18382786. Optical Crosstalk Compensation for Optical Sensors simplified abstract (Apple Inc.)

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Optical Crosstalk Compensation for Optical Sensors

Organization Name

Apple Inc.

Inventor(s)

Dianbo Guo of San Jose CA (US)

Mengshu Huang of Cupertino CA (US)

Optical Crosstalk Compensation for Optical Sensors - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18382786 titled 'Optical Crosstalk Compensation for Optical Sensors

Simplified Explanation

The optical sensor module described in the patent application includes an optical emitter, a photodetector, a sensor circuit, and an optical crosstalk compensation circuit housed within a housing. The optical emitter emits electromagnetic radiation towards and through the housing, while the photodetector detects portions of the radiation redirected by intended and unintended targets. The sensor circuit generates a sensor output based on the photocurrent received from the photodetector, and the optical crosstalk compensation circuit injects a bias current to compensate for crosstalk.

  • Optical sensor module with housing, emitter, photodetector, sensor circuit, and crosstalk compensation circuit.
  • Emitter emits radiation, photodetector detects redirected radiation from targets.
  • Sensor circuit generates output based on detected radiation.
  • Crosstalk compensation circuit injects bias current to compensate for crosstalk.

Potential Applications

The technology described in this patent application could be applied in various fields such as:

  • Proximity sensors
  • Object detection systems
  • Industrial automation

Problems Solved

This technology addresses the following issues:

  • Crosstalk interference in optical sensor systems
  • Accurate detection of intended targets
  • Reliable sensor output in the presence of unintended targets

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include:

  • Improved accuracy in target detection
  • Reduction of false readings due to crosstalk
  • Enhanced performance of optical sensor modules

Potential Commercial Applications

With its ability to mitigate crosstalk and improve target detection accuracy, this technology could find commercial applications in:

  • Robotics
  • Automotive safety systems
  • Security systems

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art in this field is the use of optical filters to reduce crosstalk in optical sensor modules. However, the approach described in this patent application involving the injection of bias current for crosstalk compensation appears to be a novel solution to the problem.

Unanswered Questions

How does the optical crosstalk compensation circuit determine the amount of bias current to inject?

The patent application does not provide detailed information on the specific mechanism or algorithm used by the optical crosstalk compensation circuit to calculate the required bias current for compensation.

What is the impact of environmental factors on the performance of the optical sensor module?

The patent application does not address how factors such as ambient light, temperature, or humidity may affect the accuracy and reliability of the sensor output.


Original Abstract Submitted

An optical sensor module includes a housing, an optical emitter, a photodetector, a sensor circuit, and an optical crosstalk compensation circuit. The optical emitter is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward and through the housing. The photodetector is configured to provide a photocurrent to an output node. The photocurrent is responsive to a receipt of first portions of the electromagnetic radiation redirected by an intended target and received through the housing, and second portions of the electromagnetic radiation redirected by an unintended target or received directly from the optical emitter. The sensor circuit is connected to the output node and configured to generate a sensor output. The optical crosstalk compensation circuit is configured to inject a bias current into the output node or the sensor circuit.