# US 10,769,403 B2 · Image sensing with a display > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,769,403 B2 - Document ID: US10769403B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/985,504 - Filed: 2018-05-21 - Published: 2018-09-20 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-07 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Jiandong Huang; Timothy Andrew Large; Liying Chen; Steven Nabil Bathiche - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769403B2 ## CPC - G06K 9/0004 - G06F 3/042: by opto-electronic means - G06F 3/044: by capacitive means - G06F 3/045: using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact - G06F 3/0414: {using force sensing means to determine a position} - G06F 3/0421: {by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen} - G06K 9/0008 - G06K 9/00013 - G06K 9/00026 - G06K 9/209 - G06K 9/2027 - G06K 9/2081 - G06T 11/60: Creating or editing images; Combining images with text - H01L 27/14609 - H01L 27/3234 - H04N 5/2253 - H04N 5/2254 - H04N 5/3698 - H01L 27/323 - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H01L - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An electronic device includes a cover glass having a display surface, a pixelated photoemitting element array, and a pixelated photodetecting element array. The pixelated photoemitting element array emits a light signal through the cover glass to the display surface. The pixelated photodetecting element array is positioned relative to the pixelated photoemitting element array and the cover glass to receive a reflected light signal. The reflected light signal includes a portion of the emitted light signal reflected by total internal reflection from a refractive boundary at the display surface. Operation of each pixel is switched between the one or more photodetecting elements and the one or more photoemitting elements by the pixel selector signal component received from the pixel selector signal bus. A sensing trigger is configured to trigger the imaging scan by the pixelated photoemitting element array and the pixelated photodetecting element array, responsive to detection of an initiating action. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fingerprint detection system comprising: a cover glass having a display surface; a pixelated photoemitting element array, one or more selected photoemitting elements of the pixelated photoemitting element array being configured to emit a light signal through the cover glass to a finger in contact with the display surface; and a pixelated photodetecting element array positioned relative to the pixelated photoemitting element array and the cover glass to receive a reflected light signal from the finger at individual photodetecting elements of the pixelated photodetecting element array, the reflected light signal including a portion of the emitted light signal reflected by total internal reflection from a refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fingerprint detection system of claim 1 wherein the reflected light signal excludes a portion of the emitted light signal transmitted through the refractive boundary at the display surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fingerprint detection system of claim 1 wherein the reflected light signal excludes a portion of the emitted light signal transmitted through the refractive boundary at the display surface, the transmitted portion of the emitted light signal having an angle of incidence with the display surface that is less than a critical angle of the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fingerprint detection system of claim 1 wherein the reflected light signal includes a portion of the emitted light signal reflected by total internal reflection, the reflected portion of the emitted light signal having an angle of incidence with the display surface that is greater than a critical angle of the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fingerprint detection system of claim 1 wherein the reflected light signal includes a ridge-scattered portion of the emitted light signal resulting from total internal reflection from the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass, the ridge-scattered portion of the emitted light signal corresponding to a region of optical coupling at the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass and an optically-coupled ridge of a fingerprint of the finger on the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fingerprint detection system of claim 1 wherein the reflected light signal includes a non-ridge portion of the emitted light signal resulting from total internal reflection from the refractive boundary at the display surface of the covered glass, the non-ridge portion of the emitted light signal corresponding to a region of the display surface of the cover glass in which a ridge of a fingerprint is not optically coupled at the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fingerprint detection system of claim 1 further comprising: imaging processing circuitry electronically connected to the pixelated photodetecting element array and configured to stitch the reflected light signal received by each photodetecting element of the pixelated photodetecting element array into a composite image of a fingerprint of the finger in contact with the display surface of the display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fingerprint detection system of claim 1 further comprising: imaging processing circuitry electronically connected to the pixelated photoemitting element array and the pixelated photodetecting element array and configured to scan emitted light from an area of the pixelated photoemitting element array and to capture by the pixelated photodetecting element array the scanned emitted light as the reflected light signal as the scanned emitted light reflects from the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 9 A fingerprint detection method comprising: emitting a light signal through a cover glass