Information handling system light sensor

A light sensor apparatus includes a support surface. A wall is located adjacent to and spaced apart from the support surface. A light aperture is defined by the wall. A light sensor is coupled to the support surface by an extendable member, whereby the extendable member is operable to adjust the distance between the support surface and the light aperture such that the light sensor is located adjacent the light aperture. The light sensor apparatus may be used to align an ambient light sensor on an information handling system with a light aperture defined by a cover wall on the information handling system chassis such that the light aperture can remain relatively small while still allowing the required amount of light to reach the light sensor in order for the light sensor to function.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to an information handling system light sensor.

Some IHSs include light sensors such as, for example, ambient light sensors, to provide battery life savings by reducing the display brightness automatically in darker environments. These light sensors can also increase the brightness of the display in brighter environments to increase usability. The coupling of these light sensors to the IHS and the IHS chassis can raise a number of issues.

Typically, the most cost effective method of coupling the light sensor to the IHS is to manufacture the light sensor directly on the backlight inverter board of the IHS. Conventionally, the sensor is mounted to the inverter board, the inverter board extends from the LCD panel, the LCD panel is coupled to the LCD bracket, the LCD bracket is coupled to the LCD cover, the LCD cover is coupled to the LCD bezel, and the LCD bezel is coupled to the light sensor lens. These couplings can result in a tolerance stack that require the light sensor lens, or light sensor aperture when there is no lens, to be relatively large. The required size of the lens or aperture may be such that the light sensor feature is not included in the IHS due to, for example, industrial design concerns. Conventional solutions to this problem include mounting the light sensor directly to the LCD bezel immediately adjacent the lens or aperture and cabling the light sensor to the inverter board. However, this results in problems associated with damaging the cabling during the installation and removal of the LCD bezel.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an IHS light sensor absent the disadvantages found in the prior methods discussed above.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, a light sensor apparatus includes a support surface, a wall located adjacent to and spaced apart from the support surface, a light aperture defined by the wall, and a light sensor coupled to the support surface by an extendable member, whereby the extendable member is operable to adjust the distance between the support surface and the light aperture such that the light sensor is located adjacent the light aperture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment, IHS100,FIG. 1, includes a processor102, which is connected to a bus104. Bus104serves as a connection between processor102and other components of computer system100. An input device106is coupled to processor102to provide input to processor102. Examples of input devices include keyboards, touchscreens, and pointing devices such as mouses, trackballs and trackpads. Programs and data are stored on a mass storage device108, which is coupled to processor102. Mass storage devices include such devices as hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy drives and the like. IHS100further includes a display110, which is coupled to processor102by a video controller112. A system memory114is coupled to processor102to provide the processor with fast storage to facilitate execution of computer programs by processor102. In an embodiment, a chassis116houses some or all of the components of IHS100. It should be understood that other buses and intermediate circuits can be deployed between the components described above and processor102to facilitate interconnection between the components and the processor102.

Referring now toFIGS. 2aand2b, a display bezel200is illustrated. The display bezel200includes a wall202having a top surface202a, a bottom surface202blocated opposite the top surface202a, a pair of opposing side edges202cand202dextending between the top surface202aand the bottom surface202b, and a bottom edge202eextending between the side edges202band202c. A display aperture204is defined by and centrally located on the wall202and extends through the wall202from the top surface202ato the bottom surface202b. A pair of coupling channels206aand206bare defined by the wall202and located in a spaced apart orientation from each other and adjacent the bottom edge202eof the wall202. A light aperture208is defined by the wall202, located between the display aperture204and the bottom edge202eof the wall202, and extends through the wall202from the top surface202ato the bottom surface202b. A light sensor alignment member210extends from the bottom surface202bof the wall202and is located about the perimeter of the light aperture208.

