CN113990697B

CN113990697B - Optical knob device

Info

Publication number: CN113990697B
Application number: CN202111375962.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 胡硕修; 詹晋瑜; 刘祐麟
Original assignee: AU Optronics Corp
Current assignee: AU Optronics Corp
Priority date: 2021-06-02
Filing date: 2021-11-19
Publication date: 2023-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 2041-11-19
Also published as: TWI772048B; TW202248724A; CN113990697A

Abstract

The invention provides an optical knob device. The optical knob device comprises a shell, a reflecting piece, a display panel and at least one photosensitive element. The shell is provided with an opening, and the reflecting piece is arranged on the inner surface of the shell. The display panel is positioned in the shell, exposed out of the opening and comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements. The photosensitive element is used for sensing light emitted by a first light emitting element in the plurality of light emitting elements and reflected by the reflecting piece.

Description

Optical knob device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to knob assemblies, and particularly to an optical knob assembly.

Background

With the trend of digital home appliances, knobs with display functions are already on the market. However, these rotary knobs still use conventional brush connection members or hall elements for determining the rotation angle (or rotation position), and there is no rotary knob for determining the rotation angle by integrating a display element.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide an optical knob device which can integrate a display element to judge a rotation angle.

One embodiment of the present invention proposes an optical knob device including: a housing having an opening; the reflecting piece is arranged on the inner surface of the shell; a display panel located inside the housing, exposed from the opening, and including a plurality of light emitting elements; and at least one photosensitive element for sensing the light emitted by the first light emitting element and reflected by the reflecting element.

In an embodiment of the invention, the number of the photosensitive elements is one, and the number of the first light emitting elements is one.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the reflective element has a width or reflectivity that gradually changes along its length.

In an embodiment of the invention, the housing includes a lower plate and a frame, the frame is connected to a periphery of the lower plate, and the reflecting member is located on the lower plate or the frame.

In an embodiment of the invention, the housing further includes an upper plate, a peripheral edge of the upper plate is connected to the frame, the opening is located in the upper plate, and the reflecting member is located on the upper plate, the lower plate or the frame.

In an embodiment of the invention, the photosensitive element has a photosensitive area or photosensitive capability gradually changed along the frame.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first light emitting element has a light emitting surface area gradually changed along the frame.

In an embodiment of the invention, the number of the photosensitive elements is one, and the number of the first light emitting elements is a plurality.

In an embodiment of the invention, the front projection of the reflecting element on the housing overlaps the front projection of the first light emitting element on the housing.

In an embodiment of the invention, the number of the photosensitive elements is a plurality, and the number of the first light emitting elements is one.

In an embodiment of the invention, the front projection of the reflecting element on the housing overlaps the front projection of the photosensitive element on the housing.

In an embodiment of the invention, the number of the photosensitive elements is plural, and the number of the first light emitting elements is plural.

In an embodiment of the invention, the front projection of the reflecting element on the housing overlaps with the front projection of the photosensitive element and the first light emitting element on the housing.

In an embodiment of the invention, the display panel has a display area and a peripheral area, and the display area is exposed from the opening.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first light emitting element is located in the display area or the peripheral area.

In an embodiment of the invention, the photosensitive element is located in the peripheral area.

In an embodiment of the invention, the display panel further includes a plurality of scan lines, and the photosensitive element and the first light emitting element are electrically connected to the same scan line.

In an embodiment of the invention, a reflectivity of the reflecting member is greater than a reflectivity of the housing.

The invention has the beneficial effects that the light emitted by the light emitting element can be reflected to the photosensitive element by the reflecting element by properly configuring the relative positions of the light emitting element, the photosensitive element and the reflecting element of the display panel. Meanwhile, the light emitting element has a light emitting surface area gradually changed along the frame, the photosensitive element has a photosensitive surface area gradually changed along the frame or the photosensitive capability, or the reflecting member has a width gradually changed along the frame or the reflectivity, so that the rotation angle of the optical knob device can be judged from the sensed light quantity measured by the photosensitive element, and the optical knob device capable of integrating the display element to judge the rotation angle can be provided.

In order to make the above features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.

