Optical proximity sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021349569-A1
Application number	US-202117385260-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 26, 2021
Priority date	Oct 14, 2012
Publication date	Nov 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor determining coordinates of a proximal object, including a one-dimensional array of alternating light emitters and detectors, including a plurality of light emitters projecting light along a detection plane, and a plurality of light detectors detecting reflections of the projected light, by a reflective object in the detection plane, and a plurality of lenses mounted and oriented relative to the emitters and the detectors such that the light detectors receive maximum intensity when light enters a corresponding lens at a first particular angle, whereby for each emitter-detector pair, light emitted by the emitter of that pair passes through one of the lenses and is reflected by the object back through one of the lenses to the detector of that pair when the object is located at one of a set of positions in the detection plane, that position being associated with that emitter-detector pair.

First claim

1 - 30 . (canceled)

31 . A sensor for a control panel presenting a plurality of controls for user input, comprising:
a housing mounted along an edge of the panel; a one-dimensional array of alternating light emitters and detectors mounted in said housing, comprising:
a plurality of light pulse emitters for projecting light out of said housing along an in-air detection plane over the panel; and
a plurality of light detectors for detecting reflections of the light projected by said emitters, reflected by an object in the detection plane;
a plurality of lenses mounted and oriented in said housing relative to said emitters and said detectors in such a manner that each light detector receives maximum light intensity when light enters a corresponding lens at a particular angle, whereby for each emitter-detector pair, when the object is located at a specific position in the detection plane, light emitted by the emitter of that pair passes through one of the lenses and is reflected by the object back through one of the lenses at the particular angle to the detector of that pair, the specific position being associated with that emitter-detector pair; and a processor connected to said emitters and to said detectors, for synchronously co-activating emitter-detector pairs, and configured to determine locations on the panel, each location being mapped to a position in the detection plane that is associated with an emitter-detector pair, by a mapping of the panel to the detection plane.

32 . The sensor of claim 31 , wherein said emitters and detectors comprise diodes that are mounted in said housing without individual plastic casing lenses and without individual substrates.

33 . The sensor of claim 31 , wherein the panel is a display screen.

34 . The sensor of claim 31 , wherein the panel comprises an arrangement of movable buttons or keys, and wherein the controls on the panel may be activated either (i) by moving the buttons or keys, or (ii) by the sensor detecting the object at one or more positions in the detection plane to which the locations of the buttons or keys in the panel are mapped, when the buttons or keys are not moved.

35 . A proximity sensor for determining two-dimensional coordinates of a proximal object, the sensor comprising:
a housing; a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in said housing for projecting light out of said housing along an in-air detection plane; a plurality of light detectors mounted in said housing for detecting reflections of the light projected by said light pulse emitters, reflected by an object in the detection plane, wherein the light detectors are interleaved with the light pulse emitters; a plurality of lenses mounted and oriented in said housing relative to said light pulse emitters and said light detectors in such a manner that for each emitter-detector pair, when the object is located at a specific position in the detection plane, light emitted by the emitter of that pair passes through one of the lenses and is reflected by the object back through one of the lenses to the detector of that pair, the specific position being associated with that emitter-detector pair; and a processor connected to said emitters and to said detectors, for synchronously co-activating emitter-detector pairs.

36 . The proximity sensor according to claim 35 , adapted to determine each position in the detection plane that is associated with an emitter-detector pair.

37 . The use of a proximity sensor according to claim 35 , to determine locations on a panel comprising a plurality of controls, each location being mapped to a position in the detection plane that is associated with an emitter-detector pair, by a mapping of the panel to the detection plane.

38 . A touchscreen system comprising:
a display; and the proximity sensor according to claim 35 , wherein the processor of said proximity sensor is adapted to determine each location on said display that maps to a position in the detection plane of said proximity sensor that is associated with an emitter-detector pair, by a mapping of said display to the detection plane.

39 . An input system comprising:
an array of movable buttons or keys; and the proximity sensor according to claim 35 , wherein the processor of said proximity sensor is adapted to determine each location on said array that maps to a position in the detection plane of said proximity sensor that is associated with an emitter-detector pair, by a mapping of said array to the detection plane.

40 . The input system of claim 39 , configured to register input either (i) when the buttons or keys in said array are moved, or (ii) when the sensor detects the object at one or more positions in the detection plane to which the locations of the buttons or keys in said array are mapped, when the buttons or keys are not moved.

41 . A system that determines three-dimensional coordinates of an object within an in-air detection volume, comprising a plurality of proximity sensors, each proximity sensor being in accordance with claim 35 and the detection plane of which is directed toward the detection volume.

Assignees

• Neonode Inc

Inventors

• Holmgren Stefan Johannes
• Iyer Sairam
• Berglind Tom Richard
• Nordström Karl Erik Patrik
• Sparf Lars Bertil
• Rosengren Per Carl Sture
• Rosengren Erik Anders Claes
• Karlsson John Elis Gösta
• Eriksson Björn Thomas
• Jubner Björn Alexander
• Behdasht Remo
• Fellin Simon Greger
• Åman Robin Kjell
• Shain Joseph

Classifications

• G01S17/48 Primary

  Active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01S17/88

  Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• A63F13/33

  using wide area network [WAN] connections · CPC title

• A63F13/211

  using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes · CPC title

• G01S7/4811

  common to transmitter and receiver · CPC title