Integrated proximity sensor and light sensor

• US 8,829,414 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• 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:
  US14/010,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20130341494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.AL, 250/214.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 comprising:

an emitter;

a detector that detects emissions from the emitter and, simultaneously, detects emissions from at least one source other than the emitter; and

circuitry that distinguishes between the emissions from the emitter and the emissions from the at least one source other than the emitter that are simultaneously detected by the detector, wherein the emissions from the emitter and the emissions from the at least one source other than the emitter that are detected by the detector comprise emissions of electromagnetic radiation that overlap in frequency.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the detector comprises an infrared detector and the emissions from the emitter and the emissions from the at least one source other than the emitter that are detected by the detector comprise infrared light.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the circuitry comprises processing logic that is coupled to the emitter and to the detector and that subtracts the emissions from the at least one source other than the emitter from the emissions from the emitter when the apparatus is operating in a proximity detecting mode.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the circuitry comprises at least one of:

time division multiplexer circuitry, timeslice multiplexer circuitry, frequency filter circuitry, and passband filter circuitry.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the emissions from at least one source other than the emitter comprise ambient light, the apparatus further comprising:

an additional detector sensitive to the ambient light.

6. A method of operating an apparatus including an emitter and a detector, the method comprising:

with the emitter, emitting electromagnetic radiation;

with the detector, detecting emissions from the emitter and, simultaneously, detecting emissions from at least one source other than the emitter, wherein the emissions from the emitter and the emissions from the at least one source other than the emitter that are detected with the detector comprise emissions of electromagnetic radiation that overlap in frequency; and

distinguishing between the detected emissions from the emitter and the simultaneously detected emissions from the at least one source other than the emitter.

7. The method defined in claim 6 wherein, with the emitter, emitting the electromagnetic radiation comprises:

with the emitter, emitting the electromagnetic radiation in pulses at a given frequency.

8. The method defined in claim 7 wherein distinguishing between the detected emissions from the emitter and the simultaneously detected emissions from the at least one source other than the emitter comprises:

with the detector, detecting emissions from at least one source other than the emitter at times between the pulses at the given frequency during which the emitter emits the electromagnetic radiation.

9. The method defined in claim 6 wherein, with the detector, detecting emissions from the emitter comprises detecting infrared radiation emitted by the emitter and reflected by an object that is present within a given distance of the apparatus.

10. The method defined in claim 9 wherein, with the detector, detecting emissions from at least one source other than the emitter comprises detecting ambient light.

11. A method of operating an apparatus including an emitter and a detector, the method comprising:

with the emitter, emitting electromagnetic radiation in pulses at a given frequency;

with the detector and during the pulses at which the emitter emits the electromagnetic radiation, detecting whether any objects are present within a given distance of the apparatus; and

with the detector and at times between the pulses at which the emitter emits the electromagnetic radiation, measuring the intensity of ambient light.

12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises infrared light.

13. The method defined in claim 11 wherein detecting whether any objects are present within the given distance of the apparatus further comprises:

subtracting a first measurement taken by the detector during a first time period between two of the pulses from a second measurement taken by the detector during a second time period during one of the pulses.