TRACKING OPTICS FOR A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20150085096A1
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Smits, Dirk
• Granted Patent: US 10,082,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/78
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/001 Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras G02B23/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/02 involving prisms or mirrors G02B23/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/644 compensating for large deviations, e.g. maintaining a fixed line of sight while a vehicle on which the system is mounted changes course
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments provide a tracking optics system for mobile devices. The tracking optics system may comprise a telescope longitudinally disposed in a case of the mobile device, wherein a length of the telescope is greater than a depth of the mobile device; an illuminator that emits a light source and low-power mode through the telescope towards a target of image capture; a two-axis gimbal mirror that is adjusted to steer the light source towards the target until the target is within a field of view of the telescope; and an image sensor that captures an image of the target in response to the illuminator emitting the light source in high power mode to flash the target.

Claims

1. A tracking optics system for a mobile device, comprising:

a telescope longitudinally disposed in a case of the mobile device, wherein a length of the telescope is greater than a depth of the mobile device;

an illuminator that emits a light source in low-power mode through the telescope towards a target of image capture;

a two-axis gimbal mirror that is adjusted to steer the light source towards the target until the target is within a field of view of the telescope; and

an image sensor that captures an image of the target in response to the illuminator emitting the light source in high power mode to flash the target.

2. The tracking optics system of claim 1, wherein the illuminator emits an infrared light source and the image sensor comprises an infrared image sensor, and the target of the image comprises an iris of an eye, wherein an iris recognition component attempts to match the image of the iris with previously registered images stored to authenticate a user such that if a match is found, the user is biometrically authenticated.

3. The tracking optics system of claim 2, wherein in response to the user failing authentication, content displayed on the mobile device is filtered to hide the content from the non-authenticated user.

4. The tracking optics system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is implemented in a shape that matches a shape of a target of image capture.

5. The optics system of claim 4, wherein the target of image capture is an iris and the image sensor is annular-shaped.

6. The optics system of claim 5, wherein the image sensor further includes an open middle portion, and wherein the illuminator is collinear with the image sensor within the open middle portion such that the illuminator emits a light source through the open middle portion.

7. The optics system of claim 5, wherein the image sensor is placed on a square or rectangular die and logic devices are placed in portions of the die not covered by the image sensor.

8. The tracking optics system of claim 1, further including a lens, a fixed partial mirror, and an eyepiece lens, wherein:

the illuminator is positioned along a side of the telescope, and the light source emitted from illuminator is reflected off of the fixed partial mirror towards the two-axis gimbal mirror;

wherein the two-axis gimbal mirror reflects the light source out through a window in the case of the mobile device towards the target; and

wherein the light source reflects back off of the target and is reflected by the two-axis gimbal mirror towards the eyepiece lens and the image sensor to obtain the image.

9. The tracking optics system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the two-axis gimbal mirror, the illuminator, and the image sensor are implemented outside of the telescope.

10. A tracking optics system for a mobile device, comprising:

a telescope longitudinally disposed in a case of the mobile device;

a two-axis gimbal mirror;

an illuminator;

an image sensor; and

a processor configured to;

activate the illuminator in low power mode to send a light source through the telescope towards the target;

adjust the mirror to steer the light source towards the target until the target is within a field of view of the telescope;

activate the illuminator in high power mode to flash the target, while the image sensor captures an image of the target.

11. The tracking optics system of claim 10, wherein the illuminator emits an infrared light source and the image sensor comprises an infrared image sensor, and the target of the image comprises an iris of an eye, wherein an iris recognition component attempts to match the image of the iris with previously registered images stored to authenticate a user such that if a match is found, the user is biometrically authenticated.

12. The tracking optics system of claim 11, wherein in response to the user failing authentication, content displayed on the mobile device is filtered to hide the content from the non-authenticated user.

13. The tracking optics system of claim 10, wherein the image sensor is implemented in a shape that matches a shape of a target of image capture.

14. The optics system of claim 13, wherein the target of image capture is an iris and the image sensor is annular-shaped.

15. The tracking optics system of claim 14, wherein the image sensor further includes an open middle portion, and wherein the illuminator is collinear with the image sensor within the open middle portion such that the illuminator emits a light source through the open middle portion.

16. The tracking optics system of claim 14, wherein the image sensor is placed on a square or rectangular die and logic devices are placed in portions of the die not covered by the image sensor.

17. The tracking optics system of claim 10, further including a lens, a fixed partial mirror, and an eyepiece lens, wherein:

the illuminator is positioned along a side of the telescope, and the light source emitted from illuminator is reflected off of the fixed partial mirror towards the two-axis gimbal mirror;

wherein the two-axis gimbal mirror reflects the light source out through a window in the case of the mobile device towards the target; and

wherein the light source reflects back off of the target and is reflected by the two-axis gimbal mirror towards the eyepiece lens and the image sensor to obtain the image.

18. The tracking optics system of claim 10, wherein one or more of the two-axis gimbal mirror, the illuminator, and the image sensor are implemented outside of the telescope.

19. A method for providing a tracking optics system for a mobile device, the method comprising:

activating an illuminator of a telescope in low power mode to send a light source through the telescope towards a target, wherein the telescope is disposed along a longitudinal-axis of the mobile device;

adjusting a mirror to steer the light source towards the target until the target is within a field of view of the telescope; and

activating the illuminator in high power mode to flash the target with the light source, and capturing an image of the target with an image sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the illuminator emits an infrared light source and the image sensor comprises an infrared image sensor, and the target of the image comprises an iris of an eye, the method further comprising an iris recognition component attempting to match the image of the iris with previously registered images stored to authenticate a user such that if a match is found, the user is biometrically authenticated.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein in response to the user failing authentication, filtering content displayed on the mobile device to hide the content from the non-authenticated user.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

implementing the image sensor in a shape that matches a shape of a target of image capture.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the target of image capture is an iris and the image sensor is annular-shaped.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the image sensor further includes an open middle portion, and wherein the illuminator is collinear with the image sensor within the open middle portion such that the illuminator emits a light source through the open middle portion.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the annular-shaped image sensor is placed on a square or rectangular die, the method further comprising:

placing logic devices in portions of the die not covered by the image sensor.

26. The method of claim 19, further including a lens, a fixed partial mirror, and an eyepiece lens, wherein:

the illuminator is positioned along a side of the telescope, and the light source emitted from illuminator is reflected off of the fixed partial mirror towards the two-axis gimbal mirror;

wherein the two-axis gimbal mirror reflects the light source out through a window in the case of the mobile device towards the target; and

wherein the light source reflects back off of the target and is reflected by the two-axis gimbal mirror towards the eyepiece lens and the image sensor to obtain the image.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

implementing one or more of the two-axis gimbal mirror, the illuminator, and the image sensor outside of the telescope.