PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9664555-B2
Application Number: US-201213718850-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Electronic devices with light sensors

Abstract:
Electronic devices may be provided with light sensors. Light sensors may be proximity sensors or ambient light sensors. Proximity sensors may include a light-emitting component and a light-sensitive component. The electronic device may include an enclosure formed from housing structures and some or all of a display for the device. The enclosure may include openings such as openings formed from clusters of smaller openings. Each light sensor may receive light through one of the clusters of openings. The light sensor may receive the light directly through the openings or may receive light that passes through the openings and is guided to the light sensor by light guiding structures. The light guiding structures may include fiber optic structures or light-reflecting structures. Fiber optic structures may fill or partially fill the openings. Light reflecting structures may be machined cavities in an internal support structure.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 an enclosure having first and second openings; 
 an internal support structure mounted within the enclosure such that the enclosure surrounds the internal support structure, wherein the internal support structure includes first and second light-reflecting cavities adjacent to the first and second openings; and 
 first and second light sensors mounted in the first and second light-reflecting cavities, wherein the first light-reflecting cavity reflects light that enters the enclosure through the first opening in a first direction and onto the first light sensor and the second light-reflecting cavity reflects light that enters the enclosure through the second opening in a second direction and onto the second light sensor. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first and second light sensors comprises an ambient light sensor. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the at least one of the first and second light sensors comprises a proximity sensor. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 3  wherein the proximity sensor comprises a light-emitting component and a light-sensitive component. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the enclosure comprises a housing sidewall member and wherein the first and second openings comprise openings in the housing sidewall member. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 5  wherein the housing sidewall member comprises aluminum. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  1  wherein the internal support structure comprises aluminum. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 7  wherein the first and second light-reflecting cavities comprise machined cavities in the internal support structure. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the first and second openings comprise first and second respective patterned clusters of openings. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device defined in  claim 9  wherein at least one of the first and second patterned clusters of openings comprises a central opening and a plurality of peripheral openings that surround the central opening. 
     
     
       11. The electronic device defined in  claim 9 , further comprising transparent material in each of the patterned cluster of openings. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 11  wherein the transparent material comprises fiber optic structures in the openings. 
     
     
       13. An electronic device having first and second opposing surfaces and a peripheral edge surface, the electronic device comprising:
 a display; 
 a housing; 
 a printed circuit board having first and second opposing surfaces in the housing, the first and second opposing surfaces of the printed circuit board extending parallel to the first and second opposing surfaces of the electronic device; 
 a first plurality of light sensors mounted on the first surface of the printed circuit board that receive light through openings in at least one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the electronic device; and 
 a second plurality of light sensors mounted on the second surface of the printed circuit board that receive light through openings in the peripheral edge surface of the electronic device. 
 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the display comprises a cover layer having a plurality of openings and wherein each of the first plurality of light sensors is mounted adjacent to at least one of the plurality of openings in the cover layer. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  wherein the cover layer comprises glass. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  wherein each of the second plurality of light sensors receives light through at least one of the openings in the peripheral edge surface of the electronic device. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device defined in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 an internal support structure having a plurality of cavities, wherein each of the plurality of cavities is adjacent to at least one of the openings in the peripheral edge surface of the electronic device. 
 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 17  wherein each of the second plurality of light sensors is mounted within a corresponding one of the plurality of cavities. 
     
     
       19. An electronic device, comprising:
 an enclosure having a front surface, a rear surface, a sidewall surface, and clusters of openings in each of the front surface, the rear surface, and the sidewall surface, wherein each of the clusters of openings comprises a plurality of openings; and 
 a plurality of light sensors, wherein each light sensor receives light through the plurality of openings of a corresponding one of the clusters of openings in the enclosure, wherein at least one of the clusters of openings comprises a central opening surrounded by peripheral openings, and wherein one of the plurality of light sensors emits and receives light through the central opening. 
