TWI839318B - Luminous eyeball and robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a luminous eyeball and a robot. The luminous eyeball includes a convex lens unit, a display unit, a first adhesive layer and a sensing unit. The display unit is disposed corresponding to the convex lens unit, the display unit has a display surface facing the convex lens unit, and the display surface has a penetration region. The first adhesive layer is disposed between the convex lens unit and the display unit. The sensing unit is disposed at the display unit, and the sensing unit is arranged corresponding to the position of the penetration region; wherein, when the sensing unit senses the brightness of a first light incident through the convex lens unit and the penetration region is lower than a critical value, the luminous eyeball emits a second light passing through the convex lens unit.

Description

Luminous Eyes and Robots

The present invention relates to an eyeball and a robot, and in particular to a luminous eyeball that can glow in the dark or in dim light and a robot with the luminous eyeball.

In today's society, the number of newborns is declining year by year, and the number of people raising pets is increasing. According to statistics, the number of pet registrations in recent years has exceeded the number of newborns. The benefits of raising pets are numerous, including reducing stress and anxiety, taking pets out for a walk can also increase exercise, and studies have shown that raising pets can reduce depression and loneliness. However, most pets have a shorter lifespan than humans, and when a pet dies, it may take some time for the owner to calm down the pain in his heart. Therefore, robots with companionship functions are born. They do not need to rest, can recognize when someone approaches, and can respond and interact in a friendly manner when you want to chat, touch, or hug, which can bring you closer to people.

In addition, some nocturnal animals, such as cats, have eyes that glow in the dark or in dim light because cats have a magical light-reflecting layer called the tapetum lucidum hidden in their eyes. In the dark or in dim light, the tapetum lucidum acts like a mirror behind the retina, reflecting weak light back to the retina, increasing the light signals received by the photoreceptor cells and thus improving the cat's night vision. This magical light-reflecting layer is also the reason why cats' eyes glow at night or in dim light.

However, the eyes of existing animal robots are mostly just decorations. One type displays a simple and fixed eye pattern (for example, a black dot in the eye represents the pupil), and another type installs a camera in the eye to obtain images. The functions are quite simple without much variation. Moreover, the eyes of existing animal robots cannot glow in the dark or in dim light like nocturnal animals.

In view of the above-mentioned subject, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a luminous eyeball and a robot having a luminous eyeball, which can simulate the luminescence (light reflection) phenomenon of the eyes of nocturnal animals in the dark or in dim light.

To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a luminous eyeball according to the present invention includes a convex lens unit, a display unit, a first adhesive layer and a sensor unit. The display unit is arranged corresponding to the convex lens unit, and the display unit has a display surface facing the convex lens unit, and the display surface has a transmission area. The first adhesive layer is arranged between the convex lens unit and the display unit. The sensor unit is arranged in the display unit, and the sensor unit is arranged corresponding to the position of the transmission area; wherein, when the sensor unit senses that the brightness of a first light incident through the convex lens unit and the transmission area is lower than a critical value, the luminous eyeball emits a second light passing through the convex lens unit.

In one embodiment, the sensing unit includes a photo sensor or a camera, or a combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the display surface includes a pupil area and an iris area surrounding the pupil area, and the transmission area is located in the pupil area or the iris area.

In one embodiment, the iris area of the display unit emits a second light.

In one embodiment, the convex lens unit is a hollow hemisphere, which includes a biconvex lens. The outer surface of the biconvex lens away from the display unit has an arc-shaped protrusion. The first adhesive layer, the display unit and the sensor unit are arranged in the hollow hemisphere, and the iris area of the display unit emits a second light.

In one embodiment, the luminous eyeball further includes a light guide plate, a light-reflecting layer and a light-emitting unit. It has a light-entering surface, a light-emitting surface and a bottom surface opposite to the light-emitting surface, and the bottom surface includes a plurality of microstructures. The light-reflecting layer is disposed on the light-emitting surface. The light-emitting unit is disposed adjacent to the light-entering surface of the light guide plate, and the light-emitting unit includes at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode. The light emitted by the at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode enters the light guide plate from the light-entering surface, and is emitted through the light-emitting surface and excites the light-reflecting layer to generate a second light.

In one embodiment, the display unit is disposed between the convex lens unit and the light guide plate, and the second light passes through the iris area and the convex lens unit.

In one embodiment, the first adhesive layer is disposed between the convex lens unit and the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate, and the luminous eyeball further includes a second adhesive layer, a sphere and a light shielding layer. The second adhesive layer is disposed between the bottom surface of the light guide plate and the display unit. The sphere has a concave portion, and the display unit, the second adhesive layer and the light guide plate are disposed in the concave portion. The light shielding layer is disposed on the sphere and is disposed around the periphery of the convex lens unit.

In one embodiment, the luminous eyeball further includes a light-reflecting layer, a light-emitting unit, a sphere and a light-shielding layer. The light-reflecting layer has a light-entering surface and a light-emitting surface, the light-emitting surface is connected to the convex lens unit, and the first adhesive layer is disposed between the light-reflecting layer and the display unit. The light-emitting unit is disposed adjacent to the light-entering surface of the light-reflecting layer, and the light-emitting unit includes at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode, and the light emitted by the at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode enters the light-reflecting layer from the light-entering surface and excites the light-reflecting layer to generate a second light, and the second light passes through the convex lens unit through the light-emitting surface. The sphere has a concave portion, and the display unit is disposed in the concave portion. The light-shielding layer is disposed on the first adhesive layer, and is disposed around the light-reflecting layer and the convex lens unit.

