Lens cleaning via electrowetting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11693235-B2
Application number	US-202117165895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2021
Priority date	May 10, 2017
Publication date	Jul 4, 2023
Grant date	Jul 4, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus includes a mass detection circuit coupled to a surface covered with a plurality of electrodes. The mass detection circuit is configured to detect a mass of a first droplet present on the surface. The apparatus further includes a transducer circuit coupled to a transducer, which is coupled to the surface and form a lens unit. The transducer circuit configured to excite a first vibration of the surface at a resonant frequency to form a high displacement region on the surface. The apparatus also includes a voltage excitation circuit coupled to the plurality of electrodes. In response to the detection of the mass of the first droplet, the voltage excitation circuit is configured to apply a sequence of differential voltages on one or more consecutive electrodes which moves the first droplet to the high displacement region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a lens having a surface with electrodes;
a mass detection circuit coupled to the surface of the lens, wherein the mass detection circuit is configured to detect a first droplet present on the surface, and calculate a mass of the first droplet by measuring a change in capacitance between a consecutive pair of electrodes;
a transducer circuit coupled to the surface, wherein the transducer circuit is configured to excite a first vibration of the surface at a resonant frequency to form a high displacement region on the surface, wherein the transducer and the surface form a lens unit;
a voltage excitation circuit coupled to the electrodes and configured to detect the location of the first droplet, wherein in response to the calculation of the mass and location of the first droplet, the voltage excitation circuit is configured to apply a sequence of differential voltages on one or more consecutive electrodes to move the first droplet to the high displacement region; and
a memory circuit coupled to the transducer circuit, the mass detection circuit, and the voltage excitation circuit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transducer circuit is further configured to monitor a change in the resonant frequency of the lens unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein responsive to moving the first droplet to the high displacement region, the transducer circuit is further configured to excite a second vibration at a second frequency to atomize the first droplet and generate a second droplet, the second droplet having a smaller volume than the volume of the first droplet.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the transducer circuit is further configured to monitor a change in the resonant frequency of the surface, and in response to a determination that the mass of the second droplet exceeds a threshold value, the voltage excitation circuit is further configured to apply a second sequence of differential voltages to move the second droplet to the high displacement region.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the mass detection circuit is further configured to calculate the mass of the second droplet size, and wherein in response to a determination that the mass of the second is lower than a threshold value, the voltage excitation circuit is further configured to heat the surface to evaporate the second droplet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the high displacement region is at a center of the surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mass detection circuit is further configured to detect a first position of the first droplet on the surface by detecting a change in capacitance between a pair of electrodes located on the first position of the droplet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the location of the high displacement region is stored in the memory circuit.

9. An apparatus, comprising:
a mass detection circuit coupled to a surface covered with electrodes, wherein the mass detection circuit is configured to detect a first droplet present on the surface, and calculate a mass of the first droplet by measuring a change in capacitance between a consecutive pair of electrodes, and compare the mass of the first droplet with a first mass threshold value;
a transducer circuit coupled to the surface, the transducer circuit including a transducer configured to excite a first vibration of the surface at a resonant frequency to form a high displacement region on the surface, wherein the transducer and surface form a lens unit, and wherein in response to a determination that the mass is greater than the first mass threshold value, the transducer circuit is further configured to excite a vibration at a first frequency of the surface to atomize the first droplet to generate a second droplet, the second droplet having a smaller volume than the volume of the first droplet;
a voltage excitation circuit coupled to the electrodes and configured to detect the location of the second droplet, wherein in response to the detection of a mass and location of the second droplet, the voltage excitation circuit is configured to apply a sequence of differential voltages on one or more consecutive electrodes to move the second droplet to the high displacement region, and wherein in response to moving the second droplet, the transducer is further configured to excite a second vibration at a second frequency to atomize the second droplet to generate a third droplet, the third droplet having a smaller volume than the volume of the second droplet; and
a memory circuit coupled to the transducer circuit, the mass detection circuit, and the voltage excitation circuit.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the transducer circuit is further configured to monitor a change in a resonant frequency of the lens unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the mass detection circuit is further configured to calculate a mass of the third droplet, and wherein in response to a determination that the mass of the third droplet is less than a second threshold value, the voltage excitation circuit is further configured to heat the surface to evaporate the third droplet.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the high displacement region is at a center of the surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the mass detection circuit is further configured to:
detect a first position of the first droplet on the surface;
detect a second position of the second droplet on the surface; and
detect a third position of the third droplet on the surface by detecting a change in capacitance between a pair of electrodes located at the first position, the second position, and the third position.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the location of the high displacement region is stored in the memory circuit.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the location of a low displacement region on the surface is stored in the memory circuit.

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Revier Daniel Lee
• Cook Benjamin Stassen
• Magee David Patrick
• Fedigan Stephen John

Classifications

• G01D5/2405

  by varying dielectric · CPC title

• G01H13/00 Primary

  Measuring resonant frequency · CPC title

• B08B7/028

  Using ultrasounds · CPC title

• G02B27/0006 Primary

  with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title