Back to results
US 10,537,284 B1Granted
Enhanced sensor signal collection and reflection of reflected and/or scattered light
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsRichard Ruh, Ueyn L. Block, Guocheng Shao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices and methods for sensor signal collection. The electronic devices may include retroreflectors for redirecting scattered light back to the photodetector. The retroreflectors may be positioned at various locations on or in the electronic device, and may employ various geometric elements having retroreflective capability.
Claims20
An electronic device comprising:
- a housing including an outer surface, a first cavity, and a second cavity;
- one or more light emitters located in the first cavity and optically coupled to at least one first window;
- one or more photodetectors located in the second cavity and optically coupled to at least one second window;
- and
- one or more retroreflectors optically coupled to the one or more light emitters, wherein when the electronic device is placed against a tissue of a user, the one or more retroreflectors reflect incident light back to the tissue and in a direction that is parallel or nearly parallel to but opposite from the incident light.
2 more elements
A method for collecting light using an electronic device, the method comprising:
- locating one or more light emitters in a first cavity included in a housing;
- emitting a first light using the one or more light emitters;
- placing the electronic device against a tissue of a user reflecting a second light using one or more retroreflectors when the electronic device is placed against the tissue of the user, the one or more retroreflectors reflecting incident light back to the tissue and in a direction that is parallel or nearly parallel to but opposite from the incident light;
- locating one or more photodetectors in a second cavity included in the housing;
- and detecting the light reflected by the one or more retroreflectors using the one or more photodetectors.
2 more elements
A method for forming an electronic device, the method comprising:
- providing a housing, the housing including an outer surface, a first cavity, and a second cavity;
- locating one or more light emitters in the first cavity;
- attaching one or more first windows to the first cavity;
- locating one or more photodetectors in the second cavity;
- attaching one or more second windows to the second cavity;
- and
- locating one or more retroreflectors such that when the electronic device is placed against a tissue of a user, the one or more retroreflectors reflect incident light back to the tissue and in a direction that is parallel or nearly parallel to, but opposite to, the direction of the incident light, the one or more retroreflectors optically coupled to the one or more light emitters.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.