In one embodiment, the convex lens unit includes a double convex lens, and the luminous eyeball further includes a photoreactive layer, a light-emitting unit, a sphere, and a light-shielding layer. The photoreactive layer is disposed on the surface of the convex lens unit facing the display unit. The light-emitting unit is disposed in the first adhesive layer, and the light-emitting unit includes at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode, and at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode emits light that is incident on the fluorescent layer and excites the photoreactive layer to generate a second light. The sphere has a concave portion, and the display unit, the first adhesive layer, and the light-emitting unit are disposed in the concave portion. The light-shielding layer is disposed on the first adhesive layer and is disposed around the periphery of the convex lens unit.

In one embodiment, the luminous eyeball further includes a control unit, which is electrically connected to the sensor unit and the display unit; when the sensor unit senses that the brightness of the first light is lower than a critical value, it outputs a sensing signal, and the control unit controls the iris area of the display unit to emit a second light according to the sensing signal.

In one embodiment, the luminous eyeball further includes a control unit, which is electrically connected to the sensor unit and the display unit; wherein, when the sensor unit senses that the brightness of the first light is lower than a critical value, it outputs a sensing signal, and the control unit controls the light-emitting unit to emit a second light according to the sensing signal.

In one embodiment, the transmission area is provided with a plurality of pixels, a portion of each pixel is a light-transmitting area, and the light-transmitting areas form the transmission area; the display unit further has a back surface opposite to the display surface, the sensor unit is arranged on the back surface, and a top surface of the sensor unit faces the transmission area.

In one embodiment, the transmission area is a light-transmitting area without pixels, the display unit further has a back surface opposite to the display surface, the sensor unit is disposed on the back surface, and a top surface of the sensor unit faces the transmission area.

In one embodiment, a through hole is provided in the through area, the sensor unit is disposed in the through hole, and a top surface of the sensor unit faces the opening of the through hole.

To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a robot according to the present invention includes a head and the luminous eyeballs of the above-mentioned embodiment, and the luminous eyeballs are arranged on the head.

As mentioned above, in the luminous eyeball and robot of the present invention, the display unit has a display surface facing the convex lens unit, and the display surface has a transmission area; the first adhesive layer is arranged between the convex lens unit and the display unit; the sensor unit is arranged in the display unit, and the sensor unit is arranged corresponding to the position of the transmission area; wherein, when the sensor unit senses that the brightness of the first light incident through the convex lens unit and the transmission area is lower than the critical value, the luminous eyeball can emit a second light passing through the convex lens unit. The structural design enables the luminous eyeball and robot of the present invention to simulate the luminescence (light reflection) phenomenon of the eyes of nocturnal animals in the dark or in dim light.

The following will refer to the relevant drawings to illustrate the luminous eyeballs and robots according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, wherein the same components will be described with the same reference symbols.

The present invention, “Luminous Eyeball and Robot,” is related to the following co-pending R.O.C. patent applications, all of which are owned by the same owners as the present application and each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety: (1) R.O.C. patent application No. 112144587, entitled “Virtual Eyeball and Robot,” and (2) R.O.C. patent application No. 112144586, entitled “Virtual Eyeball and Robot.”

The luminous eyeballs herein may also be referred to as artificial intelligence (AI) luminous eyeballs or luminous virtual eyeballs, which can simulate the luminescence (light reflection) phenomenon of the eyes of nocturnal animals in the dark or in dim light. The nocturnal animals may be, for example, cats, dogs, wolves, tigers, leopards, or owls, etc. The components shown in the following embodiments are only used to illustrate their relative relationships and do not represent the proportions or sizes of real components.

Figure 1A is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a luminous eyeball according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1B is a functional block schematic diagram of the luminous eyeball of Figure 1A, Figure 1C is an exploded schematic diagram of the luminous eyeball of Figure 1A, and Figures 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams of the luminous eyeball of Figure 1A when it is dark and non-luminous and luminous, respectively.

Please refer to FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C , the luminous eyeball 1 includes a convex lens unit 11, a display unit 12, a first adhesive layer 13 and a sensor unit 14. In addition, the luminous eyeball 1 of this embodiment further includes a light-guiding plate 15, a light-emitting unit 16 and a light-reactive layer 17.

The convex lens unit 11 is made of a light-transmitting material. Different animals require different types of convex lens units 11. The more suitable convex lens unit 11 is a single-sided convex lens or a double-sided convex lens with elasticity, and the curvature of the convex lens can be made according to different animals. The material of the convex lens unit 11 is, for example but not limited to, silicone (for example, including materials such as silyl or silyl). In one embodiment, the convex lens unit 11 can also be made of glass or polyimide (PI).

The display unit 12 is arranged corresponding to the convex lens unit 11, and the display unit 12 has a display surface S1 facing the convex lens unit 11. Here, the display unit 12 is a circular display, and the display surface S1 has the same shape as the bottom surface of the convex lens unit 11 and is connected to each other. The display surface S1 of this embodiment includes a pupil area S11 and an iris area S12 surrounding the pupil area S11. In addition, the display surface S1 of this embodiment may also include a sclera area S13, and the sclera area S13 is surrounded by the iris area S12. Here, the pupil area S11, the iris area S12 and the sclera area S13 constitute the aforementioned circular display area, and can respectively display a pattern and a color, and can have different patterns and colors depending on the simulated animal.

As the name implies, the pupil area S11 is used to display pupil patterns, and different animals may have different pupil shapes, patterns, and colors. The iris area S12 displays iris patterns, and different animals may have different iris shapes, patterns, and colors. The sclera area S13 is used to display sclera patterns, and different animals may have different sclera shapes, patterns, and colors. Even the shapes, patterns, and colors of the pupils, irises, and scleras of the same animal but different species may be different, and the present invention does not limit the shapes, patterns, and colors of the pupils, irises, and scleras.

