Optical proximity sensor and associated user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020089326-A1
Application number	US-201916694018-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2019
Priority date	Oct 14, 2012
Publication date	Mar 19, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor, including light emitters projecting directed light beams, light detectors interleaved with the light emitters, lenses, each lens oriented relative to a respective one of the light detectors such that the light detector receives maximum intensity when light enters the lens at an angle b, whereby, for each emitter E, there exist corresponding target positions p(E, D) along the path of the light from emitter E, at which an object located at any of the target positions reflects the light projected by emitter E towards a respective one of detectors D at angle b, and a processor storing a reflection value R(E, D) for each co-activated emitter-detector pair (E, D), based on an amount of light reflected by an object located at p(E, D) and detected by detector D, and calculating a location of an object based on the reflection values and target positions.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A proximity sensor for detecting presence of objects in three-dimensional space, comprising:
a housing; a PCB in said housing; a plurality of light emitters, denoted E, mounted on said PCB in a curved arrangement, each light emitter projecting a directed light beam out of said housing at a particular angle relative to the plane of the PCB; a plurality of light detectors, denoted E, mounted on said PCB and interleaved with said light emitters in the curved arrangement; a plurality of lenses, each lens oriented relative to a respective one of said light detectors in such a manner that the light detector receives maximum intensity when light enters the lens at a particular angle, denoted b, whereby, for each emitter E i , there exists a positive integer j, and a plurality of corresponding target positions p(E i , D i,1 ), . . . , p(E i , D i,j ) along the path of the directed light beam from emitter E i , at which an object located at any of the target positions will reflect the light projected by emitter E i towards a respective one of detectors D i,1 , . . . , D i,j at angle b, wherein all target positions p(E, D) are located in a 3D volume above said housing; and a processor connected to said emitters and to said detectors, operable (i) to synchronously activate each emitter with one or more of said detectors, each synchronously activated emitter, E, and detector, D, denoted an emitter-detector pair (E, D), (ii) to store a reflection value R(E, D) for each synchronously activated emitter-detector pair (E, D), based on an amount of light reflected by an object located at target position p(E, D) and detected by detector D when the pair (E, D) is synchronously activated, (iii) to associate the reflection value R(E, D) with the target position p(E, D), and (iv) to calculate a location of an object in the 3D volume based on the reflection values R(E, D) and the target positions p(E, D).

22 . The proximity sensor of claim 21 , wherein said processor is further configured to generate a map of reflection values Rp at positions p in the 3D volume, corresponding to the derived reflection values R(E, D) and the target positions p(E, D).

23 . The proximity sensor of claim 22 , wherein said processor is further configured to identify a partial contour of the object in the 3D volume based on the generated map of reflection values.

24 . The proximity sensor of claim 21 , wherein said processor is further configured to detect in-air gestures performed by the object in the 3D volume based on the reflection values R(E, D), generated over a time interval, and the target positions p(E, D).

25 . The proximity sensor of claim 21 , wherein said processor is further configured to identify a size of the object in the 3D volume based on the reflection values R(E, D) and the target positions p(E, D).

26 . The proximity sensor of claim 21 , wherein the curved arrangement is circular.

27 . The proximity sensor of claim 21 , wherein the curved arrangement is wave-shaped.

28 . A method for sensing an object within three-dimensional space, comprising:
arranging a plurality of light emitters E and light detectors D along a planar curve; arranging a plurality of lenses, such that light from each light emitter E is directed by a respective lens as a beam at a particular angle relative to the plane of the curve, and each light detector D receives maximum intensity when light enters a respective lens at a particular angle, denoted b, whereby, for each emitter E i , there exists a positive integer j, and a plurality of corresponding target positions p(E i , D i,1 ), . . . , p(E i , D i,j ) along the path of the directed light beam from emitter E i , at which an object will reflect the light projected by emitter E i towards a respective one of detectors D i,1 , . . . , D i,j at angle b, wherein all target positions p(E, D) are located in a 3D volume; synchronously activating each emitter with one or more of the detectors, each synchronously activated emitter, E, and detector, D, denoted an emitter-detector pair (E, D); determining a reflection value R(E, D) for each emitter-detector pair (E, D), based on an amount of light reflected by the object located at target position p(E, D) and detected by detector D, and associating the reflection value R(E, D) with the target position p(E, D); and detecting an object based on the reflection values R(E, D) and the target positions p(E, D).

29 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising, generating a map of reflection values Rp at positions p in the 3D volume, corresponding to the derived reflection values R(E, D) and the target positions p(E, D).

30 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising identifying a partial contour of the object in the 3D volume based on the generated map of reflection values.

31 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising, identifying in-air gestures performed by the object in the 3D volume based on the reflection values R(E, D), generated over a time interval, and the target positions p(E, D).

32 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising identifying a size of the object in the 3D volume based on the reflection values R(E, D) and the target positions p(E, D).

33 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the plurality of light emitters and light detectors is arranged in a circle.

34 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the plurality of light emitters and light detectors is arranged along a wave-shaped curve.

Assignees

• Neonode Inc

Inventors

• Eriksson Björn Thomas
• Jubner Björn Alexander
• Teymourzadeh Rozita
• Andersson Håkan Sven Erik
• Rosengren Per Carl Sture
• Wang Xiatao
• Holmgren Stefan Johannes
• Fröjdh Gunnar Martin
• Hartman Jan Tomas
• Sverud Per Oscar
• Kim Sangtaek
• Dahl-Örn Rasmus
• Berglind Tom Richard
• Nordström Karl Erik Patrik
• Sparf Lars Bertil
• Rosengren Erik Anders Claes
• Karlsson John Elis Gösta
• Behdasht Remo
• Åman Robin Kjell
• Shain Joseph

Classifications

• G06F3/042

  by opto-electronic means · CPC title

• G06F3/0421

  by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/0428

  by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual (sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421) · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title