Application using a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD)

• US 9,058,081 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Baxter, David Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xie, Kwin
• Application Number:
  US13/242,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20120133955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/175, 250/370
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9636 using a pulsed light source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electronic device may include a housing having a mousing surface, and a navigation device carried by the housing and comprising a proximity detector. The proximity detector may include a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) configured to detect movement of an activator adjacent the mousing surface. For example, the proximity detector may detect movement along three axes.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a housing having a transparent window on an external surface thereof, said transparent window defining a mousing surface;

a proximity detector carried internally by said housing and comprising an array of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) configured to detect three-dimensional movement of an adjacent activator relative to said mousing surface;

an illumination source carried internally by said housing and configured to transmit illumination through said transparent window and to be reflected by the activator through said transparent window and to said array of SPADs; and

a controller configured to calculate a phase change between transmitted illumination and illumination received following reflection from the activator, and to determine a range of the activator to said housing based upon operating said illumination source with a plurality of different modulation frequencies.

2. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said array of SPADs is arranged in rows and columns.

3. The navigation device of claim 1 further comprising a multiplexer and associated counter coupled to said array of SPADs and configured to measure the reflected illumination.

4. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said proximity detector is configured to control device cursor movement.

5. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said proximity detector is configured to detect movement of the activator in the first and second dimensions by determining a sequence of detected illumination on respective SPADs in said array of SPADs, and in the third dimension based upon a calculation of the phase change to detect proximity of the activator.

6. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said proximity detector is configured to use the activator movement in at least one axis for a function other than navigation.

7. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said proximity detector is configured to detect the activator comprising a finger.

26. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said proximity detector is configured to detect a depth of the adjacent activator relative to said mousing surface as part of the three-dimensional movement.

30. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to operate said illumination source with a plurality of modulation wave-shapes.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a transparent window on an external surface thereof, said transparent window defining a mousing surface;

a navigation device carried internally by said housing and comprising a proximity detector comprising at least one single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) configured to detect three-dimensional movement of an activator relative to said mousing surface;

an illumination source carried internally by said housing and configured to transmit illumination through said transparent window and to be reflected by the activator through said transparent window and to said at least one SPAD; and

a controller configured to compare transmitted illumination and illumination received following reflection from the activator, and to determine a range of the activator to said housing based upon operating said illumination source with a plurality of different modulation frequencies.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein said at least one SPAD comprises an array of SPADs.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein said controller is configured to compare by at least calculating a phase change between the transmitted illumination and the illumination received following reflection from the activator.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein said array of SPADs is arranged in rows and columns.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 further comprising a multiplexer and associated counter coupled to said array of SPADs and configured to measure the reflected illumination.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein said proximity detector is configured to control device cursor movement.

14. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein said proximity detector is configured to measure activator movement in three axes.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein said proximity detector is configured to detect movement of the activator in the first and second dimensions by determining a sequence of detected illumination on respective SPADs in said array of SPADs, and in the third dimension based upon a calculation of the phase change to detect proximity of the activator.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein said proximity detector is configured to use the activator movement in at least one axis for a function other than navigation.

17. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein said proximity detector is configured to detect the activator comprising a finger.

18. The electronic device of claim 8 further comprising a phone device carried by said housing.

19. The electronic device of claim 8 further comprising a computer mouse device carried by said housing.

20. The electronic device of claim 8 further comprising a computing device carried by said housing.

21. A method of making a navigation device comprising:

forming a housing having a transparent window on an external surface thereof, the transparent window defining a mousing surface;

forming a proximity detector to be carried internally by the housing and comprising at least one single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) to detect three-dimensional movement of an adjacent activator relative to the mousing surface;

coupling an illumination source to be carried internally by the housing and to transmit illumination through the transparent window and to be reflected by the activator through the transparent window and to the at least one SPAD; and

coupling a controller to compare transmitted illumination and the illumination received following reflection from the activator, and to determine a range of the activator to the housing based upon operating the illumination source with a plurality of different modulation frequencies.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising forming the at least one SPAD to comprise an array of SPADs.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising using the controller to compare by at least calculating a phase change between the transmitted illumination and the illumination received following reflection from the activator.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising forming the array of SPADs in rows and columns.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising coupling a multiplexer and associated counter to the array of SPADs to measure the reflected illumination.

27. A method for operating an electronic device comprising a housing having a transparent window on an external surface thereof, the transparent window defining a mousing surface, a navigation device carried internally by the housing and comprising a proximity detector comprising at least one single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), and an illumination source carried internally by the housing, the method comprising:

operating the proximity detector to detect three-dimensional movement of an activator relative to the mousing surface;

operating the illumination source to transmit illumination through the transparent window and to be reflected by the activator through the transparent window and to the at least one SPAD; and

comparing transmitted illumination and illumination received following reflection from the activator, and determining a range of the activator to the housing based upon operating the illumination source with a plurality of different modulation frequencies.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the comparing comprises calculating a phase change between the transmitted illumination and the illumination received following reflection from the activator.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising operating the proximity detector to control device cursor movement.