Wearable-type electronic device mounted with fingerprint recognition sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10657236-B2
Application number	US-201715813698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2017
Priority date	Nov 23, 2016
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A wearable device that is mounted with a fingerprint recognition sensor is provided. The wearable device includes a housing including a first, a second face facing, and a third face facing, a support structure disposed between the first and second faces, a display disposed on the first face to be exposed, and including a window having a first flange and a second flange disposed to be opposite the first face, and a display module coupled to the window to face the second direction, the display being disposed on one face of the support structure, a printed circuit board disposed on another face of the support structure, at least one light emitter mounted adjacent to the first flange to emit light to a first region of the window, and at least one light receptor mounted adjacent to the second flange to receive light reflected from the first region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable-type electronic device comprising:
a housing including:
a first face facing a first direction,
a second face facing a second direction that is opposite the first direction, and
a third face facing a third direction that is perpendicular to each of the first and second directions and enclosing at least a portion of a space between the first and second faces;

a support structure disposed between the first and second faces;
a display disposed on the first face to be exposed, and including:
a window having a first flange,
a second flange disposed to be opposite the first flange, and
a display module coupled to the window to face the second direction,

the display being disposed on a face of the support structure;
a first printed circuit board disposed on another face of the support structure;
at least one light emitter mounted adjacent to the first flange, and configured to emit light to a first region of the window; and
at least one light receptor mounted adjacent to the second flange, and configured to receive light reflected from the first region.

2. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first and second flanges is formed on an outer circumferential portion extending in an outer circumferential direction of the window, and
wherein each of the first and second flanges is positioned on an outer circumference of the display module.

3. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the light includes infrared light, and the light emitter and the light receptor constitute a fingerprint recognition sensor.

4. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second flanges are respectively configured as first and second waveguides so that light emitted from the first light emitter is guided to the first region by the first waveguide, or light guided from the first region is guided to the light receptor by the second waveguide.

5. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 4 ,
wherein the at least one light emitter comprises a plurality of light emitters and the at least one light receptor comprises a plurality of light receptors that are respectively arranged in array types to provide a region capable of recognizing a fingerprint in the first region, and
wherein the first region is a fingerprint contact region, which is an active region of the display module, and includes a central region of a surface located in a first direction of the window.

6. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first flange includes a first outer circumferential face that faces the first direction, a second outer circumferential face that faces the second direction, and a third outer circumferential face that faces the third direction,
wherein the first outer circumferential face is provided with at least one first reflection structure, and the second outer circumferential face is provided with at least one second reflection structure,
wherein the second flange includes a fourth outer circumferential face that faces the first direction, a fifth outer circumferential face that faces the second direction, and a sixth outer circumferential face that faces the third direction, and
wherein the fourth outer circumferential face is provided with at least one third reflection structure, and the fifth outer circumferential face is provided with at least one fourth reflection structure.

7. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 6 ,
wherein the first reflection structure includes at least one first reflection member disposed on the first outer circumferential face,
wherein the second reflection structure includes at least one second reflection member disposed on the second outer circumferential face and configured to reflect light reflected by the first reflective member such that the light is guided to the first region, and
wherein the first reflection structure includes a first metal layer deposited on the first outer circumferential face, and the second reflection structure includes a second metal layer deposited on a second outer circumferential face.

8. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 7 ,
wherein the first metal layer includes a first light-shielding layer printed on a face facing the first direction, and
wherein the second metal layer further includes a second light-shielding layer printed on a face facing the second direction.

9. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first UV molding layer located between the first outer circumferential face and the first metal layer and facing the second direction; and
a second UV molding layer located between the second outer circumferential face and the second metal layer.

10. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 6 ,
wherein the first flange further includes at least one first light refraction structure on the first outer circumferential face and the second flange further includes at least one second refraction structure on the second outer circumferential face, and
wherein each of the first and second light refraction structures is formed by thickening or etching a portion from which light is reflected.

11. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the first and second light reflection structures further include first and second reflection sheets, respectively.

12. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light emitter is disposed on a display flexible printed circuit board that electrically connects the display to the first printed circuit board.

13. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one light receptor is disposed on the support structure, and
wherein the at least one light receptor is electrically connected to the first printed circuit board by using a second printed circuit board.

14. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the window includes a rotary wheel disposed on an outer circumference so as to input data, and
wherein the rotary wheel and the first and second flanges are stacked one on another to face each other.

15. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 6 , wherein each of the at least one light emitter is disposed adjacent to one of the first to third outer circumferential faces or is disposed such that a light outlet portion thereof is disposed to be directed to any one of the first to third outer circumferential faces.

16. A wearable-type electronic device comprising:
a housing including:
a first face facing a first direction,
a second face facing a second direction that is opposite the first direction, and
a third face facing a third direction that is perpendicular to each of the first and second directions and enclosing at least a portion of a space between the first and second faces;

a pair of straps configured to enable the housing to be worn on a wrist;
a display including:
a window disposed on the first face to be exposed and including a first flange,
a second flange disposed to be opposite the first flange, and
a display module coupled to the window to face the second direction; and

a fingerprint recognition sensor mounted on each of the first and second flanges,
wherein the fingerprint recognition sensor comprises:
at least one light emitter mounted adjacent to the first flange to emit light to a first region of the window, and
at least one light receptor mounted adjacent to the second flange to receive light reflected from the first region.

17. The wearable-type electronic device of claim 16

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Gyusang
• Baek Seunggeol
• Song Kyung-Hoon
• Jin Yunjang
• Lee Kwangsub
• YOO Min-Woo
• Cho Chi-Hyun
• Choi Jong-Chul

Classifications

• G06F1/163 Primary

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G04G21/08

  Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces · CPC title

• G06Q20/32

  using wireless devices · CPC title

• G04G17/045

  Mounting of the display · CPC title

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title