Patent Description:
In answer to the market demand, full screen mobile terminals have gradually come onto the market. To increase an overall screen-to-body ratio of a mobile terminal, in-screen sensor technologies such as an in-screen telephone receiver and an in-screen fingerprint sensor have emerged. The in-screen installation of a front-facing photographing device operating by sensing invisible light, e.g., a time of flight (Time of Flight, TOF) photographing module or the like, remains one of problems faced by bezel-less screens.

The TOF photographing module operates by continuously transmitting a light pulse, mainly infrared light, toward a target object, then receiving light returning from the target object with a sensor, and acquiring a distance to the target object by detecting time of flight (round trip) of the light pulse. This technology is basically similar in principle to a <NUM>-dimensional (3D) laser sensor, but the 3D laser sensor scans dot by dot, while the TOF photographing module acquires depth information of an entire image at the same time. However, it has been proved that invisible light such as the infrared light enters a thin film transistor (Thin Film Transistor, TFT) circuit in a display screen to form a light spot, which impacts the display effect and reliability of the display screen. Therefore, in the related art, to avoid interference between the front-facing photographing device such as the TOF photographing module and the display screen, the front-facing photographing device and the display screen are generally arranged in a staggered manner and stacked separately under a cover plate, and a screen-printed transparent opening is formed on the cover plate to allow light to pass through, thereby to enable the operation of the photographing device. Apparently, this impacts the overall screen-to-body ratio of the mobile terminal and goes against the bezel-less design. Document "<CIT>" discussed a control method and an apparatus of a display screen, the display screen and a mobile terminal. The display screen comprises an activation area and a function area, wherein the activation area is used for displaying information; the function area is used for displaying the information and is used as a light transmission area; the function area is used for displaying the information under a first mode; and the function area is in a transparent and non-display state and is used for transmitting a light signal under a second mode.

The present disclosure provides a mobile terminal, to solve the problem in the related art that the provision of a front-facing photographing device such as TOF photographing module impacts the overall screen-to-body ratio. The invention is carried out according to the appended independent claim.

More precisely, the present invention provides a mobile terminal according to claim <NUM> and further detailed in the dependent claims referring back to this claim.

According to the invention, interference between the photographing module and the display panel may be avoided; by stacking the photographing module under the display panel, the photographing module may be prevented from additionally occupying space covered by the cover plate, so that a black margin of the mobile terminal may be reduced, and a screen-printed transparent opening formed on the cover plate according to the related art and used to allow light for the photographing module to pass through may be removed, thereby improving the screen-to-body ratio and the aesthetic appeal of the mobile terminal.

To better clarify technical solutions of embodiments of the present disclosure, drawings used in description of the embodiments are briefly introduced hereinafter. Apparently, the described drawings merely illustrate a part of the disclosed embodiments. A person of ordinary skill in the art may obtain other drawings based on the described drawings without any creative efforts.

To make the technical problem to be solved, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more clear, detailed descriptions are provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

<FIG> is a partial structure diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> is a schematic sectional diagram of the mobile terminal as shown in <FIG> taken along line Y-Y. <FIG> is a schematic sectional diagram of the mobile terminal as shown in <FIG> taken along line X-X. <FIG> is a schematic diagram of a part of a first region of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may include: a housing <NUM>, a cover plate <NUM>, a display panel <NUM> and a photographing module <NUM>. The photographing module <NUM> is used to sense light at a predetermined wavelength and perform imaging.

According to the invention, an accommodation space is formed between the housing <NUM> and the cover plate <NUM>, the display panel <NUM> and the photographing module <NUM> are provided in the accommodation space, the photographing module <NUM> is provided on a side of the display panel <NUM> away from the cover plate <NUM>. A first region of the display panel <NUM> facing the photographing module <NUM> is provided with a light shielding layer <NUM> for shielding light at a predetermined wavelength, and the light at the predetermined wavelength is allowed to pass through a second region of the display panel <NUM> facing the photographing module <NUM>.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the light at the predetermined wavelength may be invisible light at a predetermined wavelength, e.g., infrared light at a predetermined wavelength ranging from <NUM>-<NUM>. This part of the description does not describe part of the claimed invention.

