Electronic device including processing circuitry for sensing images from spaced apart sub-arrays and related methods
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsMohammad Yeke Yazdandoost, Giovanni Gozzini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic device may include an optical image sensor that includes an array of optical image sensing pixels and a pin hole array mask layer above the optical image sensor and that includes spaced apart pin holes therein defining spaced apart image areas on the optical image sensor. The electronic device also includes a display layer above the pin hole array mask layer that includes spaced apart display pixels. The electronic device may also include processing circuitry coupled to the optical image sensor and capable of sensing images from spaced apart sub-arrays of the array of optical image sensing pixels aligned with the spaced apart image areas.
Claims13
An electronic device comprising:
- an array of optical image sensing pixels having a plurality of discrete, non-contiguous sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels;
- a display layer comprising a plurality of spaced apart light emitting diodes (LEDs) to permit light to pass therebetween;
- a pin hole array mask layer between the display layer and the array of optical image sensing pixels and comprising a plurality of pin holes therein, with different pin holes in the plurality of pin holes aligned with different sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels in the plurality of sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels, so that the light passing between the plurality of LEDs passes through the plurality of pin holes to the plurality of sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels;
- and
- processing circuitry configured to selectively sense images from the plurality of sub- arrays of optical image sensing pixels.
An electronic device comprising:
- an array of optical image sensing pixels having a plurality of spaced apart sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels;
- a display layer comprising a plurality of spaced apart light emitting diodes (LEDs) to permit light to pass therebetween;
- a pin hole array mask layer between the display layer and the array of optical image sensing pixels and comprising a plurality of pin holes therein, with different pin holes in the plurality of pin holes aligned with different sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels in the plurality of spaced apart sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels, so that the light passing between the plurality of LEDs passes through the plurality of pin holes to the plurality of spaced- apart sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels;
- a transparent cover layer above the display layer defining a finger placement surface configured to receive a user's finger adjacent thereto;
- and
- processing circuitry configured to selectively sense images from the plurality of spaced apart sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels.
A method of sensing images using an electronic device comprising an array of optical image sensing pixels having a plurality of spaced apart sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels, a display layer comprising a plurality of spaced apart light emitting diodes (LEDs) to permit light to pass therebetween, and a pin hole array mask layer between the display layer and the array of optical image sensing pixels and comprising a plurality of pin holes therein, with different pin holes in the plurality of pin holes aligned with different sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels in the plurality of sub-arrays of image sensing pixels, so that the light passing between the plurality of LEDs passes through the plurality of pin holes to the plurality of sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels, the method comprising:
- using processing circuitry to selectively sense images from the plurality of sub-arrays of optical image sensing pixels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.