Drawings

Fig. 1A is a schematic exploded view of an optical knob device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical knob device of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a schematic circuit diagram of a light emitting element and a light receiving element of the optical knob device shown in FIG. 1A.

Fig. 2A is a schematic exploded view of an optical knob device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical knob device of FIG. 2A.

Fig. 3A is a schematic exploded view of an optical knob device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical knob device of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical knob device according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4B is a schematic front view of the reflective member, the array of display units, and the photosensitive element of the optical knob device of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical knob device according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5B is a schematic front view of the bezel, reflective member, display unit array, and photosensitive element of the optical knob device of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a bezel, a reflective member, an array of display units, and a photosensitive element of an optical knob device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of a bezel, a reflective member, an array of display units, and a photosensitive element of an optical knob device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic front view of a bezel, a reflective member, an array of display units, and a photosensitive element of an optical knob device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical knob device according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9B is a schematic front view of the bezel, reflective member, display unit array, and photosensitive element of the optical knob device of FIG. 9A.

The reference numerals are as follows:

10. 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90: optical knob device

110: shell body

111: lower plate

112: frame

120: reflection member

130: display panel

131: upper base plate

132: lower substrate

133. 433, 533, 633, 733, 833, 933: display unit array

AA: display area

BA: peripheral region

CA: center shaft

D1: direction of

DL1, DL2: signal line

GL: scanning line

LD, LD1: light-emitting element

OP: an opening

SF: pivot shaft

SR: photosensitive element

T1 and T2: switching element

Detailed Description

Fig. 1A is a schematic exploded view of an optical knob device 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical knob device 10 of FIG. 1A. Fig. 1C is a circuit schematic diagram of the light emitting element LD1 and the light receiving element SR of the optical knob device 10 shown in fig. 1A.

Referring to fig. 1A and 1B, the optical knob device 10 includes: the display device comprises a shell 110, a reflecting member 120, a display panel 130 and a photosensitive element SR. The housing 110 has an opening OP. The reflecting member 120 is disposed on an inner surface of the housing 110. The display panel 130 is located inside the case 110, exposed from the opening OP, and includes a plurality of light emitting elements LD. The light sensing element SR is used to sense light emitted from one light emitting element LD1 among the plurality of light emitting elements LD and reflected by the reflecting member 120.

As described above, in the optical knob device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the reflective member 120 is disposed on the housing 110, so that the light emitted from the light emitting element LD1 of the display panel 130 can be reflected by the reflective member 120 to the photosensitive element SR, and thus, the rotation angle of the optical knob device 10 can be determined by the amount of reflected light sensed by the photosensitive element SR.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the respective elements and components of the optical knob device 10 will be described with reference to fig. 1A to 1C, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Referring to fig. 1A and fig. 1B, in the present embodiment, the housing 110 may include a lower plate 111 and a frame 112, and the frame 112 may be connected to a periphery of the lower plate 111, so that a space for accommodating the display panel 130 is formed inside the housing 110. In addition, the user can view the display screen of the display panel 130 through the opening OP of the housing 110.

In some embodiments, the housing 110 may further include a pivot SF, which may be disposed on an outer side of the lower plate 111 of the housing 110, and the pivot SF may be disposed on the central axis CA of the optical knob device 10, or the pivot SF may be disposed coaxially with the optical knob device 10 such that the housing 110 may be rotated with respect to the central axis CA of the optical knob device 10. In some embodiments, the housing 110 may be rotatably secured to the pivot SF such that the housing 110 may be rotated relative to the pivot SF. When the housing 110 is rotated, the reflecting member 120 on the housing 110 can move relative to the light emitting element LD1 and the light sensing element SR. In some embodiments, the optical knob device 10 may be provided on, for example, some equipment or machine, while the housing 110 of the optical knob device 10 is rotatably secured to the equipment or machine by the pivot SF, thereby allowing a user to operate the equipment or machine through the optical knob device 10.

