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EP-4738293-A1 - ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING FINGERPRINT SENSOR

EP4738293A1EP 4738293 A1EP4738293 A1EP 4738293A1EP-4738293-A1

Abstract

This electronic device may comprise: a housing forming the external appearance; a first member in the housing; a fingerprint sensor in the housing, the fingerprint sensor including a first surface supported by the first member and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a second member detachably fastened to the first member and including a third surface formed as a part of the housing and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface and facing the second surface; and an elastic member disposed between the second member and the fingerprint sensor so as to provide an elastic force to the second member, and coming into direct contact with the fourth surface. The fingerprint sensor may receive ultrasonic waves, reflected by an external object touched on the third surface, through the elastic member and the second member.

Inventors

  • HEO, JIHUN
  • PARK, JIHOON
  • KIM, HYUNWOO
  • HWANG, Seungho

Assignees

  • Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240430

Claims (15)

  1. An electronic device comprising: a housing forming an exterior of the electronic device; a first member within the housing; a fingerprint sensor within the housing, including a first surface supported by the first member and a second surface opposite the first surface; a second member detachably fastened to the first member and including a third surface formed as a part of the housing and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface and facing the second surface; and an elastic member disposed between the second member and the fingerprint sensor to provide an elastic force to the second member, the elastic member being directly contacted on the fourth surface, and wherein the fingerprint sensor is configured to receive ultrasonic waves reflected by an external object contacted on the third surface through the elastic member and the second member.
  2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the elastic member includes an upper surface directly contacting the fourth surface of the second member and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface and facing the fingerprint sensor; the upper surface includes a central region and a peripheral region extending from the central region to a periphery of the upper surface to surround the central region; the elastic member is compressed as the second member is fastened to the first member; before the first member and the second member are fastened, a first distance between the central region of the upper surface and the lower surface is greater than a second distance between the peripheral region of the upper surface and the lower surface; the first distance and the second distance are based on a direction perpendicular to the lower surface; and the second distance gradually increases as the peripheral region approaches the central region.
  3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein: the periphery of the upper surface includes a first part, a second part, a third part connecting an end of the first part and an end of the second part, and a fourth part connecting another end of the first part and another end of the second part; the first part includes a first section, a second section spaced apart from the first section, and a third section connecting the first section and the second section; the second part includes a fourth section facing the first section, a fifth section spaced apart from the fourth section and facing the second section, and a sixth section facing the third section and connecting the fourth section and the fifth section; the peripheral region includes: a first region extending from the first section of the first part to the fourth section of the second part; and a second region extending from the second section of the first part to the fifth section of the second part; and the central region extends from the third section of the first part to the sixth section of the second part.
  4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein: the central region includes a line segment extending from the third section of the first part to the sixth section of the second part and spaced apart from the peripheral region; and before the first member and the second member are fastened, the first distance gradually increases as the peripheral region approaches the line segment.
  5. The electronic device of claim 3 or claim 4, wherein a shape of the periphery of the upper surface is: a rectangle in which the first part is longer than the third part; or a rectangle in which the third part is longer than the first part.
  6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the peripheral region entirely encloses the central region.
  7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein: the central region includes a point spaced apart from the peripheral region; before the first member and the second member are fastened, the second distance gradually increases as the peripheral region approaches the point.
  8. The electronic device of any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein at least one of a first cross section and a second cross section of the upper surface includes a curved line, the first cross section cut into a plane perpendicular to the lower surface, the second cross section cut into another plane perpendicular to the surface and the lower surface.
  9. The electronic device of any one of the preceding claims, comprising an adhesive member disposed between the second surface of the fingerprint sensor and the elastic member.
  10. The electronic device of any one of the preceding claims, comprising an adhesive member disposed between the first member and the first surface of the fingerprint sensor.
  11. The electronic device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: the housing includes a first cover, a second cover, and a frame disposed between the first cover and the second cover to partially form the exterior of the electronic device; the second member is the frame; the frame includes a portion in direct contact with the elastic member; and the fingerprint sensor is configured to receive ultrasonic waves through the elastic member and the portion of the frame.
  12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein a protrusion or a recess is formed on the third surface of the portion of the frame.
  13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein: the frame includes a peripheral portion at least partially surrounding the portion; and the portion and the peripheral portion of the frame are connected without a step.
  14. The electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising: a display assembly including a first cover forming the third surface, a display panel disposed under the first cover, and a metal layer supporting the display panel and forming the fourth surface, and wherein the second member is the display assembly.
  15. The electronic device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: the fingerprint sensor includes a side surface extending from a periphery of the first surface to a periphery of the second surface; the first member includes a support surface and a protrusion, the support surface supporting the fingerprint sensor; the protrusion of the first member extends from the support surface along the side surface toward the periphery of the second surface; and when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the support surface, the protruding portion of the first member at least partially surrounds the side surface of the fingerprint sensor.

