Proximity sensor with asymmetric optical element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9366752-B2
Application number	US-201113243382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2011
Priority date	Sep 23, 2011
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A proximity sensor may be mounted below a display cover layer in an electronic device. The proximity sensor may have a light source that emits light and a detector configured to detect reflections of the emitted light from nearby external objects. Optical structures may be interposed between the proximity sensor and the window in the display cover layer. The optical structures may include a first portion such as a convex lens that is configured to collimate light from the light source so that the light propagates along a surface normal to the display cover layer. The optical structures may also include a second portion such as a prism structure for deflecting uncollimated light away from the propagation axis of the collimated light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus, comprising:
a light-based proximity sensor including a light source and a light detector; and
optical structures through which light from the light source passes, wherein the optical structures include light collimating structures and light deflecting structures, and wherein the light deflecting structures are configured to deflect light onto an object external to the apparatus.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the light collimating structures include lens structures that collimate the light from the light source to produce collimated light.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the collimated light propagates along a first axis and wherein the light deflecting structures are configured to deflect light from the light source to produce deflected light that propagates along a second axis that is oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the first axis.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the optical structures are configured such that the deflected light comprises uncollimated light.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the light collimating structures comprise a convex lens.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein the light deflecting structures comprise prism structures.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein the convex lens and the prism structures are formed from a unitary molded plastic member.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the light source comprises an infrared light-emitting diode and wherein the light deflecting structures comprise prism structures.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the light collimating structures comprise a lens, wherein the light deflecting structures comprise a light reflector, and wherein the deflected light comprises uncollimated light.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 wherein the light reflector comprises a prism.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the wherein the light deflecting structures comprise a diffractive optical element.

12. An electronic device, comprising:
a display layer;
a proximity sensor having a light source and a light detector;
a lens structure interposed between the light source and the display layer, wherein the lens structure is configured so that light emitted from the light source passes through the lens structure and the display layer and propagates along an axis; and
a light deflecting structure configured to deflect light from the light source through the display layer in a direction away from the axis.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the light deflecting structures are configured to deflect the light from the light source to produce uncollimated light and wherein the display layer comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of: a display cover glass layer and a plastic display cover layer.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the light source comprises a light-emitting diode.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the lens structure comprises a convex lens structure and wherein the light deflecting structure comprises a prism.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the prism and the convex lens structure form portions of a common molded plastic structure and wherein the electronic device further comprises an infrared-transparent ink layer on the display layer through which collimated light from the convex lens structure and deflected uncollimated light from the prism pass.

Assignees

• Ruh Richard
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ruh Richard

Classifications

• G01S17/04

  Systems determining the presence of a target · CPC title

• G01S7/4814 Primary

  of transmitters alone · CPC title

• G01S17/026

  Physics · mapped topic