PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8620162-B2
Application Number: US-73210110-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Handheld electronic device with integrated transmitters

Abstract:
An electronic device may include wireless circuitry such as infrared sources that control external equipment such as televisions and set-top boxes. An infrared source may be mounted within an electronic device housing in a visually inconspicuous location such as in a connector port. A button may be provided with transparent structures that allow infrared light to pass through the button. A removable accessory port may be provided with an infrared transmitter accessory that allows an electronic device to serve as a remote control device. Portions of an electronic device housing may be provided with thin housing walls or holes that are too small to be noticeable to the naked eye to serve as windows for infrared light. An audio port may serve as an infrared light window. Gasket structures, bezel structures, and the edges of displays and other planar glass members may be used in transmitting infrared light.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; and 
 a button mounted in the housing; and 
 a remote control infrared source that emits infrared light that controls external equipment, wherein the remote control infrared source emits the infrared light through the button and wherein the electronic device comprises a portable electronic device. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the button comprises a button member having a portion that is transparent to infrared light and wherein the remote control infrared source emits the infrared light through the portion that is transparent to infrared light, wherein the electronic device comprises a handheld electronic device. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 2  wherein the button member comprises a cavity within which the infrared source is mounted. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the button comprises a button member that reciprocates relative to the housing and wherein the remote control infrared source is fixed to the button member. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 unidirectional communications circuitry coupled to the remote control infrared source. 
 
     
     
       6. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; and 
 a button mounted in the housing; and 
 an infrared source that emits infrared light through the button, wherein the housing has front and rear planar surfaces together having a first exterior surface area, top and bottom end walls together having a second exterior surface area, and left and right sidewalls together having a third exterior surface area, wherein the first exterior surface area is greater than the second exterior surface area and is greater than the third exterior surface area, and wherein the button is formed within an opening in the top end wall of the housing. 
 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 6  wherein the button comprises a button member that reciprocates relative to the housing while the infrared source is stationary relative to the housing. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 6  wherein the second exterior surface area is less than the third exterior surface area. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 8  further comprising a display mounted in the front planar surface. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device defined in  claim 9  further comprising at least one button mounted in one of the left and right sidewalls. 
     
     
       11. An electronic device that serves as a remote control that controls external equipment with infrared light, comprising:
 a housing having an audio jack port opening; 
 an audio jack in the audio jack port opening; and 
 an infrared source that emits infrared light through the audio jack port opening that controls the external equipment. 
 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 11  wherein the audio jack has a cylindrical cavity with at least four electrical contacts. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 12  further comprising reflective structures within the cylindrical cavity that reflect the infrared light emitted by the infrared source. 
     
     
       14. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing having an audio port; 
 an audio component mounted in the audio port; and 
 an infrared source mounted in the audio port. 
 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  wherein the audio port includes a structure with holes that pass sound from the audio component and that pass infrared light from the infrared source. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  in which the structure comprises a wire mesh. 
     
     
       17. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a planar glass structure mounted in the housing, wherein the planar glass structure has peripheral edges; and 
 an infrared light source that emits light through at least one of the peripheral edges. 
 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 17  further comprising a display, wherein the planar glass structure comprises a cover glass layer associated with the display. 
     
     
       19. The electronic device defined in  claim 17  wherein the housing has opposing first and second sides, the electronic device further comprising a display mounted on the first side of the housing, wherein the planar glass structure comprises a glass plate mounted on the second side of the housing. 
     
     
       20. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing having an audio jack port opening; 
 an audio jack in the audio jack port opening; 
 an infrared source that emits infrared light though the audio jack port opening; and 
 reflective structures within the audio jack that reflect the infrared light emitted by the infrared source. 
 
     
     
       21. The electronic device defined in  claim 20  wherein the electronic device comprises a remote control that controls external equipment with the infrared light.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, to electronic devices with integrated transmitters. 
