Biometric sensor and electronic device comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10776645-B2
Application number	US-201715626367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2016
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A sensor for sensing biometric information includes a light emitting unit that emits a first light ray, a light receiving unit that receives a second light ray, where the second light ray includes a portion of the first light ray reflected by a body of a user, and an optical layer placed over the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit. The optical layer has a first surface facing the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit and a second surface opposite the first surface. The optical layer further includes an asymmetrical protrusion structure formed on the first surface or the second surface and including a plurality of asymmetrical protrusion units. The optical layer may further include a symmetrical protrusion structure formed on the first surface or the second surface opposite the asymmetrical protrusion structure and including a plurality of symmetrical protrusion units.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor for sensing biometric information, comprising:
a light emitting unit configured to emit a first light ray;
a light receiving unit configured to receive a second light ray, wherein the second light ray includes a portion of the first light ray reflected by a body of a user; and
an optical layer placed over the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit having a first surface facing the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit and a second surface opposite the first surface,
wherein the optical layer includes:
an asymmetrical protrusion structure formed on the first surface or the second surface; and
a symmetrical protrusion structure formed on the first surface or the second surface opposite the asymmetrical protrusion structure and including a first plurality of symmetrical protrusion units, the first plurality of symmetrical protrusion units having one or more first heights so as to reduce an amount of light reflected at the first surface or the second surface on which the symmetrical protrusion structure is disposed,

wherein the asymmetrical protrusion structure includes:
a first asymmetrical protrusion structure formed in a first region corresponding to the light emitting unit and including a plurality of asymmetrical protrusion units, the plurality of asymmetrical protrusion units having one or more second heights so as to refract the first light ray further away from the light receiving unit than a direction of the first light ray emitted from the light emitting unit when the first asymmetrical protrusion structure is absent,

wherein the one or more first heights are smaller than the one or more second heights, wherein the one or more first heights are smaller than a first wavelength of the first light ray or a second wavelength of the second light ray, and
wherein the one or more second heights are greater than the first wavelength of the first light ray or the second wavelength of the second light ray.

2. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the asymmetrical protrusion structure further includes:
a second asymmetrical protrusion structure formed in a second region corresponding to the light receiving unit.

3. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the second asymmetrical protrusion structure is configured to refract the second light ray towards an active region of the light receiving unit.

4. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the symmetrical protrusion structure is configured to increase a transmittance of the first light ray and/or the second light ray through the optical layer.

5. The sensor of claim 4 , wherein at least some of the plurality of asymmetrical protrusion units include a second plurality of symmetrical protrusion units.

6. The sensor of claim 4 , wherein the first plurality of symmetrical protrusion units are spaced apart from each other by one or more specified distances.

7. The sensor of claim 4 , further comprising:
a base configured to mount the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit,
wherein the base includes a partition wall interposed between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit.

8. The sensor of claim 7 , wherein:
the light receiving unit includes a first light receiving unit and a second light receiving unit,
the light emitting unit includes a first light emitting unit corresponding to the first light receiving unit and a second light emitting unit corresponding to the second light receiving unit,
the first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit are disposed in a center region of the base,
the first light emitting unit is disposed at one side of the center region, and
wherein the second light emitting unit is disposed at another side of the center region, the another side being opposite the one side.

9. The sensor of claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one of a first waveguide formed between the light emitting unit and the optical layer to guide the first light ray and a second waveguide formed between the light receiving unit and the optical layer to guide the second light ray.

10. The sensor of claim 4 , wherein at least a partial region of the optical layer is curved at a specified curvature.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a light emitting unit configured to emit a first light ray;
a light receiving unit configured to receive a second light ray, wherein the second light ray includes a portion of the first light ray reflected by a body of a user;
a processor configured to determine biometric information of the user based on the second light ray; and
a housing including an optical layer, wherein the optical layer has a first surface facing the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, a second surface opposite the first surface, and the optical layer includes:
an asymmetrical protrusion structure formed on the first surface or the second surface, and
a symmetrical protrusion structure formed on the first surface or the second surface opposite the asymmetrical protrusion structure and including a first plurality of symmetrical protrusion units, the first plurality of symmetrical protrusion units having one or more first heights so as to reduce an amount of light reflected at the first surface or the second surface on which the symmetrical protrusion structure is disposed,

wherein the asymmetrical protrusion structure includes:
a first asymmetrical protrusion structure formed in a first region corresponding to the light emitting unit and including a plurality of asymmetrical protrusion units, the plurality of asymmetrical protrusion units having one or more second heights so as to refract the first light ray further away from the light receiving unit than a direction of the first light ray emitted from the light emitting unit when the first asymmetrical protrusion structure is absent,

wherein the one or more first heights are smaller than the one or more second heights,
wherein the one or more first heights are smaller than a first wavelength of the first light ray or a second wavelength of the second light ray, and
wherein the one or more second heights are greater than the first wavelength of the first light ray or the second wavelength of the second light ray.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a touch screen,
wherein the optical layer is in a region not overlapping with the touch screen.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine heartbeat information of the user based on the second light ray.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the plurality of asymmetrical protrusion units include a second plurality of symmetrical protrusion units.

15. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the asymmetrical protrusion structure further includes:
a second asymmetrical protrusion structure formed in a second region corresponding to the light receiving unit.

16. The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a touch screen, wherein the optical layer is in a region overlapping with the touch screen.

17. An electronic device comprising:
a light emitting unit configured to emit a first light ray;
a light receiving unit configured to receive a second light ray, wherein the second light ray includes a portion of the first light ray reflected by a body of a user;
a housing including an optical layer, wherein the optical layer includes at least one protrusion structure formed on at least one surface of the optical layer; and
a processor configured to determine biometric information of the user based on t

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Korea Advanced Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Baek Hyun Jae
• Jeong Ki Hun
• Oh Young Jae
• Park Jung Woo
• Jang Kyung Won
• Hwang Chan Sol
• Shin Jae Wook
• Cho Jae Geol

Classifications

• G06V40/1394 Primary

  using acquisition arrangements · CPC title

• G06V40/10 Primary

  Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands · CPC title

• G06V30/142

  using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments · CPC title

• G06V10/17

  using hand-held instruments · CPC title

• G06V10/145

  Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings · CPC title