In one embodiment, the display unit 12 may be electrically connected to a control circuit board via, for example, a flexible circuit board (e.g., COF), and the control circuit board may include, for example, the control unit 19 of FIG. 1B , thereby controlling the display unit 12 to display the pattern and color change of the eye of the animal to be simulated through the control circuit board (control unit 19). In one embodiment, the control circuit board may also include a database (not shown), and the database may store the patterns and colors of the pupil area S11 and the iris area S12 of a plurality of animals. Furthermore, the database may also store the patterns and colors of the scleral area S13 of a plurality of animals. Here, the patterns and color changes to be displayed (simulated) by the pupil area S11, the iris area S12, and the sclera area S13 are different depending on the simulated animals, and can be input from the outside or built into the database of the control circuit board. For example, the patterns and colors of the pupil area S11, iris area S12, and sclera area S13 of a cat or dog are different, and the patterns and colors of different breeds of cats or dogs may also be different. These patterns and color changes can be pre-stored in a database. When it is known what animal to simulate, the control circuit board can find the corresponding patterns and colors of the pupil area S11, iris area S12, and sclera area S13 from the database, so that the display unit 12 can display the patterns and colors of the pupil area S11, iris area S12, and sclera area S13 of the animal to be simulated, making the luminous eyeball 1 more like the eyes of a real animal.

In one embodiment, the display unit 12 may be a transparent display, and may be a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an electronic paper display (EPD). Among them, the light emitting diode display may include a sub-millimeter light emitting diode (Mini LED) display or a micro light emitting diode (μLED) display. In one embodiment, the display unit 12 may be a self-luminous, transmissive or reflective display, but a dual-stable display among reflective displays is preferred, because the dual-stable display does not consume power when the screen is not updated, which is the same as the iris of the eye maintaining the same state. In one embodiment, a plurality of μLEDs may be mass-transferred to a circular planar substrate (material such as PI) using mass transfer technology to form a display unit 12.

The display surface S1 of the present embodiment has a transmission area A, which is an area through which light (including visible light or invisible light) can pass, and can be a non-physical hole or a physical hole. The top view shape of the transmission area A can be circular, quadrilateral (square, rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, trapezoid), elliptical or other shapes. In addition, the transmission area A can be located in the pupil area S11 or the iris area S12, or one transmission area A is provided in each of the pupil area S11 and the iris area S12. As shown in FIG. 1A , the transmission area A of the present embodiment is located in the pupil area S11, and is circular as an example.

In order to enable the display unit 12 to display patterns and colors, the display surface S1 of the display unit 12 may include a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array, and the pixels are used to display the patterns and colors of the pupil area S11, the iris area S12, and the sclera area S13. In one embodiment, the through area A may be provided with a plurality of specially designed pixels, and a portion of each pixel of the through area A may be designed as a light-transmitting area through which light can pass, so that the light-transmitting areas have a certain transmittance to form the aforementioned through area A, so that light can pass through. In one embodiment, the design that a portion of each pixel of the through area A is a light-transmitting area may be designed only in the pupil area S11, and the pixels in other areas of the display surface S1 may be designed as normal pixels. In one embodiment, the through area A may be a light-transmitting area without pixels. The reason is that when the luminous eyeball 1 of this embodiment is viewed from a certain distance (e.g., 1 meter away), the size of the sensor unit 14 manufactured by the prior art is quite small. Therefore, even if the through area A is not provided with pixels, the sensor unit 14 is still not easy to be clearly seen, and does not affect the display effect of the luminous eyeball 1. Here, the design of not providing pixels in the through area A can also be applied to the embodiments of the following Figures 3A, 3B, 3D to 3J.

The first adhesive layer 13 is disposed between the display surface S1 of the lenticular lens unit 11 and the display unit 12. The size of the first adhesive layer 13 of the present embodiment is substantially the same as the size of the display surface S1 and the lenticular lens unit 11, and the first adhesive layer 13 is used to bond the lenticular lens unit 11 to the display unit 12. The first adhesive layer 13 can be optical clear adhesive (OCA) or optical clear resin (OCR), or other light-transmitting adhesive materials, and is not limited.

The sensor unit 14 is disposed on the display unit 12, and the sensor unit 14 is disposed corresponding to the position of the through area A. The sensor unit 14 may include a sensor, and the sensor may include a light sensor or a camera, or a combination thereof. The sensor unit 14 of this embodiment is taken as an example to include a light sensor 141. In addition, the display unit 12 further has a back surface S2 opposite to the display surface S1. The sensor unit 14 (light sensor 141) of this embodiment is disposed (fixed) on the back surface S2, and the top surface T of the sensor unit 14 (light sensor 141) faces the through area A. Therefore, the light incident through the convex lens unit 11 can enter the sensor unit 14 (photosensor 141) through the transmission area A of the display unit 12, so that the photosensor 141 can sense the brightness of the external light. In one embodiment, the sensor unit 14 (photosensor 141) can be fixed to the back surface S2 of the display unit 12 by, for example, a fixture, a glue material or other fixing methods, and the fixing method is not limited.

In one embodiment, the size of the light sensor 141 may be, for example, 0.5 to 1.0 mm, or even smaller. In one embodiment, the light sensor 141 may be a visible light or infrared sensor, which is not limited by the present invention. In one embodiment, the aforementioned sensor may include a visible light sensor, an infrared sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor, or a combination thereof. If the sensor is an ultrasonic sensor, the number thereof may be plural. The sensing sensitivity of an ultrasonic sensor is easily lost due to the air, so a "non" liquid crystal display is preferred for the display, and each layer structure must be tightly fitted so that there are as few bubbles as possible in front of the ultrasonic sensor (camera).

