Optoelectronic module operable for distance measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018149751-A1
Application number	US-201615578350-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 11, 2016
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	May 31, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various optoelectronic modules are described that include an emitter operable to produce light (e.g., electromagnetic radiation in the visible or non-visible ranges), an emitter optical assembly aligned with the emitter so as to illuminate an object outside the module with light produced by the emitter, a detector operable to detect light at one or more wavelengths produced by the emitter, and a detector optical assembly aligned with the detector so as to direct light reflected by the object toward the detector. In some implementations, the modules include features for expanding or shifting the linear photocurrent response of the detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optoelectronic module comprising:
an emitter operable to produce light; an emitter optical assembly aligned with the emitter so as to illuminate an object outside the module with light produced by the emitter; a detector operable to detect light at one or more wavelengths produced by the emitter; and a detector optical assembly aligned with the detector so as to direct light reflected by the object toward the detector; the emitter optical assembly and the emitter being operable to expand or shift a linear photocurrent response of the detector, wherein the linear photocurrent response detected by the detector is correlated to a distance between the optoelectronic module and the object.

2 . The optoelectronic module of claim 1 wherein the emitter optical assembly includes an anamorphic lens element, the optical assembly and the emitter being operable to tilt an emitter field of view toward the detector.

3 . The optoelectronic module of claim 1 , the optical assembly and the emitter being operable to cast an illumination of laterally varying intensity onto the object.

4 . The optoelectronic module of claim 1 wherein the emitter optical assembly includes an optical element operable to cast an illumination having discrete illumination features.

5 . The optoelectronic module of claim 4 wherein the optical element includes a diffractive optical element.

6 . The optoelectronic module of claim 4 wherein each one of the discrete illumination features is operable to produce a respective stepped photocurrent response when detected by the detector.

7 . The optoelectronic module of claim 4 wherein at least one of the discrete illumination features has an intensity that differs from another one of the discrete illumination features.

8 . The optoelectronic module of claim 1 wherein illumination from the module cast on the object includes geometric shapes or a series of shapes.

9 . An optoelectronic module comprising:
an emitter operable to produce light; an emitter optical assembly aligned with the emitter so as to illuminate an object outside the module with light produced by the emitter; a detector operable to detect light at one or more wavelengths produced by the emitter; and a detector optical assembly aligned with the detector so as to direct light reflected by the object toward the detector, wherein the optoelectronic module is operable in a first mode and in a second mode, wherein, in the first mode, an increase in lateral overlap of an emitter field of view and a detector field of view results in an increase in intensity of light reflected from the object and collected by the detector, wherein a photocurrent response of the detector is correlated to a distance between the optoelectronic module and the object, and wherein, in the second mode, the detector detects a phase shift based on light reflected from the object, the phase shift being correlated to a distance between the optoelectronic module and the object.

10 . The optoelectronic module of claim 9 wherein the module operates in the first mode when the distance between the module and the object correlates to a linear region of the detector's photocurrent response, and wherein the module is activated to operate in the second mode when the distance between the module and the object correlates to a non-linear region of the detector's photocurrent response.

11 . An optoelectronic module comprising:
a plurality of emitters operable to produce light; an emitter optical assembly aligned with the emitters so as to illuminate an object outside the module with light produced by the emitters; a detector operable to detect light at one or more wavelengths produced by the emitters; and a detector optical assembly aligned with the detector so as to direct light reflected by the object toward the detector, wherein the module is configured so that a first one of the emitters is activated for detecting the object at a first distance range from the module, and a second one of the emitters is activated for detecting the object at a second distance range from the module.

12 . The optoelectronic module of claim 11 wherein the emitters are operable to be activated sequentially.

13 . The optoelectronic module of claim 11 wherein the emitters are operable to produce light of different wavelengths from one another.

14 . The optoelectronic module of claim 11 further including a cover glass disposed over the detector optical assembly and emitter optical assembly.

15 . The optoelectronic module of claim 14 further including a spectral filter mounted onto the cover glass, the spectral filter being mounted over the detector optical assembly and/or the emitter optical assembly.

Assignees

• Heptagon Micro Optics Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Geiger Jens
• Roentgen Peter
• Rossi Markus
• Eilertsen James

Classifications

• G01S7/4814

  of transmitters alone · CPC title

• G01S17/46 Primary

  Indirect determination of position data · CPC title

• G01S17/36

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

• G01S7/4813 Primary

  Housing arrangements · CPC title

• G01S7/4815

  using multiple transmitters · CPC title