     Electronic devices such as computers and cellular telephones are often provided with wireless communications circuitry such as local area network wireless circuitry and cellular telephone communications circuitry. This circuitry may be used to support cellular telephone calls and data links. In some scenarios, it may be possible to use a wireless link such as a wireless local area network link to remotely control an external component such as a computer that is running a compatible software program. Consumer electronics equipment such as compact disk players and televisions is typically not capable of being controlled in this way. Users of this type of equipment are generally forced to use dedicated infrared remote controls or complex accessories. 
     It would therefore be desirable to provide electronic devices with integrated wireless transmitters for controlling external equipment. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may include wireless circuitry such as infrared sources that control external equipment such as televisions and set-top boxes. To minimize visual clutter, infrared sources may be located in portions of an electronic device that are not readily identifiable as infrared light ports to a user of the device. 
     With one suitable arrangement, infrared light windows are formed from structures that blend with the housing of a device. An infrared light window may, for example, be formed from microperf holes in housing walls. These holes have small diameters and are therefore not readily noticed by a user. Light may also be emitted through wall portions that are thin enough to pass infrared light. 
     Infrared light windows may be hidden in plain sight by placing infrared sources within portions of existing ports. An infrared source may, for example, be placed at the interior end of an audio jack cavity so that infrared light is emitted along the longitudinal axis of the audio jack. Infrared sources may also be mounted within input-output data ports and audio ports such as speaker and microphone ports. 
     A button may be provided with transparent structures that allow infrared light to pass through the button. An infrared source may be mounted at a fixed location within a housing or within a cavity inside the button. 
     A removable accessory port may be provided with an infrared transmitter accessory that allows an electronic device to serve as a remote control device. 
     Gasket structures, bezel structures, mirror structures, and the edges of displays and other planar glass members may also be used in transmitting infrared light from within an electronic device to external equipment. 
     Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device in wireless communication with external equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device with an integral transmitter showing the top end of the device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of an illustrative electronic device with an integral transmitter showing the bottom end of the device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of an audio jack having an integrated transmitter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of a data port with an integrated transmitter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of a housing structure such as a gasket or bezel structure that serves as a window for wireless signals in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7A  is a cross-sectional end view of an electronic device showing how planar glass structures may be mounted in a configuration in which the outermost surface of the glass is proud of surrounding housing surfaces in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7B  is cross-sectional side view of an electronic device having a display with a vertically protruding cover glass layer through which infrared wireless signals may be transmitted by an infrared source in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an electronic device and an associated infrared light transmitter showing how a mirror may be used to direct transmitted light through a window structure in a housing for the electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of a button through which infrared signals may be transmitted in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional side view of a button that includes an infrared source for transmitting light signals in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional side view of a housing having a recess that forms a thinned housing wall structure through which infrared light may pass in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional side view of an audio port through which infrared light may pass in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional side view of a port that accommodates a removable component in an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional side view of the port of  FIG. 13  in which the removable component of  FIG. 13  has been replaced with a removable wireless transmitter accessory having an infrared source in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative status indicator window in an electronic device that is being shared by a wireless remote control transmitter such as an infrared light-emitting-diode source in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices such as portable computers and cellular telephones may be provided with wireless circuitry for wirelessly controlling external equipment. An illustrative system in which an electronic device wirelessly controls external equipment is shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , electronic device  10  may control external equipment  76  by issuing wireless signals  74 . External equipment  76  may include televisions, set-top boxes, disc players, computers, game consoles, and other electronic equipment. The control commands that are sent to equipment  76  in signal  74  may include volume control commands, playback commands (stop, play, fast forward, reverse, pause), channel change commands, mode selection commands, input port control commands, etc. 
     Wireless signals  74  may include infrared light, visible light, acoustic signals, radio-frequency electromagnetic signals, or other electromagnetic signals. External equipment  76  may include one or more receivers such as receiver circuitry  78  to receive wireless signals  74 . For example, in scenarios in which wireless signals  74  include light, receivers  78  may include a light detector such as an infrared detector. In scenarios in which wireless signals  74  include radio-frequency signals, receivers  78  may include radio-frequency antennas and radio-frequency receiver circuitry. 
