Method and system for optical imaging using patterned illumination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10115000-B2
Application number	US-201514966806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 11, 2015
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for optical imaging are disclosed. An electronic device for imaging an input object includes a display comprising a sensing surface and an array of display pixels. The electronic device also includes a processing system communicatively coupled to the display, the processing system configured to: selectively illuminate one or more of the display pixels according to a pattern; acquire image data, from one or more detector pixels of the display, of the input object in contact with the sensing surface, wherein the image data corresponds to light from the illuminated display pixels that is reflected at the sensing surface of the display; and process an image of the input object from the image data based upon the pattern.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device for imaging an input object, comprising:
a display comprising a sensing surface and an array of display pixels;
a processing system communicatively coupled to the display, the processing system configured to:
selectively illuminate one or more of the display pixels according to a pattern;
acquire image data, from one or more detector pixels of the display, of the input object in contact with the sensing surface, wherein the image data corresponds to light from the illuminated display pixels that is reflected at the sensing surface of the display; and
process an image of the input object from the image data based upon the pattern,

wherein the processing system is configured to select the one or more detector pixels from a region surrounding the illuminated display pixels, the region being inside of an outer boundary that is defined by a first critical angle resulting from an interface between a surface of the input object and the sensing surface.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the input object is a biometric object.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:
illuminate a portion of the display which at least partially surrounds the object in contact with the sensing surface such that the illuminated portion is visually perceptible.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to detect a condition of the input object by detecting a position of a high contrast region.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to detect presence of the input object and initiate the illumination of the display pixels based on the detected presence.

6. An electronic device for imaging an input object, comprising:
a display comprising a sensing surface and an array of display pixels;
a processing system communicatively coupled to the display, the processing system configured to:
selectively illuminate one or more of the display pixels according to a pattern;
acquire image data, from one or more detector pixels of the display, of the input object in contact with the sensing surface, wherein the image data corresponds to light from the illuminated display pixels that is reflected at the sensing surface of the display; and
process an image of the input object from the image data based upon the pattern,

wherein the processing system is configured to select the one or more detector pixels from a region surrounding the illuminated display pixels, the region being outside of an inner boundary that is defined by a second critical angle resulting from an interface between air and the sensing surface.

7. An electronic device for imaging an input object, comprising:
a display comprising a sensing surface and an array of display pixels;
a processing system communicatively coupled to the display, the processing system configured to:
selectively illuminate one or more of the display pixels according to a pattern;
acquire image data, from one or more detector pixels of the display, of the input object in contact with the sensing surface, wherein the image data corresponds to light from the illuminated display pixels that is reflected at the sensing surface of the display; and
process an image of the input object from the image data based upon the pattern,

wherein the processing system is configured to select the one or more detector pixels from a high contrast annular region surrounding the illuminated display pixels, the high contrast annular region being between an outer boundary and an inner boundary, the outer boundary defined by a first critical angle resulting from an interface between a surface of the input object and the sensing surface and the inner boundary being defined by a second critical angle resulting from an interface between air and the sensing surface.

8. An electronic device for imaging an input object, comprising:
a display comprising a sensing surface and an array of display pixels;
a processing system communicatively coupled to the display, the processing system configured to:
selectively illuminate one or more of the display pixels according to a pattern;
acquire image data, from one or more detector pixels of the display, of the input object in contact with the sensing surface, wherein the image data corresponds to light from the illuminated display pixels that is reflected at the sensing surface of the display; and
process an image of the input object from the image data based upon the pattern,

wherein the pattern is time varying such that illumination of a first set of one or more display pixels is temporally spaced from illumination of a second set of one or more display pixels.

9. An electronic device for imaging an input object, comprising:
a display comprising a sensing surface and an array of display pixels;
a processing system communicatively coupled to the display, the processing system configured to:
selectively illuminate one or more of the display pixels according to a pattern;
acquire image data, from one or more detector pixels of the display, of the input object in contact with the sensing surface, wherein the image data corresponds to light from the illuminated display pixels that is reflected at the sensing surface of the display; and
process an image of the input object from the image data based upon the pattern,

wherein the pattern is spatial and wherein the illuminate one or more display pixels further comprises:
illuminate a first set of one or more display pixels; and
simultaneously illuminate a second set of one or more display pixels, wherein the first set of one or more display pixels is physically spaced apart from the second set of one or more display pixels.

10. An electronic device for imaging an input object, comprising:
a display comprising a sensing surface and an array of display pixels;
a processing system communicatively coupled to the display, the processing system configured to:
selectively illuminate one or more of the display pixels according to a pattern;
acquire image data, from one or more detector pixels of the display, of the input object in contact with the sensing surface, wherein the image data corresponds to light from the illuminated display pixels that is reflected at the sensing surface of the display; and
process an image of the input object from the image data based upon the pattern,

wherein the illuminate one or more of the display pixels further comprises:
illuminate a first set of one or more display pixels; and
illuminate a second set of one or more display pixels, wherein the first set of one or more display pixels is physically spaced apart from the second set of one or more display pixels;

wherein the acquire the image data further comprises:
acquire partial image data from a first set of detector pixels during illumination of the first set of one or more display pixels; and
acquire partial image data from a second set of detector pixels during illumination of the second set of one or more display pixels; and

wherein the process the image comprises:
combine the partial image data from the first set of detector pixels and the partial image data from the second set of detector pixels into composite image data.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:
compare the composite image data to an enrolled fingerprint template to determine a biometric match.

12. An electronic device for imaging an input object, comprising:
a display comprising a sensing surface and an array of display pixels;
a processing sy

Assignees

• Synaptics Inc

Inventors

• Mackey Bob Lee
• Fomani Arash Akhavan
• Lau Francis

Classifications

• G09G3/3426 Primary

  the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix · CPC title

• G06K9/00013 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G09G3/3406

  Control of illumination source (illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336) · CPC title

• G09G2360/145

  the light originating from the display screen · CPC title

• G06V40/1318

  using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing · CPC title