The light guide plate 15 is connected to the display unit 12. Here, the display unit 12 is disposed between the convex lens unit 11 and the light guide plate 15 (and the light reflection layer 17). The light guide plate 15 has a light incident surface 151 and a light emitting surface 152, and the light incident surface 151 is connected to the light emitting surface 152. Here, the light incident surface 151 is a side surface, the light emitting surface 152 is a top surface, and the light emitting surface 152 is connected to the back surface S2 of the display unit 12. The function of the light guide plate 15 is to guide the transmission direction of the light. Through the total reflection of the light guide plate 15, the light incident from the light incident surface 151 can be emitted from the light emitting surface 152 of the light guide plate 15. The light guide plate 15 is made of a light-transmitting material, and the light-transmitting material can be, for example, acrylic resin, polycarbonate, polyethylene resin or glass, which is not limited here. The cross-sectional shape of the light guide plate 15 can be, for example, a flat plate or a wedge-shaped. This embodiment takes a flat light guide plate 15 as an example.

The light guide plate 15 of this embodiment further has a through hole h corresponding to the position of the through area A, and the sensor unit 14 (photosensor 141) is disposed (fixed) on the back surface S2 of the display unit 12 through the through hole h of the light guide plate 15. In addition, the light guide plate 15 further has a bottom surface 153 opposite to the light emitting surface 152, and the bottom surface 153 has a plurality of microstructures 154, which can destroy the total reflection path of the light in the light guide plate 15, and then guide the light to be uniformly emitted from the light emitting surface 152. The cross-sectional shape of the microstructure 154 can be a triangle, an arc, a curved surface, a polygon or an irregular shape. Here, the cross-sectional shape of the microstructure 154 is an arc as an example.

In addition, the light-reflective layer 17 is disposed on the light-emitting surface 152 of the light guide plate 15, that is, the light-reflective layer 17 is located between the display unit 12 and the light-emitting surface 152. In one embodiment, a fluorescent material may be coated on the light-emitting surface 152 of the light guide plate 15 to form the light-reflective layer 17 (i.e., the fluorescent layer). In different embodiments, a phosphorescent material may also be coated on the light-emitting surface 152 of the light guide plate 15 to form the light-reflective layer 17 (i.e., the phosphorescent layer), and the present invention is not limited thereto.

The light-emitting unit 16 is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface 151 of the light guide plate 15, and can emit light that is incident from the light incident surface 151 to the light guide plate 15, and is emitted from the light emitting surface 152 of the light guide plate 15. The light-emitting unit 16 may include at least one ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV LED). The light-emitting unit 16 of this embodiment is a light strip, and has a plurality of ultraviolet light emitting diodes 161 disposed on a substrate 162 as an example. The ultraviolet light emitting diode 161 can emit ultraviolet A (UVA, wavelength between 320~400 nanometers), ultraviolet B (UVB, wavelength between 280~320 nanometers) or ultraviolet C (UVC, wavelength between 100~280 nanometers), without limitation. Here, the ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet light emitting diode 161 may enter the light guide plate 15 through the light incident surface 151 , and be emitted through the light emitting surface 152 and excite the photoreactive layer 17 to generate fluorescence or phosphorescence (ie, second light).

Therefore, when it is dark or the light is dim and the brightness of the first light sensed by the sensor unit 14 through the convex lens unit 11 and incident through the area A is lower than the critical value (threshold), the luminous eyeball 1 can emit a second light passing through the convex lens unit 11. The critical value (threshold) can be adjusted according to actual needs. Specifically, the luminous eyeball 1 of the present embodiment may further include a control unit 19, and the control unit 19 may be electrically connected to the sensor unit 14 (photosensor 141) and the display unit 12 respectively through a flexible circuit board (such as COF). Here, the control unit 19 may be composed of software, hardware or firmware, and may be located on the aforementioned control circuit board (it may also be located on an independently arranged circuit board, without limitation).

During the day or when there is sufficient light, when the sensor unit 14 (photosensor 141) senses that the brightness of the incident light is higher than a critical value, the control unit 19 does not control the ultraviolet light emitting diode 161 of the light emitting unit 16 to emit light. At this time, the luminous eyeball 1 can simulate the pattern and color of an animal's eyeball during the day or when there is sufficient light, as shown in FIG. 2A . However, as shown in FIG. 2B , when the brightness of the incident light (i.e., the first light) sensed by the sensor unit 14 (photosensor 141) is lower than a critical value, the sensor unit 14 (photosensor 141) may output a sensing signal CS, and the control unit 19 may control the ultraviolet light emitting diode 161 of the light emitting unit 16 to emit ultraviolet light according to the sensing signal CS. The ultraviolet light enters the light guide plate 15 from the light incident surface 151 and then is emitted from the light emitting surface 152, and the light reaction layer 17 is excited to generate a second light (fluorescence or phosphorescence), which then passes through the iris area S12 (or the iris area S12 and the sclera area S13) of the display unit 12 and is emitted in the direction of the convex lens unit 11, thereby simulating the luminescence phenomenon of the eyes of nocturnal animals in the dark or in dim light.