     Unidirectional communications schemes (i.e., communications schemes in which only device  10  transmits wireless signals  74 ) and bidirectional communications schemes (i.e., communications schemes in which both device  10  and external equipment  76  transmit wireless signals  74 ) may be used. In a typical infrared signaling scheme, signals are transmitted exclusively from device  10  to equipment  76 . In radio-frequency signaling schemes, bidirectional communications may be used (as an example). 
     Electronic device  10  may be a relatively stationary device such as a desktop computer or a computer monitor that includes an embedded computer or may be a portable electronic device such as a tablet computer, a handheld device such as a cellular telephone or media player, or a small wearable device such as a wristwatch or pendant device. The use of portable electronic devices such as cellular telephones and other to transmit wireless signals is sometimes described herein as an example. This is, however, merely illustrative. Electronic device  10  may be any suitable electronic equipment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , electronic device  10  may include storage and processing circuitry  44 , input-output devices  46 , and wireless communications circuitry  48 . 
     Storage and processing circuitry  44  may include storage such as hard disk drives, solid state drives, and other nonvolatile memory. Storage in circuitry  44  may also include volatile memory devices such as dynamic and static random-access memory chips. Storage may be implemented using stand-alone integrated circuits and may be embedded within other integrated circuits. For example, microprocessors may include cache memory and application-specific integrated circuits may include registers. Processing circuitry in circuitry  44  may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processing circuits, application-specific integrated circuits, or other processors. Software code may be stored in storage and processing circuitry  44 . When run on storage and processing circuitry  44 , the code may direct device  44  to implement desired functions. For example, the code may be used to implement customized remote control applications for device  10 . 
     Input-output devices  46  may be used to supply data from within device  10  to external equipment. Input-output devices  46  may also be used to receive information from external equipment. Examples of input-output devices that may be included in device  10  include displays, cameras, microphones, speakers, buttons, keyboards, trackpads, touch screens, ambient light sensors, motion sensors, proximity sensors, and other sensors, status indicators such as light-emitting diodes, audio-jacks, input-output ports such as ports for universal serial bus plugs, 30-pin data plugs, other data connectors, etc. 
     Wireless circuitry  48  may be used to form local and remote wireless links with external equipment  16 . Wireless circuitry  48  may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry  50  such as radio-frequency transceivers for supporting local wireless links (e.g., IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth® links) and radio-frequency transceivers for supporting remote wireless links such as cellular telephone links. If desired, radio-frequency transceivers  50  may include transceivers for interfacing with wirelessly controlled mechanical devices in a user&#39;s home (e.g., wirelessly controlled door locks, wirelessly controlled lights, wirelessly controlled garage doors, etc.). Antennas  52  may be coupled to transceiver circuitry  50  to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals. Wireless circuitry  48  may also include light transmitters such as visible light sources and infrared light sources (e.g., infrared transmitters  54 ). Light sources in device  10  may be based on light-emitting diodes, lasers, or other sources that produce light. 
     Other transmitters such as transmitters  56  may also be include in device  10  (e.g., transmitters based on short-range electromagnetic effects, transmitters based on sound such as ultrasonic transducers, etc.). 
     A perspective view of an illustrative electronic device that may be provided with wireless communications circuitry  48  is shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , electronic device  10  may include a device housing such as device housing  12 . Display  14  may be mounted to the front face of housing  12 . One or more buttons such as button  16 , button  28 , and button  30  may be included in device  10 . With the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 2 , button  16  is mounted in a hole in the cover glass portion of display  14 . Buttons  28  and  30  are mounted in housing  12 . If desired, other button mounting locations may be used (e.g., on the upper and lower ends of device  10 ). The arrangement of  FIG. 2  is merely illustrative. 
