Optical proximity sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11073948-B2
Application number	US-202016739142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2020
Priority date	Oct 14, 2012
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A modular proximity sensor including a plurality of sensor modules, each sensor module including a housing, lenses, light detectors, each detector positioned along the image plane of a respective lens so as to receive maximum light intensity when light enters the lens at a particular angle, light emitters, each emitter positioned in relation to a respective lens so as to project light into a detection zone, an activating unit synchronously co-activating each emitter with at least one of the detectors, and a calculating unit receiving detector outputs corresponding to amounts of projected light reflected by an object in the detection zone, and calculating a two-dimensional location of the object in the detection zone based on the detector outputs and the particular angle, wherein neighboring sensor modules monitor different detection zones, and a processor receiving outputs from each sensor module and mapping the object location in multiple detection zones over time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular proximity sensor comprising:
a plurality of sensor modules, each sensor module comprising:
a housing;
an array of lenses mounted in said housing;
a plurality of light detectors mounted in said housing, each detector being positioned along the image plane of a respective one of said lenses so as to receive maximum light intensity when light enters the lens at a particular angle;
a plurality of light emitters mounted in said housing, each emitter being positioned in relation to a respective one of said lenses so as to project light in a directed beam out of said housing into a detection zone;
an activating unit mounted in said housing and connected to said emitters and detectors, synchronously co-activating each emitter with at least one of said detectors; and
a calculating unit receiving outputs from said detectors corresponding to amounts of projected light reflected by an object in the detection zone to said detectors, and calculating a two-dimensional location of the object in the detection zone based on the detector outputs and the particular angle,

wherein neighboring sensor modules monitor different detection zones; and
a processor receiving outputs from each of said sensor modules and mapping the object location in multiple detection zones over time.

2. The modular proximity sensor of claim 1 , wherein said processor is configured to identify a gesture performed by the object across the multiple detection zones over time.

3. The modular proximity sensor of claim 1 , wherein said sensor modules are configured to be repeatedly rearranged in relation to one another.

4. The modular proximity sensor of claim 1 , wherein said processor is located outside said sensor modules.

5. The modular proximity sensor of claim 1 , wherein said sensor modules are arranged in a row.

6. The modular proximity sensor of claim 1 , wherein said light emitters and said light detectors comprise diodes, and wherein no light transmissive material separates the diodes from said lenses.

Assignees

• Neonode Inc

Inventors

• Holmgren Stefan Johannes
• Iyer Sairam
• Berglind Tom Richard
• Nordström Karl Erik Patrik
• Sparf Lars Bertil
• Rosengren Per Carl Sture
• Rosengren Erik Anders Claes
• Karlsson John Elis Gösta
• Eriksson Björn Thomas
• Jubner Björn Alexander
• Behdasht Remo
• Fellin Simon Greger
• Åman Robin Kjell
• Shain Joseph

Classifications

• G01S17/48 Primary

  Active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01J1/0411

  using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction · CPC title

• G01S7/4811

  common to transmitter and receiver · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• A63F13/21

  characterised by their sensors, purposes or types · CPC title