Receiver compensation by adjusting receiver sensitivity

• US 9,223,010 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elmos Semiconductor SE
• Original Assignee: Elmos Semiconductor AG
• Inventors: Burchard, Bernd, Larm, Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Que T
• Application Number:
  US14/178,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.R, 250/214.1, 250/221, 250/559.1, 348302-311, 327/514, 327/515
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating

Abstract

A receiver compensation system and method to operate the receiver compensation system are disclosed. The compensation sensor system includes at least one receiver and at least one control loop. The method to operate the receiver compensation system is characterized in that the receiver is adjusted in its sensitivity by a control signal such that in the case of changes of an input received by the receiver, a control signal of the control loop resets an associated receiver output signal, except for a control error. Further, at least one other signal of the control loop represents or contains a measurement of the change of the input received by the receiver.

Claims

1. A method to operate a compensation sensor system comprising at least one receiver D and a first control loop, comprising:

the at least one receiver D is readjusted in its sensitivity by a first control signal S3 such that,

in the case of changes of one of a strength of a light signal and a strength of a magnetic field detected by the receiver D, the first control signal S3 of the first control loop resets a value of at least one associated receiver output signal S1 to substantially the value of the output signal S1 prior to the change, and

at least a second control signal S4 of the first control loop represents a change of the one of the strength of the light signal and the strength of the magnetic field.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiver D is a photodiode and the receiver D detects the light signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiver D is a Hall sensor and the receiver D detects the magnetic field.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one receiver D comprises an interconnection of multiple receivers configured to be connected and disconnected to perform a reception depending on the first control signal S3.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

a. at least one transmitter H1 irradiates at least one transmitter signal S5 onto the at least one receiver D,

b. a feedback control of an absolute receiver sensitivity of said receiver D compensates via the first control signal S3 the irradiation of the transmitter H1 such that,

c. the at least one receiver output signal S1 contains substantially no remaining portion of the transmitter signal S5.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the receiver D includes a Hall sensor having a differential receiver sensitivity, and

a. at least one transmitter H1 irradiates at least one transmitter signal S5 onto the at least one receiver D,

b. a feedback control of the differential sensitivity of the receiver D compensates via the first control signal S3 the irradiation of the transmitter H1 such that,

c. the at least one receiver output signal S1 contains substantially no remaining portion of the transmitter signal S5.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the sensor system further comprises a second control loop and the second control loop keeps the differential receiver sensitivity substantially constant.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one compensation transmitter K irradiates an additional signal S3b onto the at least one receiver D,

a third control loop and the additional signal S3b control the compensation transmitter K, and

the control signal S3b depends on the receiver output signal S1.

9. A compensated sensor system comprising at least one receiver D and a first control loop, wherein:

the at least one receiver D is readjusted in its sensitivity,

in case of changes of a one of a strength of a light signal and a strength of a magnetic field detected by said receiver D the control loop resets a value of at least one related receiver output signal S1 to substantially the value of the output signal S1 prior to the change, by the first control loop using at least one control signal S3, and

a second control signal S4 of the first control loop represents the change of the one of the strength of the light signal and the strength of the magnetic field.

10. A method of operating a compensation sensor system comprising at least one receiver and a first control loop, said method including the steps of:

receiving one of a light signal and a magnetic field signal at a first strength level by the receiver,

adjusting the sensitivity of the receiver via a first control signal such that a receiver output signal is at a first receiver output signal value,

receiving the one of the light signal and magnetic field signal at a second strength level by the receiver, the second level being different from the first level, and

readjusting the sensitivity of the receiver via the first control signal such that the receiver output signal is adjusted to substantially the first receiver output signal value, and a control loop output signal represents a measurement of a difference between the first level and the second level of the variable receiver input signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one receiver is a photodiode.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one receiver is a hall sensor.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one receiver comprises an interconnection of multiple sub-receivers, said multiple sub-receivers configured to be connected and disconnected in order to adjust the sensitivity of the receiver, said multiple sub-receivers being connected and disconnected according to the first control signal.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

a transmitter generates the one of the light signal and magnetic field signal based on a transmitter input signal, and

an absolute receiver sensitivity of the receiver compensates, via the first control signal, the one of the light signal and magnetic field signal such that the receiver output signal contains substantially no remaining portion of the variable receiver input signal.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the compensation sensor system further comprises a second control, and the second control loop keeps the differential receiver sensitivity substantially constant.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

at least one compensation transmitter irradiates a compensating receiver input signal onto the receiver based on a compensation transmitter input signal,

a third control loop controls the compensation transmitter via the compensation transmitter input signal, and

the compensation transmitter input signal depends on the receiver output signal.