 
     
     
       20. The electronic device defined in  claim 19  wherein the central opening has a diameter, wherein the plurality of peripheral openings each have a common diameter, and wherein the diameter of the central opening is larger than the common diameter of the peripheral openings. 
     
     
       21. The electronic device defined in  claim 19 , further comprising a display having a rigid cover layer, wherein the front surface of the enclosure is formed from the rigid cover layer. 
     
     
       22. The electronic device defined in  claim 21 , further comprising a peripheral housing member, wherein the sidewall surface of the enclosure is formed from the peripheral housing member.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, to electronic devices with light sensors. 
     Electronic devices such as portable computers and cellular telephones are often provided with user input devices such as buttons, switches and touch-sensitive displays. 
     User input devices such as buttons and switches are often mounted in holes in a device housing or in holes in a portion of a display for the device. This type of hole for a button or a switch can sometimes be as large as a typical user&#39;s finger. 
     User input devices such as touch-sensitive displays are typically formed on a front face of the device. Touch sensitive displays commonly include capacitive or resistive touch-sensitive circuitry for gathering touch-based user input. 
     However, in some situations it can be desirable to gather user input from locations on the device in which it is challenging to accommodate macroscopic holes for buttons and/or switches and which may not be suitable for capacitive or resistive touch-sensor circuitry. It can therefore be challenging to gather user input data such as the position of a user&#39;s hand on a handheld device using conventional user input devices. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved electronic devices. 
     SUMMARY 
     Electronic devices may be provided with light sensors. Light sensors may include ambient light sensors, proximity sensors, or other light sensitive components. The electronic device may include tens, hundreds, or thousands of light sensors. 
     An electronic device may have an enclosure formed from housing structures and, if desired, a display. Light sensors and other electronic components such as printed circuit boards may be mounted within the enclosure. The light sensors may receive light through openings or clusters of openings in the enclosure. The light sensors may receive light directly through the openings or via light guiding structures such as reflective cavities or fiber optic structures that guide the light from the openings to the light sensors. The light sensors may be attached to a printed circuit board in the enclosure. 
     The light sensors may be formed along an edge of the enclosure, may be distributed under the display, may be distributed under a rear surface of the device or may be distributed behind substantially all of the exterior surfaces of the device. 
     The device may include an internal support structure. Light guiding structures such as reflective cavities may be machined into the internal support structure. A light sensor may be mounted within each machined reflective cavity in the internal support structure. User input data may be gathered using the light sensors. 
     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 perspective view of an illustrative electronic device with light sensors in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of a portion of an illustrative device enclosure having openings that allow light to pass through the enclosure onto a light sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device showing how a device enclosure may include multiple openings made up of clusters of smaller openings that allow light to pass through the openings in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of an illustrative electronic device having staggered clusters of openings in an edge portion of a device housing that allow light to pass through the edge portion of the housing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device in the vicinity of a light sensor that is mounted adjacent to openings in the device enclosure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device in the vicinity of a light sensor showing how openings in the device enclosure may be filled with light guiding structures in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device in the vicinity of a light sensor showing how light guiding structures may guide light from openings in the device enclosure to a light sensor that is mounted separately from the openings in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device in the vicinity of a light sensor showing how a cavity in an internal support structure may guide light from openings in the device enclosure to the light sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device showing how multiple light sensors may be mounted within multiple cavities in an internal support structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an illustrative internal support structure with light-reflecting cavities in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an illustrative light-reflecting cavity in an internal support structure showing how light may be guided within the cavity to a light sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device showing how light sensors may be mounted to a printed circuit board within a device enclosure and light guiding structures may guide light from openings in the enclosure to the light sensors on the printed circuit board in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a diagram of an illustrative light sensor that is implemented as a proximity sensor having a light source and a light-sensitive component in a common package in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram of an illustrative light sensor that is implemented as a proximity sensor having a light source and a separate light-sensitive component in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 15  is a diagram of an illustrative light sensor that is implemented as a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor mounted in a common package in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An electronic device may be provided with light sensors and other circuitry mounted in an enclosure. The enclosure may be formed from housing structure and, if desired, some or all of a device display. The enclosure may include openings that allow light to pass through the enclosure to and/or from the light sensors. Light sensors may include proximity sensors, ambient light sensors, or other sensors. Ambient light sensors may be configured to sense light having optical wavelengths. Proximity sensors may include a light-emitting component and a light-sensitive component. The light emitting component may be an infrared light emitting component such as an infrared light-emitting diode. The light-sensitive component may be an infrared light sensing component configured to sense reflected portions of infrared light that has been emitted by the light emitting component. 
