Provided is an optical sensing member, comprising a light guide plate 102 which propagates light from a light source unit 108, detecting units 104, 106 which detect scattered light from the light guide plate 102 being touched, an optical member which guides the scattered light to the detecting units, and a primary control unit 118 which computes the touch location upon the light guide plate 102 on the basis of information relating to the detected light. The optical member has arc-shaped curved surfaces formed on the end parts which face each of the detecting units. Each of the detecting units outputs, as the information relating to the light which is detected by the detecting units, location information corresponding to the angle of entry to the detecting units of the light which is radiated from the facing arc-shaped curved surfaces. It is thus possible to clarify contours of the light which is detected by the detecting units, and to improve the precision of the detection of the touch location.

A sensing device includes a light-transmissible substrate, a light-transmissible electrode unit connected thereto, including multiple electrically independent electrode lines, and a light sensing unit connected to the light-transmissible substrate and the light-transmissible electrode unit. The light sensing unit includes a plurality of light sensors for sensing a light transmitted from the light-transmissible substrate. The light sensors are confined within the light-transmissible electrode unit and are electrically connectable to an outer component through the light-transmissible electrode unit.

A display may have an array of light-emitting pixels that display an image in an active area of the display. These light-emitting pixels may be visible light pixels such as red, green, and blue thin-film organic light-emitting diode pixels. The display may also have a border region that runs along a peripheral edge of the active area. The border region may be free of pixels that display image light, whereas the active area may be free of light detectors. A non-optical touch sensor such as a capacitive touch sensor may overlap the active area to gather touch input from the active area. The non-optical touch sensor may not overlap any portion of the border region. In the border region, an optical sensor formed from infrared light-emitting pixels and infrared light-sensing pixels or other optical sensing circuitry may serve as an optical touch sensor.

An optical touch-sensitive device is able to determine the locations of multiple simultaneous touch events. The optical touch-sensitive device can include an optical waveguide, an emitter, and an emitter coupler. The emitter produces optical beams, and the emitter coupler is on a surface of the waveguide and is configured to direct at least some of the optical beams to propagate via total internal reflection (TIR) through the waveguide as coupled optical beams. Touches on the top surface of the waveguide disturb the coupled optical beams, and the touch-sensitive device determines touch events based on the disturbances.

An electronic device may have an optical touch sensor that is insensitive to the presence of moisture. The display may present images through a display cover layer. A light source may illuminate an external object such as a user's finger when the object contacts a surface of the display cover layer. This creates scattered light that may be detected by an array of light sensors. A metasurface grating may be used to couple light from the light source into the display cover layer at an angle such that total internal reflection within the display cover layer is sustained across the display cover layer even when the display cover layer is immersed in water or otherwise exposed to moisture. Additional metasurface gratings may be formed on the display cover layer to redirect light propagating within the display cover layer away from edges that might otherwise defeat total internal reflection.

A touch sensitive apparatus comprises a top plate configured such that light from the one or more light sources is transmitted within the top plate with total internal reflection; and a base plate within which, light is transmissible. The base plate comprises a plurality of base plate elements optically separated from each other. The top plate and the base plate are configured such that if an external body touches a first surface of the top plate, then light is coupled from a second surface of the top plate into an underlying base plate element for transmission within that base plate element. Each base plate element has one or more detectors for detecting light transmitted within that base plate element. A processor determines information from the detectors relating to touching of the first surface of the top plate. An associated method is also described.

A touch screen panel using a thin film transistor (TFT) photodetector includes a touch panel including a plurality of unit patterns for sensing light reflected by a touch by using a TFT photodetector including an active layer formed of amorphous silicon or polycrystalline silicon on an amorphous transparent material, and a controller configured to scan the plurality of unit patterns and read touch coordinates as a result of the scanning.

A display may have an array of light-emitting pixels that display an image in an active area of the display. These light-emitting pixels may be visible light pixels such as red, green, and blue thin-film organic light-emitting diode pixels. The display may also have a border region that runs along a peripheral edge of the active area. The border region may be free of pixels that display image light, whereas the active area may be free of light detectors. A non-optical touch sensor such as a capacitive touch sensor may overlap the active area to gather touch input from the active area. The non-optical touch sensor may not overlap any portion of the border region. In the border region, an optical sensor formed from infrared light-emitting pixels and infrared light-sensing pixels or other optical sensing circuitry may serve as an optical touch sensor.

An imaging optical system includes an imaging device and an optical waveguide. The waveguide includes structures configured to couple light from an external environment into the waveguide. The structures direct the light to propagate in the waveguide via total internal reflection and towards the imaging device.

A display device includes a display panel, a cover glass disposed on the display panel, and a biometric sensor device disposed below the display panel. The biometric sensor device includes a printed circuit board, a biometric sensor disposed on the printed circuit board, and a housing disposed on the printed circuit board and in which an opening is formed. The biometric sensor is disposed in the opening of the housing and is attached to a surface of the display panel through the housing.