Patent · US Active

Sensing assembly for mobile device

US8304733B2 · kind B2 · utility

34Cited by
56References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 22, 2009
Grant dateNov 6, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 30, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K2217/94111
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An infrared sensing assembly for allowing detection of a location of an external object, as well as a mobile device employing such an assembly and related methods of operation, among other things, are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the sensing assembly includes a pyramid-type housing structure having a central surface and multiple outer surfaces each of which extends in an inclined manner away from the central surface. The sensing assembly further includes multiple phototransmitters each positioned proximate to a respective one of the outer surfaces, and a photoreceiver positioned proximate to the central surface, with each respective photoelectric device being oriented so as to correspond to its respective surface. The sensing assembly is operated so that light is emitted from the phototransmitters, reflected by the object, and received by the photoreceiver. By processing signals from the photoreceiver that are indicative of the received light, the external object's location is determined.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.