Electronic device having sensor unit and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9342736-B2
Application number	US-201414227504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2014
Priority date	Aug 27, 2013
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A method for operating an electronic device including a sensor unit that uses infrared rays is provided. In the method, a light source is illuminated using at least one light emitting device. Whether the illuminated light source is received by a light receiving device including at least one light receiving channel is determined. A relevant function corresponding to an amount of light of the light source received by the at least one light receiving channel is performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method in an electronic device, the method comprising:
illuminating a light source using at least one light emitting device;
determining whether the illuminated light source is received by a light receiving device comprising a plurality of light receiving channels having at least two distances from the at least one light emitting device; and
performing a relevant function corresponding to an amount of light of the light source received by at least one of the plurality of light receiving channels,
wherein an area of the light receiving device is divided into the light receiving channels, and
wherein performing the relevant function comprises:
detecting a movement of an object using all of the light receiving channels; and
detecting an approach of the object using one of the light receiving channels that is located a greatest distance from the at least one light emitting device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein illuminating the light source using the at least one light emitting device is performed by reflection of light of the object.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relevant function is performed in a gesture mode for detecting movement of the object separated from the electronic device by a predetermined distance.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, when operating in the gesture mode, receiving the light source using a portion of or all of the light receiving channels.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relevant function is performed in a proximity mode for detecting the object approaching the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, when operating in the proximity mode, receiving the light source using a portion of or all of the light receiving channels.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relevant function is performed in a simultaneous mode that simultaneously activates a gesture mode for detecting movement of the object separated from the electronic device by a predetermined distance and a proximity mode for detecting the approach of the object.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, when operating in the simultaneous mode and simultaneously detecting movement of the object separated from the electronic device by a predetermined distance and the object approaching the electronic device, executing an application set in advance.

9. An electronic device comprising:
a light emitting device;
a light receiving device disposed at a position adjacent to the light emitting device and comprising a plurality of light receiving channels having at least two distances from the light emitting device; and
a processor configured to:
determine an amount of a light source received by at least one of the light receiving channels depending on reflection of light of an object; and
perform a relevant function corresponding to the determined amount of the light source,
wherein an area of the light receiving device is divided into the light receiving channels, and
wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect a movement of the object using all of the light receiving channels; and
detect an approach of the object using one of the light receiving channels that is located a greatest distance from the light emitting device.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device can operate in a gesture mode for detecting movement of the object separated from the electronic device by a predetermined distance.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein when operating in the gesture mode, the reflection of light is received using a portion of or all of the light receiving channels.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device can operate in a proximity mode for detecting the object approaching the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein when operating in the proximity mode, the reflection of light is received using a portion of or all of the light receiving channels.

14. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device can operate in a simultaneous mode that simultaneously activates a gesture mode for detecting movement of the object separated from the electronic device by a predetermined distance and a proximity mode for detecting the approach of the object.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein, when operating in the simultaneous mode and simultaneously detecting movement of the object separated from the electronic device by a predetermined distance and the object approaching the electronic device, the processor executes an application set in advance.

16. A non-transient computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs comprising instructions, when executed by an electronic device, for performing a method in the electronic device, the method comprising:
illuminating a light source using at least one light emitting device;
determining whether the illuminated light source is received by a light receiving device comprising a plurality of light receiving channels having at least two distances from the at least one light emitting device; and
performing a relevant function corresponding to an amount of light of the light source received by the at least one light receiving channel,
wherein an area of the light receiving device is divided into the light receiving channels, and
wherein performing the relevant function comprises:
detecting a movement of an object using all of the light receiving channels; and
detecting an approach of the object using one of the light receiving channels that is located a greatest distance from the at least one light emitting device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hwang Sang-Min
• Cho Jeong-Ho
• Lee Dong-Han

Classifications

• G06V40/20

  Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition (recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16) · 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

• G06V10/143

  Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths · CPC title

• G06K9/2018

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00335 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic