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US 8,712,485 B2Granted
Proximity sensor arrangement in a mobile device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorChing Yu John Tam
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A radiation passing layer has a top surface and a bottom surface below which a proximity sensor is positioned. A radiation shield is between the emitter and the detector, and extends to the bottom of the radiation passing layer. A radiation absorber being a separate piece and of a different material than the shield is positioned to provide a radiation seal between the top surface of the shield and the bottom surface of the radiation passing layer. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
Claims19
An electronic device comprising:
- a radiation passing layer having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a proximity sensor having a radiation emitter and a radiation detector, both positioned below the radiation passing layer;
- a radiation shield positioned between the emitter and the detector, and extending to the bottom surface of the radiation passing layer;
- and
- a radiation absorber being a separate piece and of a different material than the shield and positioned to provide a radiation seal between a top surface of the shield and the bottom surface of the radiation passing layer wherein the absorber is formed as a mask that has two holes formed therein directly above the emitter and the detector, respectively.
2 more elements
An electronic device comprising:
- a wireless telephony handset housing having an infrared light passing layer whose top face is part of an exterior face of the housing and whose bottom face is inside the housing;
- a proximity sensor having an infrared emitter and an infrared detector both positioned below the bottom face of the light passing layer, inside the housing;
- an internal frame member positioned between the emitter and the detector, the frame member to block infrared radiation between the emitter and the detector;
- and
- an infrared absorber being a mask that is of a different material than the frame member and has two holes formed therein, wherein the mask is positioned between a top surface of the frame member and the bottom surface of the light passing layer such that the two holes are directly above the emitter and the detector, respectively.
2 more elements
A method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising:
- applying an infrared absorber being a mask having two holes formed therein, to the bottom surface of a radiation passing layer;
- and then
- positioning the radiation passing layer into an exterior housing of a mobile device and fixing the radiation passing layer in place while the absorber is in contact with a top surface of an internal frame member in the housing that lies between an infrared emitter and an infrared detector of a proximity sensor in the housing, such that the two holes of the mask are aligned with a radiation passage for the emitter and the detector, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.