IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,009,525
Granted Patent B2
US 10,009,525 · App. 14/858,695 · Granted Jun 26, 2018

Camera lens structures and display structures for electronic devices

Inventors: Dinesh C. Mathew (Fremont, CA); Keith J. Hendren (Capitola, CA); Thomas W. Wilson, Jr. (Saratoga, CA); Adam T. Garelli (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04N5/2254G02F1/133528G06F1/1605G06F1/1686H04N5/2251H04N5/2253G02F2201/58
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,009,525
App. No.
14/858,695
Granted
Jun 26, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A camera may be mounted under a display in an electronic device. The display may include a polarizer layer, a color filter layer, and a thin-film-transistor layer. A layer of material such as a glass insert may be attached to an edge of the display. Openings may be formed in the layers of the display and the insert to accommodate the camera. A sleeve structure may be mounted within an opening. The camera may include lens structures formed from a stack of lens elements. One or more layers of the display may be interposed within the lens structures. The glass insert may be mounted within a notch in the color filter layer and thin-film transistor layer or along a straight edge of the color filter layer and thin-film transistor layer. The edge of the color filter layer may be recessed with respect to form a mounting shelf for the insert.

Claims (14)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having a plurality of layers comprising at least one thin-film transistor layer; and

a camera comprising lens structures and an image sensor that receives light through the lens structures, wherein at least part of the camera extends partially through the at least one thin-film transistor layer, wherein the camera is below at least one of the plurality of layers, wherein at least one of the plurality of layers comprises a polarizer layer having a window, wherein the polarizer layer is formed from a first material and processed in a manner to have a polarizing property, and wherein the window is formed from the first material and processed in a manner to remove the polarizing property.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising traces on the at least one thin-film-transistor layer that are electrically connected to the camera and that run along a plurality of edges of the at least one thin-film-transistor layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the camera is mounted within the display with an adhesive fastener.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the camera extends entirely through the at least one thin-film transistor layer.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the lens structures comprise a lens train.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the camera is mounted along an edge of the at least one thin-film transistor layer.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of layers comprises a color filter layer.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein at least part of the camera extends partially through the color filter layer.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the camera is not in direct contact with the color filter layer.

10. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the color filter layer is devoid of colored filter elements.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the polarizer layer is on top of the color filter layer, and wherein the color filter layer is on top of the at least one thin-film transistor layer.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the camera is aligned coaxially with the window.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 12916475 · Oct 29, 2010
Related Publication 20160212311A1 · Jul 21, 2016
Cited By (3)
US 12,204,192 US 12,541,139 US 12,554,054