Electronic device including mask collimation and related methods
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsMohammad Yeke Yazdandoost, Giovanni Gozzini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic device may include a substrate and a dielectric cover layer above the substrate. The electronic device may also include light emitting diodes (LEDs) carried by the substrate to direct light to the dielectric cover layer and optical image sensors carried by the substrate below the dielectric cover layer and adjacent the plurality of LEDs. Each optical image sensor may include at least one photodetector, a mask having at least one opening therein above the at least one photodetector, and an optical element above the mask and cooperating therewith to collimate light reflected from the dielectric cover layer to the at least one photodetector.
Claims25
An electronic device comprising:
- a substrate;
- a dielectric cover layer above the substrate;
- a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) carried by the substrate to direct light to the dielectric cover layer;
- and
- a plurality of optical image sensors carried by the substrate below the dielectric cover layer and adjacent the plurality of LEDs, each optical image sensor comprising
- a plurality of photodetectors,
- a mesh grid defining a mask having a plurality of openings therein, each of the plurality of photodetectors being aligned with respective openings of the plurality of openings, and
- an optical element above the mask and cooperating therewith to collimate light reflected from the dielectric cover layer to the plurality of photodetectors.
An electronic device comprising:
- a housing;
- wireless communications circuitry carried by the housing;
- a biometric sensor carried by the housing and comprising
- a substrate,
- a dielectric cover layer above the substrate defining a finger sensing surface,
- a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) carried by the substrate to direct light to the dielectric cover layer, and
- a plurality of optical image sensors carried by the substrate below the dielectric cover layer and adjacent the plurality of LEDs, each optical image sensor comprising
- a plurality of photodetectors,
- a mesh grid defining a mask having a plurality of openings therein, the plurality of photodetectors being aligned with respective openings of the plurality of openings, and
- an optical element above the mask and cooperating therewith to collimate light reflected from the dielectric cover layer to the plurality of photodetectors;
- and
- a controller configured to cooperate with wireless communications circuitry and the biometric sensor to perform at least one wireless communications function and biometric sensing function, respectively.
A method of making an electronic device comprising:
- providing a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) on a substrate to direct light to a dielectric cover layer above the substrate;
- and
- providing a plurality of optical image sensors on the substrate adjacent the plurality of LEDs, each optical image sensor comprising a plurality of photodetectors, a mesh grid defining a mask having a plurality of openings therein, the plurality of photodetectors being aligned with respective openings of the plurality of openings, and an optical element above the mask and cooperating therewith so that light reflected from the dielectric cover layer is collimated to the plurality of photodetectors.
An electronic device comprising:
- a substrate;
- a dielectric cover layer above the substrate;
- a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) carried by the substrate, each of the plurality of LEDs being configured to
- operate as a light emitter in an illumination mode to direct light to the dielectric cover layer, and
- operate as a photodetector in an optical image sensing mode to sense optical images from an object adjacent the dielectric cover layer;
- and
- deblurring circuitry coupled to the plurality of LEDs and configured to deblur the sensed optical images.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.