Hidden sensors in an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9109952-B2
Application number	US-201314075370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2013
Priority date	Sep 30, 2008
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

An electronic device having one or more sensors is provided. The sensors may include any suitable type of sensor that emits or receives radiation (e.g., light waves) from the environment. The electronic device may include openings through which radiation may reach the sensors while keeping the sensors hidden from view. In some embodiments, the sensors may be placed underneath an opening used for an audio receiver such that radiation is piped to the sensors using a light path or a chamfered surface along the opening. In some embodiments, the sensors may be embedded in a screen such that the radiation emitted by the sensors exits the screen instead of being reflected on the screen. In some embodiments, the sensors may be placed along the periphery of the display, such that access to the sensors is provided via discontinuities in a gasket used to couple the display to the electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
an opening provided through an external surface of the electronic device;
an audio component positioned within the electronic device and configured to communicate audio waves through the opening with an environment external to the electronic device;
an emitter positioned within the electronic device and configured to emit first waves through the opening into the environment external to the electronic device; and
a recei…

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Dinh Richard Hung Minh
• Mullens Christopher T
• Tam Ching Yu John
• Huppi Brian Q

Classifications

• G01J1/4204

  Physics · mapped topic

• Y10T29/49002

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G01J1/42 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01J5/041

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01R3/00

  Physics · mapped topic