The photographing module <NUM> is disposed under the display panel <NUM>, that is, the photographing module <NUM> is located on the side of the display panel <NUM> away from the cover plate. By using the light shielding layer <NUM> disposed in the first region of the display panel <NUM> facing the photographing module <NUM>, the light at the predetermined wavelength is prevented from affecting the display panel <NUM> to lead to light spot. At the same time, by providing the light at the predetermined wavelength being allowed to pass through the second region of the display panel <NUM> facing the photographing module <NUM>, the photographing module <NUM> may sense the light at the predetermined wavelength and perform imaging. This part of the description does not describe part of the claimed invention.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second region may be included in the first region. As shown in <FIG>, a first region according to an embodiment is provided with a light shielding layer <NUM>, and further includes a second region, where a blank portion in <FIG> is the second region and a shaded portion in <FIG> is the light shielding layer <NUM>. It should be appreciated that, the light shielding layer <NUM> and the second region as shown in <FIG> serve merely as an example of effect, such that the effects of arranging the light shielding layer <NUM> and the second region may be learned, and by no means serve as a limitation on a practical arrangement of the light shielding layer <NUM> and the second region. This part of the description does not describe part of the claimed invention.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, interference between the photographing module <NUM> and the display panel <NUM> may be avoided; by stacking the photographing module <NUM> under the display panel <NUM>, the photographing module <NUM> may be prevented from additionally occupying space covered by the cover plate <NUM>, so that the configured width of a black margin A of the mobile terminal may be reduced, as shown in <FIG>; and a screen-printed transparent opening formed on the cover plate <NUM> according to the related art and used to allow light for the photographing module <NUM> to pass through may be removed, that is, there is no need to form on the cover plate <NUM> the screen-printed transparent opening used to allow the light for the photographing module <NUM> to pass through, as shown in <FIG> (a circular hole depicted with broken line in <FIG> represents the photographing module <NUM> disposed under the display panel <NUM>, here, there is no need to form a screen-printed transparent opening in a portion of the cover plate <NUM> corresponding to the photographing module <NUM>), in this way, the screen-to-body ratio and the aesthetic appeal of the mobile terminal may be improved. This part of the description does not describe part of the claimed invention.

According to the invention, thin film transistor circuits used to implement the display function of the display panel <NUM> are disposed in the first region, and a light shielding material for shielding the light at the predetermined wavelength is attached to surfaces of the thin film transistor circuits to form the light shielding layer <NUM>. In this way, the light at the predetermined wavelength is prevented from activating the thin film transistor circuits in the display panel <NUM> to form a light spot, thereby ensuring the display effect and reliability of the display panel <NUM>. Meanwhile, since the light shielding layer <NUM> is formed by the light shielding material attached to the surfaces of the thin film transistor circuits, the light at the predetermined wavelength is allowed to pass through gaps between the thin film transistor circuits, such that the photographing module <NUM> may sense the light at the predetermined wavelength and perform imaging. According to the invention,, the gaps between the thin film transistor circuits having the light shielding material attached to their surfaces form the second region used to allow the light at the predetermined wavelength to pass through. At this time, the second region is preferably included in the first region. Further, preferably, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the light shielding material is plated on the surfaces of the thin film transistor circuits by using a vacuum evaporation process.

Optionally, the second region is included in the first region. Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, in a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the first region corresponds to a photosensitive area of the photographing module <NUM>. In this way, the light shielding layer <NUM> disposed in the first region is positioned in a transmission path of the light at the predetermined wavelength from the photographing module <NUM>, thereby the light at the predetermined wavelength is prevented from affecting the display panel <NUM> to lead to light spot, the quantity of manufacture processes may be reduced and manufacture cost may be saved. At the same time, the second region is positioned in the transmission path of the light at the predetermined wavelength from the photographing module <NUM> as well, such that the photographing module <NUM> may sense light at the predetermined wavelength and perform imaging, thereby ensuring an unhindered function of the photographing module <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the photographing module <NUM> may include a camera <NUM> and a transmitter <NUM>. The photographing module <NUM> transmits the light at the predetermined wavelength to the photographed object by using the transmitter <NUM>, and receives the light at the predetermined wavelength returned from a photographed object by using the camera <NUM>, thereby implementing a photographing process. Here, the light transmission path of the photographing module <NUM> may include a light emission path and a light receiving path of the photographing module <NUM>, thereby ensuring that light at the predetermined wavelength is prevented from affecting the display panel <NUM> to lead to light spot by using the light shielding layer <NUM>, while ensuring an unhindered function of the photographing module <NUM> by using the second region. This part of the description does not describe part of the claimed invention.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile terminal may further include a buffer layer <NUM>. The buffer layer <NUM> is attached to the side of the display panel <NUM> away from the cover plate <NUM>. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the buffer layer <NUM> provides support and protection for the display panel <NUM>, and provides buffer protection for the display panel <NUM> in a case that the mobile terminal undergoes an external impact force.