     Housing  12 , which is sometimes referred to as a case, may be formed of any suitable materials including, plastic, glass, ceramics, carbon-fiber composites and other composites, metal, other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. A unibody construction may be used for device  10  in which case some or all of housing  12  may be formed from a single piece of material. Housing  12  may, for example, be formed from a piece of plastic or metal that covers the sidewalls of device  10  and that covers the rear surface of device  10 . Frame members and other components may be mounted in the unibody housing. With another illustrative arrangement, housing  12  may be implemented using multiple structures that are assembled together. For example, housing  12  may be formed from a central frame to which a rear glass panel is attached (as an example). Other configurations may be used if desired. 
     Display  14  may have a cover glass layer that covers both active and inactive portions of the display. Display  14  may, for example, be a touch screen that incorporates capacitive touch electrodes. Display  14  may include a central active region with image pixels formed from light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic LEDs (OLEDs), plasma cells, electronic ink elements, liquid crystal display (LCD) components, or other suitable image pixel structures. The borders of display  14  may be inactive. Openings in the cover glass layer may be provided for button  16  and speaker port  18 . Openings in housing  12  may also be provided for microphones (e.g., microphone port  32 ), speakers (e.g., speaker port  34 ), input-output connectors (e.g., data port  76 ), etc. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , housing  12  may have a circular opening that forms audio jack port  26  and an opening such as opening  24  that forms a microphone port. Each end of device  10  or other portion of device  10  may also be provided with other structures (e.g., structure  22 , which may be a window that passes wireless signals, part of a port in which a removable component may be inserted, a portion of housing structure  12  that passes wireless signals, an input-output port, a camera port, etc.). 
     The buttons in device  10  may be push buttons, toggling switches, momentary sliding buttons, rocker switches, or any other suitable types of buttons. As an example, buttons  16  and  20  may be momentary push buttons. Button  28  may be, as an example, a two-position button that toggles (e.g., by sliding up and down in the orientation of  FIG. 3 ). Button  30  may be a rocker switch (e.g., a button that rocks back and forth horizontally in the orientation of  FIG. 2 . 
     To ensure that device  10  is compact and aesthetically pleasing, it may be desirable to construct and mount wireless components such as infrared light sources and the optical structures that are used in conjunction with these light sources in a way that either hides the components from view or that allows the components to blend in with surrounding structures. 
       FIG. 4  shows how a wireless transmitter such as an infrared light source (source  54 ) may be mounted so as to emit light in direction  84  along longitudinal axis  86  of audio jack  88 . Audio jack  88  may have contacts such as ring-shaped contacts  80 . There may be, for example, four ring-shaped contacts  80 , each of which surrounds a different portion of jack  88 . These contacts may sometimes be referred to as tip, ring, ring, and sleeve contacts and mate with corresponding contacts on a TRRS audio plug such as a 3.5 mm (⅛″) plug. Jacks with contacts of this type are sometimes referred to as TRRS jacks. 
     Both ends of audio jack  88  may have openings. Opening  90  at the end of audio jack  88  that is adjacent to source  54  may allow light that is emitted from source  54  to pass into the cylindrical cavity of audio jack  88 . Opening  92  at the other end of audio jack  88  (i.e., the circular opening in housing  12  that defines the circular shape for audio port  26 ) allows light  74  to escape from housing  12 . If desired, the interior surfaces of jack  88  may be provided with reflective structures  80  (e.g., rings or plates of metal) to reflect light along jack  88  and thereby help reduce light losses. Insulating structures such as rings of plastic or other dielectric materials may be interposed between respective conductive structures (i.e., to prevent shorts within structures  80  and  82 ). 
