Electronic devices having moisture-insensitive optical touch sensors
View Patent ↗An electronic device may have a touch sensitive display that is insensitive to the presence of moisture. An array of pixels in the display may be used to display images. A display cover layer may overlap the array of pixels. A light source may illuminate an external object such as a finger of a user when the object contacts a surface of the display cover layer. This creates scattered light that may be detected by an array of light sensors. The light source may supply light to an edge of the display cover layer at an angle that ensures total internal reflection within the display cover layer is sustained across the display cover layer even when the display cover layer is immersed in water or otherwise exposed to moisture.
1. An electronic device comprising:
a display having a display cover layer with a surface; and
an optical touch sensor comprising:
at least one light source that is configured to emit light into the display cover layer; and
at least one light detector, wherein total internal reflection is locally defeated to scatter the emitted light towards the at least one light detector when the surface is contacted by a finger and wherein total internal reflection is not locally defeated when the surface is exposed to water.
2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the optical touch sensor comprises a plurality of light detectors arranged in an array extending across the display, wherein the plurality of light detectors comprises the at least one light detector, and wherein the total internal reflection is locally defeated to scatter the emitted light towards the plurality of light detectors when the surface is contacted by the finger.
3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display has an array of light-emitting diodes configured to display an image.
4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the at least one light source is overlapped by the array of light-emitting diodes.
5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display cover layer comprises glass.
6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display cover layer comprises sapphire.
7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein each light detector of the at least one light detector is overlapped by an angular light filter.
8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 , wherein each angular light filter is configured to block incident light within a first range of incident angles that includes a surface normal of the display cover layer and pass incident light within a second range of incident angles that does not include the surface normal of the display cover layer.
9. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein each angular light filter comprises a mask with an opening.
10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein each angular light filter comprises a lens that overlaps the opening.
11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein each angular light filter comprises a transparent layer between the mask and the lens.
12. The electronic device defined in claim 7 further comprising an index-matching structure interposed between the display cover layer and at least one of the angular light filters.
13. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein each angular light filter comprises a first mask with a first opening and a second mask with a second opening that overlaps the first opening.
14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein each angular light filter further comprises a transparent layer between the first mask and the second mask.
15. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one light source is overlapped by the display cover layer.
16. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one light source comprises an infrared light source.
17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the optical touch sensor comprises a plurality of infrared light detectors arranged in an array extending across the display, wherein the plurality of infrared light detectors comprises the at least one light detector, and wherein the total internal reflection is locally defeated to scatter the emitted light towards the plurality of infrared light detectors when the surface is contacted by the finger.
18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein each infrared light detector in the array of infrared light detectors is overlapped by a respective angular light filter and wherein each angular light filter is configured to block incident light within a first range of incident angles that includes a surface normal of the display cover layer and pass incident light within a second range of incident angles that does not include the surface normal of the display cover layer.
19. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises an array of pixels configured to display an image and wherein the at least one light detector is interposed between at least two of the pixels of the array of pixels.
20. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises a first set of forward biased diodes and a second set of reverse biased diodes.