Referring now toFIGS. 3aand3b, an IHS housing member300is illustrated. The IHS housing member300includes a base302having a bottom wall302a, a front wall302bextending substantially perpendicularly from the bottom wall302a, and a pair of opposing side walls302cand302dextending substantially perpendicularly from the bottom wall302aand the front wall302band in a substantially parallel orientation to each other. An IHS housing304is defined by the base302and located between the bottom wall302a, the front wall302b, and the side walls302cand302d. A pair of coupling channels306aand306bare defined by the bottom wall302aand the front wall302band located in a spaced apart orientation from each other and adjacent the front wall302b. A display308is coupled to the bottom wall302aand located in the IHS304. In an embodiment, the display308is a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). A support member310including a support surface310aextends from the display308into the IHS housing304and is located between the display308and the front wall302b. In an embodiment, the support member310is a circuit board. In an embodiment, the support member is an inverter board. A pair of guide members312extend substantially perpendicularly from the support surface310ain a substantially parallel and spaced apart orientation from each other. A light sensor314including a wall engagement surface314ais moveably coupled to the guide members312. In an embodiment, the light sensor314is an ambient light sensor. An extendable member316is coupled to the support surface310aand the light sensor314. In an embodiment, the extendable member316is a resilient member such as, for example, a spring (as illustrated), and/or any member capable of extending from the support surface310ain order to adjust the distance between the support surface310aand a sensor coupled to the extendable member216. A cable318is coupled to the support member310and to the light sensor314and electrically couples the light sensor314to the support member310such that it is operable to allow power and information to be transferred between the support member310and the light sensor314. In an embodiment, the cable318may be omitted and the extendable member316may electrically couple the light sensor314to the support member310such that it is operable to allow power and information to be transferred between the support member310and the light sensor314. In an embodiment, the light sensor314is electrically coupled to the display308and a processor such as, for example, the processor102, described above with reference toFIG. 1, with the cable318or the extendable member316such that the light sensor314may adjust the brightness of the display308.

Referring now toFIGS. 2a,3a,4a,4b,4cand4d, a method400for aligning a light sensor with a light aperture is illustrated. The method400begins at step402where a wall defining a light aperture and a support surface adjacent the wall are provided. The display bezel200and the IHS housing member300are coupled together using methods known in the art and engaging the side edges202cand202dand the bottom edge202eof the display bezel200with the side walls302dand302cand the front wall302b, respectively, of the IHS housing300. The display bezel200and the IHS housing member300combination are then coupled to an IHS chassis402aby a pair of pivotal coupling members402band402c, as illustrated inFIG. 4b. In an embodiment, the IHS chassis402amay be, for example, the IHS chassis116, described above with reference toFIG. 1, and may house some or all of the components of the IHS100, described above with reference toFIG. 1. With the display bezel200and the IHS housing member300coupled together, the display308is partially located in the display aperture204defined by the display bezel200and the support surface310aon the support member310is located adjacent to and spaced apart from the wall202with the light sensor314located adjacent to the light aperture208defined by the display bezel200, illustrated inFIG. 4c.

The method400then proceeds to step404where the distance between the light sensor and the support surface is adjusted using the extendable member. In an embodiment, the extendable member316is a resilient member such as, for example, a spring, and will move the light sensor314in a direction A along the guide members312to adjust the distance between the light sensor314and the support surface310aon the support member310. The method400then proceeds to step406where the light sensor is aligned with the light aperture. As the extendable member316moves the light sensor314in the direction A, the wall engagement surface314on the light sensor314engages the light sensor alignment member210in order to align the light sensor314with the light aperture208, as illustrated inFIG. 4d. In an embodiment, the light sensor alignment member210may be removed and the extendable member316may be designed such that the extendable member316aligns the light sensor314with the light aperture208by itself. In an embodiment, the light sensor314needs an approximately 30 degree cone of light in order to function and step404of the method400results in the light sensor314being positioned immediately adjacent the light aperture208such that the light sensor314receives the 30 degree cone of light through the light aperture208. In an embodiment, a lens406amay be positioned in the light aperture208in order to focus light on the light sensor314. In an embodiment, the distance between the light sensor314and the lens406ais controlled by the wall engagement surfaces314ato prevent damage to the lens406a.