Optical module, electronic device, and method for driving optical module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016116336-A1
Application number	US-201514923557-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 27, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is an optical module including a wavelength-selective interference filter capable of selecting light of a predetermined wavelength from incident light and changing the wavelength of emitted light, a rolling shutter capturing element in which a light receiving process including a light exposing period for accumulating charges as well as a light blocking period for outputting a detection signal corresponding to the charges accumulated during the light exposing period is sequentially performed in a delayed manner per pixel row configured of a plurality of pixels, and a filter drive unit controlling a wavelength changing drive of the wavelength-selective interference filter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical module comprising:
a spectroscopic element that is capable of selecting light of a predetermined wavelength from incident light and changing the wavelength of emitted light; a rolling shutter capturing element that includes pixels accumulating charges when being exposed to the emitted light and in which a light receiving process including a light exposing period for accumulating charges at the pixels as well as a light blocking period for outputting a detection signal corresponding to the charges accumulated during the light exposing period is sequentially performed in a delayed manner per pixel block configured of a plurality of the pixels; and a spectroscopic control unit that controls a wavelength changing drive of changing the wavelength of the emitted light in the spectroscopic element, wherein the capturing element includes, as a plurality of pixel blocks overlapping with a predetermined region set in a light reception region for the emitted light, an initial pixel block where the light receiving process is initially performed and a last pixel block where the light receiving process is lastly performed, and the spectroscopic control unit performs the wavelength changing drive during a period from end of the light exposing period in the last pixel block until subsequent start of the light exposing period in the initial pixel block.

2 . The optical module according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a setting unit that obtains the light reception region on the basis of the detection signal from the capturing element and sets the predetermined region on the basis of the light reception region.

3 . The optical module according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a capture control unit that causes the light receiving process to be performed in all of the pixel blocks which the capturing element includes.

4 . The optical module according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a capture control unit that causes the light receiving process to be performed in a plurality of pixel blocks overlapping with the predetermined region of all of the pixel blocks which the capturing element includes.

5 . An electronic device comprising:
a spectroscopic element that is capable of selecting light of a predetermined wavelength from incident light and changing the wavelength of emitted light; a rolling shutter capturing element that includes pixels accumulating charges when being exposed to the emitted light and in which a light receiving process including a light exposing period for accumulating charges at the pixels as well as a light blocking period for outputting a detection signal corresponding to the charges accumulated during the light exposing period is sequentially performed in a delayed manner per pixel block configured of a plurality of the pixels; a spectroscopic control unit that controls a wavelength changing drive of changing the wavelength of the emitted light in the spectroscopic element; and a processing unit that performs processing based on the detection signal, wherein the capturing element includes, as a plurality of pixel blocks overlapping with a predetermined region set in a light reception region for the emitted light, an initial pixel block where the light receiving process is initially performed and a last pixel block where the light receiving process is lastly performed, and the spectroscopic control unit performs the wavelength changing drive during a period from end of the light exposing period in the last pixel block until subsequent start of the light exposing period in the initial pixel block.

6 . A method for driving an optical module that includes
a spectroscopic element which is capable of selecting light of a predetermined wavelength from incident light and changing the wavelength of emitted light, and a rolling shutter capturing element which includes pixels accumulating charges when being exposed to the emitted light and in which a light receiving process including a light exposing period for accumulating charges at the pixels as well as a light blocking period for outputting a detection signal corresponding to the charges accumulated during the light exposing period is sequentially performed in a delayed manner per pixel block configured of a plurality of the pixels, wherein the capturing element includes, as a plurality of pixel blocks overlapping with a predetermined region set in a light reception region for the emitted light, an initial pixel block where the light receiving process is initially performed and a last pixel block where the light receiving process is lastly performed, and the method comprises: accumulating charges in a delayed manner by a predetermined time at the pixels of a plurality of pixel blocks, of all of the pixel blocks that the capturing element includes, including the pixel blocks overlapping with the predetermined region included in the light reception region for the emitted light; and performing a wavelength changing drive of changing the wavelength of the emitted light on the spectroscopic element during a period from end of the light exposing period in the last pixel block until subsequent start of the light exposing period in the initial pixel block.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Zhao Danjun
• Tatsuda Tetsuo

Classifications

• G01J3/26

  using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters · CPC title

• G01J3/0232 Primary

  using shutters · CPC title

• G01J3/027

  Control of working procedures of a spectrometer; Failure detection; Bandwidth calculation · CPC title

• G03B7/00

  Control of exposure by setting shutters, diaphragms or filters, separately or conjointly (control of exposure in television cameras by means of circuitry influencing the optical part of the camera H04N23/75) · CPC title

• G01J3/2823

  Imaging spectrometer · CPC title