Description

[Technical Field] The following descriptions relate to an electronic device including a fingerprint sensor. [Background Art] A fingerprint sensor is being widely used in biometric technology for user authentication or personal identification in various electronic devices. Such a fingerprint sensor may include, for example, an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor may operate by measuring a cycle in which ultrasonic waves emitted to a user's body returns. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is mounted within a housing of an electronic device, and may detect fingerprint information by receiving ultrasonic waves reflected by the user's finger in contact with the housing. The above-described information may be provided as a related art for the purpose of helping understanding of the present disclosure. No argument or decision is made as to whether any of the above description may be applied as a prior art related to the present disclosure. [Disclosure] [Technical Solution] According to an embodiment, an electronic device may comprise a housing, a first member within the housing, a fingerprint sensor within the housing, a second member, and an elastic member. The housing may form an exterior of the electronic device. The fingerprint sensor may include a first surface supported by the first member and a second surface opposite the first surface. The second member may be detachably fastened to the first member. The second member may include a third surface formed as a part of the housing and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface and facing the second surface. The elastic member may be disposed between the second member and the fingerprint sensor to provide an elastic force to the second member. The elastic member may be directly contacted on the fourth surface. The fingerprint sensor may be configured to receive ultrasonic waves reflected by an external object contacted on the third surface through the elastic member and the second member. [Description of the Drawings] FIG. 1 is a diagram indicating a fastening structure of an exemplary fingerprint sensor according to an embodiment.FIG. 2 is a diagram indicating a fastening structure of an exemplary fingerprint sensor according to an embodiment.FIG. 3 is a diagram indicating an exemplary fingerprint sensor and a flexible printed circuit board according to an embodiment.FIG. 4 is a diagram indicating a fastening structure of an exemplary fingerprint sensor according to an embodiment.FIG. 5 is a diagram indicating an exemplary fingerprint sensor on a first member according to an embodiment.FIG. 6 is a diagram indicating an exemplary fingerprint sensor on a first member according to an embodiment.FIG. 7 is a diagram indicating an exemplary elastic member according to an embodiment.FIG. 8 is a diagram indicating an exemplary elastic member according to an embodiment.FIG. 9A is a diagram indicating an exemplary elastic member according to an embodiment.FIG. 9B is a diagram indicating an exemplary elastic member according to an embodiment.FIG. 9C is a diagram indicating an exemplary elastic member according to an embodiment.FIG. 10 is a diagram indicating an electronic device according to an embodiment.FIG. 11 is a diagram indicating an exemplary fingerprint sensor within a housing according to an embodiment.FIG. 12 is a diagram indicating an exemplary fingerprint sensor within a housing according to an embodiment.FIG. 13 is a diagram indicating an exemplary fingerprint sensor in a housing according to an embodiment.FIG. 14 is a diagram indicating a fingerprint sensor coupled to a display assembly according to an embodiment.FIG. 15 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments. [Mode for Invention] FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams indicating a fastening structure of an exemplary fingerprint sensor according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 indicates a state before a first member 10 and a second member 20 are fastened, and FIG. 2 indicates a state after the first member 10 and the second member 20 are fastened. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device 100 of FIG. 10) according to an embodiment may include the first member 10, the second member 20, a fingerprint sensor 50, and an elastic member 30. In an embodiment, the first member 10 may include a support portion 13, a first fastening part 11, and a second fastening part 12. The support portion 13 may have a substantially plate shape, but is not limited thereto. The support portion 13 may support the fingerprint sensor 50. For example, a support surface 10A of the support portion 13 may support the fingerprint sensor 50. The support surface 10A may face the second member 20. The first fastening part 11 and the second fastening part 12 may be formed at both ends of the support portion 13. For example, the first fastening part 11 and the second fastening part 12 may extend from both ends of the support portion 13