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US 2023/0384830 A1Published application
Input Devices Incorporating Biometric Sensors
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsRobert Y. Cao, Michael K. McCord, Simon R. Lancaster-Larocque
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A button assembly for an electronic device is disclosed. The button assembly integrates a biometric sensor below a top surface of the button. The button assembly is positioned relative to a secondary display of an electronic device. The secondary display can be positioned relative to a keyboard, such as above a top row of keys of the keyboard.
Claims20
A laptop computing device comprising:
- a housing comprising:
- a top portion;
- a hinge;
- and
- a bottom portion connected to the top portion via the hinge;
- a primary display integrated in the top portion of the housing;
- a keyboard integrated in the bottom portion of the housing;
- a secondary display integrated in the bottom portion of the housing between the keyboard and the hinge;
- and
- a restricted-access button positioned at an end of the secondary display and integrated in the bottom portion of the housing.
7 more elements
A button assembly for a laptop computing device, the button assembly comprising:
- a button cap comprising:
- a frame;
- a cover attached to the frame and forming an external surface of the button cap;
- and
- a standoff extending from a bottom surface of the frame, configured to insert within a through-hole defined in a housing of the laptop computing device;
- a spring plate comprising:
- an inner tongue coupled to an interior surface of the housing and adjacent the through-hole;
- and
- an outer tongue coupled to the standoff;
- and
- a biometric sensor abutting a bottom surface of the cover;
- wherein
- the spring plate is configured to constrain motion of the button cap in at least one direction;
- and
- the button cap is configured to depress downwardly such that the standoff causes the outer tongue of the spring plate to deflect away from the interior surface.
12 more elements
A portable electronic device comprising:
- a housing;
- a set of keys extending at least partially through at least one aperture defined by the housing;
- a touch-sensitive display disposed at least partially within an opening defined by the housing and along a side of the set of keys;
- and
- a power button disposed at least partially within the opening and abutting the touch-sensitive display, wherein:
- the power button is configured to capture a biometric input when a user of the portable electronic device presses the power button;
- and
- the power button is configured to depress in a cantilevered manner such that the power button does not transfer a load to the touch-sensitive display.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.