     An optional lens such as lens  78  may be interposed between hole  90  and source  54  (e.g., to help collimate emitted light  74 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , input-output ports such as input-output port  76  of  FIG. 2  may be provided with light transmitters. Port  76  may be formed from a connector (connector  102 ) mounted to opening  104  in housing  12 . Infrared source  54  may, for example, be mounted behind a hole such as opening  100  in rear portion  98  of connector  102 . Electrical contacts  96  (pins) may be mounted on a dielectric support such as dielectric structure  94 . Opening  100  may be located above or below structures  94  and  96 , so that light  74  can escape from opening  104 . A lens such as lens  70  ( FIG. 4 ) may be interposed between source  54  and opening  100  if desired. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , a structure such as structure  106  may surround some or all of the edges of display  14  (e.g., the cover glass portion of display  14 ). Structure  106  may be a bezel structure, a gasket, a housing structure, combinations of bezel structures, gasket structures, and housing structures, etc. Structure  106  may be formed from a single member or multiple structures that are attached to device  10  (e.g., using fasteners, adhesive, welds, etc.). If desired, a window structure such as window  108  may be formed in structure  106 . Window  108  may be, for example, a material that is sufficiently transparent to allow infrared light  74  from source  54  to escape to the exterior of housing  12 . Structure  106  may be formed from plastic, glass, metal, etc. Window  108  may be formed from the same material as structure  106  (i.e., as part of a unitary plastic piece) or may be formed from a different material (e.g., a glass or plastic insert in a metal bezel or other housing structure). To avoid calling attention to the location of window  108 , window  108  may be formed from the same material as the rest of structure  106  or may be formed from a material that has substantially the same appearance as the rest of structure  106 . This type of approach may help to reduce visual clutter in device  10 . 
     If desired, light may be emitted through housing structures such as planar front or rear housing structures.  FIG. 7A  is a cross-sectional end view of device  10  showing how display  14  (e.g., a cover glass layer and associated image pixel structures) may be mounted to an upper surface of device  10 . As shown in  FIG. 7A , housing  12  may include sidewall structures such as housing sidewall structures  12 A and  12 B. Housing  12  may, for example, have upper (top end), lower (bottom end), left, and right sidewalls (i.e., four peripheral sidewalls associated with the four edges that run along the periphery of a rectangular housing). In this type of arrangement, the housing sidewalls can be formed from a band-shaped peripheral member that surrounds device  10 . Housing sidewall structure  12 A may correspond to a left-hand sidewall and housing sidewall structure  12 B may correspond to a right-hand sidewall. An internal frame or support structure such as a metal plate or other planar housing member  12 C may have a left edge welded or otherwise attached to left sidewall  12 A and a right edge welded or otherwise attached to right sidewall  12 B. There may be one or more structures such as plate  12 C in device  12 . 
     The front surface of device  10  may be occupied by display  14 . Display  14  may be formed using a touch screen display or other suitable display. Display  14  may be mounted to housing  12  using gaskets, plastic frame members, or other suitable attachment mechanisms. The rear surface of device  10  (i.e., the side of device  10  opposing the side that includes display  14 ) may be occupied by housing layer  12 D. Layer  12 D may be formed from metal, glass, ceramic, composites, plastic, other materials, or combinations of these materials. As an example, layer  12 D may be formed from a planar glass layer. If desired, layer  12 D may be formed from part of a display (e.g., a cover glass for a rear-facing display that complements display  14  on the front surface of device  10 ). Passive arrangements in which layer  12 D is formed from a piece of plastic or glass may also be used. Layer  12 D may be formed from a separate layer of material that has been attached to the sidewalls of housing  12  or may be formed as an integral portion of housing  12  (e.g., as a unibody housing in which the housing sidewalls have been formed from the same piece of material as layer  12 D). 
     As shown in  FIG. 7A , display  14  and/or rear planar member  12 D may have surfaces  40  that extend outward farther than surfaces  42  of housing  12 . For example, surfaces  40  and housing surfaces  42  may be offset by distances D, as shown in  FIG. 7A . When device  10  has this type of surface structures, light source  54  may be mounted so as to emit light through one or more exposed peripheral edges  110 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7B , for example, display  14  may have a cover glass layer (layer  58 ). One of the edges of layer  58  may have an end surface (display end surface  110 ) through which light  74  from source  54  may be emitted. Display  14  may have an active area such as area  62  in which cover glass layer  58  is located above display structure  60  (i.e., active image pixels) and an inactive area such as area  64 . Area  64  may, if desired, be coated with a layer of opaque ink  112 . Portion  70  of cover glass  58  may have a first thickness T 1 . Portion  72  may have the same thickness or may have a larger thickness T 2 . Source  54  may be mounted adjacent to end  110  of glass  58  to allow light  74  to exit device  10  without being blocked by housing walls  12 . This type of arrangement may, if desired, by used for rear housing structure  12 D of  FIG. 7A  (i.e., a rear planar glass layer). 
