Flexible form factor overlay device
A device is provided that includes a light-sensing layer including photodetectors, a light guide arranged to direct light beams towards a document area, and an angle-selective layer arranged to filter light beams reflected from the document area based on respective angles of incidence of the reflected light beams. The device also includes a controller configured to: operate the light guide to emit light, such that a plurality of light beams is directed towards the document area, where a portion of the light beams is reflected off of the document area and filtered by the angle-selective layer to direct a subset of the reflected light beams to the light-sensing layer. The controller is also configured to receive data indicative of the subset of light beams, generate an image of a document in the document area, detect text in the image, translate the text, and display the translated text on a display.
1. A device comprising:
a light source operable to emit light;
a light-sensing layer comprising one or more photodetectors;
a light guide arranged to receive light from the light source and direct at least some of the received light towards a document area;
an angle-selective layer arranged to filter light reflected from the document area such that at least one photodetector in the light-sensing layer receives light reflected from a respective sub-area of the document area below the at least one photodetector, wherein the angle-selective layer comprises microlouvers separated by gaps; and
a controller configured to:
operate the light source to emit light towards the light guide, such that a majority of the light from the light source is directed towards the document area by the light guide, wherein a portion of the majority of light is reflected off of the document area and filtered by the angle-selective layer to direct a portion of the reflected light to the light-sensing layer, wherein the portion of the reflected light reaches the light-sensing layer by propagating through the gaps;
receive data indicative of the portion of the reflected light as detected by the one or more photodetectors of the light-sensing layer;
generate, based on the data, an image of a document in the document area;
detect text in the image of the document;
translate the text from a first language to a second language; and
cause a display to display the translated text.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a transparent device comprising a transparent display that displays the translated text directly above the text in the document area, and wherein sub-areas of the document area that do not include the text are visible through the transparent device.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the angle-selective layer filters the reflected light such that parts of the reflected light that are reflected off of the document at substantially oblique angles are absorbed by the angle-selective layer.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the reflected light is incident on the angle-selective layer at a substantially right angle to the angle-selective layer.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light-sensing layer comprises an array of photodetectors arranged on a flexible substrate.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light guide comprises a plurality of microstructures arranged to redirect the majority of the light from the light source towards the document area.
7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the light guide is formed from a flexible polymer material.
8. A method comprising:
operating a light source to emit light towards a light guide, such that a majority of the light from the light source is directed by the light guide towards a document area, wherein a portion of the majority of light is reflected off of the document area and filtered by an angle-selective layer to direct a portion of the reflected light to a light-sensing layer, wherein the angle-selective layer comprises microlouvers separated by gaps, and wherein the portion of reflected light reaches the light-sensing layer by propagating through the gaps;
receiving data indicative of the portion of the reflected light as detected by one or more photodetectors of the light-sensing layer;
generating, based on the data, an image of a document in the document area;
detecting text in the image of the document;
translating the text from a first language to a second language; and
causing a display to display the translated text.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the angle-selective layer is arranged to filter light reflected from the document area such that at least one photodetector in the light-sensing layer receives light reflected from a respective sub-area of the document area below the at least one photodetector.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the angle-selective layer filters the reflected light such that parts of the reflected light that are reflected off of the document at substantially oblique angles are absorbed by the angle-selective layer.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the light guide comprises a plurality of microstructures arranged to redirect the light from the light source towards the document area.
12. A device comprising:
a light source operable to emit light;
a light-sensing layer comprising one or more photodetectors;
a light guide arranged to receive light from the light source and direct at least some of the received light towards a document area;
an angle-selective layer arranged to filter light reflected from the document area such that at least one photodetector in the light-sensing layer receives light reflected from a respective sub-area of the document area below the at least one photodetector, wherein the angle-selective layer comprises microlouvers separated by gaps;
a display; and
a controller configured to:
operate the light source to emit light towards the light guide, such that a majority of the light from the light source is directed towards the document area by the light guide, wherein a portion of the majority of light is reflected off of the document area and filtered by the angle-selective layer to direct a portion of the reflected light to the light-sensing layer, wherein the portion of the reflected light reaches the light-sensing layer by propagating through the gaps;
receive data indicative of the portion of the reflected light as detected by the one or more photodetectors of the light-sensing layer;
generate, based on the data, an image of a document in the document area;
detect text in the image of the document;
translate the text from a first language to a second language;
generate a second image comprising text in the second language; and
cause the display to display the second image.
13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the light guide comprises a plurality of microstructures arranged to redirect the majority of the light from the light source towards the document area.
14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the light-sensing layer comprises an array of photodetectors arranged on a flexible substrate.