of a display through a display surface to a finger in contact with the display surface, the light signal being emitted from one or more selected photoemitting elements of a pixelated photoemitting element array of the display; and capturing a reflected light signal from the finger at individual photodetecting elements of a pixelated photodetecting element array positioned relative to the pixelated photoemitting element array and the cover glass to receive the reflected light signal, the reflected light signal including a portion of the emitted light signal reflected by total internal reflection from a refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fingerprint detection method of claim 9 wherein the reflected light signal excludes a portion of the emitted light signal transmitted through the refractive boundary at the display surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The fingerprint detection method of claim 9 wherein the reflected light signal excludes a portion of the emitted light signal transmitted through the refractive boundary at the display surface, the transmitted portion of the emitted light signal having an angle of incidence with the display surface that is less than a critical angle of the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The fingerprint detection method of claim 9 wherein the reflected light signal includes a portion of the emitted light signal reflected by total internal reflection, the reflected portion of the emitted light signal having an angle of incidence with the display surface that is greater than a critical angle of the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The fingerprint detection method of claim 9 wherein the reflected light signal includes a ridge-scattered portion of the emitted light signal resulting from total internal reflection from the refractive boundary at the display surface of the covered glass, the ridge-scattered portion of the emitted light signal corresponding to a region of optical coupling at the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass and an optically-coupled ridge of a fingerprint of the finger on the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The fingerprint detection method of claim 9 wherein the reflected light signal includes a non-ridge portion of the emitted light signal resulting from total internal reflection from the refractive boundary at the display surface of the covered glass, the non-ridge portion of the emitted light signal corresponding to a region of the display surface of the cover glass in which a ridge of a fingerprint is not optically coupled at the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The fingerprint detection method of claim 9 further comprising: stitching the captured reflected light signal received by each photodetecting element of the photodetecting element array into a composite image of a fingerprint of the finger in contact with the display surface of the display. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The fingerprint detection method of claim 9 further comprising: scanning emitted light from an area of the pixelated photoemitting element array and to capture by the pixelated photodetecting element array the scanned emitted light as the reflected light signal as the scanned emitted light reflects from the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 17 An electronic device providing fingerprint detection comprising: a cover glass having a display surface; a pixelated photoemitting element array, one or more selected photoemitting elements of the pixelated photoemitting element array being configured to emit a light signal through the cover glass to a finger in contact with the display surface; a pixelated photodetecting element array positioned relative to the pixelated photoemitting element array and the cover glass to receive a reflected light signal from the finger at individual photodetecting elements of the pixelated photodetecting element array, the reflected light signal including a portion of the emitted light signal reflected by total internal reflection from a refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass; and image processing circuitry electrically coupled to the pixelated photoemitting element array and the pixelated photodetecting element array and configured to stitch the reflected light signal received by each photodetecting element of the pixelated photodetecting element array into a composite image of a fingerprint of the finger in contact with the display surface of the display. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The electronic device of claim 17 wherein the reflected light signal excludes a portion of the emitted light signal transmitted through the refractive boundary at the display surface, the transmitted portion of the emitted light signal having an angle of incidence with the display surface that is less than a critical angle of the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The electronic device of claim 17 wherein the reflected light signal includes a ridge-scattered portion of the emitted light signal resulting from total internal reflection from the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass, the ridge-scattered portion of the emitted light signal corresponding to a region of optical coupling at the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass and an optically-coupled ridge of the fingerprint on the display surface of the cover glass. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The electronic device of claim 17 wherein the reflected light signal includes a non-ridge portion of the emitted light signal resulting from total internal reflection from the refractive boundary at the display surface of the covered glass, the non-ridge portion of the emitted light signal corresponding to a region of the display surface of the cover glass in which a ridge of the fingerprint is not optically coupled at the refractive boundary at the display surface of the cover glass.