Image capturing apparatus

• US 10,726,240 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2019
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gingy Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gingy Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Jen-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Allison, Andrae S
• Application Number:
  US16/689,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20200089927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 251 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/60 OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-sensitive elements, e.g. with inorganic solar cells or inorganic photodiodes

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus includes a light guide plate, a first light transmissive layer, a second light transmissive layer, a third light transmissive layer, a light source and an image capturing device. The light guide plate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first light transmissive layer is disposed on the first surface. The second light transmissive layer is disposed on the second surface, wherein the second light transmissive layer is overlapped with a light transfer region of the light guide plate and not overlapped with a light penetration region of the light guide plate. The third light transmissive layer is disposed on the second surface and overlapped with the light transfer region and the light penetration region. Refractive indices of the third light transmissive layer and the light guide plate are higher than those of the first and second light transmissive layers.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

a light guide plate having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface and a plurality of third surfaces each connecting the first surface to the second surface;

a first light transmissive layer disposed on the first surface;

a second light transmissive layer disposed on the second surface, wherein the second light transmissive layer is overlapped with a light transfer region of the light guide plate in a normal direction of the light guide plate, and the second light transmissive layer is not overlapped with a light penetration region of the light guide plate in the normal direction;

a third light transmissive layer disposed on the second surface and overlapped with the light transfer region and the light penetration region in the normal direction, wherein a refractive index of the third light transmissive layer is higher than a refractive index of the first light transmissive layer and a refractive index of the second light transmissive layer, and a refractive index of the light guide plate is higher than the refractive index of the first light transmissive layer and the refractive index of the second light transmissive layer;

a light source located below the first surface or beside one of the third surfaces; and

an image capturing device located below the first surface.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refractive index of the first light transmissive layer is larger than 1 and smaller than or equal to 1.45, the refractive index of the second light transmissive layer is larger than 1 and smaller than or equal to 1.45, and the refractive index of the third light transmissive layer is larger than or equal to 1.5.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a refractive index difference between the light guide plate and the third light transmissive layer is smaller than 0.1.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a refractive index difference between the light guide plate and the first light transmissive layer is larger than 0.05, and a refractive index difference between the light guide plate and the second light transmissive layer is larger than 0.05.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second light transmissive layer has an opening overlapped with the light penetration region of the light guide plate in the normal direction.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first light transmissive layer comprises a plurality of light transmissive patterns separated from each other, and the image capturing apparatus further comprising:

a fourth light transmissive layer disposed on the first surface and overlapped with the light transfer region and the light penetration region in the normal direction.

7. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a carrier plate, wherein the first light transmissive layer is located between the light guide plate and the carrier plate, and the carrier plate is a cover plate, a back plate or a display.

8. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image capturing device is located below the carrier plate or inside the carrier plate, and the carrier plate is a transparent carrier plate.

9. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the carrier plate is an organic light emitting display, and the image capturing device is located in a display area of the organic light emitting display.

10. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source is located below the first surface, and the image capturing apparatus further comprising:

a light directing element located between the light source and the light guide plate.

11. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the light directing element comprises:

a main body having a first portion and a second portion connected to the first portion and located between the first portion and the first light transmissive layer;

a plurality of microstructures disposed on the first portion; and

an optical layer disposed on the plurality of microstructures.

12. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optical layer is a reflective layer, or the optical layer is a light transmissive layer having a refractive index that is higher than a refractive index of each of the main body and the plurality of microstructures.

13. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a sum of a thickness of the first portion and a thickness of each of the plurality of microstructures is less than or equal to a thickness of the second portion.

14. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the main body and the plurality of microstructures are integrally formed.

15. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a sectional shape of each of the microstructures is an isosceles triangle or a non-isosceles triangle.

16. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the sectional shape of each of the microstructures is a non-isosceles triangle, the non-isosceles triangle has a first side and a second side connected to the first side and located between the first side and the second portion, a length of the first side is less than or equal to a length of the second side, and an angle between the first side and a normal line perpendicular to the first portion is less than an angle between the second side and the normal line.

17. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising:

a first adhesive layer, wherein the light directing element is adhere to the first surface through the first adhesive layer, the first adhesive layer is overlapped with the optical layer and the second portion in the normal direction, and wherein the optical layer is a reflective layer, or the optical layer is a light transmissive layer having a refractive index that is higher than a refractive index of the first adhesive layer.

18. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein an air gap is between the light directing element and the light source.

19. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising:

a second adhesive layer, wherein the light source is adhere to the light directing element through the second adhesive layer, and a refractive index of the second adhesive layer is less than a refractive index of each of the main body and the plurality of microstructures.

20. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the main body has a notch at least partially overlapped with the plurality of microstructures, and the light source is located in the notch.

21. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third surface located on the light source is a curved surface or an inclined surface.