Of course, when the sensor unit 14 (photosensor 141) senses that the brightness of the incident light is higher or lower, the control unit 19 can also control the display unit 12 to change the size and/or shape of the pupil area S11. Here, when the size of the pupil area S11 is reduced, the size of the iris area S12 becomes larger (the sum of the areas of the pupil area S11 and the iris area S12 remains unchanged); conversely, when the size of the pupil area S11 is increased, the size of the iris area S12 is reduced. For example, when the photosensor 141 senses strong external light, the control unit 19 can change the display pattern of the display unit 12, that is, it can control and reduce the size and shape of the pupil area S11 and increase the size of the iris area S12. Taking a cat as an example, when encountering strong light, the control unit 19 can control the pupil area S11 to shrink into, for example, an ellipse or even a line, while increasing the size of the iris area S12; conversely, when the external light is dim, the control unit 19 can control the pupil area S11 to increase its size, increase the light entering the pupil area S11, and simultaneously decrease the size of the iris area S12, thereby simulating the real reaction of a cat's eyes to strong light or insufficient light.

In addition, the luminous eyeball 1 of this embodiment may further include a functional layer 18, which is disposed on the surface of the convex lens unit 11 away from the display unit 12. Here, the functional layer 18 is a light-transmitting film layer, such as but not limited to an anti-scratch film, an anti-glare film, an anti-reflection film, an anti-fingerprint film, an anti-UV layer or a waterproof and anti-fouling film, or a combination of the above film layers, which is not limited by the present invention. Of course, in different embodiments, the luminous eyeball 1 may not include the functional layer 18.

In addition, FIG. 3A to FIG. 3J are schematic diagrams of luminous eyeballs according to different embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in FIG3A , the luminous eyeball 1a of this embodiment is substantially the same as the luminous eyeball 1 of the aforementioned embodiment in terms of component composition and connection relationship of each component. The difference is that the transmission area A of this embodiment is a square, and the sensor unit 14 is a camera 142 as an example. The camera 142 can be a visible light camera or an infrared camera, both of which can sense the intensity of the incident light, so that the control unit 19 can control the second light to be emitted through the display unit 12 toward the convex lens unit 11. In one embodiment, the size of the camera 142 can be, for example, 0.65 mm, or even smaller.

In addition, as shown in FIG3B , the luminous eyeball 1b of the present embodiment has substantially the same component composition and connection relationship of each component as the luminous eyeball 1 of the aforementioned embodiment. The difference is that in the luminous eyeball 1b of the present embodiment, in addition to the light sensor 141 that can sense the brightness of light, the sensor unit 14a can also include a camera 142, and the camera 142 can obtain the light incident through the area A to generate an image. Here, the light sensor 141 and the camera 142 are both disposed on the back surface S2 of the display unit 12 through the same through hole h of the light guide plate 15 (the fixing method is not limited), and are disposed corresponding to the position through the area A. The design that the sensor unit 14a also includes the light sensor 141 and the camera 142 can also be applied to other embodiments of the present invention.

In addition, as shown in FIG3C , the luminous eyeball 1c of this embodiment is substantially the same as the luminous eyeball 1 of the aforementioned embodiment in terms of component composition and connection relationship of each component. The difference is that the through area A of this embodiment is provided with a through hole H penetrating the display unit 12, and the through hole H is perpendicular to the display surface S1 along the extension direction. Here, the through hole H is connected to the through hole h, and the sensor unit 14 (photosensor 141) is arranged (fixed) in the through hole H via the through hole h of the light guide plate 15, and is arranged corresponding to the position of the through area A. In addition, because the through hole H is provided in the through area A, the through area A does not have pixels for displaying patterns. The design of providing the through hole H in the through area A can also be applied to other embodiments of the present invention.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3D , the luminous eyeball 1d of this embodiment has substantially the same component composition and connection relationship of each component as the luminous eyeball 1 of the aforementioned embodiment. The difference is that the luminous eyeball 1d of this embodiment does not have a light guide plate 15 and a light-reactive layer 17. In addition, the light-emitting unit 16a of this embodiment has a plurality of light-emitting diodes 161a disposed on a ring-shaped substrate 162, and the light-emitting diodes 161a are disposed around the sensor unit 14. Therefore, when the sensor unit 14 (photosensor 141) senses that the brightness of the external light is lower than the critical value, the sensing signal CS can be output, and the control unit 19 can also control the light-emitting unit 16a (the light-emitting diodes 161a) to emit a second light directly through the iris area S12 (or the iris area S12 and the sclera area S13) of the display unit 12 according to the sensing signal CS, and emit it through the convex lens unit 11, thereby simulating the light-emitting phenomenon of the eyes of nocturnal animals in the dark or dim light. Here, the light emitted by the light-emitting diode 161a is, for example but not limited to, green light, yellow light or red light, or other colors. Different animals have different luminous colors, and the present invention does not limit the color.

In addition, as shown in FIG3E , the luminous eyeball 1e of this embodiment has substantially the same component composition and connection relationship of each component as the luminous eyeball 1a of the aforementioned embodiment. The difference is that the luminous eyeball 1e of this embodiment does not have a light guide plate 15, a light-emitting unit 16, and a light-reactive layer 17. When the sensor unit 14 (camera 142) senses that the brightness of the external light is lower than the critical value, it outputs a sensing signal CS, and the control unit 19 can control the iris area S12 of the display unit 12 to emit light (i.e., the second light) according to the sensing signal CS, and the light can pass through the convex lens unit 11 and be emitted outward. In other words, in the dark or in dim light, the control unit 19 of the present embodiment can control the iris area S12 of the display unit 12 to display, for example but not limited to, green light, yellow light or red light, or other colors (different luminous colors depend on different animals). In this way, the luminous phenomenon of the eyes of nocturnal animals in the dark or in dim light can also be simulated.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3F , the luminous eyeball 1f of this embodiment is substantially the same as the luminous eyeball 1e of the aforementioned embodiment in terms of component composition and connection relationship of each component. The difference is that the convex lens unit 11 of the luminous eyeball 1f of this embodiment is a hollow hemisphere, and the hollow hemisphere (convex lens unit 11) includes a biconvex lens 111. The biconvex lens 111 has an arc-shaped protrusion 1112 on the outer surface 1111 away from the display unit 12, and the first adhesive layer 13, the display unit 12 and the sensor unit 14 are arranged in the hollow hemisphere. Therefore, in the dark or when the light is dim, the control unit 19 can also control the iris area S12 of the display unit 12 to emit a second light through the biconvex lens 111 and emit. Here, the convex lens unit 11 (hollow hemisphere) can be made of plastic injection molding and is an integrally molded single component.

