Image-Sensing Module and Image-Sensing System

• US 20100025122A1
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Lu, Chih-Hung, Lin, Cho-Yi
• Application Number:
  US12/252,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20100025122A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

An image-sensing module includes an image-sensing chip and a processing unit. The image-sensing chip has a first image-sensing area and a second image-sensing area. The processing unit is electrically connected to the first image-sensing area and the second image-sensing area. In addition, the image-sensing system including the image-sensing module and a panel is also provided. The panel has a plane and a region located on the plane. The image-sensing module is disposed near the region. The image-sensing chip is disposed on the plane. The sensing range of the first image-sensing area covers the region. The sensing range of the second image-sensing area covers the region.

Claims

1. An image-sensing system adapted to sensing a pointer and calculating a location of the pointer, comprising:

a panel having a plane and a region located on the plane; and

an image-sensing module disposed adjacent to the region, comprising;

an image-sensing chip disposed on the plane, the image-sensing chip having a first image-sensing area and a second image-sensing area, the sensing range of the first image-sensing area covering the region and the sensing range of the second image-sensing area covering the region; and

a processing unit electrically connected to the first image-sensing area and the second image-sensing area;

wherein when the pointer approaches the region such that the pointer is located in the sensing range of the first image-sensing area and the sensing range of the second image-sensing area, the first image-sensing area and the second image-sensing area sense the pointer, respectively and the processing unit calculates the location of the pointer.

2. The image-sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the image-sensing chip comprises a substrate and an image-sensing array disposed on the substrate, the first image-sensing area is composed of a portion of the image-sensing array, and the second image-sensing area is composed of another portion of image-sensing array.

3. The image-sensing system according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit is disposed on the substrate and located beside the image-sensing array.

4. The image-sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the image-sensing chip comprises a substrate, a first image-sensing array and a second image-sensing array, the first image-sensing array is disposed on the substrate, the first image-sensing area is composed of at least a portion of the first image-sensing array, the second image-sensing array is disposed on the substrate and located beside the first image-sensing array, and the second image-sensing area is composed of at least a portion of the second image-sensing array.

5. The image-sensing system according to claim 4, wherein the processing unit is disposed on the substrate and located beside the first image-sensing array and the second image-sensing array.

6. The image-sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the image-sensing module further comprises a housing and a light-guiding element, the housing is disposed on the image-sensing chip and exposes the first image-sensing area and the second image-sensing area, and the light-guiding element is disposed at the housing and corresponding to the first image-sensing area and the second image-sensing area.

7. The image-sensing system according to claim 6, wherein the light-guiding element comprises a first lens corresponding to the first image-sensing area and a second lens corresponding to the second image-sensing area.

8. The image-sensing system according to claim 6, wherein the light-guiding element comprises a first light-guiding portion corresponding to the first image-sensing area and a second light-guiding portion corresponding to the second image-sensing area, the first light-guiding portion includes a first plane-convex lens, a first triangular prism, a first medium prism, a second triangular prism and a second plane-convex lens, the first plane-convex lens and the first medium prism are disposed on two sides of the first triangular prism, respectively, the first medium prism and the second plane-convex lens are disposed on two sides of the second triangular prism, respectively, the second light-guiding portion includes a third plane-convex lens, a third triangular prism, a second medium prism, a fourth triangular prism and a fourth plane-convex lens, the third plane-convex lens and the second medium prism are disposed on two sides of the third triangular prism, respectively, and the second medium prism and the fourth plane-convex lens are disposed on two sides of the fourth triangular prism, respectively.

9. An image-sensing module comprising:

an image-sensing chip having a first image-sensing area and a second image-sensing area; and

a processing unit electrically connected to the first image-sensing area and the second image-sensing area.

10. The image-sensing module according to claim 9, wherein the image-sensing chip comprises a substrate and an image-sensing array disposed on the substrate, the first image-sensing area is composed of a portion of the image-sensing array, and the second image-sensing area is composed of another portion of image-sensing array.

11. The image-sensing module according to claim 10, wherein the processing unit is disposed on the substrate and located beside the image-sensing array.

12. The image-sensing module according to claim 9, wherein the image-sensing chip comprises a substrate, a first image-sensing array and a second image-sensing array, the first image-sensing array is disposed on the substrate, the first image-sensing area is composed of at least a portion of the first image-sensing array, the second image-sensing array is disposed on the substrate and located beside the first image-sensing array, and the second image-sensing area is composed of at least a portion of the second image-sensing array.

13. The image-sensing module according to claim 12, wherein the processing unit is disposed on the substrate and located beside the first image-sensing array and the second image-sensing array.

14. The image-sensing module according to claim 9, further comprising a housing and a light-guiding element, wherein the housing is disposed on the image-sensing chip and exposes the first image-sensing area and the second image-sensing area, and the light-guiding element is disposed at the housing and corresponding to the first image-sensing area and the second image-sensing area.

15. The image-sensing module according to claim 14, wherein the light-guiding element comprises a first lens corresponding to the first image-sensing area and a second lens corresponding to the second image-sensing area.

16. The image-sensing module according to claim 14, wherein the light-guiding element comprises a first light-guiding portion corresponding to the first image-sensing area and a second light-guiding portion corresponding to the second image-sensing area, the first light-guiding portion includes a first plane-convex lens, a first triangular prism, a first medium prism, a second triangular prism and a second plane-convex lens, the first plane-convex lens and the first medium prism are disposed on two sides of the first triangular prism, respectively, the first medium prism and the second plane-convex lens are disposed on two sides of the second triangular prism, respectively, the second light-guiding portion includes a third plane-convex lens, a third triangular prism, a second medium prism, a fourth triangular prism and a fourth plane-convex lens, the third plane-convex lens and the second medium prism are disposed on two sides of the third triangular prism, respectively, and the second medium prism and the fourth plane-convex lens are disposed on two sides of the fourth triangular prism, respectively.