Self-mixing optical proximity sensors for electronic devices
US11029442B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Grant date | Jun 8, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 31, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04R23/008
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An electronic device may have optical sensors. Control circuitry may use sensor measurements in controlling adjustable components and taking other actions. The optical sensors may be self-mixing sensors such as incoherent self-mixing sensors. One or more sensors may be used in gathering sensor measurements. In configurations in which an electronic device contain multiple self-mixing sensors, multi-wavelength measurements can be gathered using incoherent light sources in the sensors that operate a set of different wavelengths. The light source of each incoherent self-mixing sensor may be a superluminescent light-emitting diode, a resonant cavity light-emitting diode, or other amplified or non-amplified spontaneous emission source. Optical systems such as lenses in a housing for an electronic device may be aligned with the self-mixing sensors. Self-mixing sensors may serve as proximity sensors, sensors for detecting touch input, sensors for measuring spectrums associated with targets of unknown materials, displacement sensors, or other sensors.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.