Optoelectronic modules for distance measurements and supplemental measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10466355-B2
Application number	US-201715687884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

An optoelectronic module includes a first light emitter operable to emit radiation at a first wavelength toward an object outside the module. The module also includes demodulation pixels operable to detect radiation of the first wavelength reflected from the object. One or more processors are operable to determine a distance to the object based on the radiation detected by the demodulation pixels. The module is further operable to perform a supplemental measurement other than distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an optoelectronic module comprising:
a light emitter operable to emit light from the module toward an object outside the module at a first modulation frequency and at a second modulation frequency different from the first modulation frequency; and
demodulation pixels operable to detect light reflected from the object at the first modulation frequency and at the second modulation frequency; and

one or more processors collectively operable to:
subtract out a component in signals detected by the demodulation pixels, wherein the component is caused by a reflection from an element, other than the object, in or on the optoelectronic module or host device in which the optoelectronic module is disposed, so as to determine a phase shift and amplitude resulting from light reflected by the object;
determine that the object is within a predetermined distance range by determining the distance to the object based at least in part on the phase shift resulting from light reflected by the object;
execute an object signal-recognition protocol using signals detected by the demodulation pixels; and
subsequently initiate execution of a supplemental measurement in response to the object signal-recognition protocol determining that the object satisfies predetermined criteria.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are operable to execute the object signal-recognition protocol using the distance to the object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are operable to execute the object signal-recognition protocol using the amplitude resulting from the light reflected by the object.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are operable to execute the object signal-recognition protocol using the distance to the object and using the amplitude resulting from the light reflected by the object.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are operable to use vector manipulation to subtract out the phase shift caused by the reflection from the element in the optoelectronic module or host device in which the optoelectronic module is disposed.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the reflection is from a smudge on a cover glass of the host device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the supplemental measurement includes a measurement of pulse.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the optoelectronic module is operable to perform the supplemental measurement.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are operable to determine whether the amplitude resulting from the light reflected by the object is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold intensity value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the one or more processors are operable to initiate execution of the supplemental measurement protocol upon determination that the amplitude resulting from the light reflected by the object is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold intensity value.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are operable to determine whether the amplitude resulting from the light reflected by the object is less than a predetermined threshold intensity value.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the one or more processors are operable to initiate execution of an alert protocol upon determination that the amplitude resulting from light reflected by the object is less than the predetermined threshold intensity value.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are operable to trigger execution of the supplemental measurement in response to the object signal-recognition protocol recognizing a gesture as a click of a cover glass of a host device in which the module is disposed.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are operable to trigger execution of the supplemental measurement in response to the object signal-recognition protocol recognizing a gesture as a multi-click of a cover glass of a host device in which the module is disposed.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optoelectronic module is operable to execute the supplemental measurement.

16. The module of claim 1 wherein the supplemental measurement is a heart rate measurement.

17. The module of claim 1 wherein the supplemental measurement is a blood oxygen measurement.

Assignees

• Ams Sensors Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Buettgen Bernhard
• Geiger Jens
• Kiy Michael
• Chidley Oliver
• Rossi Markus

Classifications

• G01S2007/4975

  of sensor obstruction by, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating, e.g. by reflection measurement on front-screen · CPC title

• G01S7/4815

  using multiple transmitters · CPC title

• A61B5/02416

  using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation (A61B5/14552 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• A61B5/14551

  for measuring blood gases · CPC title