IP Library Granted Patent US 10,846,504
Granted Patent B2
US 10,846,504 · App. 15/868,174 · Granted Nov 24, 2020

Electronic device including biometric sensor

Inventors: Jong-Il Kim (Anyang-si, KR); Jae-Young Kim (Ansan-si, KR); Oh-Hyuck Kwon (Yongin-si, KR); Hyung-Dal Kim (Yongin-si, KR); Kwang-Jin Bae (Suwon-si, KR); Young-Min Seo (Seongnam-si, KR); Young-Soo Lee (Hwaseong-si, KR); Dae-Kwang Jung (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
G06K9/00046G06K9/0002G06K9/00053
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,846,504
App. No.
15/868,174
Granted
Nov 24, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device may include: a housing including a first face facing a first direction and a second face facing a second direction opposite the first direction, and further including a transparent window comprising at least a portion of the first face; a display device disposed between the first face and the second face of the housing and configured to display information to an outside through the transparent window; an illumination unit comprising light emitting circuitry disposed inside the first face of the housing and configured to emit light toward the transparent window; a reflective unit comprising a reflective surface and disposed between the illumination unit and the transparent window, and including a plurality of reflective structures configured to reflect light emitted from the illumination unit toward the transparent window; and a biometric sensor disposed to face at least a portion of the transparent window and configured to sense light reflected on the transparent window. The electronic device including a fingerprint sensor is capable of ensuring a superior performance using a light source in sensing fingerprint information of a user using a fingerprint sensor located in a display active region. Further, the electronic device is capable of effectively ensuring an amount of incident light transmitted to the biometric sensor using the reflective unit and the transparent window, which substantially completely reflects the light emitted from the light source.

Claims (45)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing including a first face facing a first direction and a second face facing a second direction opposite the first direction, and further including a transparent window comprising at least a portion of the first face;

a display device disposed between the first face and the second face of the housing and configured to display information to an outside through the transparent window;

an illumination unit comprising light emitting circuitry disposed inside the housing and configured to emit light toward the transparent window;

a reflective unit comprising light reflecting surfaces disposed between the illumination unit and the transparent window, and including a plurality of reflective structures configured to reflect light emitted from the illumination unit toward the transparent window; and

a biometric sensor disposed to face at least a portion of the transparent window and configured to sense light reflected on the transparent window,

wherein the reflective unit includes a film disposed to face one face of the transparent window, and the plurality of reflective structures of the reflective unit protrude in a direction away from the transparent window.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the reflective unit is disposed below a first region of the transparent window, and

the biometric sensor is disposed below a second region of the transparent window, the second region of the transparent window being different from the first region of the transparent window.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a substantially entire area of the biometric sensor overlaps the display when viewed from a position above the transparent window.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the reflective unit is configured to provide a first path that guides light emitted from the illumination unit to be reflected within each of the plurality of reflective structures and to be directed toward the transparent window, and

the transparent window is configured to provide a second path that guides the light provided from the reflective unit to be reflected a plurality of times within the transparent window and to be guided toward the biometric sensor.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the biometric sensor includes a fingerprint sensor, and

the light, which passes through the second path within the transparent window, is configured to be reflected by a user's fingerprint to reach the fingerprint sensor, and the fingerprint sensor is configured to sense biometric information of the user touching the second region of the transparent window.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of reflective structures of the reflective unit includes:

a first face configured to receive incident light from the illumination unit; and

a second face forming an inclined face with respect to the first face and is configured to reflect light transmitted through the first face.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein each of the reflective structures includes a prism, and

each of the reflective structures forms a first angle with the first face and a third face disposed in parallel with the film and forms a second angle, which is different from the first angle, with the second face and the third face.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the first angle is in a range of 65 to 75 degrees, and the second angle is in a range of 15 to 25 degrees.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the first face has a length longer than a length of the second face.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first dielectric layer disposed between the transparent window and the reflective unit and having a refractive index between a refractive index of the reflective unit and a refractive index of the transparent window.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the reflective unit includes:

a film disposed to face one face of the transparent window; and

the plurality of reflective structures of the reflective unit protrude toward a first direction of the film, and are inserted into the first dielectric layer.

12. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of reflective structures of the reflective unit comprises a plurality of groups each including at least one pattern, and

the plurality of groups is sequentially arranged from one region of the lower side of the transparent window.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein a cross section of each of the reflective structures disposed in the plurality of groups is comprises a triangular prism, and

among the plurality of groups, an angle formed by a first surface of the reflective structure within a first group with the transparent window differs from an angle formed by a first surface of the reflective structure within another group different from the first group with the transparent window.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein angles, which are formed by the reflective structures within the plurality of sequentially arranged groups with the transparent window, are sequentially reduced.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a housing including a transparent window exposed to an outside;

a printed circuit unit comprising a printed circuit board disposed within the housing;

a reflective unit comprising a reflective surface disposed between the transparent window and the printed circuit unit and including a plurality of reflective structures configured to transmit light emitted from an illumination unit to the transparent window, the illumination unit being electrically connected to the printed circuit unit; and

a fingerprint sensor disposed between the transparent window and the printed circuit unit, the fingerprint sensor being electrically connected to at least a portion of the printed circuit unit and configured to sense light transmitted through the transparent window,

wherein the reflective unit includes a film disposed to face one face of the transparent window, and the plurality of reflective structures of the reflective unit protrude in a direction away from the transparent window.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of reflective structures is configured with a triangular prism that forms different opposite angles disposed with reference to one face of the reflective unit.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the transparent window is configured to reflect the light transmitted from the reflective unit with a top face and/or a lower face thereof to provide a light path within the transparent window.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 , further comprising:

a first dielectric layer disposed between the transparent window and the reflective unit and having a refractive index between a refractive index of the reflective unit and a refractive index of the transparent window; and

a second dielectric layer disposed between the transparent window and the fingerprint sensor and having a refractive index that is different from the refractive index of the first dielectric layer,

wherein the second dielectric layer comprises a plurality of different layers, each of the plurality of different layers having different refractive indexes and/or different transmissivities with respect to the light.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein a film layer is disposed between the transparent window and the printed circuit unit and is configured to suppress light scattering, and

the film layer includes an opening in a region corresponding to the fingerprint sensor configured to provide a space, the opening configured to enable light reflected in one region of the transparent window to reach the fingerprint sensor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2018
From: KIM, JONG-IL; KIM, JAE-YOUNG; KWON, OH-HYUCK; KIM, HYUNG-DAL; BAE, KWANG-JIN; SEO, YOUNG-MIN; LEE, YOUNG-SOO; JUNG, DAE-KWANG
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 044598/0885 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2017-0017670 · Feb 8, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180225503A1 · Aug 9, 2018