US 9,285,895 B1 · Integrated near field sensor for display devices

Abstract

A transmissive element including a diffractive and/or refractive pattern can be used with a display screen of a computing device to allow the display screen to function as a near field optical sensor (NFOS). The NFOS can be used to detect shadows cast on the display screen, and/or bright objects detected near the display screen, which can be used to determine the relative position of one or more features with respect to the device. These features can be, for example, the fingers or thumbs of a user attempting to provide input to the computing device. The device can support motion or gesture detection using cameras of the device, and touch input using touch screen functionality, but the NFOS can enable the device to also track motion in the dead zone between the field of view of the cameras and the touch screen.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

receiving light over a plurality of angles on a receiving surface of an optically transmissive sheet;
directing, by a diffraction pattern of the optically transmissive sheet, at least a portion of the light received on the receiving surface to a plurality of sensor elements configured to detect light;
analyzing variations in intensity of light detected by the plurality of sensor elements;
determining that at least one intensity value corresponding to one or more regions of the optically transmissive sheet is different than an intensity value corresponding to at least one other region of the optically transmissive sheet, the at least one intensity value indicative of one or more objects located within a detectable distance of the optically transmissive sheet;
and
determining at least one position relative to the optically transmissive sheet for the one or more objects based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the one or more regions corresponding to the at least one intensity value.

3 more elements

A computing device, comprising:

a device processor;
and
a memory device including instructions operable to be executed by the processor to perform a set of actions, enabling the computing device to:
analyze intensity values for light detected by a plurality of sensor elements, the plurality of sensor elements configured to detect at least a portion of light that is received over a plurality of angles on a receiving surface of an optically transmissive sheet and directed by a diffraction pattern of the optically transmissive sheet;
determine that at least one intensity value corresponding to one or more regions of the optically transmissive sheet is different than an intensity value corresponding to at least one other region of the optically transmissive sheet, the at least one intensity value indicative of at least one object located near the computing device;
and
determine a position relative to the optically transmissive sheet for the at least one object based at least in part upon a characteristic of the at least one intensity value.

4 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a set of operations comprising:

analyzing variations in intensity values for light detected by a plurality of sensor elements, the plurality of sensor elements configured to detect at least a portion of light that is received over a plurality of angles on a receiving surface of an optically transmissive sheet and directed by a diffraction pattern of the optically transmissive sheet;
determining that at least one intensity value corresponding to one or more regions of the optically transmissive sheet is different than an intensity value corresponding to at least one other region of the optically transmissive sheet, the at least one different intensity value indicative of one or more objects located within a detectable distance of the optically transmissive sheet;
and
determining at least one position relative to the optically transmissive sheet for the one or more objects based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the one or more regions of the optically transmissive sheet corresponding to the at least one intensity value.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Integrated near field sensor for display devices

Life of this patent

Integrated near field sensor for display devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23