In the present embodiment, the reflecting member 120 is disposed on the inner surface of the housing 110 and on the lower plate 111, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The reflector 120 may have a uniformly distributed reflectivity, and the reflector 120 may have a width that tapers along its length. For example, in the present embodiment, the length of the reflecting member 120 may extend along the direction D1 around the central axis CA, and the reflecting member 120 has a width increasing along the direction D1, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the reflector 120 may have a decreasing width along the direction D1. Since the reflective member 120 itself has a uniformly distributed reflectivity, the region with a larger width can reflect more light, and the region with a smaller width can reflect less light, so that the sensing light of the sensing element SR can be measured differently according to the position of the sensing element SR relative to the reflective member 120. Therefore, the position of the photosensitive element SR relative to the reflecting member 120 can be deduced from the sensed light quantity measured by the photosensitive element SR, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 10.

In some embodiments, the reflector 120 may have a fixed width, and the reflector 120 may have a reflectivity that increases or decreases along its length (or direction D1). When the reflective member 120 itself has a fixed width, the region with a larger reflectivity can reflect more light, and the region with a smaller reflectivity can reflect less light, so that the photosensitive element SR can measure different sensing light according to different positions of the photosensitive element SR relative to the reflective member 120. Therefore, the position of the photosensitive element SR relative to the reflecting member 120 can be deduced from the sensed light quantity measured by the photosensitive element SR, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 10.

In the above embodiment, the reflectivity of the reflecting member 120 is preferably greater than the reflectivity of the housing 110, so as to prevent the reflected light from the housing 110 from interfering with the sensing of the reflected light from the reflecting member 120 by the photosensitive element SR, thereby affecting the determination of the rotation angle. For example, in some embodiments, the reflectivity of the reflector 120 may be not less than 1.1 times the reflectivity of the housing 110, e.g., the reflectivity of the reflector 120 may be 1.2 times, 1.5 times, or more the reflectivity of the housing 110. The material of the housing 110 may be plastic, metal or composite material, but is not limited thereto. The material of the reflecting member 120 may be metal, alloy or composite material, but is not limited thereto.

In the present embodiment, the display panel 130 may include an upper substrate 131, a lower substrate 132, and a display unit array 133, but is not limited thereto. The upper substrate 131 and the lower substrate 132 may be, for example, a transparent glass substrate, a flexible Polyimide (PI) substrate, or other substrates commonly used in display devices. The display unit array 133 is sandwiched between the upper substrate 131 and the lower substrate 132, the plurality of light emitting elements LD may be disposed in the display unit array 133, and light emitted from the light emitting element LD1 of the plurality of light emitting elements LD may be reflected by the reflecting member 120 to the photosensitive element SR. The light emitting element LD may be an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) or a Micro light emitting diode (Micro-LED), but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the display panel 130 may be fixed on the pivot SF when the housing 110 is rotatably fixed on the pivot SF.

In the present embodiment, the photosensitive element SR may be disposed in the display unit array 133, but is not limited thereto. The photosensitive element SR may be a photosensitive element using an organic photosensitive material, such as an Organic Photodetector (OPD) or an organic photovoltaic element (OPV). Alternatively, the photosensitive element SR may be a photosensitive element using an inorganic photosensitive material (e.g., a silicon-rich oxide).

In the present embodiment, since the reflecting member 120 is disposed on the lower plate 111, the photosensitive element SR may be disposed on a side of the light emitting element LD1 away from or near the central axis CA, but is not limited thereto. By properly configuring the relative positions of the light emitting element LD1 and the photosensitive element SR and the reflecting member 120, the light emitted from the light emitting element LD1 can be reflected by the reflecting member 120 to the photosensitive element SR, and most of the reflected light from the reflecting member 120 can be received by the photosensitive element SR.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the display panel 130 may have a display area AA and a peripheral area BA, and the light emitting element LD1 may be located in the display area AA, and the light sensing element SR may be located in the peripheral area BA, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Referring to fig. 1C, the display panel 130 may further include a plurality of scan lines GL, and the photosensitive element SR and the light emitting element LD1 are electrically connected to the same scan line GL. For example, in the present embodiment, the light emitting element LD1 is electrically connected to the switching element T1, and the photosensitive element SR is electrically connected to the switching element T2. The gates of the switching elements T1 and T2 are electrically connected to the scanning line GL, so that the signals transmitted by the scanning line GL can control the switching elements T1 and T2 to be turned on or off at the same time, and when the switching elements T1 and T2 are turned on, the signals transmitted by the signal line DL1 can be transmitted to the light emitting element LD1 through the switching element T1, and the signals transmitted by the signal line DL2 can be transmitted to the light sensing element SR through the switching element T2.

