DETECTION DEVICE HAVING AN IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE AND A CARRIER MEDIUM, AND DETECTION SYSTEM INCLUDING SUCH A DETECTION DEVICE AND A DEVICE WITH A SCREEN

Abstract

A carrier medium embodied as a light guide has an input coupling region and an output coupling region, each of which are embodied as a holographic element. The carrier medium forms a cover plate for an image display region of a screen and the input coupling region is at least one partial region of the cover plate surface. Light incident on the input coupling region from the surroundings is coupled into the carrier medium, transmitted to the output coupling region by internal reflection and is in turn coupled out from the output coupling region. The coupled-out light is captured by an image capturing device and used to generate image data correlated with the captured light.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A detection device used in surroundings in conjunction with a screen having an image display region, comprising: a carrier medium embodied as a light guide having an input coupling region and an output coupling region, and formed as a cover plate for the image display region of the screen, the input coupling region provided in at least one partial region of a cover plate surface of the cover plate, the at least one partial region covering the image display region, as a first holographic element with a first deflection structure to couple light incident on the first deflection structure from the surroundings into the carrier medium and by the carrier medium from the input coupling region to the output coupling region by internal reflection, and the output coupling region embodied as a second holographic element with a second deflection structure to couple the light incident on the second deflection structure out of the carrier medium; and an image capturing device configured to capture the light coupled out of the output coupling region and provide image data correlated with the light.

11. The detection device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the input coupling region and the output coupling region each have at least one of a volume holographic grating and a surface holographic grating.

12. The detection device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the input coupling region and the output coupling region are one of embodied integrally with the carrier medium and embodied separately from the carrier medium.

13. The detection device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cover plate is bendable.

14. The detection device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the image capturing device is configured to perform an autofocus function by an edge contrast measurement.

15. The detection device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the input coupling region and the output coupling region are one of embodied integrally with the carrier medium and embodied separately from the carrier medium.

16. The detection device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cover plate is bendable.

17. The detection device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the image capturing device is configured to perform an autofocus function by an edge contrast measurement.

18. A detection system used in surroundings, comprising: a user device with a screen having an image display region; and a detection device, including a carrier medium, embodied as a light guide having an input coupling region and an output coupling region, and providing a cover plate over the screen of the device, the input coupling region, provided in at least one partial region of a cover plate surface of the cover plate, the at least one partial region covering the image display region, as a first holographic element with a first deflection structure to couple light incident on the first deflection structure from the surroundings into the carrier medium and by the carrier medium from the input coupling region to the output coupling region by internal reflection, and the output coupling region embodied as a second holographic element with a second deflection structure to couple the light incident on the second deflection structure out of the carrier medium; and an image capturing device configured to capture the light coupled out of the output coupling region and provide image data correlated with the light.

19. The detection system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the image capturing device of the detection device is arranged at one of: in a frame of the screen of the device, in a cutout in an edge region of the screen of the device, on a lateral wall of the cover plate, arranged perpendicular to the input coupling region, and in the screen of the device.

20. The detection system as claimed in claim 19, wherein at least one of the detection device and the device includes a light source configured to emit a predefined light pattern into the surroundings, wherein the image capturing device is configured to perform an autofocus function based on a captured light pattern reflected from the surroundings, and wherein the carrier medium further includes a light pattern input coupling region, configured to couple the light pattern emitted by the light source into the carrier medium, and a light pattern output coupling region receiving the light pattern from the light pattern input coupling region via internal reflection in the carrier medium, and configured to output the light pattern into the surroundings.

21. The detection system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the device has a screen side and a rear side situated opposite the screen side, wherein the cover plate is bent and at least partially covers each of the screen side and the rear side.

22. The detection system as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least one of the detection device and the device includes a light source configured to emit a predefined light pattern into the surroundings, wherein the image capturing device is configured to perform an autofocus function based on a captured light pattern reflected from the surroundings, and wherein the carrier medium further includes a light pattern input coupling region, configured to couple the light pattern emitted by the light source into the carrier medium, and a light pattern output coupling region receiving the light pattern from the light pattern input coupling region via internal reflection in the carrier medium, and configured to output the light pattern into the surroundings.

