Input devices incorporating biometric sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12253884-B2
Application number	US-202318231896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2023
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

A button assembly for an electronic device is disclosed. The button assembly integrates a biometric sensor below a top surface of the button. The button assembly is positioned relative to a secondary display of an electronic device. The secondary display can be positioned relative to a keyboard, such as above a top row of keys of the keyboard.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laptop computing device comprising:
an upper portion comprising a display;
a lower portion coupled to the upper portion; and
a depressible power button positioned at least partially in the lower portion and comprising:
a cap defining an entirety of an upper exposed surface of the depressible power button, the cap configured to receive a touch input and a press input;
a grounding element positioned below the cap and configured to detect the touch input;
a biometric sensor positioned below the cap and configured to detect the touch input;
a compressible switch positioned below the biometric sensor and configured to detect the press input; and
a spring element positioned below the cap and configured to resist movement of the cap in response to the touch input and deform in response to the press input.

2. The laptop computing device of claim 1 , wherein:
the grounding element defines an opening; and
the biometric sensor is positioned at least partially within the opening.

3. The laptop computing device of claim 2 , wherein:
the grounding element extends between the spring element and the cap; and
the grounding element supports the cap.

4. The laptop computing device of claim 1 wherein:
the spring element is coupled to an inner surface of the lower portion;
the grounding element extends at least partially through the lower portion; and
the grounding element is coupled to the spring element.

5. The laptop computing device of claim 1 , wherein the upper exposed surface of the cap is substantially planar.

6. The laptop computing device of claim 1 , wherein the cap comprises at least one of a metal material, a glass material, a sapphire material, a plastic material and a ceramic material.

7. The laptop computing device of claim 1 , wherein the spring element comprise a spring plate that is configured to deform out of plane in response to the press input.

8. The laptop computing device of claim 7 , wherein the spring plate comprises one or more cutouts.

9. A laptop computing device comprising:
an upper housing portion comprising a display;
a lower housing portion coupled to the upper housing portion and defining one or more openings;
a depressible power button positioned at least partially within an opening of the one or more openings and comprising:
a cap defining a substantial entirety of an upper surface of the depressible power button;
a spring plate positioned below the cap and configured to maintain the cap in an undepressed position in response to a touch input and allow the cap to move to a depressed position in response to a press input;
a biometric sensor positioned between the cap and the spring plate and configured to obtain biometric data in response to the touch input; and
a metallic frame positioned between the cap and the spring plate and configured to operate as a grounding element for the biometric sensor.

10. The laptop computing device of claim 9 , wherein:
an upper surface of the metallic frame is coupled to a first portion of a lower surface of the cap; and
an upper surface of the biometric sensor is coupled to a second portion of the lower surface of the cap.

11. The laptop computing device of claim 10 , wherein the metallic frame at least partially surrounds the biometric sensor.

12. The laptop computing device of claim 10 , wherein the upper surface of the depressible power button is substantially flat.

13. The laptop computing device of claim 9 , wherein the biometric sensor comprises a capacitive sensor configured to detect at least a portion of a fingerprint of a user through the cap.

14. The laptop computing device of claim 9 , wherein the biometric sensor comprises an optical sensor configured to detect at least a portion of a fingerprint of a user through the cap.

15. The laptop computing device of claim 9 , wherein:
the spring plate comprises one or more cutouts defining an inner portion and an outer portion of the spring plate;
the inner portion is coupled to the lower housing portion; and
the outer portion is coupled to the metallic frame.

16. A laptop computing device comprising:
an upper portion comprising a display;
a lower portion coupled to the upper portion; and
a power button positioned within an opening in the lower portion and comprising:
a cap defining an entirety of an exposed upper surface of the power button and configured to move between an undepressed position and a depressed position;
a frame positioned below the cap and configured to operate as a non-contact grounding element in response to a user touch to the cap;
a spring positioned below the cap and coupled to the lower portion;
a biometric sensor positioned between the cap and the spring and configured to detect a fingerprint of a user through the cap; wherein:

in response to a touch input, the spring is configured to resist movement of the cap and maintain the cap in the undepressed position and detect the fingerprint of the user; and
in response to a press input, the spring is configured to deform to allow the cap to move to the depressed positioned.

17. The laptop computing device of claim 16 , wherein:
the laptop computing device is configured to authorize a function in response to the touch input corresponding to a touch by an authorized user; and
the laptop computing device is configured to change a power state in response to the press input.

18. The laptop computing device of claim 16 , wherein:
the power button further comprises an electrical switch positioned between the cap and the spring; and
the electrical switch is configured to detect the press input.

19. The laptop computing device of claim 16 , wherein:
the spring comprises a spring plate;
a first portion of the spring plate is coupled to the lower portion;
a second portion of the spring plate is coupled to the frame; and
in the undepressed position the spring plate is substantially planar.

20. The laptop computing device of claim 16 , further comprising a keyboard comprising multiple depressible keys, wherein:
the opening is a first opening defined by the lower portion;
the lower portion defines multiple additional openings; and
and each of the multiple depressible keys is positioned in an opening of the multiple additional openings.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Cao Robert Y
• Mccord Michael K
• Lancaster-Larocque Simon R

Classifications

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F3/02

  Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G06F1/1637

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title