Abstract:
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.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to an information handling system light sensor. 
     As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems. 
     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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of an IHS. 
         FIG. 2   a  is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a display bezel. 
         FIG. 2   b  is a cross sectional view illustrating an embodiment of the display bezel of  FIG. 2   a.    
         FIG. 3   a  is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of an IHS housing member used with the display bezel of  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b.    
         FIG. 3   b  is a cross sectional view illustrating an embodiment of the IHS housing member of  FIG. 3   a.    
         FIG. 4   a  is a flow chart illustrating a method for aligning a light sensor with a light aperture. 
         FIG. 4   b  is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the display bezel of  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  and the IHS housing member of  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  coupled to an IHS chassis. 
         FIG. 4   c  is a cross sectional view illustrating an embodiment of the display bezel of  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  coupled to the IHS housing member of  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b.    
         FIG. 4   d  is a cross sectional view illustrating an embodiment of the display bezel of  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  coupled to the IHS housing member of  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  with the light sensor aligned with the light aperture. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     For purposes of this disclosure, an IHS may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, entertainment, or other purposes. For example, an IHS may be a personal computer, a PDA, a consumer electronic device, a network server or storage device, a switch router or other network communication device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The IHS may include memory, one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic. Additional components of the IHS may include one or more storage devices, one or more communications ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The IHS may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components. 
     In one embodiment, IHS  100 ,  FIG. 1 , includes a processor  102 , which is connected to a bus  104 . Bus  104  serves as a connection between processor  102  and other components of computer system  100 . An input device  106  is coupled to processor  102  to provide input to processor  102 . 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 device  108 , which is coupled to processor  102 . Mass storage devices include such devices as hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy drives and the like. IHS  100  further includes a display  110 , which is coupled to processor  102  by a video controller  112 . A system memory  114  is coupled to processor  102  to provide the processor with fast storage to facilitate execution of computer programs by processor  102 . In an embodiment, a chassis  116  houses some or all of the components of IHS  100 . It should be understood that other buses and intermediate circuits can be deployed between the components described above and processor  102  to facilitate interconnection between the components and the processor  102 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , a display bezel  200  is illustrated. The display bezel  200  includes a wall  202  having a top surface  202   a , a bottom surface  202   b  located opposite the top surface  202   a , a pair of opposing side edges  202   c  and  202   d  extending between the top surface  202   a  and the bottom surface  202   b , and a bottom edge  202   e  extending between the side edges  202   b  and  202   c . A display aperture  204  is defined by and centrally located on the wall  202  and extends through the wall  202  from the top surface  202   a  to the bottom surface  202   b . A pair of coupling channels  206   a  and  206   b  are defined by the wall  202  and located in a spaced apart orientation from each other and adjacent the bottom edge  202   e  of the wall  202 . A light aperture  208  is defined by the wall  202 , located between the display aperture  204  and the bottom edge  202   e  of the wall  202 , and extends through the wall  202  from the top surface  202   a  to the bottom surface  202   b . A light sensor alignment member  210  extends from the bottom surface  202   b  of the wall  202  and is located about the perimeter of the light aperture  208 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b , an IHS housing member  300  is illustrated. The IHS housing member  300  includes a base  302  having a bottom wall  302   a , a front wall  302   b  extending substantially perpendicularly from the bottom wall  302   a , and a pair of opposing side walls  302   c  and  302   d  extending substantially perpendicularly from the bottom wall  302   a  and the front wall  302   b  and in a substantially parallel orientation to each other. An IHS housing  304  is defined by the base  302  and located between the bottom wall  302   a , the front wall  302   b , and the side walls  302   c  and  302   d . A pair of coupling channels  306   a  and  306   b  are defined by the bottom wall  302   a  and the front wall  302   b  and located in a spaced apart orientation from each other and adjacent the front wall  302   