23. The detection system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the device has a screen side and a rear side situated opposite the screen side, wherein the cover plate is bent and at least partially covers each of the screen side and the rear side.

24. The detection system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the input coupling region and the output coupling region each have at least one of a volume holographic grating and a surface holographic grating.

25. The detection system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the input coupling region and the output coupling region are one of embodied integrally with the carrier medium and embodied separately from the carrier medium.

26. The detection system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the image capturing device is configured to perform an autofocus function by an edge contrast measurement.

27. The detection system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the input coupling region and the output coupling region are one of embodied integrally with the carrier medium and embodied separately from the carrier medium.

28. The detection system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the image capturing device is configured to perform an autofocus function by an edge contrast measurement.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0032] These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a detection device positioned on a screen,

[0034] FIGS. 2a-2c are partial schematic front views of a smartphone with in each case at least one image capturing device, and

[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a smartphone covered by a cover plate of a detection device on a screen side and a rear side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In the exemplary embodiments explained below, the described components of the embodiments each constitute individual features which should be considered independently of one another and which each also develop the invention independently of one another. Therefore, the disclosure is also intended to encompass combinations of the features of the embodiments other than the combinations presented. Furthermore, the embodiments described can also be supplemented by further features from among those already described.

[0037] In the figures, identical reference signs in each case designate functionally identical elements.

[0038] FIG. 1 schematically depicts a detection device 10 with an image capturing device 11 and a carrier medium 12. In this case, the carrier medium 12 is embodied as a light guide and provides an input coupling region 16 and an output coupling region 18. The carrier medium 12 is embodied together with the input coupling region 16 and the output coupling region 18 as a cover plate 13. The cover plate 13 is designed to be arranged on a screen 32, which is not part of the detection device 10. In this case, the cover plate 13 covers a display region of the screen 32. The input coupling region 16 may be provided in at least one partial region of a surface of the detection device 10, that is to say a cover plate surface 17 of the cover plate 13. The partial region may be configured to cover at least the image display region of the screen 32.

[0039] The input coupling region 16 is embodied as a holographic element 14 with a first deflection structure 20. The deflection structure 20 is configured to couple light 100 that is incident on the first deflection structure 20 from the surroundings into the carrier medium 12. In this example, the light 100 is depicted schematically in the form of a light ray that passes through the cover plate surface 17 and is deflected by the first deflection structure 20. Moreover, further light rays are depicted schematically as light 100′, these further light rays likewise impinging on the input coupling region 16. The carrier medium 12 is configured to transmit the coupled-in light 100 from the input coupling region 16 to the output coupling region 18 by internal reflection. The output coupling region 18 is embodied as a holographic element 14 with a second deflection structure 22. The second deflection structure 22 is designed to couple the transmitted light 100 that is incident on the second deflection structure 22 out of the carrier medium 12.

[0040] The image capturing device 11 is arranged here on a lateral wall of the carrier medium 12, that is to say on a lateral wall of the cover plate 13, wherein the lateral wall is arranged perpendicular to the input coupling region 16 and thus to the cover plate surface 17. The image capturing device 11 is configured to capture the coupled-out light 100 and to provide it in the form of image data that correlate with the captured light 100.

[0041] It should be noted that the input coupling region 16 and the output coupling region 18 have at least one optical grating, in particular a volume holographic grating or a surface holographic grating, as deflection structure 20, 22. In this case, the input coupling region 16 and the output coupling region 18 can be embodied integrally with the carrier medium 12. As an alternative thereto, the carrier medium 12 can be embodied as a separate element with respect to the input coupling region 16 and the output coupling region 18. The image capturing device 11 is distinguished by the fact that it can carry out an autofocus function by an edge contrast measurement.

[0042] In addition, FIG. 1 schematically depicts a detection system 30. The detection system 30 includes the detection device 10 and the screen 32 of a device 31 (represented by the reference sign 31 in FIG. 2). The device 31 may be for example a mobile terminal, that is to say a smartphone, a computer screen, a tablet and/or a television set. The detection device 10 provides the cover plate 13 for the screen 32 of the device 31.

