Micro LED Display Pixels for Full-Screen Fingerprint Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fingerprint recognition technologies require additional sensors and are limited to specific areas on displays, leading to increased production costs and decreased user convenience, as they struggle to integrate fingerprint recognition seamlessly into the entire display screen without degrading image quality.
Innovation Solution
A micro LED display device that utilizes emission LEDs and detection LEDs within a pixel circuit to recognize fingerprints by driving LEDs as either light sources or photodetectors based on the contact area, accumulating photocurrent to distinguish ridges and valleys, allowing for fingerprint recognition on any area of the display without additional hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional sensors are installed for fingerprint recognition, then fingerprint recognition function is achieved, but production cost increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes display pixels serve dual functions: displaying images during normal operation and detecting fingerprint ridges/valleys when a finger is placed on the screen. The same pixel circuitry and readout electronics are used for both display and sensing, eliminating the need for separate sensor components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the display function and fingerprint sensing function into a single integrated system. The display panel structure itself becomes the sensing element, combining what were previously separate components (display + fingerprint sensor) into one unified device.
2Area of stationary object
If sensor is relocated to side or back of device, then display screen size is maximized, but fingerprint recognition area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The entire display screen surface becomes capable of fingerprint recognition, not just a localized area. Any region of the display can function as a sensing zone, providing full-screen fingerprint recognition capability while maintaining maximum display area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from localized 2D sensor placement to full-screen 2D sensing coverage. The sensing capability is distributed across the entire display surface area, enabling fingerprint recognition anywhere on the screen rather than at a fixed position.
3Adaptability or versatility
If transparent sensor is installed on display, then fingerprint recognition is integrated into display, but image quality deteriorates due to moiré effect
Solution Approach 1:
The display pixels themselves perform sensing functions without requiring an overlay transparent sensor layer. By using the existing pixel structure for dual purposes, the patent avoids introducing additional layers that would cause moiré effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sensing function from a separate transparent sensor layer and integrates it directly into the display pixel structure. This eliminates the need for an additional sensor overlay that would be positioned in the light path and cause moiré interference.
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
Enables high-resolution fingerprint recognition on any area of the micro LED display without additional sensors, reducing production costs and enhancing user convenience by using the same LEDs for both image display and fingerprint detection.
Implementation Method 1
detecting reflected light of the emitted light by the detection LEDs, wherein photocurrent according to the detected reflected light is accumulated in a capacitor of the detection LEDs
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a device for recognizing fingerprints and a method of operating the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a technology for recognizing fingerprints without an additional sensor by driving an emission LED and detection LEDs among a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) constituting a pixel circuit of a display. The device for recognizing fingerprints according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a touch sensor for detecting a contact area on a display where a user's finger touches for fingerprint recognition; a pixel circuit that includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and selectively drives the LEDs as an emission LED and detection LEDs according to the detected contact area, wherein the emission LED emits light to the detected contact area, the detection LEDs detect reflected light of the emitted light, and photocurrent according to the detected reflected light is accumulated in a capacitor of the detection LEDs; and a fingerprint recognizer for recognizing the user's fingerprint by distinguishing ridges and valleys in the contact area based on the accumulated photocurrent.