# US 2020/0401781 A1 · Under-screen fingerprint reader > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0401781 A1 - Document ID: US20200401781A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/905,208 - Filed: 2020-06-18 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-21 - Inventors: Waleed Sami Haddad; Yuxin Wang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200401781A1 ## CPC - G06V 40/1318: {using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing} - G06V 40/1359: {Extracting features related to ridge properties; Determining the fingerprint type, e.g. whorl or loop} - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract An optical reader apparatus is configured to detect epidermal ridges of a body part using specular reflection contrast detection. The optical reader apparatus comprises a display comprising a transparent cover and a substrate comprising an array of active pixels. The active pixels serve as an illuminator of the optical reader apparatus. The apparatus also comprises a pinhole array and an optical sensor optically coupled to the display via the pinhole array. The optical sensor comprises an array of photosensors arranged on a substrate. The array of photosensors is configured to detect light reflected via specular reflection by the transparent cover. A processor, coupled to the display and the optical sensor, is configured to control reading of signals from the photosensors and to control illumination of selected active pixels in accordance with a predefined scanning pattern that covers a sensing region of the transparent cover during a body part reading operation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical reader apparatus configured to detect epidermal ridges of a body part using specular reflection contrast detection, the optical reader apparatus comprising: a display comprising a transparent cover and a substrate comprising an array of active pixels, the active pixels serving as an illuminator of the optical reader apparatus; a pinhole array; an optical sensor optically coupled to the display via the pinhole array and comprising an array of photosensors arranged on a substrate, the array of photosensors configured to detect light reflected via specular reflection by the transparent cover; and a processor coupled to the display and the optical sensor, the processor configured to control reading of signals from the photosensors and to control illumination of selected active pixels in accordance with a predefined scanning pattern that covers a sensing region of the transparent cover during a body part reading operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control reading of signals from selected photosensors and illumination of selected active pixels in accordance with the predefined scanning pattern. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: light emitted by a selected ith active pixel illuminated by the processor is detected by an (i+n)th photosensor; the processor is configured to read a signal from the (i+n)th photosensor; and n represents the number of photosensors spaced apart from the selected ith active pixel by a distance related to a thickness of the display defined between an exterior surface of the transparent cover and the array of active pixels. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photosensors are arranged on the substrate in an offset relationship with respect to the active pixels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined scanning pattern defines an arrangement of illuminated active pixels having a constant shape that is shifted by the processor in a step-wise manner to cover the sensing region of the transparent cover. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined scanning pattern defines an arrangement of illuminated active pixels having a shape that is changed and shifted by the processor in a step-wise manner to cover the sensing region of the transparent cover. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined scanning pattern defines one or more rows of illuminated active pixels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined scanning pattern defines one or more decimated rows of illuminated active pixels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined scanning pattern defines: a polygonal pattern spanning a plurality of rows of illuminated active pixels; or a curvilinear pattern spanning a plurality of rows of illuminated active pixels. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the substrate comprising the array of active pixels comprises a transparent substrate; the pinhole array comprises a first pinhole mask affixed to a surface of the display adjacent the optical sensor, the first pinhole mask comprising an array of first pinholes offset from the array of photosensors and having a pitch corresponding to a pitch of the photosensors; and a dielectric material or fill gas is disposed within the first pinholes and between the first pinhole array and the substrate supporting the photosensors, the dielectric material or fill gas having a refractive index substantially the same as that of transparent material of the display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, comprising a second pinhole mask disposed between the first pinhole mask and the array of photosensors, the second pinhole mask comprising an array of second pinholes offset from the first pinholes and the array of photosensors. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the substrate comprising the array of active pixels comprises an opaque substrate; the pinhole array comprises an array of pinholes through the opaque substrate and offset from the array of photosensors; and a dielectric material or fill gas is disposed within the pinholes and between the pinhole array and the substrate supporting the photosensors, the dielectric material or fill gas having a refractive index substantially the same as that of transparent material of the display. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor comprises a microlens structure disposed between the pinhole array and each photosensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor comprises an opaque barrier disposed between adjacent photosensors, the opaque barriers configured to optically isolate each photosensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing region defines a predetermined fixed region of the transparent cover. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the display comprises a touchscreen configured to sense a touch location of the transparent cover where the body part contacts the transparent cover; and the sensing region defines a region of the transparent cover at or surrounding the touch location. ### Claim 17 An optical reader apparatus configured to detect epidermal ridges of a body part using specular reflection contrast detection, the apparatus comprising: a display comprising a transparent cover and a substrate comprising an array of active pixels, the active pixels serving as an illuminator of the apparatus; a pinhole array; an optical sensor optically coupled to the display via the pinhole array and comprising an array of photosensors arranged on a substrate in an offset relationship with respect to the array of active pixels, the array of photosensors configured to detect light reflected via specular reflection by the transparent cover; and a processor coupled to the display and the optical sensor, the processor configured to control illumination of selected active pixels and reading of signals from the photosensors in accordance with a predefined scanning pattern that covers a sensing region of the transparent cover during a body part reading operation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the predefined scanning pattern defines an arrangement of illuminated active pixels having a shape that is shifted by the processor in a step-wise manner to cover the sensing region of the transparent cover. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to change a shape of the arrangement of illuminated active pixels during the body part reading operation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the predefined scanning pattern defines a plurality of arrangements of illuminated active pixels each having a shape that is shifted by the processor in a step-wise manner to cover the sensing region of the transparent cover. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to shift each of the plurality of illuminated active pixel arrangements individually. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to shift at least some of the plurality of illuminated active pixel arrangements concurrently.