer, a protective filter layer, wall structures for supporting the protective filter layer on the board layer, a linear array of photodetectors disposed between the board layer and the protective filter layer, a field-of-view restriction filter interposed between the photodetectors and the protective filter layer, and a light source having multiple emitters for illuminating the color-encoded tag. The emitters may be activated sequentially to produce multiple images that are combined to reconstruct an accurate reading of the color-encoded tag, which can then be used to identify the type of external item currently attached to the electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a display in the housing; and
an optical identification sensor that comprises
a light source configured to emit light that illuminates an external object,
a light diffusing layer disposed over the light source,
an array of photodetectors configured to receive the light reflecting back from the external object through a portion of the housing, and
an opaque layer having a plurality of openings disposed over the array of photodetectors.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each photodetector in the array of photodetectors is overlapped by more than one of the plurality of openings in the opaque layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each opening in the plurality of openings in the opaque layer is overlapped by more than one of the photodetectors in the array of photodetectors.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each photodetector in the array of photodetectors is aligned with a respective one of the plurality of openings in the opaque layer.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the external object is removably attached to the housing of the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the optical identification sensor and the external object are separated by a distance less than 5 millimeters when the external object is attached to the housing of the electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the external object comprises a color-coded tag having a plurality of color blocks on a substrate.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of emitters, further comprising:
control circuitry configured to sequentially activate the plurality of emitters to illuminate the external object.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the optical identification sensor further comprises a presence sensor configured to detect when the external object is attached to the electronic device.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a display in the housing; and
an optical identification sensor that comprises
a light source configured to emit light that illuminates an accessory, wherein the accessory is removably attached to the electronic device,
an array of photodetectors configured to receive the light reflecting back from the accessory through a portion of the housing, and
an opaque layer having a plurality of holes disposed over the array of photodetectors.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the accessory comprises a color-coded tag having a plurality of color blocks on a substrate.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the optical identification sensor and the accessory are separated by a distance less than 5 millimeters when the accessory is attached to the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the optical identification sensor further comprises a light scattering layer disposed over the light source.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the optical identification sensor further comprises a light diffusing layer disposed over the light source.

15. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the optical identification sensor further comprises a diffusive light pipe disposed over the light source.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a display in the housing; and
an optical sensor that comprises
a light source configured to emit light that illuminates an external item,
an array of photodetectors configured to receive the light reflecting back from the external item through a portion of the housing, and
an opaque layer having a plurality of openings disposed over the array of photodetectors, wherein the optical sensor and the external item are separated by a distance that is less than 5 millimeters when the external item is on the housing of the electronic device.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the optical sensor further comprises:
a light diffusing layer or a light scattering layer disposed over the light source.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the external item comprises an accessory having a color-coded tag with a plurality of color blocks.

19. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the external item is removably attached to the housing of the electronic device.

20. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of emitters, further comprising:
control circuitry configured to sequentially activate the plurality of emitters to illuminate the external item.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Dashevsky David D
• Pearson Brian S
• Zheng Dong
• Cheung Eugene C
• Vampola Kenneth J

Classifications

• G09F3/005

  Identification bracelets, e.g. secured to the arm of a person · CPC title

• G06K2007/10485

  Arrangement of optical elements · CPC title

• G06K7/12

  using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks · CPC title

• G01S7/481

  Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements · CPC title

• G06K19/0614

  the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR (methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12) · CPC title