Biometric Sensor Display Pixel Brightness Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fingerprint sensors on electronic devices often require a dedicated sensing area that restricts the display, making it difficult for users to easily access and increasing the complexity of high-brightness light emission, which can lead to afterimages and reduced sensing efficiency.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with a display and a biometric sensor where the processor controls pixel groups to maintain high brightness in the sensing area while reducing load on surrounding areas, using display attributes to optimize light emission and prevent afterimages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a dedicated sensing area is allocated for the fingerprint sensor, then sensing reliability is improved, but display area is reduced and user access becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefingerprint sensing reliabilityVSAvoiddisplay area
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the fingerprint sensing function with the display area by positioning the sensing area within the display region. The display pixels serve dual purposes: showing visual content and providing illumination for fingerprint sensing. This integration eliminates the need for a separate dedicated sensing area, thereby maintaining full display area while ensuring reliable fingerprint recognition through the combined display-sensing structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The display pixels are designed to perform multiple functions: visual display and fingerprint sensing illumination. By controlling pixel brightness dynamically, the same hardware component serves both as a display element and a light source for biometric authentication, resolving the contradiction between maintaining display area and ensuring sensing reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If high brightness is emitted for fingerprint sensing, then sensing efficiency is improved, but afterimages are generated and display deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefingerprint sensing efficiencyVSAvoidafterimages and display deterioration
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic illumination by controlling display pixels to emit light only during the brief fingerprint sensing interval. The pixels switch between high brightness mode during sensing and normal display mode otherwise. This time-based separation ensures sufficient light for accurate fingerprint capture while limiting exposure duration to prevent afterimage formation and display degradation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts pixel brightness based on operational context. During fingerprint sensing, pixels transition to high brightness state; during normal display operation, they maintain standard brightness levels. This dynamic control optimizes sensing efficiency when needed while minimizing harmful effects during non-sensing periods, resolving the contradiction between sensing performance and display health

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution enhances user convenience by allowing easier access to the fingerprint sensing area and improves sensing efficiency while minimizing afterimage generation and display deterioration.

Implementation Method 1

high-brightness light emission for a fingerprint sensing area may be controlled by utilizing light by driving of a display as a light source

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emission from display pixels: Light Emitting Diode

Data Source

PatentEP4086861B1Method for acquiring biometric information and electronic device supporting the same
Publication Date: 2024.08.07 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4086861B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4086861B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4086861B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

An electronic device and method are disclosed herein. The electronic device includes a display, a biometric sensor, and at least one processor. The processor implements the method, including: when a touch input is detected to the display within the biometric sensing area, increase a brightness of a first pixel group within the biometric sensing area to a first brightness level, and execute at least one of maintaining and changing display of a second pixel group outside the biometric sensing area and, wherein the at least one of maintaining and changing display of the second pixel group includes one of: executing a black state in which display through the second pixel group is disabled, and changing a display attribute for the second pixel group such that a load on the second pixel group is reduced.