     An illustrative electronic device of the type that may be provided with light sensors that receive light through openings in a device enclosure is shown in  FIG. 1 . Electronic device  10  may be a portable electronic device or other suitable electronic device. For example, electronic device  10  may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a somewhat smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, pendant device, or other wearable or miniature device, a cellular telephone, a media player, etc. 
     Device  10  may include a housing such as housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as a case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. In some situations, parts of housing  12  may be formed from dielectric or other low-conductivity material. In other situations, housing  12  or at least some of the structures that make up housing  12  may be formed from metal elements. 
     Device  10  may have a display such as display  14 . Display  14  may be a touch-sensitive display that includes a touch sensor or may be insensitive to touch. Touch sensors for display  14  may be formed from an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes, a resistive touch array, touch sensor structures based on acoustic touch, optical touch, or force-based touch technologies, or other suitable touch sensor components. 
     Display  14  for device  10  may include display pixels formed from liquid crystal display (LCD) components or other suitable image pixel structures. 
     A display cover layer may cover the surface of display  14  or a display layer such as a color filter layer or other portion of a display may be used as the outermost (or nearly outermost) layer in display  14 . The outermost display layer may be formed from a transparent glass sheet, a clear plastic layer, or other transparent member. 
     Display  14  may be mounted on a front face of housing  12 . Housing  12  and display  14  may, in combination, form some or all of an enclosure for device  10 . Electronic components and other internal structures such as internal support structures may be formed within the enclosure formed by display  14  and housing  12 . Housing  12  may also include a rear housing member such as a metal housing member, a dielectric housing member, an additional display, or other housing structure that forms a rear surface for device  10 . The rear surface of housing  12  may be a planar rear surface or may have a curved (e.g., concave, convex, or other non-planar) shape. 
     Display  14  may, if desired, have a display cover layer or other exterior layer that includes openings for components such as button  26 . Openings may also be formed in a display cover layer or other display layer to accommodate a speaker port such as speaker port  28 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the enclosure for device  10  may include openings  16 . Openings  16  may be holes or clusters of holes in, for example, housing  12  and/or one or more layers of display  14  that allow light to pass through the openings onto light sensors mounted within the enclosure. Openings  16  may be formed on a front surface, a back surface, sidewalls, edges and/or other portions of the enclosure for device  10 . Device  10  may include a light sensor associated with each opening  16 . Each opening  16  may be formed from a patterned cluster of smaller openings in order to reduce the visibility and tactile delectability of openings  16  to a user. 
     Device  10  may include additional openings such as openings  18  in housing  12  that accommodate additional components such as microphones, speakers, or other electronic components. 
     Device  10  may be provided with any number of light sensors associated with a corresponding number of openings  16 . For example, device  10  may have 10 openings, 20 openings, 50 openings, 100 openings, between 10 and 50 openings, between 50 and 150 openings, between 100 and 500 openings, more than 20 openings, more than 50 openings, more than 100 openings, or less than 50 openings (as examples). Each opening  16  (or each patterned cluster of openings) may have an associated light sensor. Light sensors may be mounted adjacent to the openings or separately from the openings. Light sensors that are mounted separately from an associated opening may have associated light guiding structures (e.g., fiber optic cables, coherent fiber bundles, or machined light-reflecting cavities) that guide light from the associated opening  16  to that light sensor. 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of a portion of an enclosure for device  10  showing how openings  16  in enclosure structure (e.g., housing  12 , display  14 , or other housing structures for device  10 ) may be formed from a patterned cluster of smaller openings. In the example of  FIG. 2 , opening  16  is formed from a central opening  16 C and six peripheral openings  16 P. 
