Optical Sensor in a Button of an Electronic Device

Abstract

A computing device includes a housing defining an aperture extending therethrough. The computing device further includes a button that includes a switch and a body. The body is at least partially disposed within the aperture and movable relative to the housing between a first position and a second position to selectively actuate the switch to cause the computing device to perform a function. The button includes a printed circuit electrically coupled to one or more processors of the computing device. The button includes an optical sensor disposed within the interior of the body and configured to obtain biometric data for determining one or more biometrics of a user.

Description

Claims

1. A computing device comprising: a housing defining an aperture extending therethrough; anda button comprising: a switch;a body at least partially disposed within the aperture, the body movable relative to the housing between a first position and a second position to selectively actuate the switch to cause the computing device to perform a function;a printed circuit electrically coupled to one or more processors of the computing device; andan optical sensor disposed within an interior of the body and configured to obtain biometric data for determining one or more biometrics of a user, the optical sensor comprising: a substrate coupled to the printed circuit, the substrate having a length dimension and a width dimension that is less than the length dimension;one or more emitters positioned closer to a first end of the substrate than a second end of the substrate that is spaced apart from the first end along the length dimension; andone or more detectors positioned closer to the second end than the first end.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor further comprises: an optical baffle disposed on the substrate to divide the substrate into a first portion on which the one or more emitters are disposed and a second portion on which the one or more detectors are disposed.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more emitters comprise a first light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit red light and a second LED configured to emit green light.

4. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the one or more emitters further comprise a third LED configured to emit infrared light.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the first LED and the second LED are both positioned closer to the first end than the third LED.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the length dimension of substrate is in a range of 7 millimeters to 9 millimeters.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the width dimension of the substrate is in a range of 1 millimeter to 3 millimeters.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the button further comprises: a sealing member positioned within the aperture between an exterior surface of the body and an interior surface of the housing.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the function comprises powering on and powering off the computing device.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit comprises a flexible printed circuit configured to support the body.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the button further comprises: a stiffener partially positioned within a gap defined between a first portion of the flexible printed circuit and a second portion of the flexible printed circuit.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein: when the body is in the first position, the stiffener does not contact the switch; andwhen the body is in the second position, the stiffener contacts the switch.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the stiffener is formed from a metal material.

14. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the button further comprises: a lens coupled to the body such that light emitted from the one or more emitters of the optical sensor exit the interior of the body via the lens.

15. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more biometrics comprise at least one of a heart rate of the user or a blood oxygen level of the user.

16. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor further comprises: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) embedded in the substrate, the ASIC configured to control operation of the one or more emitters and the one or more detectors.

17. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a tactile switch.

18. A button for a computing device, the button comprising: a switch;a body movable between a first position and a second position to selectively actuate the switch;a printed circuit electrically couplable to one or more processors of the computing device; andan optical sensor disposed within an interior of the body, the optical sensor comprising: a substrate coupled to the printed circuit, the substrate having a length dimension and a width dimension that is less than the length dimension;one or more emitters disposed on the substrate, the one or more emitters positioned closer to a first end of the substrate than a second end of the substrate that is spaced apart from the first end along the length dimension; andone or more detectors positioned closer to the second end than the first end.

19. The button of claim 18, wherein the optical sensor further comprises: an optical baffle disposed on the substrate to divide the substrate into a first portion on which the one or more emitters are disposed and a second portion on which the one or more detectors are disposed.

20. The button of claim 18, further comprising: a lens coupled to the body such that light emitted from the one or more emitters of the optical sensor exit the interior of the body via the lens.