To ensure that the photographing module <NUM> may properly find a view and perform imaging, i.e., to ensure that the buffer layer <NUM> does not impede the photographing module <NUM> provided on the side of the display panel <NUM> away from the cover plate <NUM> from sensing the light at the predetermined wavelength, in a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, an area of the buffer layer <NUM> that corresponds to the light shielding layer <NUM> is provided with a hole, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>.

Additionally, in a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the buffer layer <NUM> may be made of foam. In this way, the buffer layer <NUM> may provide adequate support and protection for the display panel <NUM> thanks to the excellent buffer performance of the foam structure.

In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, to ensure that the photographing module <NUM> is firmly disposed in the accommodation space, the side of the display panel <NUM> away from the cover plate <NUM> is provided with a support, and the photographing module <NUM> is disposed on the support.

In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the light at the predetermined wavelength is infrared light; here, the photographing module <NUM> is configured to sense the infrared light and perform imaging.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the photographing module <NUM> may be a time of flight (TOF) photographing module.

Additionally, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the mobile terminal may be a mobile phone or a tablet computer. Certainly, the mobile terminal is not limited to the mobile phone and the tablet computer, and may be an electronic device provided with photographing function and display function, such as a laptop computer or a personal digital assistant (Personal Digital Assistant, PDA).

According to the mobile terminal provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the interference between the photographing module and the display panel may be avoided; by stacking the photographing module under the display panel, the photographing module may be prevented from additionally occupying the space covered by the cover plate, so that the black margin of the mobile terminal may be reduced, and the screen-printed transparent opening formed on the cover plate according to the related art and used to allow the light for the photographing module to pass through may be removed, thereby improving the screen-to-body ratio and the aesthetic appeal of the mobile terminal.

It should be appreciated that, "one embodiment", "an embodiment" or "some embodiments" mentioned throughout the description means specific features, structures or characteristics related to the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Therefore, "in one embodiment", "in an embodiment" or "in some embodiments" mentioned throughout the description does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, an element, structure or characteristic described in a drawing or an embodiment of the present disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner with an element, structure or characteristic shown in one or more other drawings or embodiments.

It should be noted that the terms "include", "have", or any variation thereof used herein are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, a method, an article, or a device that includes a list of elements not only includes the list of elements, but also may include other elements not expressly listed or include elements inherent in the process, the method, the article, or the device. In a case that there is no further limitation, an element preceded by "includes or including" does not preclude existence of additional identical elements in the process, the method, the article, or the device including the element.

In the present disclosure, unless explicitly specified or defined otherwise, terms such as "install", "connect", "connection", "fix" and "dispose" should be construed in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, or a detachable connection, or integral; it may be a mechanic connection or an electrical connection; it may be a direct connection, or an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, or an interior connection of two elements or an interaction relationship between two elements. A person of ordinary skill in the art may derive the specific meaning of the term in the present disclosure according to the specific situation.

Further, in embodiments of the present disclosure, relational terms, such as "first" and "second", are merely used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, without requiring or implying any such an actual relation or sequence existing among these entities or operations.

Claim 1:
A mobile terminal, comprising: a housing (<NUM>), a cover plate (<NUM>), a display panel (<NUM>) and a photographing module (<NUM>),
wherein an accommodation space is formed between the housing (<NUM>) and the cover plate (<NUM>), the display panel (<NUM>) and the photographing module (<NUM>) are provided in the accommodation space, the photographing module (<NUM>) is provided on a side of the display panel (<NUM>) away from the cover plate (<NUM>);
a first region of the display panel (<NUM>) facing the photographing module (<NUM>) is provided with a light shielding layer (<NUM>) for shielding light at a predetermined wavelength, and the light at the predetermined wavelength is allowed to pass through a second region of the display panel (<NUM>) facing the photographing module (<NUM>);
wherein the first region is provided with thin film transistor circuits, and a light shielding material for shielding the light at the predetermined wavelength is attached to surfaces of the thin film transistor circuits to form the light shielding layer (<NUM>);
characterized in that, the second region of the display panel (<NUM>), which is configured to allow the light at the predetermined wavelength to pass through, is formed by gaps between the thin film transistor circuits.