Coverglass fracture detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9703325-B2
Application number	US-201514825160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2015
Priority date	Aug 12, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

This application relates to methods and apparatus for detecting and characterizing the formation of cracks in a display cover. Various types of sensors can be used to accomplish the described embodiments. For example, a touch sensor can be utilized for detection and characterization purposes. Alternatively, a crack detection specific sensor or sensors can be added to a device. In some embodiments, when formation of a crack is detected, a device having a sensor that detects a crack can adjust its behavior depending upon how the crack is characterized. For example, the device can be configured to notify a user of the device of any or all systems of the device that will be affected by the detected crack. In some embodiments, crack characterization data can be sent to a device manufacturer to improve subsequent device models.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a device housing;
a display cover coupled with the device housing;
a processor; and
a crack detection system disposed within the device housing and electrically coupled with the processor;
a shock detection system for detecting a shock and passing associated shock information to the processor that uses the associated shock information to identify that the device has sustained a shock likely to crack in the display cover;
wherein when the crack detection system detects a crack in the display cover, the processor alters operation of the portable electronic device.

2. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein altering operation of the portable electronic device comprises providing a notification to a user of the portable electronic device that the crack has been detected.

3. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the crack detection system comprises a touch sensor.

4. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the touch sensor is integrated into an interior facing surface of the display cover.

5. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein altering operations of the portable electronic device comprises disabling a sensor of the portable electronic device degraded by the detected crack.

6. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5 , wherein the crack detection system comprises an array of conductive traces disposed beneath a masked portion of the display cover.

7. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the crack detection system comprises an array of piezoelectric actuators disposed beneath a display of the portable electronic device.

8. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the array of piezoelectric actuators detect cracks formed in the display cover by measuring vibrations the piezoelectric actuators pulse through the display cover.

9. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the crack detection system only checks for and characterizes cracks when the shock detection system detects a shock or detects movement of the portable electronic device likely to precede a shock.

10. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a housing including a housing component and a display cover;
a display assembly disposed beneath the display cover;
a crack detection sensor arranged adjacent to the display assembly,
wherein the crack detection sensor periodically measures light refracted by the display cover during operation of the portable electronic device.

11. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the crack detection sensor is a first crack detection sensor and the portable electronic device further comprises a second crack detection sensor that provides a greater amount of information about a crack propagating through the display cover than the first crack detection sensor.

12. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the second crack detection sensor comprises a grid of conductive ink positioned along an interior facing surface of the display cover.

13. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the crack detection sensor comprises a light source and a light detector, the light source being configured to direct light into the display cover and the light detector being configured to measure the light directed into the display cover by the light source.

14. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 13 , wherein the light emitted by the light source is modulated to help distinguish the emitted light from other light sources.

15. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 14 , further comprising multiple light sources, at least one of the light sources emitting light modulated in a different pattern than the modulation pattern used by the other light sources.

16. An electronic device, comprising:
a device housing;
a display cover overlaying a display assembly disposed within the device housing;
a device orientation system; and
a crack detection system,
wherein the crack detection system is configured to change from a first state to a second state in response to determination by the device orientation system that an event likely to damage the display cover is imminent or has just occurred.

17. The electronic device as recited in claim 16 , wherein when the crack detection system is in the first state, the crack detection system checks for cracks at a first interval substantially longer than a second interval at which the crack detection system checks for cracks in the second state.

18. The electronic device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the crack detection system comprises a first sensor and a second sensor.

19. The electronic device as recited in claim 18 , wherein the first sensor is a touch sensor in contact with an interior facing surface of the display cover.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Pope Benjamin J
• Christophy Miguel C

Classifications

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G01N2291/0232

  Glass, ceramics, concrete or stone · CPC title

• G01N29/04

  Analysing solids (using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14) · CPC title

• G06F1/1637

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

• G06F1/1656 Primary

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title