The following description continues with other embodiments of the present invention, and the reference numerals and associated content for the elements employed in the embodiments of fig. 1A-1C are followed.

Fig. 2A is a schematic exploded view of an optical knob device 20 according to one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical knob device 20 of fig. 2A. The optical knob device 20 shown in fig. 2A and 2B is different from the optical knob device 10 shown in fig. 1A to 1C in that: the reflecting member 120 is disposed on the inner surface of the housing 110 and on the frame 112, and the photosensitive element SR is disposed on one side of the light emitting element LD1 along the direction D1.

In the present embodiment, the housing 110 includes a lower plate 111 and a rim 112. Since the reflecting member 120 is disposed on the frame 112, the photosensitive element SR can be disposed at one side of the light emitting element LD1 along the direction D1, but not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the photosensitive element SR may be disposed at one side of the light emitting element LD1 along the opposite direction of the direction D1. By properly configuring the relative positions of the light emitting element LD1 and the photosensitive element SR and the reflecting member 120, the light emitted from the light emitting element LD1 can be reflected by the reflecting member 120 to the photosensitive element SR, and most of the reflected light from the reflecting member 120 can be received by the photosensitive element SR.

In this embodiment, the reflector 120 may have a uniform reflectivity, and the reflector 120 may have a width or reflectivity that varies gradually along its length. For example, in the present embodiment, the length of the reflecting member 120 may extend along the frame 112, and the reflecting member 120 has a width increasing along the frame 112, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the reflector 120 may have a decreasing width along the bezel 112. When the reflective member 120 itself has a uniform reflectivity, the region with a larger width can reflect more light, and the region with a smaller width can reflect less light, so that the relative light measured by the photosensitive element SR can be deduced to the corresponding position of the photosensitive element SR on the reflective member 120, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 20.

In some embodiments, the reflector 120 may have a fixed width, and the reflectivity of the reflector 120 may be increased or decreased along the bezel 112. When the reflecting member 120 itself has a fixed width, the region with higher reflectivity can reflect more light, and the region with lower reflectivity can reflect less light, so that the relative light measured by the photosensitive element SR can be deduced to the corresponding position of the photosensitive element SR on the reflecting member 120, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 20.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the display panel 130 may have a display area AA and a peripheral area BA, and the light emitting element LD1 and the light sensing element SR may be located in the peripheral area BA.

Fig. 3A is a schematic exploded view of an optical knob device 30 according to one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical knob device 30 of fig. 3A. The optical knob device 30 shown in fig. 3A and 3B is different from the optical knob device 10 shown in fig. 1A to 1C in that: the housing 110 includes a lower plate 111, a frame 112 and an upper plate 113, the periphery of the upper plate 113 is connected to the frame 112, the opening OP is located in the upper plate 113, and the reflecting member 120 is located on the upper plate 113.

In the present embodiment, since the reflecting member 120 is disposed on the upper plate 113, the photosensitive element SR may be disposed at a side of the light emitting element LD1 away from the central axis CA, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the photosensitive element SR may be disposed on a side of the light emitting element LD1 near the central axis CA. By properly configuring the relative positions of the light emitting element LD1 and the photosensitive element SR and the reflecting member 120, the light emitted from the light emitting element LD1 can be reflected by the reflecting member 120 to the photosensitive element SR, and most of the reflected light from the reflecting member 120 can be received by the photosensitive element SR.

In this embodiment, the reflector 120 may have a uniform reflectivity, and the reflector 120 may have a width or reflectivity that varies gradually along its length. For example, in the present embodiment, the length of the reflecting member 120 may extend along the direction D1 around the central axis CA, and the reflecting member 120 has a width increasing along the direction D1, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the reflector 120 may have a decreasing width along the direction D1. When the reflective member 120 itself has a uniform reflectivity, the region with a larger width can reflect more light, and the region with a smaller width can reflect less light, so that the relative light measured by the photosensitive element SR can be deduced to the corresponding position of the photosensitive element SR on the reflective member 120, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 30.

