IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,489,961
Granted Patent B2
US 12,489,961 · App. 18/749,451 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Camera integration for portable electronic devices

Inventors: Keith J. Hendren (Santa Cruz, CA); Adam T. Garelli (Morgan Hill, CA); Alex J. Lehmann (Redwood City, CA); Dinesh C. Mathew (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
H04N23/531H04N23/45H04N23/51H04N23/951
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,489,961
App. No.
18/749,451
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A portable electronic device can have a housing including a wall, the wall at least partially defining an external surface, and the housing defining an aperture disposed opposite the wall. A display assembly can be positioned at the aperture and a retention component can be positioned at least partially in an internal volume defined by the housing. The portable electronic device can also have an optical component that includes an optical component housing defining a camera aperture and a camera module positioned at the camera aperture. The optical component can be configured to be removably retained against the wall by the retention component and to be removably retained against the display assembly by the retention component.

Claims (41)

1 . A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing comprising a wall at least partially defining an external surface, the housing defining an aperture disposed opposite the wall;

a display assembly positioned at the aperture; and

an optical component positioned within an internal volume defined by the wall;

wherein:

the display assembly includes an active area defining a notch; and

the optical component is disposed at the notch.

2 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the optical component includes a camera module.

3 . The portable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the camera module is disposed between the wall and an active area of the display assembly.

4 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 , further including a transparent cover layer overlaying the active area of the display assembly and the notch.

5 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the active area at least partially encompasses the optical component.

6 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 , further including a protrusion extending away from a planar surface of the wall.

7 . The portable electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the optical component is further disposed within an internal volume defined by the protrusion.

8 . The portable electronic device of claim 6 , further including a transparent cover layer comprising:

a planar portion overlaying the display assembly; and

a protrusion portion configured to overlay the protrusion.

9 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 , further including a transparent cover layer defining a planar portion and a protrusion portion, wherein the protrusion portion extends from the planar portion and is configured to contain the optical component.

10 . A display portion of a portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a protrusion positioned at a perimeter region of the housing;

a display assembly coupled to the housing and at least partially surrounding the protrusion; and

an electronic component at least partially disposed within an internal volume defined by the protrusion.

11 . The portable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the electronic component comprises at least one of:

a radiating element of an antenna; or

an audio component.

12 . The portable electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising a camera positioned in an internal volume defined by the housing.

13 . The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the camera is a first camera and the display portion further comprises a second camera collocated with the first camera in the internal volume.

14 . The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the camera is disposed within an optical component positioned at the protrusion.

15 . The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the camera is configured to receive light through a transparent cover layer overlaying the display assembly.

16 . The portable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the display assembly comprises at least one of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel or an array of micro light emitting diodes (LEDs).

17 . A electronic display device, comprising:

a housing defining an aperture and an internal volume;

a display assembly including a first region defining a first exterior surface, the first region positioned at the aperture; and

a transparent cover layer;

wherein:

the first region defines a notch;

the display assembly includes a second region located at the notch and protruding from the first exterior surface; and

the transparent cover layer overlays the first region and the second region.

18 . The electronic display device of claim 17 , wherein the first region comprises an active portion of the display assembly.

19 . The electronic display device of claim 17 , further comprising an electronic component at least partially disposed within an internal volume defined by the housing and located at the second region.

20 . The electronic display device of claim 17 , further comprising an optical component positioned at the second region, the optical component comprising a camera positioned adjacent to the first region.

Continuity (4)
Continuation 17659621 · Apr 18, 2022
Provisional Application 63261333 · Sep 17, 2021
Provisional Application 63180202 · Apr 27, 2021
Related Publication 20240340511A1 · Oct 10, 2024
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