Display apparatus

A display apparatus comprising:

• a display device having a plurality of pixels, a front side, and a back side opposite the front side, the display device comprising:
• a transparent layer;
• and
• display control circuitry configured to control the plurality of pixels;
• a light source configured to emit an optical signal having a wavelength higher than 800 nm towards the front side of the display device;
• a filter configured to pass light having at least the wavelength of the optical signal;
• and
• a detector device located at the back side of the display device, the detector device comprising:
• one or more photodetectors comprising:
• a substrate formed based on a first material;
• and
• one or more detection regions formed on the substrate, wherein the one or more detection regions are formed based on a second material different from the first material, and wherein the one or more detection regions are positioned to receive a portion of the optical signal propagating from the front side of the display device to the back side of the display device along a path;
• and
• a detector integrated circuit layer comprising one or more detector control circuits electrically coupled to the one or more photodetectors,
• wherein the one or more photodetectors are positioned such that the portion of the optical signal propagating from the front side of the display device to the back side of the display device passes through the substrate formed based on the first material before entering the one or more detection regions of the one or more photodetectors.

A method for operating a display apparatus, the method comprising:

• emitting, by a light source, an optical signal having a wavelength higher than 800 nm towards a transparent layer of a display device;
• receiving, by the transparent layer of the display device, a reflected optical signal from an object;
• receiving, by a filter configured to pass light having at least the wavelength of the optical signal, a first portion of the reflected optical signal that is weaker than or equal to the reflected optical signal;
• receiving, by a substrate of a photodetector located at a back side of the display device, a second portion of the reflected optical signal that is weaker than or equal to the first portion of the reflected optical signal, wherein the substrate is formed based on a first material;
• receiving, by one or more detector regions of the photodetector, a third portion of the reflected optical signal that is weaker than or equal to the second portion of the reflected optical signal, wherein the one or more detector regions are formed based on a second material different from the first material;
• generating, by a detector integrated circuit layer comprising one or more detector control circuits electrically coupled to the photodetector, an electrical signal representing the third portion of the reflected optical signal received by the one or more detector regions;
• and
• determining, based on the electrical signal and by one or more circuitry, data representing proximity information or time-of-flight information associated with the object.