Optoelectronic modules operable to recognize spurious reflections and to compensate for errors caused by spurious reflections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11543505-B2
Application number	US-202016895231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2020
Priority date	Mar 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

An optoelectronic module including a light emitter to generate light to be emitted from the module; a plurality of spatially distributed light sensitive elements arranged to detect light from the emitter that is reflected by an object outside the module; and one or more dedicated spurious-reflection detection pixels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optoelectronic module comprising:
a light emission chamber and a light detection chamber;
a first passive optical element disposed over the light emission chamber and a second passive optical element disposed over the light detection chamber;
a light emitter in the light emission chamber operable to emit light toward the first passive optical element;
a plurality of demodulation pixels in the light detection chamber arranged to detect emitter light that is reflected by an object outside the module back into the module;
one or more spurious-reflection detection pixels in the light detection chamber; and
one or more light redirecting elements in or on the second passive optical element arranged to redirect at least some light impinging on the second passive optical element toward the one or more spurious-reflection detection pixels and away from the demodulation pixels.

2. The optoelectronic module of claim 1 wherein each of the light redirecting elements is a diffractive or refractive element.

3. An optoelectronic module comprising:
a light emission chamber and a light detection chamber;
a first passive optical element disposed over the light emission chamber and a second passive optical element disposed over the light detection chamber;
a light emitter in the light emission chamber operable to emit light toward the first passive optical element;
a plurality of demodulation pixels in the light detection chamber arranged to detect emitter light that is reflected by an object outside the module back into the module;
one or more spurious-reflection detection pixels in the light detection chamber; and
one or more light redirecting elements in or on the first passive optical element arranged to redirect at least some emitter light impinging on the first passive optical element toward a pre-defined area.

4. The optoelectronic module of claim 3 wherein each of the light redirecting elements is arranged to redirect at least some of the emitter light toward a particular respective region of a transmissive cover of a host device in which the module is disposed.

5. The optoelectronic module of claim 3 wherein each of the light redirecting elements is a refractive or diffractive element.

Assignees

• Ams Sensors Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Kubacki Jens
• Lewis Jim
• Vaello Paños Miguel Bruno
• Lehmann Michael
• Beer Stephan
• Buettgen Bernhard
• Pérez Calero Daniel
• Hallal Bassam

Classifications

• G01S17/36 Primary

  with phase comparison between the received signal and the contemporaneously transmitted signal · CPC title

• G01S7/497 Primary

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title

• G01S7/4813

  Housing arrangements · CPC title

• G01J1/0204

  Compact construction · CPC title

• G01J1/0214

  Constructional arrangements for removing stray light · CPC title