IMAGE RETRIEVING APPARATUS AND OPTICAL DISPLACEMENT ESTIMATING APPARATUS

• US 20140098377A1
• Filed: 03/10/2013
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Gu, Ren-Hau, Kao, Ming-Tsan, Huang, Sen-Huang
• Granted Patent: US 9,194,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/614
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0204 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0411 using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/06 Restricting the angle of incident light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/08 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for photometry standard sources, also using luminescent or radioactive material
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1312 direct reading, e.g. contactless acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1341 Sensing with light passing through the finger

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus comprising: a light source, for transmitting incident light to an objective without utilizing any medium besides air, such that the light emits from the objective to generate passing-through light; and a sensor, for capturing an image of the objective according to the passing-through light.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

a light source, for transmitting incident light to an objective without utilizing any medium besides air, such that the light emits from the objective to generate passing-through light; and

a sensor, for capturing an image of the objective according to the passing-through light.

2. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor directly receives the passing-through light.

3. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light isolating device, which is located between the sensor and the objective, for isolating light from least one direction, wherein the sensor still can receive the passing-through light via the light isolating device.

4. The image capturing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the light isolating device is a light gate.

5. The image capturing apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a lens, located between the light isolating device and the sensor.

6. The image capturing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the passing-through light can only be emitted to the sensor in a direction perpendicular to a receiving surface of the sensor due to the light isolating device.

7. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a thin film located between the sensor and the objective, for refracting the passing-through light to the sensor.

8. The image capturing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the thin film is an epoxy thin film, a glass thin film, a glass fiber thin film or an optic fiber thin film.

9. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a transmitting direction of the incident light is opposite to which of the passing-through light.

10. An optical displacement estimating apparatus, comprising:

a light source, for transmitting incident light to a objective without utilizing any medium besides air, such that the light emits from the objective to generate passing-through light; and

a sensor, for capturing an image of the objective according to the passing-through light; and

a processor, for performing displacement estimating to the objective according to images at different timings.

11. The optical displacement estimating apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensor directly receives the passing-through light.

12. The optical displacement estimating apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a light isolating device, which is located between the sensor and the objective, for isolating light from least one direction, wherein the sensor still can receive the passing-through light via the light isolating device.

13. The optical displacement estimating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the light isolating device is a light gate.

14. The optical displacement estimating apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a lens, located between the light isolating device and the sensor.

15. The optical displacement estimating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the light isolating device makes the passing-through light can only be emitted to the sensor in a direction perpendicular to a receiving surface of the sensor.

16. The optical displacement estimating apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a thin film located between the sensor and the objective, for refracting the passing-through light to the sensor.

17. The optical displacement estimating apparatus of claim 16, wherein the thin film is an epoxy thin film, a glass thin film, a glass fiber thin film or an optic fiber thin film.

18. The optical displacement estimating apparatus of claim 10, wherein a transmitting direction of the incident light is opposite to which of the passing-through light.