     Peripheral openings  16 P may have a width that is smaller than the width of central opening  16 C. Central opening  16 C may, for example, be a circular opening having a diameter that is between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm, between 0.2 mm and 1 mm, less than 1 mm, or greater than 0.05 mm (as examples). Peripheral openings  16 P may be circular openings each having a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of central opening  16 C. The diameter of peripheral openings  16 P may, as examples, be between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm, between 0.1 mm and 0.4 mm, between 0.1 mm and 1 mm, less than 1 mm, or greater than 0.01 mm. However, the arrangement of holes that make up opening  16  in  FIG. 2  is merely illustrative. If desired, other arrangements may be used. 
     As examples, opening  16  may be formed from a single central opening  16 C without any peripheral openings, from peripheral openings such as openings  16 P without a central opening, from a central opening and more than six peripheral openings or from a central opening and less than six openings. Peripheral openings  16 P may have a common diameter or may have various different diameters. Peripheral openings  16 P may have a common shape (e.g., circular) or may have various different shapes. Peripheral openings  16 P and central opening  16 C may each be circular, square, rectilinear, oval, or may have any other suitable shape. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , openings  16  may be formed in a grid of openings  16  on structure  30 . For example, a grid of openings  16  of the type shown in  FIG. 3  may be formed across display  14  or across a rear surface of device  10 . Sensor structures  21  may be formed behind each opening  16 . Sensor structures  21  may be a light sensor (e.g., a proximity sensor or an ambient light sensor) mounted to a printed circuit such as a printed circuit board directly behind openings  16  or sensor structures  21  may be light guiding structures that guide light from openings  16  to a light sensor located separately from openings  16 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , openings  16  may be formed in a pattern other than the grid-like pattern of  FIG. 3 . In the example of  FIG. 3 , openings  16  (e.g., patterned clusters of openings) are formed in a staggered pattern along a peripheral edge portion of housing  12  (e.g., a housing sidewall member such as an aluminum housing sidewall). Openings  16  may be mechanically drilled openings, laser drilled openings, molded openings or openings formed using other methods. 
     If desired, housing  12  may include separators  22  and additional openings for user input devices such as button  24 . Button  24  may be a power button for device  10 . Separators  22  may, for example, be insulating members that separate aluminum portions of housing  12  to prevent electrical coupling between portions of housing  12 . 
     A staggered pattern of openings of the type shown in  FIG. 4  may be arranged to match a staggered pattern of internal light guiding structures such as staggered light-reflecting cavities within the enclosure of device  10 . The light-reflecting cavities may guide light from alternating openings  16  to light sensors mounted on alternating sides of a printed circuit board within the enclosure for device  10 . 
     In some portions of device  10 , light sensors may be mounted directly under openings  16  as in the example of  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , light sensor  20  receives light  34  through opening  16  (e.g., through a patterned cluster of openings such as openings  16 P and  16 C. Light sensor  20  may be an ambient light sensor that detects light  34  that originates outside of enclosure structure  30  or light sensor  20  may be a proximity sensor that emits light  35  (e.g., infrared light) out of enclosure structure  30  through opening  16  and detects a reflected portion of emitted light  35  that passes back through opening  16 . Light sensor  20  may be mounted on circuit substrate such as circuit substrate  32 . Light sensor  20  may generate proximity data related to the proximity of an object in the vicinity of device  10  in response to the received reflected portion of light  35 . 
