Rear-Facing Flash with Selective Field-of-View Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrating various subsystems into a compact and reliable handheld electronic device that can withstand daily use presents technical challenges, particularly in enhancing user interaction and functionality while maintaining durability.
Innovation Solution
The device incorporates a housing component with a front cover, optical sensors, touch-sensitive components, and a light emitter, along with a polymer coating and opaque mask to enhance user interaction and durability, while utilizing a metal and polymer hybrid enclosure for structural integrity and thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple subsystems (cameras, sensors, display, touch components) are integrated into a compact handheld device, then device functionality and user interaction capabilities are improved, but device complexity and difficulty of integration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple subsystems (camera, flash, sensors, display, touch-sensitive components) into a single integrated handheld device with a unified front cover structure. The front cover integrates the display, touch-sensitive component, and optical component openings into one cohesive assembly, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying integration while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The front cover serves multiple functions simultaneously: it protects internal components, provides a display surface, enables touch input detection, allows optical component access (camera, sensors), and integrates structural support. This multi-functional design reduces overall device complexity by consolidating what would otherwise require separate components.
2Reliability
If the front cover is made transparent to allow optical sensor access, then optical sensing functionality is improved, but structural strength and durability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The front cover is designed with different optical properties in different regions: transparent or translucent areas where optical sensors and camera need access, and opaque or more robust areas for structural support and display regions. This localized variation in material properties allows the front cover to maintain both optical functionality and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The front cover uses composite material construction, combining transparent/translucent materials in regions requiring optical access with more durable, opaque materials in structural regions. This composite approach allows the single front cover component to simultaneously provide optical transparency where needed and structural strength where required.
3Area of stationary object
If the display active region is maximized to improve user experience, then display area is improved, but space for optical sensors and other components is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the space conflict by transitioning to a third dimension: the display and touch-sensitive component are positioned in front of the optical sensors, with the front cover integrating openings that allow optical access while maintaining continuous display coverage. This layered, multi-dimensional arrangement allows maximum display area while accommodating all sensors and camera components behind the display plane.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a robust and functional handheld device with improved user interaction through advanced touch and optical sensing, while ensuring durability and efficient thermal management.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitter positioned below the front cover and below the first hole and configured to emit light onto an object, and the first optical sensor may be configured to receive a portion of the emitted light reflected from the object
Implementation Method 2
a polymer coating layer positioned on an interior surface of the front cover, and the opaque mask may be positioned on the polymer coating layer. The polymer coating layer may define a textured surface, and the opaque mask may be positioned on the textured surface and conforms to the textured surface
Data Source
AI summary
A portable electronic device may include an enclosure including a front cover defining a front exterior surface of the portable electronic device and a rear cover defining a rear exterior surface of the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device may further include a rear-facing camera and a rear-facing flash including a light emitting component defining a plurality of illuminable regions. The light emitting component may be configured to illuminate a first subset of the plurality of illuminable regions to illuminate a first field of view and illuminate a second subset of the plurality of illuminable regions, the second subset different from the first subset, to illuminate a second field of view different from the first field of view.