In addition, as shown in FIG3G , the luminous eyeball 1g of this embodiment has substantially the same component composition and connection relationship of each component as the luminous eyeball 1a of the aforementioned embodiment. The difference is that the light guide plate 15 of the luminous eyeball 1g of this embodiment is disposed between the convex lens unit 11 and the display unit 12, and the first adhesive layer 13 is disposed between the convex lens unit 11 and the light emitting surface 152 (and the light-reactive layer 17) of the light guide plate 15. In addition, the luminous eyeball 1g of this embodiment further includes a second adhesive layer 13a, a sphere 30, and a light-shielding layer 31. The second adhesive layer 13a is disposed between the bottom surface 153 of the light guide plate 15 and the display unit 12. In addition, the sphere 30 has a concave portion 301, and the display unit 12, the second adhesive layer 13a, the light guide plate 15 and the light-reactive layer 17 are sequentially disposed in the concave portion 301. Here, the sphere 30 has a through hole h1, the through hole h1 corresponds to the through area A, and the sensor unit 14 is disposed on the back surface S2 of the display unit 12 through the through hole h1. In addition, the light shielding layer 31 is disposed on the sphere 30 and surrounds the outer periphery of the convex lens unit 11.

Therefore, when the sensor unit 14 (camera 142) senses that the brightness of the incident light is lower than the critical value, the sensor unit 14 (camera 142) can output the sensing signal CS, so that the control unit 19 controls the ultraviolet light emitting diode 161 of the light emitting unit 16 to emit ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light enters the light guide plate 15 from the light incident surface 151 and then is emitted from the light emitting surface 152. The light reaction layer 17 is excited to generate a second light (fluorescence or phosphorescence) which then passes through the convex lens unit 11 and is emitted outward, thereby simulating the luminescence phenomenon of the eyes of nocturnal animals in the dark or in dim light.

In addition, as shown in FIG3H , the luminous eyeball 1h of this embodiment has substantially the same component composition and connection relationship of each component as the luminous eyeball 1e of the aforementioned embodiment. The difference is that the luminous eyeball 1h of this embodiment further includes a light-emitting unit 16, a light-reflecting layer 17, a sphere 30 and a light-shielding layer 31. The light-reflecting layer 17 has a light-entering surface 171 and a light-emitting surface 172, and the light-emitting surface 172 is directly connected to the convex lens unit 11, and the first adhesive layer 13 is disposed on the sphere 30 and is located between the light-reflecting layer 17 (the bottom surface) and the display unit 12. Here, the light-reflecting layer 17 can be a fluorescent layer or a phosphorescent layer. In addition, the light-emitting unit 16 is located in the first adhesive layer 13 and is adjacent to the light incident surface 171 of the light-reactive layer 17. The light-emitting unit 16 includes at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode 161. The ultraviolet light-emitting diode 161 can emit light from the light incident surface 171 to enter the light-reactive layer 17, and excite the light-reactive layer 17 to generate a second light (fluorescence or phosphorescence). The second light passes through the convex lens unit 11 through the light emitting surface 172 and is emitted.

In addition, the sphere 30 of this embodiment has a concave portion 301, and the display unit 12 is disposed in the concave portion 301. Here, the sphere 30 has a through hole h1, the through hole h1 corresponds to the through area A, and the sensor unit 14 (camera 142) is disposed on the back surface S2 of the display unit 12 through the through hole h1. In addition, the light shielding layer 31 is disposed on the first adhesive layer 13 and surrounds the light-reactive layer 17 and the periphery of the convex lens unit 11.

Therefore, when the sensor unit 14 (camera 142) senses that the brightness of the incident light is lower than the critical value, the sensor unit 14 (camera 142) can output the sensing signal CS, so that the control unit 19 controls the ultraviolet light emitting diode 161 of the light emitting unit 16 to emit ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light enters the light reaction layer 17 to excite the light reaction layer 17 to generate a second light (fluorescence or phosphorescence), which is then emitted from the light emitting surface 172 and passes through the convex lens unit 11.

