Pixel having a photoemitter and a photodetector triggered by a pixel selector signal bus

• US 10,387,711 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Jiandong, Large, Timothy Andrew, Chen, Liying, Bathiche, Steven Nabil
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Usman A
• Application Number:
  US15/221,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 348294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14609 Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements scanning details of imagers (circuitry of solid-state image sensors H04N25/00); circuitry of imagers H04N25/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/709 Circuitry for control of the power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/65 OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors

Abstract

An electronic device includes a cover glass having a display surface, a pixelated photoemitting element array, and a pixelated photodetecting element array. The pixelated photoemitting element array emits a light signal through the cover glass to the display surface. The pixelated photodetecting element array is positioned relative to the pixelated photoemitting element array and the cover glass to receive a reflected light signal. The reflected light signal includes a portion of the emitted light signal reflected by total internal reflection from a refractive boundary at the display surface. Operation of each pixel is switched between the one or more photodetecting elements and the one or more photoemitting elements by the pixel selector signal component received from the pixel selector signal bus. A sensing trigger is configured to trigger the imaging scan by the pixelated photoemitting element array and the pixelated photodetecting element array, responsive to detection of an initiating action.

Claims

1. An imaging system comprising:

a pixel selector signal bus configured to communicate a pixel selection signal component; and

a pixel array of a display, the pixel array being electrically connected to the pixel selector signal bus and including multiple pixels configured to sense an image of an object in contact with a surface of the display from light being scattered from the surface of the display to one or more of the multiple pixels, each pixel in the pixel array including one or more photodetecting elements and one or more photoemitting elements, operation of each pixel being switched between the one or more photodetecting elements and the one or more photoemitting elements by a change in polarity of the pixel selector signal component received at a pixel of the pixel array from the pixel selector signal bus, the change in polarity being detected at both of the one or more photodetecting elements and the one or more photoemitting elements of the pixel.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the one or more photodetectors and the one or more photoemitting elements are positioned within the display.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the one or more photodetectors and the one or more photoemitting elements are bonded to the display opposite a display surface of a cover glass of the display.

4. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the one or more photodetecting elements are bonded to the display opposite a display surface of a cover glass of the display and the one or more photoemitting elements are positioned within the display.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the one or more photodetecting elements are positioned within the display and the one or more photoemitting elements are bonded to the display opposite a display surface of a cover glass of the display.

6. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the pixel selector signal bus communicates an output data signal component from the pixel when the photodetector driver electronics has turned on the one or more photodetecting elements in the pixel.

7. A method comprising:

communicating a pixel selection signal component on a pixel selector signal bus; and

switching operation of each pixel of a pixel array in a display between a photoemitting operation and a photodetecting operation by changing a polarity of the pixel selector signal component, the switching operation occurring responsive to detection of the change in polarity at both of one or more photodetecting elements and one or more photoemitting elements of the pixel, each pixel in the pixel array including one or more photodetectors and one or more photoemitting elements, the pixel array being electrically connected to the pixel selector signal bus and including multiple pixels configured to sense an image of an object in contact with a surface of the display from light being scattered from the surface of the display to one or more of the multiple pixels.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more photodetectors and the one or more photoemitting elements are positioned within the display.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more photodetectors and the one or more photoemitting elements are bonded to the display opposite a display surface of a cover glass of the display.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more photodetecting elements are bonded to the display opposite a display surface of a cover glass of the display and the one or more photoemitting elements are positioned within the display.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more photodetecting elements are positioned within the display and the one or more photoemitting elements are bonded to the display opposite a display surface of a cover glass of the display.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the pixel selector signal bus communicates an output data signal component from the pixel when the photodetector driver electronics has turned on the one or more photodetecting elements in the pixel.

13. An electronic device comprising:

a cover glass of a display having a display surface;

a pixel selector signal bus configured to communicate a pixel selection signal component;

a pixel array of the display, the pixel array being electrically connected to the pixel selector signal bus and including multiple pixels configured to sense an image of an object in contact with a surface of the display, each pixel in the pixel array including one or more photodetecting elements and one or more photoemitting elements, operation of each pixel being switched between the one or more photodetecting elements and the one or more photoemitting elements by a change in polarity of the pixel selector signal component received at a pixel of the pixel array from the pixel selector signal bus, the change in polarity being detected at both of the one or more photodetecting elements and the one or more photoemitting elements of the pixel; and

image processing circuitry electrically coupled to the pixel array and configured to scan light from multiple pixels of the pixel array and stitch a light signal reflected from a refractive boundary at the display surface and received by photodetecting elements of the pixelated photodetecting element array into a composite image of the object.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the one or more photodetectors and the one or more photoemitting elements are positioned within the display.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the one or more photodetecting elements and the one or more photoemitting elements are positioned on different layers within the display.