Proximity Sensors with Optical and Electrical Sensing Capabilities
First Claim
1. Proximity sensor circuitry, comprising:
- optical proximity sensor circuitry configured to generate optical proximity sensor data; and
electrical proximity sensor circuitry configured to generate capacitive proximity sensor data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic device may be provided with a touch screen display that is controlled based on information from a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor may have a light source that emits infrared light and a light detector that detects reflected infrared light. When the electronic device is in the vicinity of a user'"'"'s head, the proximity sensor may produce data indicative of the presence of the user'"'"'s head. Variations in proximity sensor output due to user hair color and smudges on the proximity sensor can be accommodated by using an electrical sensing mechanism in addition to the light sensing mechanism. The proximity sensor may include a pair of capacitive electrodes for generating an electric field in the vicinity of the device. The presence of a user'"'"'s head can sufficiently disturb the electric field so as to produce data indicative of the presence of the user'"'"'s head.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Proximity sensor circuitry, comprising:
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optical proximity sensor circuitry configured to generate optical proximity sensor data; and electrical proximity sensor circuitry configured to generate capacitive proximity sensor data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An electronic device with proximity sensor circuitry, the proximity sensor circuitry comprising:
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optical proximity sensor circuitry configured to output optical proximity sensor data; electrical proximity sensor circuitry configured to generate capacitive proximity sensor data; a mixer that receives an integrated sensor signal with both the optical proximity sensor data and the capacitive proximity sensor data at an input. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. Proximity sensor circuitry, comprising:
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a light emitter element having a light-emitting diode; a light detector element having a photodiode, wherein the photodiode outputs optical proximity sensor data on a signal line; first and second coplanar conductive structures adjacent to the light emitter element and the light detector element, wherein the second conductive structure outputs capacitive proximity sensor data to the signal line. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification