Proximity sensor with a sliced integration time sensing mechanism and sensing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021185784-A1
Application number	US-202016833773-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2020
Priority date	Dec 11, 2019
Publication date	Jun 17, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A proximity sensor with a sliced integration time sensing mechanism and a sensing method thereof are provided. A light transmitter emits a sensing light toward a detected object during a first phase time. A light receiver receives a first light signal formed by the sensing light reflected by the detected object and an ambient light during the first phase time, and receives a second light signal of the ambient light during a second phase time. A first brightness of the first light signal is integrated over the first phase time to form a first integrated brightness value. A second brightness of the second light signal is integrated over the second phase time to form a second integrated brightness value. The light receiver subtracts the second integrated brightness value from the first integrated brightness value to obtain a first integrated brightness correction value by phase cancellation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A proximity sensor with a sliced integration time sensing mechanism, wherein the proximity sensor is disposed in an electronic device and applicable to sense a distance between the electronic device and a detected object, the proximity sensor comprising:
a light transmitter configured to emit a sensing light toward the detected object during a first phase time, wherein an integration time indicated by an integration time signal is divided into a plurality of phase times including the first phase time and a second phase time; and a light receiver disposed in a path along which the sensing light is reflected by the detected object, configured to receive a first light signal formed by the sensing light reflected by the detected object and an ambient light during the first phase time, and configured to receive a second light signal of the ambient light during the second phase time; wherein a first brightness of the first light signal is integrated over the first phase time to form a first integrated brightness value, a second brightness of the second light signal is integrated over the second phase time to form a second integrated brightness value, and the light receiver is configured to subtract the second integrated brightness value from the first integrated brightness value to obtain a first integrated brightness correction value by phase cancellation.

2 . The proximity sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the phase times have the same time length.

3 . The proximity sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of phase times further includes a third phase time;
wherein the light transmitter is configured to emit the sensing light toward the detected object during the third phase time; wherein the light receiver is configured to receive a third light signal formed by the sensing light reflected by the detected object and the ambient light during the third phase time; wherein a third brightness of the third light signal is integrated over the third phase time to form a third integrated brightness value, and the light receiver is configured to calculate a sum of the first integrated brightness correction value and the third integrated brightness value to obtain a second integrated brightness correction value.

4 . The proximity sensor according to claim 3 , wherein a time length of the second phase time is equal to a sum of a time length of the first phase time and a time length of the third phase time.

5 . The proximity sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the first phase time is divided into a plurality of first sub-phase times, the second phase time is divided into a plurality of second sub-phase times, and the first sub-phase times are interleaved with the second sub-phase times.

6 . A slice integration time sensing method for a proximity sensor, wherein the proximity sensor is disposed in an electronic device and applicable to sense a distance between the electronic device and a detected object, the slice integration time sensing method comprising the following steps:
dividing an integration time indicated by an integration time signal into a first phase time and a second phase time; emitting a sensing light toward the detected object during the first phase time; receiving a first light signal formed by the sensing light reflected by the detected object and an ambient light, during the first phase time; receiving a second light signal of the ambient light during the second phase time; and integrating a first brightness of the first light signal over the first phase time to obtain a first integrated brightness value, integrating a second brightness of the second light signal over the second phase time to obtain a second integrated brightness value, and subtracting the second integrated brightness value from the first integrated brightness value to obtain a first integrated brightness correction value by phase cancellation.

7 . The slice integration time sensing method according to claim 6 , further comprising a step of:
dividing the integration time into the phase times have the same time length.

8 . The slice integration time sensing method according to claim 6 , further comprising steps of:
dividing the integration time into the first phase time, the second phase time and a third phase time; emitting the sensing light toward the detected object during the third phase time; receiving a third light signal formed by the sensing light reflected by the detected object and the ambient light, during the third phase time; and integrating a third brightness of the third light signal over the third phase time to obtain a third integrated brightness value, and calculating a sum of the first integrated brightness correction value and the third integrated brightness value.

9 . The slice integration time sensing method according to claim 8 , wherein a time length of the second phase time is equal to a sum of a time length of the first phase time and a time length of the third phase time.

10 . The slice integration time sensing method according to claim 6 , further comprising steps of:
dividing the first phase time into a plurality of first sub-phase times; dividing the second phase time into a plurality of second sub-phase times; and interleaving the first sub-phase times with the second sub-phase times.

Assignees

• Anpec Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Huang Yi-Jung
• Chen jing-min
• Chen Chih-Ning

Classifications

• G01S17/04

  Systems determining the presence of a target · CPC title

• G01S7/4876 Primary

  by removing unwanted signals (G01S7/495 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title

• H05B47/11 Primary

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title