OPTICAL SENSING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH LIGHT SOURCE AND LIGHT DETECTOR

• US 20160313244A1
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: SHIONO, TERUHIRO
• Application Number:
  US15/131,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20160313244A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4773 Partly or totally translucent samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4738 Diffuse reflection precedence is given to G01N21/55 - G01N21/57 if specular component is taken into consideration, e.g. also for testing fluids, fibrous materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/49 within a body or fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0612 Laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food

Abstract

An optical sensing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: at least one light source that, in operation, emits light with which a target object is irradiated; and a light detector which includes a region in which at least a part of an optical axis from the at least one light source to the target object is located, and through which the light emitted from the at least one light source passes, and at least one photo receiving element that, in operation, receives reflection scattered light from an inside of the target object, the reflection scattered light being generated due to the irradiation of the target object with the light having passed through the region, and converts the reflection scattered light into an electric signal.

Claims

1. An optical sensing apparatus comprising:

at least one light source that, in operation, emits light with which a target object is irradiated; and

a light detector which includes

a region in which at least a part of an optical axis from the at least one light source to the target object is located, and through which the light emitted from the at least one light source passes, and

at least one photo receiving element that, in operation, receives reflection scattered light from an inside of the target object, the reflection scattered light being generated due to the irradiation of the target object with the light having passed through the region, and converts the reflection scattered light into an electric signal.

2. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one photo receiving element is in contact with the region.

3. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one photo receiving element surrounds the region in plan view.

4. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a spread angle of the light having passed through the region is within ±

3°

in a total angle.

5. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a collimator lens disposed on the optical axis.

6. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a beam diameter of the light having passed through the region is from 200 μ

m to 20 mm, both inclusive.

7. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises a first light source that, in operation, emits light of a first wavelength, and a second light source that, in operation, emits light of a second wavelength.

8. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

in plan view,

the first light source and the second light source are disposed along a first direction, and

the region has an elliptic shape having a major axis in the first direction.

9. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one photo receiving element comprises photo receiving elements, and

the photo receiving elements are disposed in a surrounding area of the region in a circumferential direction of the region with spaces that electrically insulate the photo receiving elements from one another.

10. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one photo receiving element comprises photo receiving elements, and

the photo receiving elements are disposed in a surrounding area of the region in a radial direction of the region with a space that electrically insulates the photo receiving elements from one another.

11. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emitted by the at least one light source is pulse light.

12. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible substrate, wherein

the at least one light source and the light detector are disposed on the flexible substrate.

13. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processor, wherein, in operation,

the processor performs computation of the electric signal to obtain information on the target object.