Time of flight assembly for controlling laser light source to be turned off, terminal device and control method for time of flight assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11650292-B2
Application number	US-201916726608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2019
Priority date	Mar 25, 2019
Publication date	May 16, 2023
Grant date	May 16, 2023

Abstract

A time of flight (TOF) assembly includes a laser light source, one or more photo detectors and a detection circuit. The one or more photo detectors are configured to receive light and convert the received light into an electric signal. The detection circuit is configured to send a turning-off control signal to turn off the laser light source in response to the electric signal indicating that a time length, in which the laser light source is in an effective working state within a first duration, is greater than a preset time length threshold value or the electric signal indicating that energy of light emitted from the laser light source within a second duration is greater than a preset energy threshold. The disclosure also provides a terminal device and a control method for a TOF assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A time of flight (TOF) assembly for controlling a laser light source to be turned off, comprising:
the laser light source;
one or more photo detectors, configured to receive light and convert the received light into a third electric signal, wherein a first electric signal converted from the light received by the one or more photo detectors is acquired before the laser light source is turned on, a second electric signal converted from the light received by the one or more photo detectors is acquired after the laser light source is turned on, and an amplitude of the first electric signal is subtracted from an amplitude of the second electric signal to obtain the third electric signal; and
a detection circuit, configured to send a turning-off control signal to turn off the laser light source, in response to the third electric signal indicating that a time length, in which the laser light source is in an effective working state within a first duration, is greater than a preset time length threshold value, or the third electric signal indicating that energy of light emitted from the laser light source within a second duration is greater than a preset energy threshold value,
wherein the TOF assembly further comprises an emission housing provided with a receiving cavity, wherein the laser light source is received in the receiving cavity; and
wherein the one or more detectors comprise a plurality of photo detectors, wherein at least one of the plurality of photo detectors is arranged in the receiving cavity and configured to, after the laser light source is turned on, receive infrared laser reflected by an optical element or an inner wall of the emission housing and light in an external environment to generate the second electric signal, and at least another one of the plurality of photo detectors is arranged outside the receiving cavity and configured to, before the laser light source is turned on, receive the light in the external environment to generate the first electric signal.

2. The TOF assembly of claim 1 , wherein in response to the third electric signal indicating that a continuous time length, in which the laser light source is in the effective working state within the first duration, is greater than the preset time length threshold value, the detection circuit is configured to send the turning-off control signal to turn off the laser light source; or
in response to the third electric signal indicating that a total time length, in which the laser light source is in the effective working state within the first duration, is greater than the preset time length threshold value, the detection circuit is configured to send the turning-off control signal to turn off the laser light source.

3. The TOF assembly of claim 1 , wherein the third electric signal having an amplitude greater than a first preset amplitude threshold value indicates that the laser light source is in the effective working state; or
the third electric signal having an amplitude less than a second preset amplitude threshold value indicates that the laser light source is in the effective working state.

4. The TOF assembly of claim 1 , wherein when an integral of an amplitude of the third electric signal within the second duration is greater than a preset third threshold value, the third electric signal indicates that the energy of the light emitted from the laser light source is greater than the preset energy threshold value.

5. The TOF assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an emission housing provided with a receiving cavity, wherein the laser light source is received in the receiving cavity, and the one or more photo detectors are received in the receiving cavity.

6. The TOF assembly of claim 5 , wherein the photo detectors are arranged on an inner wall of the emission housing; or
the TOF assembly further comprises a substrate, and the photo detectors are arranged on the substrate.

7. The TOF assembly of claim 5 , wherein a light absorption layer is arranged on an inner wall of the emission housing.

8. The TOF assembly of claim 5 , wherein a light reflection layer is arranged on an inner wall of the emission housing.

9. The TOF assembly of claim 5 , wherein a light condensing mechanism is arranged in the receiving cavity, and is used to condense light incident on the light condensing mechanism to the one or more photo detectors.

10. The TOF assembly of claim 5 , wherein the one or more detectors comprise a plurality of photo detectors, at least two of the plurality of photo detectors being arranged to be symmetric about the laser light source.

11. The TOF assembly of claim 5 , wherein the one or more detectors comprise a plurality of photo detectors; and
wherein one of the plurality of photo detectors is in a working state, or
at least two of the plurality of photo detectors are in the working state.

12. The TOF assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a light filter member, wherein the light filter member is arranged on a light path of the light received by the one or more photo detectors.

13. The TOF assembly of claim 12 , wherein a wavelength interval of light that can be transmitted through the light filter member matches a wavelength of laser light emitted by the laser light source.

14. The TOF assembly of claim 13 , further comprising an emission housing provided with a receiving cavity and a light outlet, wherein the laser light source is received in the receiving cavity, the one or more photo detectors are received in the receiving cavity, and the light filter member covers the light outlet.

15. The TOF assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an optical element, wherein the optical element is arranged on an emergent light path of the laser light source, and the one or more photo detectors are configured to receive laser light reflected by the optical element.

16. The TOF assembly of claim 15 , wherein the optical element comprises a diffuser.

17. The TOF assembly of claim 1 , wherein the time length threshold value or the energy threshold value is set according to at least one of: a distance between the TOF assembly and a target object; or
an intensity of ambient light.

18. A terminal device, comprising:
a shell; and
a time of flight (TOF) assembly, the TOF assembly being mounted in the shell,
wherein the TOF assembly comprises:
a laser light source;
one or more photo detectors, configured to receive light and convert the received light into a third electric signal, wherein a first electric signal converted from the light received by the one or more photo detectors is acquired before the laser light source is turned on, a second electric signal converted from the one or more light received by the photo detectors is acquired after the laser light source is turned on, and an amplitude of the first electric signal is subtracted from an amplitude of the second electric signal to obtain the third electric signal; and
a detection circuit, configured to send a turning-off control signal to turn off the laser light source, in response to the third electric signal indicating that a time length, in which the laser light source is in an effective working state within a first duration, is greater than a preset time length threshold value, or the third electric signal indicating that energy of light emitted from the laser light source within a second duration is greater than a preset energy threshold value,
wherein the TOF assembly further comprises an emission housing provided with a receiving cavity, wherein the laser light source is received in the

Assignees

• Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Wei
• Chen Biao

Classifications

• G01S7/484

  Transmitters · CPC title

• H01S5/06213

  Amplitude modulation · CPC title

• H04M1/0264

  for a camera module assembly · CPC title

• G01S17/08

  for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) · CPC title

• G01S7/481 Primary

  Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements · CPC title