Device and method for detecting position of object

• US 10,012,493 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jung Woo, Park, Joon Ah, Pyun, Kyoung Seok, Shin, Jung Soon, Lee, Hong-Seok, Jung, Tae Sung, Cho, Baek Hwan, Han, Seung Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): NIXON, OMAR H
• Application Number:
  US14/728,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20160123721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 356614
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates

Abstract

An electronic device for detecting a position of an object is disclosed, The electronic device includes an optical source configured to emit light to a detection area, a light concentrator configured to concentrate light reflected by a target object located in a detection area, a light receiver configured to receive through photodiodes the reflected light concentrated by the light concentrator and to output a light quantity pattern of the reflected light, and a processor configured to determine the position of the target object based on the light quantity pattern of the reflected light.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an optical source configured to emit light to a detection area;

a first lens or pinhole configured to concentrate first reflected light by a target object located in the detection area;

a second lens or second pinhole configured to concentrate second reflected light by the target object;

a first light receiver configured to receive through second group of photodiodes the first reflected light and to output a first light quantity pattern corresponding to the first reflected light;

a second light receiver configured to receive, through a second group of photodiodes, the second reflected light and to output a second light quantity pattern corresponding to the second reflected light; and

a processor configured to determine a position of the target object based on the first light quantity pattern and the second light quantity pattern, and to determine a distance between the electronic device and the target object based on an incidence angle of the first reflected light and the second reflected light on the respective lens or pinhole, the incidence angle of the first reflected light determined based on a number of the photodiodes in the first group, a size of the photodiodes in the first group, a spacing between the photodiodes in the first group, and a form of the first lens or pinhole.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the position of the target object with respect to the electronic device based on a position of a first photodiode in the first group having a maximum quantity of light detected compared to other photodiodes in the first group and a position of a second photodiode in the second group having a maximum quantity of light detected compared to other photodiodes in the second group.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine, to be the incidence angle of the first reflected light, an incidence angle mapped to a photodiode receiving a maximum quantity of the first reflected light among the photodiodes in the first group.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a distance between the electronic device and the target object based on the incidence angle of the first reflected light, the incidence angle of the second reflected light, and a distance between the first lens or pinhole and the second lens or pinhole.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine, to be a distance between the electronic device and the target object, a height of a triangle having a distance between the first lens or pinhole and the second lens or pinhole as a base line, the incidence angle of the first reflected light as an exterior angle of the base line, and the incidence angle of the second reflected light as an interior angle of the base line.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the position of the target object based on first mapping information comprising identification information of photodiodes comprised in the first light receiver and corresponding incidence angles of the first reflected light and second mapping information comprising identification information of photodiodes comprised in the second light receiver and corresponding incidence angels of the second reflected light.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the incidence angle of the first reflected light on the first lens or pinhole based on a linearly increasing relationship between successive photodiodes in the first group and corresponding incidence angles.

8. An operating method of an electronic device, comprising:

emitting light to a detection area;

concentrating first reflected light and second reflected light by a target object located in the detection area;

receiving through a first group of photodiodes the first reflected light and outputting a first light quantity pattern corresponding to the first reflected light;

receiving, through a second group of photodiodes, the second reflected light and outputting a second light quantity pattern corresponding to the second reflected light;

determining a position of the target object based on the first light quantity pattern and the second light quantity pattern; and

determining a distance between the electronic device and the target object based on an incidence angle of the first reflected light and the second reflected light on the respective lens or pinhole; and

determining the incidence angle of the first reflected light based on a number of the photodiodes in the first group, a size of the photodiodes in the first group, a spacing between the photodiodes in the first group, and a form of the first lens or pinhole.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of the distance between the electronic device and the target object comprises determining, to be the incidence angle of the first reflected light on the first lens or pinhole, and incidence angle mapped to a photodiode in the first group receiving a maximum quantity of the reflected light among the photodiodes in the first group.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of the position of the target object further comprises determining the distance between the electronic device and the target object based on a distance between the first lens or pinhole and the second lens or pinhole.

11. A position measuring sensor, comprising:

a first lens or pinhole configured to concentrate first reflected light by a target object located in a detection area;

a second lens or second pinhole configured to concentrate second reflected light by the target object;

a first light receiver configured to receive the first reflected light from the first lens or pinhole through a first group of photodiodes; and

a second light receiver configured to receive the second reflected light from the second lens or pinhole through a second group of photodiodes,

wherein a position of the target is determined based on the first light quantity patter and the second light quantity pattern and based on an incidence angle of the first reflected light and the second reflected light on the respective lens or pinhole, the incidence angle of the first reflected light determined based on a number of the photodiodes in the first group, a size of the photodiodes in the first group, a spacing between the photodiodes in the first group, and a form of the first lens or pinhole.

12. The position measuring sensor of claim 11, wherein the first group of photodiodes are disposed at respective positions mapped to various incidence angles of the first reflected light with respect to the first lens or pinhole.

13. The position measuring sensor of claim 11, wherein the first group of photodiodes are disposed along concentric circles to form a circular formation, wherein a first photodiode comprises an outer edge with a first distance to a center of the concentric circles, a second photodiode comprises an outer edge with a second distance to the center of the concentric circles, and a third photodiode comprises an outer edge with a third distance to the center of the concentric circles, and wherein one of the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance differs from one another.

14. The position measuring sensor of claim 11, wherein the first group of photodiodes are disposed along lines having a single intersection point.

15. An electronic device comprising:

an optical source configured to emit light to a detection area;

a first light receiver configured to receive, through a first group of photodiodes first reflected, first reflected light from a target object located in the detection area and to output a first light quantity pattern corresponding to the reflected light;

a second light receiver configured to receive through a second group of photodiodes second reflected light from the target object and to output a second light quantity pattern corresponding to the second reflected light; and

a processor configured to determine a position of the target object based on the first light quantity and the second light quantity pattern, and to determine a distance between the electronic device and the target object based on an incidence angle of the first reflected light and the second reflected light on the respective lens or pinhole, the incidence angle of the first reflected light determined based on a number of the photodiodes in the first group, a size of the photodiodes in the first group, a spacing between the photodiodes in the first group, and a form of the first lens or pinhole.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 further comprising:

a first lens or pinhole configured to receive the first reflected light from the target object located and to concentrate the first reflected light and to provide the first reflected light to the first light receiver; and

a second lens or pinhole configured to receive the second reflected light from the target object and to concentrate the second reflected light and to provide the second reflected light to the second light receiver.