FOLDABLE DISPLAY DEVICE WITH BIOMETRIC SENSORS AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME

• US 20200133335A1
• Filed: 10/30/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Yuan-Lin, LIUS, CHANDRA, Lee, Kuan-Feng
• Granted Patent: US 11,199,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724634 With partially locked states, e.g. when some telephonic functional locked states or applications remain accessible in the locked states
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence

Abstract

A foldable display device is disclosed and has a first display region, a second display region, and a foldable region connecting the first display region and the second display region. The foldable display device includes a first biometric sensor disposed in the first display region and a second biometric sensor disposed in the second display region.

Claims

1. A foldable display device having a first display region, a second display region, and a foldable region connecting the first display region and the second display region, the foldable display device comprising:

a first biometric sensor disposed in the first display region; and

a second biometric sensor disposed in the second display region.

2. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ratio of an area of the first biometric sensor to an area of the first display region is in a range of 0.1 to 1.2.

3. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first biometric sensor and the second biometric sensor are of different types.

4. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first biometric sensor and the second biometric sensor are of different areas.

5. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a signal line electrically connecting the first biometric sensor and the second biometric sensor.

6. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the signal line includes an anti-breaking structure.

7. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the anti-breaking structure is disposed in the foldable region.

8. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foldable display device has a non-display region outside the first display region, the second display region and the foldable region, and at least one of the first biometric sensor and the second biometric sensor extends into the non-display region.

9. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a distance between the first biometric sensor and the second biometric sensor along a direction is less than or equal to W/5 and greater than or equal to 3 mm, and wherein W is a length of the foldable display device along the direction when the foldable display device is unfolded.

10. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first control unit and a second control unit, wherein the first biometric sensor and the second biometric sensor are controlled by the first control unit and the second control unit respectively.

11. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control unit, wherein the first biometric sensor and the second biometric sensor are commonly controlled by the control unit.

12. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control unit and a display layer, wherein the display layer and at least one of the first biometric sensor and the second biometric sensor are commonly controlled by the control unit.

13. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a flexible substrate and a display layer, wherein the display layer is disposed between the first biometric sensor and the flexible substrate.

14. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a flexible substrate and a display layer, wherein the first biometric sensor is disposed between the display layer and the flexible substrate.

15. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a flexible substrate and a display layer, wherein the flexible substrate is disposed between the display layer and the first biometric sensor.

16. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first biometric sensor is directly disposed on the flexible substrate and for supporting the flexible substrate.

17. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first biometric sensor comprises a plurality of first sensor units, the second biometric sensor comprises a plurality of second sensor units, a number of the first sensor units in a first region of the first display region is different from a number of the second sensor units in a second region of the second display region, and an area of the first region is equal to an area of the second region.

18. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first biometric sensor and the second biometric sensor independently is a capacitive type fingerprint sensor, an optical type fingerprint sensor, an ultrasonic type fingerprint sensor, a face identification sensor or an iris recognition sensor.

19. A method for driving a foldable display device, the foldable display device having a first display region, a second display region, and a foldable region connecting the first display region and the second display region, the method comprising:

providing a first biometric sensor and a second biometric sensor, wherein the first biometric sensor and the second biometric sensor are disposed in the first display region and the second display region of the foldable display device respectively;

performing a biometric sensing operation, which comprises using the first biometric sensor to detect at least one first biological feature of a user and using the second biometric sensor to detect at least one second biological feature of the user in a period of time; and

when the at least first biological feature matches at least one first biological datum and the at least second biological feature matches at least one second biological datum, allowing a security access operation to be performed by the foldable display device.

20. A method for driving a display device, comprising:

providing the display device having a display region, wherein a biometric sensor is disposed in the display region;

performing a biometric sensing operation with the biometric sensor;

judging whether a user using the display device is a specific person;

when the user is the specific person, allowing the user to operate certain functions in the display device; and

when the user is not the specific person, forbidding the user to operate specific functions in the display device.