In some embodiments, the reflector 120 may have a fixed width, and the reflectivity of the reflector 120 may be increased or decreased along the direction D1. When the reflecting member 120 itself has a fixed width, the region with higher reflectivity can reflect more light, and the region with lower reflectivity can reflect less light, so that the relative light measured by the photosensitive element SR can be deduced to the corresponding position of the photosensitive element SR on the reflecting member 120, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 30.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the display panel 130 may have a display area AA and a peripheral area BA, the display area AA may be exposed from the opening OP, and the light emitting element LD1 and the light sensing element SR may be located in the peripheral area BA.

In some embodiments, the reflecting member 120 of the optical knob device 30 can be disposed on the lower plate 111 similar to the optical knob device 10 shown in fig. 1A-1B, or disposed on the frame 112 similar to the optical knob device 10 shown in fig. 2A-2B, and meanwhile, by properly configuring the relative positions of the light emitting element LD1 and the light sensing element SR with respect to the reflecting member 120, the light emitted by the light emitting element LD1 can be reflected by the reflecting member 120 to the light sensing element SR, and most of the reflected light from the reflecting member 120 can be received by the light sensing element SR.

Fig. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical knob device 40 according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 4B is a schematic front view of the reflector 120, the display unit array 433, and the photosensitive element SR of the optical knob device 40 of fig. 4A. The optical knob device 40 shown in fig. 4A and 4B is different from the optical knob device 10 shown in fig. 1A to 1C in that: the optical knob device 40 includes a plurality of light emitting elements LD1 and a plurality of light sensing elements SR; the front projection of the reflecting member 120 on the housing 110 overlaps the front projection of a photosensitive element SR and a light emitting element LD1 on the housing 110; and the housing 110 includes a lower plate 111, a frame 112, and an upper plate 113.

In the present embodiment, the display panel 130 may have a display area AA and a peripheral area BA, the display area AA may be exposed from the opening OP, and the light emitting element LD1 and the light sensing element SR may be located in the peripheral area BA.

In the present embodiment, the reflecting member 120 is disposed on the lower plate 111, but not limited thereto. The front projection of the reflecting member 120 on the housing 110 may substantially overlap the front projection of a photosensitive element SR and a light emitting element LD1 on the housing 110.

For example, as shown in fig. 4A, the optical knob device 40 may include 12 light emitting elements LD1 and 12 light sensing elements SR, and each light emitting element LD1 may be disposed adjacent to one light sensing element SR, so that the light emitted by each light emitting element LD1 can be received by the adjacent light sensing element SR after being reflected by the reflecting member 120. In this way, when the optical knob device 40 is rotated and the front projection of the reflecting member 120 on the housing 110 overlaps the light emitting element LD1 and the front projection of the adjacent photosensitive element SR on the housing 110, the photosensitive element SR overlapped with the reflecting member 120 can measure a relatively larger sensing light quantity than the other non-overlapped photosensitive elements SR, so that the photosensitive element SR overlapped with the reflecting member 120 can be determined according to the sensing light quantity of the photosensitive element SR, and the position of the overlapped photosensitive element SR can obtain the position of the reflecting member 120 and the rotation angle of the optical knob device 40.

On the other hand, when the front projection of the reflecting member 120 on the housing 110 is located between two adjacent photosensitive elements SR after the optical knob device 40 is rotated, the distance ratio between the reflecting member 120 and the two photosensitive elements SR can be determined by comparing the sensed light amounts of the two photosensitive elements SR, and then the position of the reflecting member 120 can be calculated to obtain the rotation angle of the optical knob device 40.

The number of the light emitting elements LD1 and the light receiving elements SR is not particularly limited, as long as the rotation angle of the optical knob device 40 can be obtained by the amount of light sensed by the light receiving elements SR. For example, in some embodiments, the optical knob device 40 may include 8 light emitting elements LD1 and 8 photosensitive elements SR. In some embodiments, the optical knob device 40 may include 30 light emitting elements LD1 and 30 light sensing elements SR.

FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical knob device 50 according to one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5B is a schematic front view of the frame 112, the reflector 120, the display unit array 533, and the photosensitive element SR of the optical knob device 50 of fig. 5A. The optical knob device 50 shown in fig. 5A and 5B is different from the optical knob device 40 shown in fig. 4A to 4B in that: the plurality of photosensitive elements SR of the optical knob device 50 have photosensitive surface areas that gradually change along the frame 112.

Referring to fig. 5A and 5B, the display panel 130 may have a display area AA and a peripheral area BA, the display area AA may be exposed from the opening OP, and the light emitting elements LD1 and the light sensing elements SR may be located in the peripheral area BA. The light emitting elements LD1 may be disposed around the display area AA, that is, the light emitting elements LD1 may be formed by the outermost light emitting elements LD of the display panel 130, but the invention is not limited thereto.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of photosensitive elements SR may be disposed adjacent to the plurality of light emitting elements LD1, respectively, and the plurality of photosensitive elements SR are located at the periphery of the plurality of light emitting elements LD1, but not limited thereto. The photosensitive areas of the plurality of photosensitive elements SR are different, and are gradually increased or decreased along the frame 112, so that when the front projection of the reflecting member 120 on the housing 110 overlaps with the front projection of an adjacent photosensitive element SR on the housing 110 and the area of the reflecting member 120 is fixed, the photosensitive element SR with a larger photosensitive area can receive relatively more reflected light from the reflecting member 120, and a relatively larger sensing light quantity is measured. Therefore, the sensing light quantity measured by each photosensitive element SR can determine the photosensitive element SR overlapped with the reflecting member 120, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 50.

For example, in some embodiments, the photosensitive element SR may have

ITO/PEDOT PSS/P3HT PCBM/Al laminated structure, wherein Al is a cathode of an electron receiving end, P3HT PCBM is a photosensitive layer for generating photocurrent, PEDOT PSS is a hole transport layer, and ITO is an anode of the hole receiving end. In this structure, the photosensitive surface area of the photosensitive element SR can be changed by changing the overlapping area of ITO and AL.

Alternatively, in some embodiments, the plurality of photosensitive elements SR may have a photosensitive capacity that is graded (incremented or decremented) along the bezel 112. For example, when the photosensitive elements SR have a laminated structure of ITO/PEDOT: PSS/P3HT: PCBM/Al, the photosensitivity of the photosensitive elements SR can be changed by changing the thickness of the P3HT: PCBM photosensitive layer in each of the photosensitive elements SR, and when the thickness of the P3HT: PCBM photosensitive layer is thinner, the photosensitivity of the photosensitive elements SR is lower, and the amount of sensed light that the photosensitive elements SR can measure is smaller. Therefore, the sensing light quantity measured by each photosensitive element SR can determine the photosensitive element SR overlapped with the reflecting member 120, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 50.

Fig. 6 is a schematic front view of the frame 112, the reflecting member 120, the display unit array 633 and the photosensitive element SR of the optical knob device 60 according to an embodiment of the invention. The optical knob device 60 shown in fig. 6 is different from the optical knob device 50 shown in fig. 5A to 5B in that: the optical knob device 60 includes a plurality of light emitting elements LD1 and a photosensitive element SR.

For example, in the present embodiment, the plurality of photosensitive elements SR shown in fig. 5B may be integrated into a single photosensitive element SR, that is, the single photosensitive element SR has a photosensitive surface area or photosensitive capacity gradually changed along the frame 112. In addition, the front projection of the reflector 120 on the housing may overlap the front projection of one light emitting element LD1 of the plurality of light emitting elements LD1 and a part of the photosensitive element SR on the housing. In this way, when the area of the reflecting member 120 is fixed, the photosensitive element SR can correspondingly measure different sensing light amounts according to the difference of the photosensitive surface area or the photosensitive capacity of the area overlapping the reflecting member 120 on the photosensitive element SR, and the area overlapping the reflecting member 120 on the photosensitive element SR can be deduced from the sensing light amounts measured by the photosensitive element SR, so as to obtain the rotation angle of the optical knob device 60.

Fig. 7 is a schematic front view of the frame 112, the reflecting member 120, the display unit array 733 and the photosensitive element SR of the optical knob device 70 according to an embodiment of the invention. The optical knob device 70 shown in fig. 7 is different from the optical knob device 50 shown in fig. 5A to 5B in that: the optical knob device 70 includes a light emitting element LD1 and a plurality of photosensitive elements SR.