     In some device configurations it may be desirable to use mirrors to help direct light  74 . This type of arrangement is shown in  FIG. 8 . As shown in the cross-sectional side view of  FIG. 8 , source  54  may be mounted within device  10  so as to emit light downwards. Mirror  116  may be mounted to housing  12  using support structure  118 . When light  74  that is traveling downwards strikes mirror  116 , this light is reflected horizontally through window  114  to exit device  10 . Window  114  may be formed from a material that is transparent to infrared light (e.g., glass, plastic, etc.). The material of window  114  may be the same as the material used to form housing  12  or may be a different material (e.g., a transparent plastic window in an opening in housing  12 ). By using reflective structures such as mirror structure  116 , light may be emitted in a desired direction (i.e., along longitudinal axis  120  of device  10 ), without requiring that source  54  be oriented in the same way. 
     Source  54  may, if desired, emit light through a moving structure such as a button. As shown in  FIG. 9 , a button such as button  122  may be mounted in opening  127  in housing  12  of device  10 . Button  122  may include a button member such as button member  124 . Button member  124  may, for example, be formed from glass or clear (infrared-transparent) plastic. Layers  126  such as layers of adhesive and optional opaque ink may be interposed between button member  124  and button plate structure  128 . During operation, button  122  may reciprocate back and forth along button axis  136 . Source  54  may be mounted to plate  128  so that source  54  moves as button  122  reciprocates or source  54  may be mounted to a fixed structure such as housing  12  or support  132  so that source  54  remains stationary while button  122  reciprocates. When pressed inwards, button plate  128  compresses one or more switches such as dome switches  130  mounted on support structure  132 . Infrared source  54  may be mounted adjacent to opening  134  in plate  128 , so that light  74  exits device  10  through button member  124 . Button member  124  may have the shape of a lens, as shown by dashed convex lens outline  138 . This allows button member  122  to focus light. Optional internal lens structures such as lens  78  of  FIG. 4  may be provided in device  10  of  FIG. 9  or other device that includes source  54 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , source  54  may be integrated within a hollow cavity in button member  124 . With this type of configuration, both source  54  and member  124  reciprocate along axis  136  during operation of button  122 . A layer of visibly-opaque but infrared-transparent ink (layer  126 ) may be included in button  122  (and other structures in which it is desired to block source  54  and associated structures from view). With this type of configuration, external visible light  142  can be blocked at surface  144  of layer  126 , but infrared light  74  can pass through layer  126 . Flex circuits such as flex circuit  140  may be used to route electrical signals to and from dome switch  130  or other switching structures in button  122 . 
     As shown in the cross-sectional side view of  FIG. 11 , housing  12  may be provided with thin regions that serve as windows for infrared light  74 . In the  FIG. 11  example, housing  12  has thick regions  146  and thin region  148 . Optional opaque layer  126  (i.e., visibly opaque ink that is transparent to infrared light) may be placed under thin region  148  to enhance the visible light blocking properties of housing  12  in region  148 . Thin region  148  may have a thickness of less than 0.1 mm or other thickness that is sufficiently thin to allow infrared light  74  from source  54  to pass through housing wall  12 . The remainder of housing (i.e., regions  146 ) may be constructed with larger thicknesses (e.g., 0.3 mm or more) to ensure that housing  12  is mechanically strong. This type of arrangement provides device  10  with a smooth uninterrupted external appearance in the vicinity of source  54  without compromising the overall strength of housing  12 . 
