LIGHT EMITTER AND SENSORS FOR DETECTING BIOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS

• US 20170337412A1
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InSyte Systems
• Inventors: Bhat, Jerome Chandra, Olsen, Richard Ian
• Granted Patent: US 10,931,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/14 Vascular patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

A bio-sensor device includes a surface for touching by a body part, such as a finger. A light source, such as an array of LEDs, emit light through the surface so as to be reflected and partially absorbed by the body part An array of photodetectors detects light reflected back by the body part and generates signals corresponding to an image of the light reflection, which corresponds to the light absorption pattern in the body part. The light absorption pattern may correlate to a fingerprint, a blood vessel pattern, blood movement within the blood vessels, or other biometric feature. A processor receives the signals from the photodetectors and analyzes the signals to determine a characteristic of the body part. The characteristic may be used to authenticate the user of the bio-sensor device by comparing the detected characteristic to a stored characteristic.

Claims

1. A bio-sensor device comprising:

a first surface;

a light source configured to emit light through the first surface so as to be partially absorbed by a person'"'"'s body part proximate to the first surface, wherein the light source is configured to emit light that penetrates a distance into the body part;

an array of photodetectors arranged to detect light reflected back by at least the body part, the photodetectors generating first signals corresponding to the light reflected back; and

detection circuitry coupled to the array of photodetectors configured for analyzing the first signals to determine a characteristic of the body part, wherein the characteristic is below a skin depth into the body part.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the one or more light emitting diodes comprise a plurality of light emitting diodes, and individual ones of the photodetectors are associated with individual ones of the light emitting diodes.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the one or more light emitting diodes comprise a plurality of light emitting diodes emitting different peak wavelengths of light.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein the one or more light emitting diodes emit light of a wavelength that is absorbed by blood vessels, and where the characteristic comprises a blood vessel pattern in the body part.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises an array of pixels, wherein each pixel includes at least one light emitting diode and a photodetector.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein there are a plurality of light emitting diodes within each pixel, and wherein each light emitting diode within a pixel emits a different peak wavelength of light.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a light guide, and wherein light from one or more light emitting diodes is optically coupled to the light guide, the light guide being configured for emitting light through the first surface.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the array of photodetectors is located behind the light guide opposite to the first surface such that reflected light from the body part passes through the light guide for reading by the array of photodetectors.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising lenses over the photodetectors for limiting an angular range of reflected light from the body part.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising lenses over the photodetectors for focusing reflected light from the body part onto the photodetectors from only a certain distance into the body part.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising a non-optical sensor integrated into the device.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the non-optical sensor comprises electrodes for touching by the body part.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the non-optical sensor comprises a gas sensor for sensing at least one gas emitted by the body part.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the body part comprises a finger, and the device is configured to detect a fingerprint in conjunction with a blood vessel pattern within the finger.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the body part comprises a finger, and the device is configured to detect blood vessels in the finger.

17. The device of claim 1 further comprising a processor integrated into the device, the processor controlling energization of the light source and detection of the reflected light received by the photodetectors.

18. The device of claim 1 further comprising a processor, the processor being configured to process data from the photodetectors, compare the data to stored data, and indicate authentication of a user of the device.

19. The device of claim 1 further comprising a processor, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein the processor is configured to control the light emitting diodes to be sequentially illuminated while signals from one or more of the photodetectors are read and processed by the processor.

20. The device of claim 1 further comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to detect a light reflection image internal to the body part to determine areas of absorption of the light internal to the body part.

21. The device of claim 1 further comprising a processor configured to process data from the photodetectors, wherein the processor detects movement of the body part for detecting a gesture.