Lens-less optical position measuring sensor
First Claim
1. An integrated circuit for detecting an angle of incident light, comprising:
- a surface having apertures;
a plurality of photodetectors arranged in at least three pairs of photodetectors and separated from each other by trenches, each of the pairs of the photodetectors is aligned underneath a respective one of the apertures; and
an optically transparent solid medium disposed between the surface and the plurality of photodetectors,wherein at least two pairs of the pairs of photodetectors are aligned in a first direction and wherein outputs of corresponding photodetectors of each of the at least two pairs of photodetectors are electrically coupled together in parallel so as to generate aggregated photocurrents that depend on the angle of the incident light in relation to the first direction, with the angle of incident light in relation to the first direction being detectable based on a ratio of the aggregated photocurrents generated by the corresponding photodetectors of the at least two pairs of photodetectors; and
a plurality of opaque barriers disposed in the optically transparent solid medium, wherein each of the at least three pairs of photodetectors is separated from each adjacent pair of photodetectors by one of the plurality of opaque barriers and the pairs of photodetectors that are adjacent to each another are collinear.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical detector may include an aperture, at least two photodetectors, and a measuring arrangement to quantify light detected at the photodetectors after passing through the aperture without the need for a lens. The aperture may be positioned between a light source and the two photodetectors to allow light from a light source to pass through the aperture to the photodetectors. The photodetectors may include PIN junction photodiodes and may be electrically isolated from each other, positioned next to each other in a side-by-side configuration, and then aligned with the aperture so that a proportion of the quantified light detected at the photodetectors changes as an angle of light from the light source incident to the aperture changes. Optical detectors and methods are provided.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit for detecting an angle of incident light, comprising:
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a surface having apertures; a plurality of photodetectors arranged in at least three pairs of photodetectors and separated from each other by trenches, each of the pairs of the photodetectors is aligned underneath a respective one of the apertures; and an optically transparent solid medium disposed between the surface and the plurality of photodetectors, wherein at least two pairs of the pairs of photodetectors are aligned in a first direction and wherein outputs of corresponding photodetectors of each of the at least two pairs of photodetectors are electrically coupled together in parallel so as to generate aggregated photocurrents that depend on the angle of the incident light in relation to the first direction, with the angle of incident light in relation to the first direction being detectable based on a ratio of the aggregated photocurrents generated by the corresponding photodetectors of the at least two pairs of photodetectors; and a plurality of opaque barriers disposed in the optically transparent solid medium, wherein each of the at least three pairs of photodetectors is separated from each adjacent pair of photodetectors by one of the plurality of opaque barriers and the pairs of photodetectors that are adjacent to each another are collinear. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for detecting an angle of light incident on an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of electrically isolated photodetectors arranged in at least three pairs, with at least two pairs of the at least three pairs of photodetectors being aligned in a first direction and outputs of corresponding photodetectors of each of the at least two pairs of photodetectors being electrically coupled together in parallel so as to generate aggregated photocurrents, each of the at least three pairs of photodetectors is separated from each adjacent pair of photodetectors by different ones of a plurality of opaque barriers, and the pairs of photodetectors that are adjacent to each another are collinear, the method comprising:
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receiving the incident light at the at least two pairs of photodetectors through respective apertures along an optical path without passing through a lens; combining currents generated by corresponding photodetectors of each of the at least two pairs of photodetectors to produce aggregated photocurrents that depend on the angle of the incident light in relation to the first direction; and determining the angle of incident light in relation to the first direction based on a ratio of the aggregated photocurrents generated by the corresponding photodetectors of the at least two pairs of photodetectors. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A lens-less apparatus for detecting an angle of incident light, comprising:
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means for electrically isolating photodetectors from each other, the photodetectors being arranged in at least three pairs of photodetectors, means for optically isolating each of the at least three pairs of photodetectors from adjacent pairs of photodetectors, wherein pairs of photodetectors that are adjacent to each another are collinear; means for generating aggregated photocurrents from the photodetectors of at least two pairs of photodetectors aligned in a first direction in response to the incident light; and means for permitting the incident light to reach the means for generating along an optical path without a lens, said optical path extending through an optically transparent solid medium, wherein the angle of incident light in relation to the first direction is detectable based on a ratio of the aggregated photocurrents from the at least two pairs of photodetectors. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification