IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS

• US 20190156096A1
• Filed: 01/29/2019
• Published: 05/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gingy Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gingy Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Patrick, WANG, CHIUNG-HAN, LIN, PI-HUI, LEE, WEN-CHEN
• Granted Patent: US 10,628,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0026 Wavelength selective element, sheet or layer, e.g. filter or grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/42 Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4206 Optical features G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4214 the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device G02B6/4246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus includes a light transmitting cover, a display panel, a Light guiding member, a light emitting element, and an image capturing element. The light transmitting cover has a surface in contact with the environmental medium. The light emitting element is disposed on one side of the Light guiding member. The sensing light beam is transmitted to the light penetrating portion in the first light guiding portion to be projected to the display area of the light transmitting cover, and a portion of the sensing light beam is totally reflected by the surface to form a signal beam that enters the second light guiding portion from the light penetrating portion. The image capturing element is disposed on the other side of the Light guiding member to receive the signal light beam that is transmitted in the second light guiding portion.

Claims

1. An image capture apparatus comprising:

a light transmitting cover with a surface in contact with an environmental medium, wherein the surface has a display area;

a display panel disposed under the light transmitting cover and corresponding to the display area;

a light guiding member disposed between the display panel and the light transmitting cover, wherein the light guiding member is divided into a first light guiding portion, a second light guiding portion and a light penetrating portion;

the display area overlaps the light penetrating portion in a vertical direction, and the first light guiding portion and the second light guiding portion are respectively located at opposite sides of the light penetrating portion; and

a light emitting element disposed on one side of the Light guiding member and configured to generate a sensing light beam entering the first light guiding portion, wherein the sensing light beam is transmitted to the light penetrating portion in the first light guiding portion to be projected to the display area of the light transmitting cover, and a portion of the sensing light beam is totally reflected by the surface to form a signal light beam entering the second light guiding portion by the light penetrating portion; and

an image capturing element disposed on the other side of the light guiding member to receive the signal light beam that is transmitted in the second light guiding portion.

2. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the Light guiding member further includes:

a light guiding body with a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the first surface faces the light transmitting cover;

a first reflecting layer disposed on the first surface, wherein the first reflecting layer has an opening; and

a second reflecting layer disposed on the second surface;

wherein the first reflecting layer and the second reflecting layer overlap each other in the vertical direction to define at least the first light guiding portion and the second light guiding portion, and the opening and the second reflecting layer overlap with each other in the vertical direction to define the light penetrating portion.

3. The image capture apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the refractive index of the first reflecting layer and the refractive index of the second reflecting layer are both lower than the refractive index of the light guiding body.

4. The image capture apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the refractive index nR of the second reflecting layer, the refractive index nL of the light guiding body, and the incident angle θ

of the sensing light beam entering the light guiding body satisfy the following relationship;

θ

>

sin<sup>−

1</sup>(n_L/n_R).

5. The image capture apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sensing light beam is infrared light, and the first reflecting layer and the second reflecting layer are both infrared light reflecting layers.

6. The image capture apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an optical adhesive positioned between the first reflecting layer and the light transmitting cover, and a portion of the optical adhesive is filled into the opening.

7. The image capture apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a maximum width W1 of the opening, a thickness t₁ of the light guiding body, a shortest vertical distance t₂ between the light guiding body and the light transmitting cover, a thickness t₃ of the light transmitting cover, and the incident angle θ

of the sensing light beam satisfies the following relationship;

2(t₁+t₂+t₃)tan θ

>

W.

8. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display area has a sensing range corresponding to the light penetrating portion, and a maximum width of the sensing range is less than a maximum width of the light penetrating portion.

9. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a beam directing element disposed on the optical path of the sensing light beam to adjust an incident angle of the sensing light beam entering the first light guiding portion.

10. An image capture apparatus, comprising:

a light transmitting cover with a surface in contact with an environmental medium, wherein the surface has a display area;

a display panel disposed under the light transmitting cover and corresponding to the display area, and including at least a first substrate with an upper surface facing the light transmitting cover and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface and a second substrate coupled to the first substrate;

a first reflecting layer disposed on the upper surface and having an opening;

a second reflecting layer disposed on the lower surface, wherein the first reflecting layer and the second reflecting layer at least partially overlap in a thickness direction of the first substrate;

a light emitting element disposed on one side of the display panel to generate a sensing light beam entering the first substrate, wherein the sensing light beam is transmitted to the opening through the first reflecting layer and the second reflecting layer and projected onto the light transmitting cover, and a portion of the sensing light beam is totally reflected by the surface so as to form a signal light beam; and

an image capturing element disposed on the other side of the display panel to receive the signal beam.

11. The image capture apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the refractive index of the first reflecting layer and the refractive index of the second reflecting layer are both lower than the refractive index of the first substrate so as to cause total reflection of the sensing light beam.

12. The image capture apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the refractive index nR of the second reflecting layer, the refractive index n_L of the first substrate and the incident angle θ

of the sensing light beam projected onto the first reflecting layer satisfy the following relationship;

θ

>

sin<sup>−

1</sup>(n_L/n_R).

13. The image capture apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the sensing light beam is infrared light, and the first reflecting layer and the second reflecting layer are both infrared light reflecting layers.

14. The image capture apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an optical adhesive positioned between the first reflecting layer and the light transmitting cover, and a portion of the optical adhesive is filled into the opening.

15. The image capture apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a maximum width W1 of the opening, a thickness t₁ of the first substrate, a shortest vertical distance t₂ between the first substrate and the light transmitting cover, a thickness t₃ of the light transmitting cover, and the incident angle θ

of the sensing light beam satisfies the following relationship;

2(t₁+t₂+t₃) tan θ

>

W.

16. The image capture apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a beam directing element disposed between the light emitting element and the first substrate to adjust an incident angle of the sensing light beam entering the first substrate.

17. The image capture apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the opening and the display area overlap each other in the thickness direction, and the display area has a sensing range corresponding to the opening, and a maximum width of the sensing range is smaller than a maximum of the opening width.

18. The image capture apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the light transmitting cover further has a non-display area, the opening and the non-display area overlap with each other in the thickness direction, the non-display area has a sensing range corresponding to the opening, and a maximum width of the sensing range is smaller than the maximum width of the opening.

19. An image capture apparatus comprising:

a light transmitting cover with a surface in contact with an environmental medium, wherein the surface has a display area;

a display panel disposed under the light transmitting cover and corresponding to the display area;

a light guiding member disposed between the display panel and the light transmitting cover, wherein the light guiding member is divided into a light guiding portion and a light penetrating portion;

a light emitting element disposed on one side of the light guiding member and configured to generate a sensing light beam entering the first light guiding portion, wherein the sensing light beam is transmitted to the light penetrating portion in the first light guiding portion to be projected to the display area of the light transmitting cover, and a portion of the sensing light beam is totally reflected by the surface to form a signal light beam entering the second light guiding portion by the light penetrating portion; and

an image capturing element disposed on the other side of the light guiding member to receive the signal light beam.

20. The image capture apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the light penetrating portion overlaps the display area in a vertical direction, the display area has a sensing range corresponding to the light penetrating portion, and a maximum width of the sensing range is smaller than a maximum width of the opening.

21. The image capture apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the light transmitting area further has a non-display area, the image capturing element is disposed under the non-display area, and the light penetrating portion overlaps the display area and the non-display area above the image capturing element in a vertical direction.