     Additional circuitry within device  10  (e.g., a printed circuit such as circuit substrate  32  or other electronic components mounted to circuit substrate  32 ) may control the operation of device  10  using the generated proximity data or using ambient light data generated by an ambient light sensor associated with sensor  20 . For example, the brightness of images displayed on display  14 , an operational mode for device  10 , display content displayed on display  14 , the volume of audio output generated by device  10 , or other aspects of the operation of device  10  may be modified based on user-motions, user hand positions, or other user input data gathered using one or more light sensors  20 . 
     Circuit substrate  32  may be a flexible printed circuit, a rigid printed circuit board, a portion of a display (e.g., a display glass layer having conductive traces such as a thin-film-transistor layer of a display), or other circuitry within device  10 . Circuit substrate  32  may include conductive traces  36  that convey signals between light sensor  20  and other circuitry in device  10 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 5 , openings  16  are air-filled openings that are free of filler material. However, this is merely illustrative. If desired, openings  16  may be filled or partially filled as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , openings  16  may be filled with transparent material  38 . Transparent material  38  may be glass or transparent plastic that prevents environmental materials such as air and water from entering device  10  through openings  16 . Transparent material  38  may be a transparent filler material or may be a material with light guiding properties. For example, transparent material  38  may be formed from one or more fiber optic structures that guide light through openings  16  by total internal reflection within material  38 . If desired, transparent material  38  may include portions  40  that extend beyond openings  16  into the interior of device  10  so that light may be guided directly to or directly from the surface of sensor  20 . In the example of  FIG. 6 , extended portions  40  extend from openings  16  in structure  30  to a sensor that is mounted adjacent to openings  16 . However, this is merely illustrative. If desired, transparent material  38  may be used to form light guiding structures that guide light to and/or from a light sensor that is mounted in other locations in device  10 . 
     As shown in the example of  FIG. 7 , transparent material  38  may be used to form a coherent light guiding bundle of fiber optic structures such as coherent bundle  42 . Coherent bundle  42  may guide light to and/or from a light sensor  20  that is separated from openings  16 . For example, a light sensor such as light sensor  20  may be attached to a printed circuit such as printed circuit  32  that is mounted at an angle such as angle A with respect to structure  30 . Angle A may be any acute or obtuse angle. 
     Coherent bundle  42  may include a portion that is mounted to a surface of sensor  20  and one or more branches that extend from that portion into openings  16  (e.g., into central opening  16 C and one or more peripheral openings  16 P). However, this is merely illustrative. If desired, separate fiber optic light guiding structures may me mounted to the surface of sensor  20  (e.g., a fiber optic light guide from each of openings  16 P and  16 C may be mounted to sensor  20 ) or other light guiding structures may be used to guide light to sensors such as sensor  20 . 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of device  10  showing how a reflective cavity in an internal device structure may be used to guide light to light sensors (e.g., proximity sensors and ambient light sensors) within device  10 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , an internal structure such as internal support structure  44  may include a cavity such as cavity  48 . Support structure  44  may, for example, be a support structure to which internal components such as batteries, printed circuit boards, cameras, antennas, or other components are mounted. Structure  44  may be formed from metal (e.g., aluminum), plastic, ceramics, other materials or combinations of materials. Configurations in which structure  44  is formed from aluminum are sometimes described herein as examples. 
     Cavity  48  in structure  44  may, for example, be a machined cavity in structure  44  with a light-reflecting surface  49 . Light-reflecting surface  49  may have a reflectivity and a shape that is configured to redirect light that enters the enclosure for device  10  through opening  16  along paths  46  onto a sensor  20  that is mounted in an orientation that is perpendicular to openings  16  and structure  30 . For example, structure  30  may be a sidewall portion of housing  12  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 1 ) of device  10  and sensor  20  may be mounted to a printed circuit board such as printed circuit  32  that extends along a direction (e.g., the negative y direction of  FIG. 8 ) that is perpendicular to the sidewall portion of housing  12  within device  10 . 
