Dynamic range control for optical encoders

• US 10,066,970 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gowreesunker, Baboo V., Westerman, Wayne C., Holenarsipur, Prashanth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pyo, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/796,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20160061636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 250205, 25023113, 25023114
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/34715 Scale reading or illumination devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/3473 Circular or rotary encoders

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and system for dynamically controlling a current that is applied to a light source of an optical encoder.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically adjusting output of a light source of an optical encoder that is operable to detect movement of a watch crown, the method comprising:

receiving a first output voltage from a first photodiode of a plurality of photodiodes, wherein the first output voltage is associated with a first input current that was applied to the light source at a first time period;

receiving a second output voltage from a second photodiode of the plurality of photodiodes, wherein the second output voltage is associated with the first input current that was applied to the light source at the first time period;

comparing the first output voltage to the second output voltage to obtain a dynamic range;

comparing the dynamic range to a target range to determine whether an alignment of the watch crown with respect to the plurality of photodiodes or the light source is changed; and

estimating, using the comparison between the dynamic range and the target range, an input current for the light source, the estimated input current offsetting the alignment of the watch crown when the alignment of the watch crown is determined to impact a signal-to-noise ratio of the optical encoder, wherein the estimated input current is applied to the light source at a second time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated input current is configured to change an intensity of the light source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first output voltage and the second output voltage are received at a first sample time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first output voltage to the second output voltage to obtain a dynamic range comprises finding the mean of the first output voltage and the second output voltage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first output voltage and the second output voltage vary based on the alignment of the watch crown with respect to the light source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the dynamic range is below a minimum voltage threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the dynamic range is above a maximum voltage threshold.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoding computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform a method for dynamically adjusting a light source of an optical encoder that is operable to detect movement of a watch crown, the method comprising:

receiving a first output voltage from a first photodiode of a plurality of photodiodes, wherein the first output voltage is associated with a first input current that was applied to the light source at a first time period;

receiving a second output voltage from a second photodiode of the plurality of photodiodes, wherein the second output voltage is associated with the first input current that was applied to the light source at the first time period;

comparing the first output voltage to the second output voltage to obtain a dynamic range;

comparing the dynamic range to a target range to determine whether an alignment of the watch crown with respect to the plurality of photodiodes or the light source is changed; and

estimating, using the comparison between the dynamic range and the target range, an input current for the light source, the estimated input current offsetting the alignment of the watch crown when the alignment of the watch crown is determined to impact a signal-to-noise ratio of the optical encoder, wherein the estimated input current is applied to the light source at a second time period.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the estimated input current is configured to change an intensity of the light source at the second time period.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first output voltage and the second output voltage are received at a first sample time.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein comparing the first output voltage to the second output voltage to obtain a dynamic range comprises finding the mean of the first output voltage and the second output voltage.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first output voltage and the second output voltage vary based on the alignment of the watch crown with respect to the light source.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising determining whether the dynamic range is below a minimum voltage threshold.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising determining whether the dynamic range is above a maximum voltage threshold.

15. A watch crown, comprising:

an optical encoder comprising;

a light source;

a plurality of photodiodes;

a shaft having an encoding pattern disposed thereon, wherein the shaft is configured to reflect light from the light source into the plurality of photodiodes; and

a dynamic range module;

a cap affixed to the shaft and operative to receive an input, the input changing an alignment of the shaft;

wherein

the dynamic range module is configured to;

receive a first output voltage from a first photodiode of the plurality of photodiodes;

receive a second output voltage from a second photodiode of the plurality of photodiodes;

compare the first output voltage to the second output voltage to obtain a dynamic range;

compare the dynamic range to a target range to determine whether the dynamic range exceeds the target range; and

estimate an input current for the light source, wherein the input current is based, at least in part, on the comparison between the dynamic range and the target range and wherein the input current is applied to the light source to dynamically adjust an intensity of the light source to offset the alignment of the shaft when the alignment of the shaft is determined to impact a signal-to-noise ratio of the optical encoder.

16. The optical encoder of claim 15, wherein the light source is an LED light source.

17. The optical encoder of claim 15, wherein the input current is provided to a digital to analog converter prior to being applied to the light source.

18. The optical encoder of claim 15, further comprising a position sensing module configured to determine a position and a rotation of the shaft.

19. The optical encoder of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first output voltage and the second output voltage vary based on the alignment of the shaft.

20. The optical encoder of claim 15, wherein the dynamic range module is further configured to determine whether the dynamic range is below a minimum voltage threshold or above a maximum voltage threshold.