In addition, as shown in FIG3I , the components and connection relationship of the luminous eyeball 1i of this embodiment are substantially the same as those of the luminous eyeball 1h of the aforementioned embodiment. The difference is that the convex lens unit 11 of the luminous eyeball 1i of this embodiment includes a biconvex lens 111, and the light-reflecting layer 17 is used to scatter light, which is disposed on the surface of the convex lens unit 11 facing the display unit 12 (i.e., the lower surface of the biconvex lens 111). Here, a continuous fluorescent material or phosphorescent material may be coated or printed on the lower surface of the convex lens unit 11 facing the display unit 12 to form a continuous fluorescent layer or phosphorescent layer; or a discontinuous fluorescent material or phosphorescent material may be coated or printed to form discontinuous fluorescent dots or phosphorescent dots. The photoreactive layer 17 of this embodiment is an example of a continuous fluorescent layer. In addition, the sphere 30 has a concave portion 301, and the display unit 12, the first adhesive layer 13 and the light-emitting unit 16 are disposed in the concave portion 301 of the sphere 30. Therefore, the ultraviolet light emitting diode 161 of the light emitting unit 16 emits light incident on the light reaction layer 17 to excite the light reaction layer 17 to generate a second light (fluorescence), which then passes through the convex lens unit 11 (double convex lens 111) and is emitted. With such a design, the second light (fluorescence) can produce astigmatism, so that the eye luminescence phenomenon can be seen in different directions.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3J , the luminous eyeball 1j of this embodiment has substantially the same component composition and connection relationship of each component as the luminous eyeball 1g of the aforementioned embodiment. The difference is that the luminous eyeball 1j of this embodiment does not have a light-reflective layer 17, a light guide plate 15, and a light-emitting unit 16. In addition, the luminous eyeball 1j of this embodiment further includes a reflective layer 32, which is disposed between the first adhesive layer 13 and the display unit 12. The reflective layer 32 can be a half-transmissive and half-reflective reflective film, a fluorescent reflective film, a fluorescent reflective film plus a light guide plate, etc., which is most suitable for a reflective display because the reflective layer 32 itself does not emit light. During the day or when there is sufficient light, the display unit 12 can normally display the eye color of nocturnal animals. However, at night or when the light is dim, the reflective layer 32 can reflect the weak light of the environment to produce the effect of glowing eyes, just like nocturnal animals.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG4 , the robot 2 includes a head 21 and at least one luminous eyeball 22, and the luminous eyeball 22 is disposed on the head 21. The robot 2 of this embodiment has two luminous eyeballs 22 disposed on the head 21, simulating the eyeballs of animals. The luminous eyeball 22 can be one of the luminous eyeballs 1, 1a to 1i of the above embodiments, or a variation thereof. The specific technical content has been described in detail above, and will not be further described here.

In addition, the robot 2 may also include a body 23, four limbs 24 and a control circuit board 25. The control circuit board 25 may be the control circuit board of the luminous eyeball of the aforementioned embodiment (including the control unit 19 and the database), which may be arranged on the head 21, and the robot 2 may change the pattern and color of the pupil area, iris area and sclera area through the control circuit board 25 according to the owner or autonomous control, and when it is dark or dim, the luminous eyeball 22 may simulate the luminescence (light reflection) phenomenon of the eyes of nocturnal animals in the dark or dim light. The robot 2 of this embodiment is an example of a cat, but it is not limited thereto. In different embodiments, the robot 2 may also be other nocturnal animals, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In one application case, the robot is taken as a cat or dog. Since most cats or dogs have a shorter lifespan than humans, the owner can create the pattern and color of the cat or dog's eyeball (pupil area, iris area and sclera area) in advance when the cat or dog is alive. When the cat or dog dies, the pre-created eyeball pattern and color can be used to make luminous eyeballs and applied to the pet robot (robot cat or dog). Not only can the pattern and color of the pupil area, iris area and sclera area of the eye be simulated, but also the phenomenon of the eyes glowing in the dark or in dim light can be simulated, so that when the owner sees the expression and eyes of the pet robot, it is as if he sees the cat or dog he raised before is still alive.

In addition, in some embodiments, a connection mechanism may be provided in the head of the robot 2 to control the rotation of the luminous eyeball 22 , for example, a driver may be provided and connected to the luminous eyeball 22 via a connecting rod, thereby controlling the rotation of the luminous eyeball 22 .

In summary, in the luminous eyeball and robot of the present invention, the display unit has a display surface facing the convex lens unit, and the display surface has a transmission area; the first adhesive layer is arranged between the convex lens unit and the display unit; the sensor unit is arranged in the display unit, and the sensor unit is arranged corresponding to the position of the transmission area; wherein, when the sensor unit senses that the brightness of the first light incident through the convex lens unit and the transmission area is lower than a critical value, the luminous eyeball can emit a second light passing through the convex lens unit. The structural design enables the luminous eyeball and robot of the present invention to simulate the luminescence (light reflection) phenomenon of the eyes of nocturnal animals in the dark or in dim light.

The above description is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. Any equivalent modifications or changes made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention shall be included in the scope of the attached patent application.

1, 1a~1j, 22: Luminous eyeball 11: Convex lens unit 111: Biconvex lens 1111: Outer surface 1112: Curved protrusion 12: Display unit 13: First adhesive layer 13a: Second adhesive layer 14, 14a: Sensor unit 141: Photo sensor 142: Camera 15: Light guide plate 151, 171: Light incident surface 152, 172: Light exit surface 153: Bottom surface 154: Microstructure 16, 16a: Light emitting unit 161: Ultraviolet light emitting diode 161a: Light emitting diode 162: Substrate 17: Photoreactive layer 18: Functional layer 19: Control unit 2: Robot 21: Head 23: Body 24: Limbs 25: Control circuit board 30: Sphere 301: Concave 31: Shading layer 32: Reflection layer A: Transmission area CS: Sensing signal H, h, h1: Through hole S1: Display surface S11: Pupil area S12: Iris area S13: Scleral area S2: Back surface T: Top surface

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a luminous eyeball of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the functional blocks of the luminous eyeball of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of the decomposition of the luminous eyeball of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are schematic diagrams of the luminous eyeball of FIG. 1A when it is dark and when it is not luminous. FIG. 3A to FIG. 3J are schematic diagrams of luminous eyeballs of different embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a robot of an embodiment of the present invention.