     Cavity  48  may include an additional cutout region such as region  47  that accommodates some or all of light sensor  20  within cavity  48 . 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of device  10  that is rotated with respect to the view of  FIG. 8  so that cavities  48  in structure  44  can be viewed face-on (i.e., in the direction that light would enter cavities  48  through openings in a sidewall portion of housing  12  (not shown)). Light entering device  10  along the negative y direction of  FIG. 8  may be reflected by cavities  48  onto respective light sensors  20  mounted on interior surfaces of one or more printed circuit boards  32 . Each cavity  48  may be located adjacent to one of the staggered openings  16  in housing  12  described above in connection with  FIG. 4 . 
     Openings  16  in housing  12  may be staggered so that cavities  48  in structure  44  receive light through the staggered openings and guide the light onto sensors  20  that are mounted on multiple printed circuits  32 . However, this is merely illustrative. If desired, openings  16  in housing  12  may be staggered so that cavities  48  in structure  44  can guide light onto sensors  20  that are mounted on opposing sides of a single printed circuit  32  or openings  16  in housing  12  may not be staggered. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , light sensors  20  may be mounted on multiple surfaces of one or more printed circuits (e.g., printed circuit boards). Light sensors on an outermost surface of a printed circuit  32  may be mounted adjacent to openings  16  in a front enclosure structure such as enclosure structure  30 F or a rear enclosure structure such as enclosure structure  30 R. In this way, device  10  may be provided with light sensors  20  that receive light directly through openings  16  adjacent to the sensor and light sensors  20  that receive light that is reflected from light-reflecting surfaces of light-reflecting cavities in an internal support structure within the device. 
     Enclosure structure  30 F may, for example, be a rigid cover layer (e.g., glass layer) of display  14 . Enclosure structure  30 F may be a rear portion of housing  12  formed from metal (e.g., aluminum), glass, plastic or other materials or combinations of materials. Each printed circuit  32  may be provided with multiple light sensors  20  on each of two opposing surfaces of the printed circuit. Each light sensor  20  may receive light through an associated openings  16  (e.g., a cluster of openings associated with that sensor). Each opening  16  may include a central opening and peripheral openings as described above in connection with  FIG. 5  and each opening  16  may include light guiding or other transparent material in the central and/or peripheral openings. 
     Structure  44  may include any number of light-reflecting cavities  48 . Each cavity  48  may guide light from an opening  16  (e.g., a cluster of openings) onto an associated sensor  20 . 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of support structure  44  showing how support structure  44  may be provided with cavities  48  around the peripheral edge of structure  44 . Cavities  48  may include cavities  48  that reflect light upward onto sensors attached to a first printed circuit and cavities  48  that reflect light downward onto sensors attached to a second printed circuit (or an opposing second side of the first printed circuit). 
     Structure  44  may include one cavity, two cavities, three cavities, more than three cavities, more than 10 cavities, more than 100 cavities, or more than 500 cavities (as examples). Support structure  44  may include other openings such as opening  50  and support members such as support members  52 . Structure  44  may be a single monolithic structure having machined cavities  48 , openings  50  and support member  52  or may be formed from multiple portions that are attached together. 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a light-reflecting cavity such as cavity  48  showing how light sensor  20  may be mounted within the cavity. Light reflecting surface  49  of cavity  48  may redirect light that enters cavity  48  along path  46  onto light sensor  20 . 
