Organic light emitting diode (oled) display apparatus having light sensing function

Abstract

An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display apparatus having an optical sensing function is provided. The OLED display apparatus may photograph an external object by sensing input light from the external object that passes through an imaging pattern included in a display panel.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein a pixel among the plurality of pixels comprises a light emitter and a window, the light emitter is configured to emit a light toward a first surface of the display, and the window is configured to pass at least part of the light reflected by an external object toward a second surface of the display opposite to the first surface; and   a sensor formed at or below the second surface of the display and configured to sense the at least part of the light reflected by the external object.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the light emitter comprises an infra-red (IR) light source. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the light emitter further comprises a red light source, a green light source, or a blue light source. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the red light source, the green light source, or the blue light source comprises a luminous organic material. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the window is transparent. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the window comprises a glass substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a pass filter disposed in the window and configured to extract a specified light component from the at least part of the light. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is further configured to:
 perform the sensing of the at least part of the light while an image is displayed via the display.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor further comprises a color filter configured to be used to obtain image data corresponding to the external object based at least in part on the at least part of the light. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the sensor is further configured to:
 generate an image corresponding to the external object based at least in part on the image data.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is further configured to:
 sense any one or any combination of two or more of a proximity, a movement, a gesture, a distance, a position, and an image of the external object with respect to the display.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pixel further comprises a circuit configured to drive the light emitter. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a pass filter disposed between the window and the sensor, and configured to extract a specified light component from the at least part of the light. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein another pixel among the plurality of pixels comprises another window configured to block another portion of the light reflected by the external object. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the other window is opaque. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the window of the pixel and the other window of the other pixel together form an imaging pattern. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the imaging pattern comprises a circular hole, a polygonal hole, or a modified uniformly redundant array. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus comprising:
 a case forming at least part of an outer surface of the apparatus;   a light emitter at least partially housed in the case and configured to emit a light;   a display at least partially housed in the case and comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein a pixel among the plurality of pixels comprises a window configured to pass at least part of the light reflected by an external object; and   a sensor formed at a rear end or below the display and configured to sense the at least part of the light reflected by the external object.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the light emitter comprises an infra-red (IR) light source. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the light emitter further comprises a red light source, a green light source, or a blue light source. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein at least part of the case forms a bezel of the apparatus, and wherein the light emitter is housed in an area below the bezel. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the window is transparent. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising a pass filter disposed in the window and configured to extract a specified light component from the at least part of the light. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising a pass filter disposed between the window and the sensor, and configured to extract a specified light component from the at least part of the light. 
     
     
         25 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display comprising a first pixel and a second pixel, wherein the first pixel comprises a first light emitter and a first window, the second pixel comprises a second light emitter and a second window, each of the first light emitter and the second light emitter is configured to emit a light toward a first surface of the display, the first window is configured to pass at least part of the light reflected by an external object toward a second surface of the display opposite to the first surface, and the second window is configured to block another part of the light reflected by the external object; and   a sensor formed at or below the second surface of the display and configured to sense the at least part of the light reflected by the external object.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the first window is transparent, and the second window is opaque. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the first window corresponds to first transparency, and the second window corresponds to second transparency. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the first and second windows together form at least one portion of an imaging pattern. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the first pixel further comprises a first circuit configured to drive the first light emitter, and the second pixel further comprises a second circuit configured to drive the second light emitter, and wherein the first circuit or the second circuit is adapted to adjust transparency of a corresponding window among the first window and the second window to change the imaging pattern. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the sensor is further configured to:
 perform, based at least in part on the at least part of the light, any one or any combination of two or more of proximity sensing, gesture recognition, photography, distance sensing, position sensing, manipulation 3D image, and movement sensing.   
     
     
         31 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display comprising a first set of light emitters, a second set of light emitters, and a light passing area disposed between the first set of light emitters and the second set of light emitters, wherein each of the first set of light emitters and the second set of light emitters is configured to emit a light toward a first surface of the display, and the light passing area is configured to pass at least part of the light reflected by an external object toward a second surface of the display opposite to the first surface; and   a sensor formed at or below the second surface of the display and configured to sense the at least part of the light reflected by the external object.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the first set of light emitters or the second set of light emitters comprises an infra-red (IR) light source. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the first set of light emitters or the second set of light emitters further comprises a red light source, a green light source, or a blue light source. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , further comprising a pass filter at least partially disposed in the light passing area, and configured to extract a specified light component from the at least part of the light. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , further comprising a pass filter disposed between the light passing area and the sensor, and configured to extract a specified light component from the at least part of the light.