IP Library › Granted Patent US 12688840
Granted Patent B2
US 12688840 · App. 18/611,276 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Electronic device with display light sensor

Inventors: Tong Chen (Fremont, CA); Wenrui Cai (Saratoga, CA); Jenny Hu (Sunnyvale, CA); Clint M Perlaki (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G09G5/10G09G2310/08G09G2360/144G09G2360/145
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12688840
App. No.
18/611,276
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light emitter that operates through a display may cause display artifacts, even when the light emitter operates using non-visible wavelengths. To determine whether the light emitter has caused these artifacts, a display light sensor under the display may measure backside light leakage from the display. Based on the measured backside light leakage, the display light sensor or control circuitry may determine whether artifacts in the display exceed a predetermined acceptable artifact range. If the artifacts exceed this range, the artifacts may be mitigated. To mitigate the artifacts, the light emitter and/or the display may be adjusted. For example, the timing and/or dosage of the light emitter, the acceptable artifact range, and/or the timing of display content may be adjusted. In this way, the display light sensor may be used to form a closed-loop system to determine whether artifacts are present in the display and to mitigate those artifacts.

Claims (30)

1 . An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a sensor comprising a light emitter that emits light through the display;

a display light sensor configured to measure emitter artifacts on the display; and

control circuitry configured to adjust the light emitter and to adjust a firing dosage of the light emitter in response to the emitter artifacts exceeding a predetermined range.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to adjust a firing time of the light emitter in response to the emitter artifacts exceeding the predetermined range.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to adjust the predetermined range in response to the emitter artifacts exceeding the predetermined range.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to adjust the display in response to the emitter artifacts exceeding the predetermined range.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust an output timing of the display in response to the emitter artifacts exceeding the predetermined range.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display light sensor is configured to measure the emitter artifacts by measuring backside light leakage from the display.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the display light sensor is an ambient light sensor.

8 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the display light sensor is a camera.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry comprises a sensing scheduler that is in bilateral communication with the display, and wherein the sensing scheduler is configured to adjust the light emitter and the display in response to the emitter artifacts exceeding the predetermined range.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined range is limited to a just-noticeable artifact level on the display.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a proximity sensor, the light emitter comprises an infrared light emitter, and the sensor further comprises an infrared light detector.

12 . An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a sensor configured to operate through the display;

a display light sensor under the display, wherein the display light sensor is configured to measure backside light leakage from the display; and

control circuitry configured to adjust the display based on measurements from the backside light leakage, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine whether emitter artifacts in the display exceed a predetermined range, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust content on the display in response to determining that the emitter artifacts exceed the predetermined range.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the sensor comprises a light emitter.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to adjust an output timing of the display in response to the emitter artifacts exceeding the predetermined range.

15 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to adjust the light emitter in response to the emitter artifacts exceeding the predetermined range.

16 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust a firing time of the light emitter, a firing dosage of the light emitter, or the predetermined range in response to the emitter artifacts exceeding the predetermined range.

17 . An electronic device, comprising:

a display comprising pixels;

a proximity sensor comprising a light emitter that emits light through the display;

a display light sensor that measures emitter artifacts in light emitted by the pixels; and

control circuitry that includes a sensing scheduler that is in bilateral communication with the display, wherein the sensing scheduler is configured to adjust the display or the proximity sensor in response to determining the emitter artifacts exceed a predetermined range.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the display light sensor measures backside light leakage from the display to measure the emitter artifacts, and wherein the display light sensor is an ambient light sensor or a camera.