Combined sensor arrays for relief print imaging

• US 9,228,824 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ib Korea Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ib Korea Ltd.
• Inventors: Frye, Fred, Weimann, Gerard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marini, Matthew G
• Application Number:
  US13/891,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20140331875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 382/124, 382/125, 396/15, 101/107
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02 Interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1335 Combining adjacent partial images (e.g. slices) to create a composite input or reference pattern; Tracking a sweeping finger movement

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for producing a relief print image. Two or more sensor arrays can be combined, and an electroluminescent layer can be deposited over the combined arrays. A resulting scanner component may be able to scan a larger area of a body part at the same time. The scanner may generate a relief print data sets indicative of light from the electroluminescent layer that are received by a first and second sensor array. The scanner can comprise the first and second sensor arrays coupled together, and the sensor arrays can be configured to convert received photons to an electrical signal. The scanner may also comprise the electroluminescent layer disposed on top of the coupled first and second sensor arrays. An image stitching component can stitch together the sets of relief print data, to create relief print image data indicative of a relief print image.

Claims

1. A system for producing a relief print image, comprising:

a relief print data generation component configured to generate a first set of relief print data and a second set of relief print data, said first set comprising a first indication of light from an electroluminescent layer received by a first sensor array, said second set comprising a second indication of light from said electroluminescent layer received by a second sensor array at substantially a same time as the first set is received by the first sensor array, said relief print data generation component comprising;

said first sensor array, configured to convert received photons to an electrical signal, operably coupled with said second sensor array, configured to convert received photons to an electrical signal; and

said electroluminescent layer disposed over a combination of said first sensor array and said second sensor array; and

an image stitching component, operably coupled with said relief print data generation component, configured to stitch together said first set and said second set, resulting in a third set of relief print data indicative of a relief print image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first set comprises relief print data from a first portion of a relief object and said second set comprising relief print data from a second portion of a relief object.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first set comprises relief print data from at least a portion of a first relief object and said second set comprising relief print data from at least a portion of a second relief object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said relief print data generation component further comprises a plurality of sensor arrays, wherein:

respective sensor arrays are operably coupled to at least one other sensor array and configured to convert received photons to an electrical signal; and

said image stitching component is configured to stitch together relief print image data generated from respective sensor arrays, resulting in said third set of relief print data indicative of said relief print image.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first sensor array and said second sensor array comprises one or more of:

a photo-sensitive thin film transistor (TFT);

a thin film photo-diode;

a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor; and

a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said relief print data generation component comprises a sensor array substrate adhered under one or more of:

said first sensor array;

said second sensor array; and

said combination of said first sensor array and said second sensor array.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said sensor array substrate is configured to be shaped to a complimentary relief object shape.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said relief print data generation is disposed in said complimentary relief object shape.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said relief print data generation component is further configured to receive a third sensor array as a replacement for a removed sensor array, said third sensor array configured to perform a same function as said removed sensor array.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of said first sensor array and said second sensor array are further configured to be selectively removable from said relief print data generation component.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of said first sensor array and said second sensor array are further configured to be one or more of:

selectively activated; and

selectively deactivated.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said electroluminescent layer substrate comprises one or more of:

one or more polarizing layers;

one or more light shielding pattern layers configured to direct incident light in a desired pattern toward one or more of said first sensor array and said second sensor array; and

one or more adherence layers configured to adhere a first layer to a second layer.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said relief print data generation component further comprises said electroluminescent layer disposed over an electroluminescent layer substrate, said electroluminescent layer substrate disposed over said combination of said first sensor array and said second sensor array.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said relief print data generation component further comprises a protective layer disposed over said electroluminescent layer, said protective layer comprising one or more of:

an abrasion resistive layer;

a liquid resistive layer; and

a shock resistive layer.

15. A method for manufacturing a system for producing a relief print image, comprising:

operably coupling a first image sensor and a second image sensor, resulting in a mosaic image sensor configured to generate a first set of relief print data and a second set of relief print data, said first set comprising a first indication of light from an electroluminescent layer received by said first image sensor, said second set comprising a second indication of light from said electroluminescent layer received by said second image sensor at substantially a same time as the first set is received by the first image sensor;

depositing said electroluminescent layer over said mosaic image sensor, said electroluminescent layer configured to emit photons toward said mosaic image sensor; and

operably coupling said mosaic image sensor to an image stitching component configured to stitch together said first set and said second set, resulting in a third set of data indicative of a relief print image.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising one or more of:

forming a first sensor array over a first sensor array substrate, resulting in said first image sensor; and

forming a second sensor array over a second sensor array substrate, resulting in said second image sensor.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising depositing said electroluminescent layer on an electroluminescent layer substrate disposed over said mosaic image sensor, said electroluminescent layer substrate comprising one or more of:

one or more polarizing layers;

one or more light shielding pattern layers configured to direct incident light in a desired pattern toward one or more of said first sensor array and said second sensor array; and

one or more adherence layers configured to adhere a first layer to a second layer.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising depositing a protective layer disposed over said electroluminescent layer, said protective layer comprising one or more of:

an abrasion resistive layer;

a liquid resistive layer; and

a shock resistive layer.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming combined said mosaic image sensor and electroluminescent layer in a complimentary relief object shape.

20. An apparatus for producing a relief print image, comprising:

a relief print data generation component configured to generate a first set of relief print data and a second set of relief print data, said first set comprising a first indication of light from an electroluminescent layer received by a first sensor array, said second set comprising a second indication of light from said electroluminescent layer received by a second sensor array at substantially a same time as the first set is received by the first sensor array, said relief print data generation component comprising;

said first sensor array, configured to convert received photons to an electrical signal, comprising a first thin-film photosensitive sensor array formed over a first sensor array substrate;

said second sensor array, operably coupled with said first sensor array, configured to convert received photons to an electrical signal, comprising a second thin-film photosensitive sensor array formed over a first sensor array substrate; and

said electroluminescent layer disposed over an electroluminescent layer substrate, said electroluminescent layer substrate disposed over a combination of said first sensor array and said second sensor array;

a protective layer disposed over said electroluminescent layer; and

an image stitching component, operably coupled with said relief print data generation component, configured to stitch together said first set and said second set, resulting in a third set of data indicative of a relief print image.