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US 11,237,048 B2Granted
Light sensor with a high sensitivity using a sigma-delta analog to digital converter and sensing method thereof
AssigneeEminent Electronic Technology Corp. Ltd.
InventorKao-Pin Wu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A light sensor includes a light sensing element, a first integrator and a sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter. The light sensing element senses light during a measurement period to generate a first current. The first integrator is coupled to the light sensing element and configured to receive the first current and generates a first integration signal. The sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter is coupled to the first integrator and used to convert the first integration signal to a sensing value.
Claims10
A light sensor, comprising:
- a light sensing element, configured to sense light during a measurement period to generate a first current;
- a first integrator, coupled to said light sensing element, configured to receive said first current and generate a first integration signal;
- and
- a sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter, coupled to said first integrator, configured to convert said first integration signal into a sensing value, wherein said sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter comprises:
- a second integrator, coupled to said first integrator, configured to generate a second integration signal according to said first integration signal;
- a reset circuit, coupled to said second integrator, configured to reset said second integrator;
- and
- a quantizer, coupled to said second integrator and said reset circuit, configured to make said reset circuit reset said second integrator while said second integration signal is greater than a preset value, and count times that said second integration signal is greater than said preset value during said measurement period, whereby to generate said sensing value.
5 more elements
A light sensing method, comprising the steps of:
- A. sensing light during a measurement period to generate a first current;
- B. integrating said first current to generate a first integration signal;
- and
- C. converting said first integration signal into a sensing value by a sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter;
- wherein said step C further comprises:
- C1. integrating first integration signal to generate a second integration signal;
- C2. while said second integration signal is greater than a preset value, returning said second integration signal to zero, and returning to step C1;
- and
- C3. counting times that said second integration signal is greater than said preset value whereby to generate said sensing value.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.