Optical image sensor for display integration

• US 10,146,258 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Jiiov Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Sinha, Supriyo, Kallassi, Pascale El, Wickboldt, Paul, Mackey, Bob
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lemieux, Ian L
• Application Number:
  US14/871,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20170091506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1359 Extracting features related to ridge properties; Determining the fingerprint type, e.g. whorl or loop

Abstract

An electronic device including an optical sensor for optically sensing an image of an input object such as a user'"'"'s fingerprint is provided. The electronic device includes a display layer, a detector, a pinhole layer, a cover layer and an illuminator. The display layer is configured to generate light within a visible light spectrum. The detector is configured to be sensitive to a wavelength of light. The pinhole layer is located above both the display layer and the detector. The cover layer is located above the pinhole layer, and the illuminator is configured to illuminate a sensing region of the cover layer with the wavelength of light. Further, the pinhole layer has an array of pinhole apertures formed in a material substantially transparent to the light generated by the display layer and substantially opaque to the wavelength of light from the illuminator.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display layer configured to generate light within a visible light spectrum;

a detector configured to be sensitive to a wavelength of light;

a pinhole layer above both the display layer and the detector;

a cover layer above the pinhole layer; and

an illuminator configured to illuminate a sensing region of the cover layer with the wavelength of light,

wherein the illuminator is disposed above the display layer, the detector and the pinhole layer,

wherein the pinhole layer includes a blocking portion and an array of pinhole apertures formed through the blocking portion, and

wherein the blocking portion has an optical filter configured to pass the light from the display layer and block the light from the illuminator such that light from the display layer passes through the blocking portion of the pinhole layer to the cover layer.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the optical filter of the blocking portion includes a wavelength selective filter configured to block the wavelength of light from the illuminator and pass the light within the visible spectrum from the display layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the optical filter of the blocking portion includes a multi-layer dielectric (MLD) stack film.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the optical filter of the blocking portion includes an absorbing dye configured to absorb the wavelength of light from the illuminator.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the optical filter of the blocking portion includes an electrically conductive layer.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the electrically conductive layer includes indium tin oxide (ITO).

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the electrically conductive layer includes a metal oxide.

8. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the electrically conductive layer is disposed on an index matching layer.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the illuminator is configured to illuminate the sensing region with polarized light, wherein the optical filter of the blocking portion includes a polarizing filter configured to block the polarized light.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wavelength of light from the illuminator is within an invisible spectrum of light.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wavelength of light from the illuminator is within an infrared light spectrum.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display layer includes sub-pixels that produce light emission profiles and the wavelength of light from the illuminator is between the emission profiles from the sub-pixels of the display layer.

13. The electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the illuminator is configured to direct the wavelength of light into the cover layer at an angle in which the wavelength of light is totally internally reflected at an upper surface of the cover layer;

and

wherein the sensing region is illuminated through frustrated total internal reflection of an input object in contact with the upper surface of the cover layer.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display layer includes pixels formed on a display substrate that produce the light within the visible spectrum, wherein the detector includes an array of photodetectors formed on the display substrate.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an array of photodetectors formed on the display layer.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the pinhole layer and the detector span at least a portion of an active area of the display layer.

17. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an array of photodetectors having a resolution configured to image a fingerprint pattern.

24. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein all of the light from the illuminator is blocked from passing through the pinhole layer to the detector except that portion of the light from the illuminator that passes through one or more pinhole apertures of the array of pinhole apertures.

18. An optical sensor comprising:

a detector configured to be sensitive to a wavelength of light;

a pinhole layer above the detector; and

an illuminator configured to illuminate a sensing region located above the pinhole layer with the wavelength of light,

wherein the illuminator is disposed above the detector and the pinhole layer,

wherein the pinhole layer includes a blocking portion and an array of pinhole apertures formed through the blocking portion,

wherein the blocking portion has an optical filter configured to pass a visible wavelength of light and block the light from the illuminator such that the visible wavelength of light passes through the blocking portion of the pinhole layer.

19. The optical sensor of claim 18, wherein the optical filter of the blocking portion includes a wavelength selective filter configured to block the wavelength of light from the illuminator and pass the visible wavelength of light.

20. The optical sensor of claim 18, wherein the illuminator is configured to illuminate the sensing region with polarized light, wherein the optical filter of the blocking portion includes a polarizing filter configured to block the polarized light.

21. The optical sensor of claim 18, wherein the biometric pattern is a fingerprint pattern.

25. The optical sensor of claim 18, wherein all of the light from the illuminator is blocked from passing through the pinhole layer to the detector except that portion of the light from the illuminator that passes through one or more pinhole apertures of the array of pinhole apertures.

22. An electronic device comprising:

a display layer configured to generate light within a visible light spectrum;

an infrared detector;

a pinhole layer above both the display layer and the infrared detector;

a cover layer above the pinhole layer; and

an infrared light source configured to illuminate a sensing region of the cover layer with infrared light,

wherein the infrared light source is disposed above the display layer, the infrared detector and the pinhole layer,

wherein the pinhole layer is an electrically conductive layer including a blocking portion and an array of pinhole apertures formed through the blocking portion,

wherein the blocking portion has an optical filter configured to pass the light from the display layer and block the infrared light from the infrared light source such that light from the display layer passes through the blocking portion of the pinhole layer to the cover layer.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, further comprising a processing system comprising a processor configured to operate the electrically conductive layer as a capacitive sensor.

26. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein all of the light from the infrared light source is blocked from passing through the pinhole layer to the infrared detector except that portion of the light from the infrared light source that passes through one or more pinhole apertures of the array of pinhole apertures.