Integrated proximity sensor and light sensor

• US 8,536,507 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony M., Pantfoerder, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn, Seung C
• Application Number:
  US12/750,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.AL, 250/24.B, 250/201.1, 340/556
• US Class Current: 250/214.AL
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/44 Electric circuits for command of an exposure part G03B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2001/4242 Modulated light, e.g. for synchronizing source and detector circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods to sense proximity and to detect light. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an emitter of electromagnetic radiation and a detector of electromagnetic radiation; the detector has a sensor to detect electromagnetic radiation from the emitter when sensing proximity, and to detect electromagnetic radiation from a source other than the emitter when sensing visible light. The emitter may be disabled at least temporarily to allow the detector to detect electromagnetic radiation from a source other than the emitter, such as ambient light. In one implementation, the ambient light is measured by measuring infrared wavelengths. Also, a fence having a non-IR transmissive material disposed between the emitter and the detector to remove electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter. Other apparatuses and methods and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus to sense proximity and to sense light, the apparatus comprising:

an emitter of electromagnetic radiation;

a detector of electromagnetic radiation, the detector having a sensor configured to detect electromagnetic radiation from the emitter when the apparatus is sensing proximity and configured to detect electromagnetic radiation from a source other than the emitter when the apparatus is sensing light, wherein the emitter is configured to emit IR light;

processing logic to distinguish between IR light emitted by the emitter and ambient IR light when the apparatus is sensing proximity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

processing logic coupled to the emitter and to the sensor, the process logic configured to subtract the radiation from the source other than the emitter when the apparatus is sensing proximity.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the emitter is configured to emit IR light modulated with a first waveform at a first frequency, and further comprising:

processing logic to distinguish between IR light modulated with the first waveform or at the first frequency and ambient IR light when the apparatus is sensing proximity.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the processing logic to distinguish comprises processing logic to one of time division multiplex, timeslice multiplex, frequency filter, and passband filter between IR light modulated by the first waveform or at the first frequency and ambient IR light when the apparatus is sensing proximity.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

processing logic coupled to the emitter and to the detector, the processing logic configured to turn off the radiation from the emitter when the apparatus is sensing light.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the sensor is a first sensor having a first bandpass filter that only passes infra-red (IR) light, the detector further comprising:

a second sensor having a second passband filter that only passes both IR light and visible light.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the second passband filter is a cover over the first sensor and the second sensor, and further comprising:

processing logic to scale and subtract ambient IR light detected by the first sensor from ambient visible light and ambient IR light detected by the second detector when the apparatus is sensing light.

8. An apparatus to sense proximity and to sense light, the apparatus comprising:

an emitter of electromagnetic radiation;

a detector of electromagnetic radiation, the detector having a first sensor configured to detect electromagnetic radiation from the emitter when the apparatus is sensing proximity, the detector having a second sensor configured to detect electromagnetic radiation from a source other than the emitter when the apparatus is sensing light.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

processing logic coupled to the emitter and to the detector, the process logic configured to subtract the radiation from the source other than the emitter when the apparatus is sensing proximity, the processing logic configured to one of subtract, turn off, and cover the radiation from the emitter when the apparatus is sensing light.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the emitter is configured to emit IR light modulated with a first waveform at a first frequency, and wherein the first sensor includes one of a processor, processing logic, a frequency filter, a waveform filter, and a time division multiplexer to distinguish between IR light having the first waveform or at the first frequency and ambient IR light having a different second waveform and at a different second frequency.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the emitter is configured to emit modulated IR light, wherein the first sensor comprises a first filter having a passband that only passes infra-red (IR) light, and wherein the first sensor comprises a waveform generator and a multiplexer configured to time-slice and multiplex between sensing the ambient IR light and the modulated emitted IR light.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first sensor is configured to detect light having one of a modulation frequency of a modulated light signal emitted by the emitter and a waveform of the modulated light signal emitted by the emitter.

13. An apparatus to sense proximity and to detect light, the apparatus comprising:

an emitter of electromagnetic radiation;

a detector of electromagnetic radiation, the detector being configured to detect electromagnetic radiation from the emitter when the apparatus is configured to sense proximity, wherein the detector is configured to detect electromagnetic radiation from a source other than the emitter when the apparatus is configured to sense light, the detector having a first bandpass filter that only passes infra-red (IR) light, and a second passband filter that only passes both IR light and visible light.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

a covering over the emitter and detector; and

wherein the fence between the emitter and the detector is configured to prohibit electromagnetic radiation from the emitter that is refracted by the covering from entering the detector.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the covering comprises an anti-glare covering or hardcoat on the outside of the apparatus having refractive properties to cause IR from the emitter to reflect back into the detector, and wherein the fence comprises a non-IR transmissive material configured to prohibit IR light emitted by the emitter and refracted by the cover from reaching the detector.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the fence extends from a surface the emitter is mounted on to touch the covering.

17. An integrated proximity and ambient light sensor comprising:

a proximity sensor to sense a proximity, the proximity sensor comprising an emitter of electromagnetic radiation and a detector of electromagnetic radiation from the emitter when sensing proximity; and

an ambient light sensor to detect electromagnetic radiation other than from the emitter when the proximity sensor is not sensing proximity.

18. The sensor of claim 17, wherein the emitter is configured to emit IR light;

and further comprising processing logic to distinguish between IR light emitted by the emitter and ambient IR light when the apparatus is sensing proximity.

19. The sensor of claim 17, wherein the detector has a first bandpass filter that only passes infra-red (IR) light, and a second passband filter that only passes both IR light and visible light.

20. The sensor of claim 17, further comprising one of a filter to filter electromagnetic radiation from the emitter, and a controller to turn off the emitter.

21. A method of operating an integrated proximity and ambient light sensor comprising:

using the sensor to detect electromagnetic radiation emitted from an emitter of the sensor when sensing proximity; and

using the sensor to detect electromagnetic radiation other than from the emitter when not sensing proximity.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein detecting electromagnetic radiation other than from the emitter comprises one of filtering electromagnetic radiation from the emitter, and turning off the emitter.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the sensor only passing infra-red (IR) light when sensing proximity, and the sensor passing both IR light and visible light when sensing ambient light.

24. A data processing system comprising:

an integrated proximity and ambient light sensor configured to be a proximity sensor to sense a proximity and configured to be an ambient light sensor to detect electromagnetic radiation from a source other than an emitter of electromagnetic radiation of the proximity sensor, the proximity sensor comprising the emitter and a detector of electromagnetic radiation from the emitter when sensing proximity and wherein the proximity sensor and the ambient light sensor share the detector of electromagnetic radiation;

a display;

an input device;

at least one processor coupled to the input device and to the display and to the proximity sensor, the processor configured to determine, based upon data from the proximity sensor, whether to modify a setting of the data processing system.

25. The data processing system of claim 24 wherein the processor is configured to modify another setting of the data processing system in response to data from the ambient light sensor.