       FIG. 12  shows how source  54  may be mounted within an audio port such as audio port  150 . Audio port  150  may be a microphone port or a speaker port. Audio component  158  may be a microphone or a speaker. Acoustically transparent structures such as audio port structures  152  may be mounted in an opening in housing  12  that is associated with port  150 . Structures  152  may be formed from wire and plastic mesh structures, integral portions of housing  12  or separate metal and/or plastic pieces with small holes (e.g., “microperf” holes of less than 0.5 mm in diameter, less than 0.3 mm in diameter, or less than 0.2 mm in diameter), foam, or other materials that allow sound to pass through port  150 . The openings in structures  152  that allow sound to pass between component  158  and the exterior of device  10  are illustrated as holes  154  in  FIG. 12 . If desired, openings  154  may be formed directly in portions of housing  12  (e.g., in an aluminum or stainless steel housing structure or in a plastic housing). Openings  156  in structures  152  may be formed adjacent to openings  154  and may be used to allow light  74  from source  54  to be emitted from the interior of device  10 . Openings  154  and  156  may have the same size and shape or may have different sizes and shapes. With arrangements of the type shown in  FIG. 12 , a user will generally only be able to observe the presence of a single port (audio port  150 ) from the exterior of device  10 , even though source  54  is present behind portions of structures  152 . As a result, visual clutter is reduced. If desired, one or more microperf openings such as openings  156  may be formed in other regions of housing  12  to allow light from an associated source  54  to be emitted. Such regions of housing  12  may appear visually opaque and substantially visually identical to surrounding adjacent housing regions to a user of device  12 , because microperf openings are small enough to be invisible or nearly invisible to the naked eye. The microperf openings may be formed on one end of device  10  (e.g., on a top end wall structure of housing  12  where illustrated by structure  22  of  FIG. 3 ). 
     It may be desirable to provide a user of device  10  with the option of installing a light transmitter such as source  54  in the form of a removable accessory. This type of arrangement is illustrated in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . As shown in  FIG. 13 , device  10  may have an opening such as opening  166  in housing  12 . A removable component such as component  160  may be installed in device  10  through opening  166  (e.g., so that the external surface of component  160  is substantially flush with the external surface of housing  12 ). Opening  166  may form an opening for an adapter slot. Component  160  may contain device  162 . Device  162  may be, for example, a subscriber identity module, a flash memory card, or a radio-frequency wireless adapter. If the user wishes to provide device  10  with infrared transmission capabilities to support remote control of external equipment  76  ( FIG. 1 ), component  160  may be removed from device  10  in direction  164 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 14 , once component  160  of  FIG. 13  has been removed from device  10 , a correspondingly sized infrared transmitter accessory such as infrared transmitter component  170  may be inserted into device  10  into the slot vacated by component  160  (i.e., by inserting component  170  into the slot in direction  168 ). Component  170  may serve as an infrared accessory or adapter and may include infrared source  54  and optional lens structure  78 . During operation, light  74  may be emitted through opening  166  as shown in  FIG. 14 . Opening  166  may, for example, be formed in the top end of device  10  (e.g., in the location of structure  22  of  FIG. 3 ). 
       FIG. 15  shows how infrared source  54  may be mounted behind the same window as a visible light source such as status light-emitting diode  176 . When desired, light-emitting diode  176  may be turned on to serve as a status indicator for a user of device  10 . Infrared source  54  may be mounted adjacent to source  176  behind common window  174 . Window  174  may be formed from a visibly transparent and infrared transparent material such as glass, a thin portion of housing  12 , a portion of housing  12  with small (microperf) openings (e.g., openings of less than a fraction of a millimeter in diameter), etc. Because only a single window (window  172 ) is visible to a user with this type of arrangement, visual clutter is minimized. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20100325
Publication Date: 20131231
Grant Date: 20131231
Priority Date: 20100325
Inventors: MITTLEMAN ADAM D.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04M1/0202", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/737", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0202", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/737", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0274", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0274", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 44656257