[0043] FIGS. 2a to 2c respectively reveal various positions at which the image capturing device 11 can be positioned. FIGS. 2a to 2c here show in each case a front side of a smartphone, that is to say the front side of the device 31. The device 31 has in each case a screen 32, the image display region of which is surrounded by a frame 33. The image capturing device 11 can then be arranged in the frame 33 of the screen 32 of the device 31, for example, as depicted schematically in FIG. 2a. In this case, a plurality of image capturing devices 11 can be provided, for example, which are each designed for example to capture light 100 in a specific wavelength range from the output coupling region 18 and to provide it in the form of corresponding image data. In this case, the image capturing device 11 additionally includes an evaluation device, which is not depicted schematically in FIGS. 2a to 2c, which is designed to provide, from the image data provided by the plurality of image capturing devices 11, final image data that correlate with the captured light 100 from the surroundings and optionally to display them on the screen 32. In FIG. 2b, two image capturing devices 11 are positioned in the screen 32 of the device 31. In FIG. 2c, an exemplary image capturing device 11 is arranged in a cutout 34 of the frame 33 of the screen 32. In this example, the input coupling region 16 may extend in each case over the entire cover plate surface of the cover plate 13, that is to say of the screen 32. If, for example, a user of the device 31 then wants to take a photograph of himself/herself, the user does not have to look into one of the image capturing devices 11, but rather can direct his/her gaze centrally at the screen 32, for example. What is achieved as a result is that no parallax effect occurs for the user when recording a photograph of himself/herself.

[0044] FIG. 3 schematically depicts the detection device 10 with a bendable cover plate 13. The bendable cover plate 13 is embodied in such a way that it covers both a screen side 35 of the screen 32 of the device 31 and a rear side 36 of the device 31. In this example, the screen side 35 and the rear side 36 are covered by the cover plate 13 in each case at least partly. If a toy automobile 40 is then situated in the surroundings of the rear side 36 of the device 31, for example, light 100 describing the toy automobile can be “captured” by the input coupling region 16 on the rear side 36 of the cover plate 13 and can be guided by the carrier medium 12 to the output coupling region 18 and to the image capturing device 11, such that ultimately an imaging 42 of the toy automobile 40 can be displayed on the screen 32.

[0045] The detection device 10 and/or the device 31 additionally include(s) a light source designed to emit a predefined light pattern into the surroundings. The image capturing device 11 is designed to carry out an autofocus function on the basis of the captured light pattern reflected in the surroundings, wherein the light pattern emerging from the light source is coupled into the carrier medium 12 through a light pattern input coupling region, corresponding to the output coupling region 18, for example, is guided through the carrier medium 12 by internal reflection and emerges into the surroundings in a light pattern output coupling region, corresponding to the input coupling region 16, for example.

[0046] Overall, the examples show how a cellular phone display with an invisible recording function can be realized. For this purpose, a so-called HoloCam is installed in the cover plate 13 of the device 31, which is for example a smartphone, that is to say a cellular phone. A holographic element 14 is thus integrated into the cover plate 13. The use of such a cover plate 13, shaped for example as display protective glass, makes it possible to fit the image capturing device 11 outside the image display region of the screen 32 and in this case at the same time to use the surface area of the screen 32 for recording. This eliminates disturbing elements in the image display region of the screen 32, such as the cutout 34, for instance, which can also be referred to as a notch, in order to position for example a camera sensor there. As a result of the enlargement of the recording region over the entire surface area of the input coupling region 16, shading, for example caused by a finger of the user, is unlikely. Moreover, optical elements of typical camera devices can be obviated, whereby costs, weight and complexity of the device can be reduced. Furthermore, diverse functions can be represented, such as, for example, a distance measurement by way of contrast, that is to say an edge contrast measurement, or a structured light application, that is to say an autofocusing with the aid of light patterns. For this purpose, a conventional screen surface composed of glass is replaced by the cover plate 13. The cover plate 13, which is part of the detection device 10, makes it possible for the light 100 that impinges on the cover plate surface 17 to be deflected to an image capturing device 11 situated outside the screen 32 of the device 31 and to be coupled out there.

[0047] A description has been provided with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the claims which may include the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 358 F3d 870, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004).