Electronic device having a vision system assembly held by a self-aligning bracket assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12379209-B2
Application number	US-202217823495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2022
Priority date	Aug 7, 2017
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device that includes a vision system carried by a bracket assembly is disclosed. The vision system may include a first camera module that captures an image of an object, a light emitting element that emits light rays toward the object, and a second camera module that receives light rays reflected from the object. The light rays may include infrared light rays. The bracket assembly is designed not only carry the aforementioned modules, but to also maintain a predetermined and fixed separation between the modules. The bracket assembly may form a rigid, multi-piece bracket assembly to prevent bending, thereby maintaining the predetermined separation. The electronic device may include a transparent cover designed to couple with a housing. The transparent cover incudes an alignment module designed to engage a module and provide a moving force that aligns the bracket assembly and the modules to a desired location in the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:
an enclosure that defines an internal volume;
a transparent cover secured with the enclosure;
a display assembly covered by the transparent cover, the display assembly comprising a display layer and an opaque masking layer, the masking layer defining an inactive region extending into and at least partially surrounded by an active region;
a bracket assembly disposed between the transparent cover and the enclosure; and
a facial recognition system carried by the bracket assembly in the internal volume such that the facial recognition system is uncovered from the display assembly by the inactive region, the facial recognition system comprising:
an emitter biased toward the transparent cover by the bracket assembly and configured to project a pattern comprising spaced apart dots;
a sensor biased toward the transparent cover by the bracket assembly and configured to detect the spaced apart dots; and
processor circuitry configured to authenticate a user based at least in part on the detected spaced apart dots.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , the sensor comprising a camera module.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the bracket assembly lacks an affixation with the enclosure.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the bracket assembly includes a spring element that is at least partially compressed between the enclosure and the transparent cover.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising an alignment module adhered to the transparent cover, the alignment module configured to align the facial recognition system in the internal volume.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the masking layer comprises an opaque material disposed on the transparent cover, the masking layer including openings, wherein the alignment module aligns the sensor and the emitter with the openings.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises:
a bottom wall formed from a first material; and
sidewall components formed from a second material different from the first material.

8. A portable electronic device, comprising:
an enclosure defining an internal volume;
a transparent cover secured with the enclosure;
a display assembly covered by the transparent cover, the display assembly comprising:
a display layer that comprises an active region that presents visual information and an inactive region defined by a notch extending into the active region such that the notch is disposed between a first portion of the active region and a second portion of the active region;
an opaque masking layer that further defines the notch, the masking layer defining an opening through which light can pass in the notch; and

a vision system including an object recognition system positioned in the internal volume in a location corresponding to the inactive region, the object recognition system configured to:
project a pattern comprising spaced apart dots;
detect a variation in a separation distance between one or more of the spaced apart dots on a surface; and
perform an action based at least in part on the detected variation; and

a bracket assembly biasing the vision system against the transparent cover.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the vision system comprises a camera module and a light emitting module.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the bracket assembly carries the camera module and the light emitting module.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the bracket assembly is not secured to the enclosure.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the bracket assembly comprises:
a first bracket;
a second bracket coupled with the first bracket, wherein the camera module is carried by the first bracket and the second bracket; and
a module carrier that carries the light emitting module, the module carrier coupled to one of the first bracket and the second bracket.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the camera module is a first camera module and the vision system further comprises a second camera module.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising a border that covers an edge of the display assembly, wherein the vision system is positioned between the border and the active region.

15. A portable electronic device, comprising:
an enclosure comprising a bottom wall and sidewall components extending from the bottom wall, the sidewall components combining with the bottom wall to form an internal volume;
a transparent layer secured with the enclosure;
a display assembly coupled with the transparent layer, the display assembly comprising a display layer and a touch input layer, the display layer and the touch input layer defining an opaque inactive region extending into and at least partially surrounded by an active region, the display assembly defining an opening in the inactive region through which light can pass;
a bracket assembly disposed between the transparent layer and the enclosure;
an object detection system biased toward the transparent layer by the bracket assembly in the internal volume such that the object detection system is unimpeded by the display assembly based on the inactive region, the object detection system comprising:
a light emitting module carried by the bracket assembly and configured to project a pattern comprising spaced apart dots onto a surface;
a sensor carried by the bracket assembly and configured to detect a variation in a separation distance between one or more of the spaced apart dots; and
processor circuitry configured to identify the object based at least in part on the detected variation.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the bottom wall comprises a transparent material.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the bracket assembly includes a spring element that is compressed between the transparent layer and the enclosure.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the bracket assembly is free of an affixation with the enclosure.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the bottom wall is formed from a first material, and wherein the sidewall components are formed from a second material different from the first material.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the first material comprises a metal, and wherein the second material comprises a non-metal.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Fletcher Ashley E
• Pakula David A
• Jarvis Daniel W
• Kole Jared M

Classifications

• H04N25/713

  Transfer or readout registers; Split readout registers or multiple readout registers · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• G06V40/166

  using acquisition arrangements · CPC title

• G06V30/144

  using a slot moved over the image; using discrete sensing elements at predetermined points; using automatic curve following means · CPC title

• G06V20/653

  by matching three-dimensional models, e.g. conformal mapping of Riemann surfaces · CPC title