Input devices that use self-mixing interferometry to determine movement within an enclosure
US11422638B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 26, 2020 |
| Grant date | Aug 23, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 12, 2040 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/017
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An input device includes an enclosure defining a three-dimensional input space and one or more self-mixing interferometry sensors coupled to the enclosure and configured to produce a self-mixing interferometry signal resulting from reflection of backscatter of emitted light by a body part in the three-dimensional input space. In various examples, movement of the body part may be determined using the self-mixing interferometry signal, which may in turn be used to determine an input. In some examples, a body part displacement or a body part speed and an absolute distance to the body part may be determined using the self-mixing interferometry signal and used to determine an input. In a number of examples, multiple self-mixing interferometry sensors may be used and the movement may be determined by analyzing differences between the respective produced self-mixing interferometry signals.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.