For example, in the present embodiment, the plurality of light emitting elements LD1 shown in fig. 5B may be integrated into a single light emitting element LD1, that is, the light emitting element LD1 has a circular ring shape. In addition, the front projection of the reflector 120 on the housing overlaps the front projection of one of the plurality of photosensitive elements SR and a part of the light emitting element LD1 on the housing. In this way, as the position of the reflecting member 120 changes, the light emitted by the light emitting element LD1 can be reflected by the reflecting member 120 to the photosensitive element SR overlapped with the reflecting member 120. Therefore, in the case that the plurality of photosensitive elements SR have a photosensitive surface area (or photosensitive capacity) gradually changed along the frame 112 and the area of the reflecting member 120 is fixed, the optical knob device 70 can correspondingly measure different sensing light amounts according to the difference of the photosensitive surface areas (or photosensitive capacities) of the photosensitive elements SR overlapped with the reflecting member 120. In this way, the light sensing element SR overlapped with the reflector 120 can be derived from the measured sensing light quantity, so as to obtain the rotation angle of the optical knob device 70.

Fig. 8 is a schematic front view of the frame 112, the reflecting member 120, the display unit array 833 and the photosensitive element SR of the optical knob device 80 according to one embodiment of the invention. The optical knob device 80 shown in fig. 8 is different from the optical knob device 70 shown in fig. 7 in that: the optical knob device 80 includes a light emitting element LD1 and a photosensitive element SR.

For example, in the present embodiment, the plurality of photosensitive elements SR shown in fig. 7 may be integrated into a single photosensitive element SR, that is, the single photosensitive element SR has a photosensitive surface area or photosensitive capacity gradually changed along the frame 112. In this way, when the area of the reflective member 120 is fixed, the photosensitive element SR can correspondingly measure different sensing light amounts according to the difference of the widths of the areas overlapping with the reflective member 120 on the photosensitive element SR. In this way, the sensing light quantity measured by the photosensitive element SR can be derived from the region of the photosensitive element SR overlapped with the reflecting member 120, so as to obtain the rotation angle of the optical knob device 80.

Fig. 9A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical knob device 90 according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 9B is a schematic front view of the frame 112, the reflector 120, the display unit array 933, and the photosensitive element SR of the optical knob device 90 of fig. 9A. The optical knob device 90 shown in fig. 9A and 9B is different from the optical knob device 80 shown in fig. 8 in that: the light sensing element SR is disposed around the display area AA, the light emitting element LD1 is disposed around the light sensing element SR, and the light sensing element SR has a circular ring shape, and the light emitting element LD1 has a width gradually changed along the frame 112.

Referring to fig. 9A and 9B, the display panel 130 may have a display area AA and a peripheral area BA, the display area AA is exposed from the opening OP, and the light emitting element LD1 and the light sensing element SR may be located in the peripheral area BA. The photosensitive element SR may be disposed around the display area AA, that is, the photosensitive element SR may be adjacent to the outermost light emitting element LD in the display area AA, but the invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the light emitting element LD1 may be disposed adjacent to the photosensitive element SR, and the light emitting element LD1 is disposed at the periphery of the photosensitive element SR, but not limited thereto. The width of the light emitting element LD1 increases or decreases along the frame 112, so that the light emitting element LD1 has a light emitting surface area increasing or decreasing along the frame 112, and thus, under the condition that the area of the reflecting member 120 is unchanged, the light sensing element SR can correspondingly measure different sensing light amounts according to different light emitting surface areas of the overlapping area of the light emitting element LD1 and the reflecting member 120. Therefore, the sensed light quantity measured by the photosensitive element SR can be derived from the area overlapping the reflecting member 120 on the light emitting element LD1, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 90.

In some embodiments, the light emitting element LD1 of the optical knob device 90 may be divided as the photosensitive element SR shown in FIG. 7 to form a plurality of sub-light emitting elements having different light emitting surface areas. In this way, the sub-light emitting element with a larger light emitting surface area can emit relatively more light, so that the photosensitive element SR can receive relatively more reflected light from the reflecting member 120, and a relatively larger sensing light quantity is measured. Therefore, the sub-light emitting elements overlapping the reflecting member 120 can be judged from the sensed light amount measured by the photosensitive element SR, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 90.

In addition, in some embodiments, the photosensitive element SR of the optical knob device 90 may be divided corresponding to the sub-light emitting elements, so as to form a plurality of sub-photosensitive elements with the same photosensitive surface area. In this way, when the front projection of the reflecting member 120 on the housing 110 overlaps one sub-light emitting element and one adjacent sub-light sensing element on the front projection of the housing 110, and the area of the reflecting member 120 is fixed, the sub-light emitting element with a larger light emitting surface area can emit relatively more light, so that the adjacent sub-light sensing element can receive relatively more reflected light from the reflecting member 120, and a relatively larger sensing light quantity is measured. Therefore, the sub light emitting element overlapped with the reflecting member 120 can be judged from the sensed light amount measured from the sub light sensing element, thereby obtaining the rotation angle of the optical knob device 90.

In summary, the present invention enables the light emitted by the light emitting element to be reflected to the light sensing element by the reflecting element by properly configuring the relative positions of the light emitting element, the light sensing element and the reflecting element of the display panel. Meanwhile, the light emitting element has a light emitting surface area gradually changed along the frame, the photosensitive element has a photosensitive surface area gradually changed along the frame or the photosensitive capability, or the reflecting member has a width gradually changed along the frame or the reflectivity, so that the rotation angle of the optical knob device can be judged from the sensed light quantity measured by the photosensitive element, and the optical knob device capable of integrating the display element to judge the rotation angle can be provided.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but rather may be modified or altered somewhat by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical knob device comprising:

a housing having an opening, the housing including a rim;

the reflecting piece is arranged on the inner surface of the shell;

a display panel which is positioned inside the shell, is exposed out of the opening and comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements; the method comprises the steps of,

at least one photosensitive element for sensing the light emitted by the first light emitting element and reflected by the reflecting member;

the light emitting element has a light emitting surface area gradually changed along the frame, the photosensitive element has a photosensitive surface area gradually changed along the frame or a photosensitive capacity, or the reflecting piece has a width gradually changed along the frame or a reflectivity, and the photosensitive element is positioned in a display unit array of the display panel or in a peripheral area of the display panel.

2. The optical knob device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the photosensitive elements is one, and the number of the first light emitting elements is one.

3. The optical knob device according to claim 2, wherein the reflective member has a width or reflectivity which is graded along its length.

4. The optical knob device according to claim 3, wherein the housing comprises a lower plate, the rim is connected to a periphery of the lower plate, and the reflecting member is located on the lower plate or the rim.

5. The optical knob device according to claim 4, wherein the housing further comprises an upper plate, a peripheral edge of the upper plate being connected to the rim, the opening being located in the upper plate, and the reflecting member being located on the upper plate, the lower plate or the rim.

6. The optical knob device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the photosensitive elements is one, and the number of the first light emitting elements is a plurality.

7. The optical knob device according to claim 6, wherein the front projection of the reflecting member onto the housing overlaps the front projection of the first light emitting element onto the housing.

8. The optical knob device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the photosensitive elements is plural, and the number of the first light emitting elements is one.

9. The optical knob device according to claim 8, wherein the front projection of the reflecting member onto the housing overlaps the front projection of the photosensitive element onto the housing.

10. The optical knob device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the photosensitive elements is plural, and the number of the first light emitting elements is plural.

11. The optical knob device according to claim 10, wherein the front projection of the reflecting member on the housing overlaps the front projection of one of the photosensitive elements and one of the first light emitting elements on the housing.

12. The optical knob device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel has a display area and a peripheral area, and the display area is exposed from the opening.

13. The optical knob device according to claim 12, wherein the first light emitting element is located in the display area or the peripheral area.

14. The optical knob device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel further comprises a plurality of scan lines, and the photosensitive element and the first light emitting element are electrically connected to the same scan line.

15. The optical knob device according to claim 1, wherein the reflectivity of the reflecting member is greater than the reflectivity of the housing.