     In some configurations, the enclosure for device  10  may include curved portions of housing  12  as shown in  FIG. 12 . In the example of  FIG. 12 , a portion of printed circuit  32  is mounted between a curved portion of housing  12  and an edge portion of display  14 . It can be challenging to mount light sensor  20  adjacent to openings in housing  12  and or display  14  in this type of situation. Device  10  may therefore be provided with additional light guiding structures such as fiber optic structure  62  that guides light from an opening  16  (or a cluster of openings) in curved portions of housing  12  onto a light sensor that is mounted within device  10 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , one or more light sensors  20  may be coupled to fiber optic structure  62  and mounted on a portion of printed circuit  32  that is mounted between a curved portion of housing  12  and an edge portion of display  14 . Fiber optic structure  62  may have portions that fill an opening in housing  12  or may have one or more ends mounted adjacent to an opening in housing  12 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , other components such as components  60  may also be mounted to printed circuit  32 . Other components  60  may be integrated circuits, conductive traces, resistors, capacitors, inductors, volatile or non-volatile memory, or other electronic components. Components  60  and/or circuit substrate  32  may be used in operating sensors  20  and in operating device  10  using proximity data and/or ambient light data gathered using sensors  20 . 
     Illustrative configurations for light sensors  20  are shown in  FIGS. 13, 14, and 15 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 13 , light sensor  20  is configured as a proximity sensor having a light-sensitive portion  64  and a light-emitting portion  66 . Light-sensitive portion  64  may include one or more photosensitive elements such as photodiodes or other photosensors that generate electrical signals in response to light that is incident on the light-sensitive portion. Light-sensitive portion  64  may be an infrared light sensor, a visible light sensor, or other light sensor. Light-emitting portion (light-emitter)  66  may be, for example, a light-emitting diode (LED) such as an infrared LED. 
     Light that is generated by light-emitting portion  66  may be emitted out of device  10  through openings such as openings  16  in the enclosure for device  10 . Part of the light that is emitted through openings  16  may be reflected from an object that is in the vicinity of device  10  (e.g., a user&#39;s hand, a user&#39;s head, a user&#39;s ear, an inanimate object, a user input device, etc.). The reflected part of the light may re-enter the enclosure for device  10  through openings  16  and may be detected by light-sensitive portion  64 . Light-sensitive portion  64  and light-emitting portion  66  may be separated by a wall structure such as wall  70  that prevents light from light-emitting portion  66  from directly illuminating light-sensitive portion  64 . Light sensor  20  may include an exterior structure formed from ceramic, resin, plastic, metal, and/or other materials or combinations of materials that form a housing for light sensor  20 . Light sensor  20  may include a substrate on which electronic components such as photosensors and/or LEDs are formed. 
     However, the example of  FIG. 13  is merely illustrative. If desired, light sensor  20  may be configured as an ambient light sensor without any light-emitting portion or, as in the example of  FIG. 14 , light sensor  20  may include a separate light-sensitive portion  64  and light-emitting portion  66  (e.g., a light-sensitive portion that is separated by an air gap from a light-emitting portion). 
     If desired, light sensor  20  may be provided with both proximity sensing and ambient light sensing capabilities. As shown in  FIG. 15 , light sensor  20  may include an ambient light sensor  68  that is attached to light-sensitive portion  64  and light-emitting portion  66 . Ambient light sensor  68  may include a light sensitive element (e.g., a photodiode or other photosensor) that is sensitive to light having visible wavelengths. In this way, light sensor  20  may include an infrared light sensitive element (e.g., element  64 ) and an optical light sensitive element. Ambient light sensor  68 , light-sensitive portion  64 , and light-emitting portion  66  may be formed in a common housing structure  74  (e.g., a housing structure formed from ceramic, resin, plastic, other materials or combinations of materials) or may be formed using separate ambient light sensing, infrared light sensing and infrared light emitting components. 
     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.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20121218
Publication Date: 20170530
Grant Date: 20170530
Priority Date: 20121218
Inventors: SHIU BOON W.
LEE DAVID LIN
DIVINCENT MICHAEL
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G01J1/0444", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/0271", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/4204", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/0425", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/4228", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/22", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/4228", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/0271", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/22", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/0425", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/4204", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/0444", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 50929837