Proximity sensor and mobile device using the same

• US 10,107,911 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lite-On Singapore Pte Ltd (Lite-On Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lite-On Singapore Pte Ltd (Lite-On Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Goh, Teck-Chai, Lim, Sin-Heng, Song, Guang-Li, Gopalaswamy, Arakcre Dinesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kiho
• Application Number:
  US15/794,481
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/165 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02327 the optical elements being integrated or being directly associated to the device, e.g. back reflectors optical coatings H01L31/0216
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/16 the semiconductor device sensitive to radiation being controlled by the light source or sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/18 Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components H05K1/0201, H05K1/023, H05K1/0243, and H05K1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10121 Optical component, e.g. opto-electronic component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A proximity sensor and a mobile device using the same are provided. The proximity sensor includes a circuit board, an emitter package, a receiver package, a plastic casing and a lens. The emitter package is disposed on the circuit board and includes an emitter and an emitter housing. The receiver package is disposed on the circuit board and includes a receiver and a receiver housing. The plastic casing covers the emitter package and the receiver package. The plastic casing includes a first opening corresponding to the emitter package and a second opening corresponding to the receiver package. The first opening has a first geometric centerline and the second opening has a second geometric centerline. The height of the emitter package is smaller than that of the receiver package, and the emitter is disposed between the first geometric centerline and the second geometric centerline.

Claims

1. A proximity sensor, comprising:

a circuit board;

an emitter package disposed on the circuit board, the emitter package including an emitter and an emitter housing;

a receiver package disposed on the circuit board, the receiver package including a receiver and a receiver housing;

a plastic casing covering the emitter package and the receiver package, wherein the plastic casing includes a first opening corresponding to the emitter package and a second opening corresponding to the receiver package, the first opening having a first geometric centerline and the second opening having a second geometric centerline, and

a lens disposed on the emitter package, wherein light emitted by the emitter passes through the lens and exits the proximity sensor from the first opening,

wherein the height of the emitter package is smaller than that of the receiver package, and the emitter is disposed between the first geometric centerline and the second geometric centerline.

2. The proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein an optical axis of the lens is between the first geometric centerline and the second geometric centerline.

3. The proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the emitter package and the receiver package are arranged along a predetermined direction, and wherein the first opening is in the shape of an ellipse, in which the minor axis of the ellipse is parallel to the predetermined direction.

4. The proximity sensor according to claim 3, wherein the mean radius of the first opening is 0.25±

0.02 millimeters.

5. The proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the plastic casing includes a first accommodating space and a second accommodating space that are located inside the plastic casing, and wherein the first accommodating space includes a first receiving room that accommodates the emitter package and a second receiving room that accommodates the lens, in which an upper part of the second receiving room has a chamfer structure, which has a chamfered surface tilted towards the lens.

6. The proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein a detection angle of the receiver is approximately 80±

2 degrees.

7. The proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the emitter is an infrared light-emitting diode.

8. A mobile device using a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor comprising:

a circuit board;

an emitter package disposed on the circuit board, the emitter package including an emitter and an emitter housing;

a receiver package disposed on the circuit board, the receiver package including a receiver and a receiver housing;

a plastic casing covering the emitter package and the receiver package, wherein the plastic casing includes a first opening corresponding to the emitter package and a second opening corresponding to the receiver package, the first opening having a first geometric centerline and the second opening having a second geometric centerline, and

a lens disposed on the emitter package, wherein light emitted by the emitter passes through the lens and exits the proximity sensor from the first opening,

wherein the height of the emitter package is smaller than that of the receiver package, and the emitter is disposed between the first geometric centerline and the second geometric centerline.

9. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein an optical axis of the lens is between the first geometric centerline and the second geometric centerline.

10. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the emitter package and the receiver package are arranged along a predetermined direction, and wherein the first opening is in the shape of an ellipse, in which the minor axis of the ellipse is parallel to the predetermined direction.