Proximity sensor

• US 8,614,414 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Davidson, Kyle Robert, Storkey, Matthew E. M., Ensor, Timothy J., Thorn, Timothy John, Koottungal, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US12/648,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20110155894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/222.1, 250/237.G, 250/239, 250/216, 250/208.1, 250/208.2
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/941 using an optical detector H03K17/968 takes precedence

Abstract

A proximity sensor is disclosed. The proximity sensor may be incorporated as part of a water delivery device. A holder which aligns an optical source and sensor of the proximity sensor is disclosed.

Claims

1. A proximity sensor for sensing the presence of an object in an environment, the proximity sensor comprising:

an illumination module which emits optical energy that is propagated into the environment in a plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy;

a multi-element sensor which receives a portion of the emitted optical energy which is reflected back from the environment having a plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks;

a holder which aligns the multi-element sensor relative to at least a first portion of the illumination module, the holder having a first portion which holds the first portion of the illumination module in a first position and a second portion which holds the multi-element sensor in a second position spaced apart from the first position, a face of the multi-element sensor being angled relative to a plane which is normal to an optical axis of the illumination module;

a controller coupled to the illumination module and the multi-element sensor, the controller determining the presence of an object in the environment based on at least one of a spacing between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and a difference in intensity between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy; and

a housing which supports the illumination module, the multi-element sensor, and the holder.

2. The proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein a second portion of the illumination module is spaced apart from the holder.

3. The proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the illumination module includes a first optical source which emits optical energy in a first direction along the optical axis of the illumination module and which is supported by the holder and the second portion of the illumination module includes an optical system which splits the optical energy emitted by the first optical source in the first direction into the plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy.

4. The proximity sensor of claim 3, wherein the optical system includes a diffraction grating which splits the optical energy emitted by the first optical source in the first direction along the optical axis of the illumination module into the plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy.

5. The proximity sensor of claim 4, wherein the diffraction grating includes a plurality of regions having distinct grating frequencies, including a first region having a first grating frequency which splits the optical energy emitted by the first optical source in the first direction along the optical axis of the illumination module into a first beam which propagates in the first direction along the optical axis of the illumination module and at least two additional beams spaced apart from the first beam and a second region having a second grating frequency which splits the optical energy emitted by the first optical source in the first direction along the optical axis of the illumination module into the first beam which propagates in the first direction along the optical axis of the illumination module and at least two additional beams spaced apart from the first beam and spaced apart from the at least two additional beams corresponding to the first grating frequency.

6. The proximity sensor of claim 4, wherein the optical system includes a lens positioned between the first optical source and the diffraction grating.

7. The proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy are an odd number and a central beam of the plurality of discrete beams has an intensity of about twice the remainder of the plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy.

8. The proximity sensor of claim 7, wherein the central beam of the plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy propagates generally in a first direction along the optical axis of the illumination module.

9. The proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the holder includes a first alignment surface with contacts the first portion of the illumination module and the second portion of the holder includes a second alignment surface which contacts the multi-element sensor, the second alignment surface being angled relative to the first alignment surface.

10. The proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein the illumination module includes a first plurality of prongs which couple the illumination module to the controller and the multi-element sensor includes a second plurality of prongs which couple the multi-element sensor to the controller, wherein the illumination module and the multi-element sensor are positioned on a first side of the holder and the controller is positioned on a second side of the holder, the first plurality of prongs and the second plurality of prongs extending through the holder.

20. The proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein the controller further determines the spacing between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and the difference in intensity between at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy.

11. A proximity sensor for sensing the presence of an object in an environment, the proximity sensor comprising:

a housing having a first plurality of alignment features;

a holder having a second plurality of alignment features which cooperate with the first plurality of alignment features to secure the holder to the housing;

an optical source positioned on a first side of the holder;

a multi-element sensor positioned on the first side of the holder and spaced apart from the optical source;

a controller positioned on a second side of the holder opposite of the first side, the controller being coupled to the optical source and the multi-element sensor through the holder;

a first optical system supported by the housing and aligned with the optical source; and

a second optical system supported by the housing and aligned with the multi-element sensor, the first optical system being spaced apart from the optical source and the second optical system being spaced apart from the first optical system and from the multi-element sensor;

wherein the first optical system splits the optical energy emitted by the optical source into a plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy, the multi-element sensor receives a portion of the emitted optical energy which is reflected back from the environment having a plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks, and the controller determines the presence of an object in the environment based on at least one of a spacing between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and a difference in intensity between at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy.

12. The proximity sensor of claim 11, wherein the housing includes an exit window through which optical energy emitted by the optical source that passes through the first optical system exits the housing and an entrance window through which optical energy reflected by the object enters the housing and passes through the second optical system and onto the multi-element sensor.

13. The proximity sensor of claim 11, wherein the first optical system includes a lens and a diffraction grating and the second optical system includes a lens, the housing including a first recess which receives the first optical system and a second recess spaced apart from the first recess which receives the second optical system.

14. The proximity sensor of claim 13, wherein the housing orients the diffraction grating such that the plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy are incident on the multi-element sensor when reflected by the object in the environment.

15. The proximity sensor of claim 11, wherein the second recess supports an optical window for the exit window.

16. The proximity sensor of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first optical system and the second optical system includes an anti-fog coating.

21. The proximity sensor of claim 11, wherein the controller further determines the spacing between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and the difference in intensity between at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy.

17. A proximity sensor for sensing the presence of an object in an environment, the proximity sensor comprising:

an illumination module which emits optical energy that is propagated into the environment in a plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy, the illumination module including a first optical source and a diffraction grating which splits optical energy from the first optical source into the plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy;

a multi-element sensor which receives a portion of the emitted optical energy which is reflected back from the environment, the received portion having a plurality of spaced apart peaks;

a controller coupled to the illumination module and the multi-element sensor, the controller determining the presence of an object in the environment based on at least one of a spacing between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and a difference in intensity between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy; and

a housing which supports the illumination module, the multi-element sensor, and the holder.

18. The proximity sensor of claim 17, further comprising a holder which aligns the multi-element sensor relative to at least a first portion of the illumination module.

19. The proximity sensor of claim 18, wherein the holder includes a first portion which holds the first portion of the illumination module in a first position and a second portion which holds the multi-element sensor in a second position spaced apart from the first position, a face of the multi-element sensor being angled relative to a plane which is normal to an optical axis of the illumination module.

22. The proximity sensor of claim 17, wherein the controller further determines the spacing between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and the difference in intensity between at least two of the plurality of spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy.