Multifunction optical sensor with variable detection threshold and noise suppression
US6400460B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 10, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jun 4, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 10, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/18
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A sensor for optically detecting a location of an object within a field of the sensor includes first, second and third photodetectors arranged to receive photons from respective first, second and third sensing zones within the field of the sensor. The first, second and third sensing zones are adjacent to one another and the sensor includes a processing circuit that receives first, second and third signals from the respective first, second and third photodetectors. One of the first, second and third signals is indicative of photons reflected by the object within the field of the sensor and the processing circuit compares the one of the first, second and third signals to another one of the first, second and third signals and a predetermined threshold value to determine the location of the object within the field of the sensor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.