b . A display  308  is coupled to the bottom wall  302   a  and located in the IHS  304 . In an embodiment, the display  308  is a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). A support member  310  including a support surface  310   a  extends from the display  308  into the IHS housing  304  and is located between the display  308  and the front wall  302   b . In an embodiment, the support member  310  is a circuit board. In an embodiment, the support member is an inverter board. A pair of guide members  312  extend substantially perpendicularly from the support surface  310   a  in a substantially parallel and spaced apart orientation from each other. A light sensor  314  including a wall engagement surface  314   a  is moveably coupled to the guide members  312 . In an embodiment, the light sensor  314  is an ambient light sensor. An extendable member  316  is coupled to the support surface  310   a  and the light sensor  314 . In an embodiment, the extendable member  316  is a resilient member such as, for example, a spring (as illustrated), and/or any member capable of extending from the support surface  310   a  in order to adjust the distance between the support surface  310   a  and a sensor coupled to the extendable member  216 . A cable  318  is coupled to the support member  310  and to the light sensor  314  and electrically couples the light sensor  314  to the support member  310  such that it is operable to allow power and information to be transferred between the support member  310  and the light sensor  314 . In an embodiment, the cable  318  may be omitted and the extendable member  316  may electrically couple the light sensor  314  to the support member  310  such that it is operable to allow power and information to be transferred between the support member  310  and the light sensor  314 . In an embodiment, the light sensor  314  is electrically coupled to the display  308  and a processor such as, for example, the processor  102 , described above with reference to  FIG. 1 , with the cable  318  or the extendable member  316  such that the light sensor  314  may adjust the brightness of the display  308 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2   a ,  3   a ,  4   a ,  4   b ,  4   c  and  4   d , a method  400  for aligning a light sensor with a light aperture is illustrated. The method  400  begins at step  402  where a wall defining a light aperture and a support surface adjacent the wall are provided. The display bezel  200  and the IHS housing member  300  are coupled together using methods known in the art and engaging the side edges  202   c  and  202   d  and the bottom edge  202   e  of the display bezel  200  with the side walls  302   d  and  302   c  and the front wall  302   b , respectively, of the IHS housing  300 . The display bezel  200  and the IHS housing member  300  combination are then coupled to an IHS chassis  402   a  by a pair of pivotal coupling members  402   b  and  402   c , as illustrated in  FIG. 4   b . In an embodiment, the IHS chassis  402   a  may be, for example, the IHS chassis  116 , described above with reference to  FIG. 1 , and may house some or all of the components of the IHS  100 , described above with reference to  FIG. 1 . With the display bezel  200  and the IHS housing member  300  coupled together, the display  308  is partially located in the display aperture  204  defined by the display bezel  200  and the support surface  310   a  on the support member  310  is located adjacent to and spaced apart from the wall  202  with the light sensor  314  located adjacent to the light aperture  208  defined by the display bezel  200 , illustrated in  FIG. 4   c.    
     The method  400  then proceeds to step  404  where the distance between the light sensor and the support surface is adjusted using the extendable member. In an embodiment, the extendable member  316  is a resilient member such as, for example, a spring, and will move the light sensor  314  in a direction A along the guide members  312  to adjust the distance between the light sensor  314  and the support surface  310   a  on the support member  310 . The method  400  then proceeds to step  406  where the light sensor is aligned with the light aperture. As the extendable member  316  moves the light sensor  314  in the direction A, the wall engagement surface  314  on the light sensor  314  engages the light sensor alignment member  210  in order to align the light sensor  314  with the light aperture  208 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4   d . In an embodiment, the light sensor alignment member  210  may be removed and the extendable member  316  may be designed such that the extendable member  316  aligns the light sensor  314  with the light aperture  208  by itself. In an embodiment, the light sensor  314  needs an approximately 30 degree cone of light in order to function and step  404  of the method  400  results in the light sensor  314  being positioned immediately adjacent the light aperture  208  such that the light sensor  314  receives the 30 degree cone of light through the light aperture  208 . In an embodiment, a lens  406   a  may be positioned in the light aperture  208  in order to focus light on the light sensor  314 . In an embodiment, the distance between the light sensor  314  and the lens  406   a  is controlled by the wall engagement surfaces  314   a  to prevent damage to the lens  406   a.    
     Although illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, a wide range of modification, change and substitution is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of the embodiments may be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.