1: Luminous eyeballs

11: Convex lens unit

12: Display unit

13: First adhesive layer

14:Sensor unit

141: Light sensor

15: Light guide plate

151: Light-entering surface

152: Bright surface

153: Bottom

154: Microstructure

16: Light-emitting unit

161: Ultraviolet light emitting diode

162: Substrate

17: Photoreactive layer

18: Functional layer

A:Through the area

h:Through hole

S1: Display surface

S11: Pupil area

S12: Iris area

S13: Scleral region

S2: Back surface

T: Top

Claims (17)

A luminous eyeball comprises: a convex lens unit; a display unit, arranged corresponding to the convex lens unit, the display unit having a display surface facing the convex lens unit, the display surface having a transmission area; a first adhesive layer, arranged between the convex lens unit and the display unit; and a sensor unit, arranged in the display unit, and the sensor unit is arranged corresponding to the position of the transmission area; wherein, when the sensor unit senses that the brightness of a first light incident through the convex lens unit and the transmission area is lower than a critical value, the luminous eyeball emits a second light passing through the convex lens unit. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 1, wherein the sensing unit includes a light sensor or a camera, or a combination thereof. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 1, wherein the display surface includes a pupil area and an iris area surrounding the pupil area, and the transparent area is located in the pupil area or the iris area. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 1, wherein the iris area of the display unit emits the second light. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 3, wherein the convex lens unit is a hollow hemisphere, the hollow hemisphere includes a biconvex lens, the biconvex lens has an arc-shaped protrusion away from the outer surface of the display unit, the first adhesive layer, the display unit and the sensor unit are arranged in the hollow hemisphere, and the iris area of the display unit emits the second light. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 3 further comprises: a light guide plate having a light incident surface, a light emitting surface and a bottom surface opposite to the light emitting surface, the bottom surface comprising a plurality of microstructures; a photoreactive layer disposed on the light emitting surface; and a light emitting unit disposed adjacent to the light incident surface of the light guide plate, the light emitting unit comprising at least one ultraviolet light emitting diode, the light emitted by the at least one ultraviolet light emitting diode enters the light guide plate from the light incident surface, and is emitted through the light emitting surface and excites the photoreactive layer to generate the second light. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 6, wherein the display unit is arranged between the convex lens unit and the light guide plate, and the second light passes through the iris area and the convex lens unit. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 6, wherein the first adhesive layer is disposed between the convex lens unit and the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate, and the luminous eyeball further comprises: a second adhesive layer disposed between the bottom surface of the light guide plate and the display unit; a sphere having a concave portion, wherein the display unit, the second adhesive layer and the light guide plate are disposed in the concave portion; and a light shielding layer disposed on the sphere and surrounding the periphery of the convex lens unit. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 1 further includes: A light-reflecting layer having a light-entering surface and a light-emitting surface, the light-emitting surface being connected to the convex lens unit, and the first adhesive layer being disposed between the light-reflecting layer and the display unit; A light-emitting unit being disposed adjacent to the light-entering surface of the light-reflecting layer, the light-emitting unit comprising at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode, the light emitted by the at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode being incident on the light-reflecting layer from the light-entering surface and stimulating the light-reflecting layer to generate the second light, and the second light passing through the convex lens unit via the light-emitting surface; A sphere having a concave portion, the display unit being disposed in the concave portion; and A light-shielding layer is disposed on the first adhesive layer and surrounds the light-reactive layer and the periphery of the convex lens unit. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 1, wherein the convex lens unit includes a biconvex lens, and the luminous eyeball further includes: A photoreactive layer, disposed on the surface of the convex lens unit facing the display unit; A light-emitting unit, disposed in the first adhesive layer, the light-emitting unit includes at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode, the at least one ultraviolet light-emitting diode emits light incident on the fluorescent layer and excites the photoreactive layer to generate the second light; A sphere, having a concave portion, the display unit, the first adhesive layer and the light-emitting unit are disposed in the concave portion; and A light-shielding layer, disposed on the first adhesive layer and surrounding the periphery of the convex lens unit. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 3 further comprises: A light-emitting unit, the display unit further having a back surface opposite to the display surface, the light-emitting unit having a plurality of light-emitting diodes arranged around the sensor unit, the light-emitting diodes emitting the second light passing through the iris area and the convex lens unit. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 4 or 5 further comprises: A control unit electrically connected to the sensor unit and the display unit; Wherein, when the sensor unit senses that the brightness of the first light is lower than the critical value, it outputs a sensing signal, and the control unit controls the iris area of the display unit to emit the second light according to the sensing signal. The luminous eyeball as described in any one of claims 7 to 11 further comprises: A control unit electrically connected to the sensor unit and the display unit; Wherein, when the sensor unit senses that the brightness of the first light is lower than the critical value, it outputs a sensing signal, and the control unit controls the light-emitting unit to emit the second light according to the sensing signal. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 1, wherein the transmission area is provided with a plurality of pixels, a portion of each pixel is a light-transmitting area, and the light-transmitting areas form the transmission area, the display unit further has a back surface opposite to the display surface, the sensor unit is arranged on the back surface, and a top surface of the sensor unit faces the transmission area. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 1, wherein the transmission area is a light-transmitting area without pixels, the display unit further has a back surface opposite to the display surface, the sensor unit is arranged on the back surface, and a top surface of the sensor unit faces the transmission area. The luminous eyeball as described in claim 1, wherein the passing area is provided with a through hole, the sensor unit is arranged in the through hole, and one top surface of the sensor unit faces the opening of the through hole. A robot comprises: a head; and a luminous eyeball disposed on the head, the luminous eyeball comprising: a convex lens unit; a display unit disposed corresponding to the convex lens unit, the display unit having a display surface facing the convex lens unit, the display surface having a transmission area; a first adhesive layer disposed between the convex lens unit and the display unit; and a sensor unit disposed on the display unit, and the sensor unit is disposed corresponding to the position of the transmission area; wherein, when the sensor unit senses that the brightness of a first light incident through the convex lens unit and the transmission area is lower than a critical value, the luminous eyeball emits a second light passing through the convex lens unit.