Optical imaging system with variable light field for biometrics application

• US 10,417,473 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: May Sun Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mei-Yen Lee
• Inventors: Wu, Hsien-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Yon J
• Application Number:
  US15/694,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20180068160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/993 Evaluation of the quality of the acquired pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1359 Extracting features related to ridge properties; Determining the fingerprint type, e.g. whorl or loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1462 Coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14649 Infrared imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/65 OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors

Abstract

An optical imaging system with a variable light field for a biometrics application includes: a central processing unit (CPU); a display, which is electrically connected to the CPU, displays information to a user or interacts with the user, and provides a digital light signal to an object placed upon the display, the object covers a cover region of the display, and the cover region has at least an outer region and an inner region from outside to inside; and an optical imaging device electrically connected to the CPU and disposed in or under the display, the optical imaging device receives a digital light signal reflected from the object and obtains an optical image of biometrics characteristics of the object to obtain an image sensing signal. The digital light signal has the variable light field varying from the outer region to the inner region.

Claims

1. An optical imaging system with a variable light field for a biometrics application, the optical imaging system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a display, which is electrically connected to the CPU, displays information to a user or interacts with the user, and provides a digital light signal to a finger placed upon and in contact with the display, wherein the finger covers a cover region of the display, and the cover region has at least one outer region and an inner region from outside to inside; and

an optical imaging device, which is electrically connected to the CPU and disposed in or under the display, wherein the optical imaging device receives the digital light signal provided from the display to the finger and then reflected from the finger, and obtains an optical image of biometrics characteristics of the finger to obtain an image sensing signal, wherein the digital light signal provided from the display to the finger has the variable light field varying from the outer region of the cover region of the display to the inner region of the cover region of the display to compensate with environment light rays so that an environment light field plus the variable light field provides an improved light field to the finger, brightness in the outer region and the inner region of the display reaches an improved state and the optical imaging device obtains an improved sensing result.

2. The optical imaging system according to claim 1, wherein:

the optical imaging system further comprises an environment photosensor electrically connected to the CPU;

or the optical imaging device further functions as the environment photosensor; and

the environment photosensor senses the environment light field, generates an environment light field signal and transmits the environment light field signal to the CPU, so that the CPU generates a variable light field signal according to the environment light field signal, and controls the display to output the variable light field to illuminate the finger according to the variable light field signal.

3. The optical imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the variable light field is complementary to the environment light field to illuminate the finger, so that the uniform optical image is obtained.

4. The optical imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the CPU judges whether an image quality of the optical image is qualified or useful, outputs the corresponding image sensing signal if the image quality is qualified or useful, and generates the variable light field signal according to a judged result to feedback control the display to change the variable light field, and indicate the user to sense the finger again if the image quality is not qualified or not useful.

5. The optical imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the CPU immediately feedback controls the display to change the variable light field after receiving a partial image sensing signal of a portion of the optical imaging device, and controls the optical imaging device to generate the image sensing signal again.

6. The optical imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the display further guides the user to place the finger on a sensing region of the optical imaging device.

7. The optical imaging system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a touch panel electrically connected to the CPU and providing a touch function;

a storage electrically connected to the CPU and storing data or a database; and

a memory electrically connected to the CPU and functioning as a buffer upon calculation.

8. The optical imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the variable light field pertains to a structured light projection mode.

9. The optical imaging system according to claim 8, wherein the display comprises light emitting units, wherein:

at a first time point, light emitting units of first portions of the light emitting units output first light patterns, so that the optical imaging device senses a first image;

at a second time point, light emitting units of second portions of the light emitting units output second light patterns, so that the optical imaging device senses a second image; and

at a third time point, light emitting units of third portions of the light emitting units output third light patterns, so that the optical imaging device senses a third image.

10. The optical imaging system according to claim 9, wherein the CPU obtains a three-dimensional biometrics characteristic image by calculating states of each of light spots of the first to third images and superimposing the first to third images.

11. The optical imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the CPU controls light emitting units of the display to output different colors of light rays to detect colors of a skin of the finger, and judges whether the finger is a counterfeit finger.

12. The optical imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the optical imaging device comprises:

an image sensing chip comprising photo sensing units arranged in a two-dimensional array; and

a micro-hole layer disposed on the image sensing chip and having one or multiple micro holes corresponding to the photo sensing units, wherein the photo sensing units sense the optical image of the finger through the one or multiple micro holes; and

a transparent cover or a transparent cover assembly disposed over the micro-hole layer.

13. The optical imaging system according to claim 12, wherein light emitting units of the display are arranged in an array, and the one or multiple micro holes are disposed in one or multiple gaps between the light emitting units.

14. The optical imaging system according to claim 12, wherein the image sensing chip comprises:

a substrate;

the photo sensing units formed in the substrate;

an inter-metal dielectric layer set and a metal connection layer disposed on the substrate and the photo sensing units;

an upper metal layer disposed on the inter-metal dielectric layer set; and

a protection layer disposed on the inter-metal dielectric layer set and the upper metal layer, wherein the upper metal layer obstructs partial light rays from the one or multiple micro holes to the photo sensing units.

15. The optical imaging system according to claim 12, wherein the micro-hole layer comprises a patterned optical substrate.

16. The optical imaging system according to claim 15, wherein the micro-hole layer further comprises an optical filter, wherein the optical filter is disposed in the patterned optical substrate, or between the image sensing chip and the patterned optical substrate.

17. The optical imaging system according to claim 12, wherein the one or multiple micro holes correspond to the photo sensing units in a one-to-one, one-to-many or many-to-one manner.

18. The optical imaging system according to claim 12, wherein the transparent cover assembly is a portion of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display or a micro light-emitting diode (LED) display.

19. The optical imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the CPU controls light emitting units of the display to output different wavelengths of light rays, and detects under-skin characteristics of the sensed finger according to that a skin of the finger has different absorptivities for different wavelengths of light rays.