# US 2014/0192256 A1 · Electro-optic aperture device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192256 A1 - Document ID: US20140192256A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/146,521 - Filed: 2014-01-02 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-04 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Jeffrey Nathan Gleason; Henry H. Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192256A1 ## CPC - H04N 23/57: Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices - G02F 1/153: Constructional details - G02F 1/155: Electrodes - G02F 1/163: Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor - G03B 9/02: Diaphragms - H04N 23/51: Housings - H04N 23/54: Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils - H04N 23/72: Combination of two or more compensation controls - H04N 23/75: by influencing optical camera components - G03B 7/095: for control of aperture - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) ## Abstract A portable consumer electronics device has a handheld portable device housing, and an electronic camera module integrated in the housing. The module has a focusing lens to focus light from a scene, an imaging sensor to receive the focused light, and an electro-optic variable aperture to allow different amounts of the light from the scene to reach the imaging sensor. The aperture has a stack that includes a front transparent conductor medium, an electrolyte medium, an active electro-chromic medium, and a rear transparent conductor medium. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A portable consumer electronics device comprising: a handheld portable device housing; and an electronic camera module integrated in the housing, the module having a focusing lens to focus light from a scene, an imaging sensor to receive the focused light, and an electro-optic variable aperture to allow different amounts of the light from the scene to reach the imaging sensor, wherein the aperture has a stack that includes a front transparent conductor medium, an electrolyte medium, an active electro-chromic medium, and a rear transparent conductor medium. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the electrolyte medium comprises an ion source medium adjacent to the front transparent conductor, and an ion conduction medium adjacent to the electro-chromic medium. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the aperture stack further comprises a front substrate on which the front transparent conductive medium is formed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3 wherein the aperture stack further comprises a rear substrate on which the rear transparent conductive medium is formed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the aperture is positioned so that the front transparent conductor is closer to the scene than the rear transparent conductor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 further comprising: a driver circuit to produce a variable voltage and being coupled to the transparent electrodes of the aperture so as to apply the variable voltage, to activate the aperture; an exposure controller to receive a user-triggered shutter release command and in response signal a) the driver circuit to apply a particular voltage to activate the aperture and b) the sensor to apply a particular integration time, in accordance with a given exposure setting; and a digital image storage coupled to receive a captured digital image from the sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the handheld portable device housing has a side that joins a front face and a rear face of the housing, and wherein the camera module is oriented in the housing such that the focusing lens is substantially parallel with the rear face of the housing and receives light from the scene through an opening in the rear face of the housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the electro-chromic medium comprises a layer of electro-chromic material that is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the camera module and that has essentially uniform thickness. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the electro-chromic medium comprises a layer of electro-chromic material that is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the camera module but that has tapered thickness. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9 wherein the layer of electro-chromic material is substantially ring-like or annular in that the tapered thickness drops to essentially zero in an inner region of the layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the front transparent conductor medium is a patterned layer so that a ring-like current is generated through the electro-chromic medium when an activation voltage is applied to the front and rear conductor mediums. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein a hole is formed within an inner region of the patterned layer of the front transparent conductor medium, such that essentially no sufficient current is generated through the portion of the electro-chromic medium that lies directly under the hole which would activate the electro-chromic medium. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the electro-chromic medium comprises a layer of electro-chromic material that is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the camera module and that has essentially uniform thickness. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the front transparent conductor medium contains an inner plug region that is substantially electrically isolated from an outer region, so that a ring-like current is generated through the electro-chromic medium when an activation voltage is applied to the outer region of the front conductor medium and the rear conductor medium. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14 wherein the electro-chromic medium comprises a layer of electro-chromic material that is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the camera module and that has essentially uniform thickness. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the ion conduction medium is a patterned layer so that a ring-like current is generated through the electro-chromic medium when an activation voltage is applied to the front and rear conductor mediums. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16 wherein a hole is formed within an inner region of the patterned layer of the ion conduction medium, such that essentially no sufficient current is generated through the portion of the electro-chromic medium that lies directly under the hole which would activate the electro-chromic medium. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16 wherein the electro-chromic medium comprises a layer of electro-chromic material that is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the camera module and that has essentially uniform thickness. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the ion source medium and the rear transparent conductor medium are uniform thickness layers.