Self-mixing interference based sensors for characterizing user input
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorMichael K. McCord
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An earbud includes a housing, a speaker mounted within the housing, a processor mounted within the housing, a user input surface on the housing, and a set of self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensors mounted within the housing. The set of SMI sensors includes a first SMI sensor configured to emit a first beam of light, and a second SMI sensor configured to emit a second beam of light. The second beam of light passes through the user input surface about an axis that is non-perpendicular to the user input surface. The processor is configured to adjust a parameter of the speaker at least partly in response to a first SMI output of the first SMI sensor and a second SMI output of the second SMI sensor.
Claims21
An electronic device comprising:
- a housing having a touch input surface;
- a first laser light source positioned within the housing and having a first resonant cavity configured to emit a first beam of light, receive a redirection of the first beam of light, and self-mix the first beam of light and the redirection of the first beam of light;
- a second laser light source positioned within the housing and having a second resonant cavity configured to emit a second beam of light, receive a redirection of the second beam of light, and self-mix the second beam of light and the redirection of the second beam of light;
- a set of sensors configured to detect a respective property associated with each of a first self-mixed light of the first laser light source and a second self-mixed light of the second laser light source;
- and
- a processor configured to detect, at least partly in response to the detected respective properties associated with each of the first self-mixed light and the second self-mixed light, a gesture of a user made on the touch input surface, wherein:
- the housing defines an earbud;
- a first axis of the first beam of light intersects the touch input surface at a first angle;
- and
- a second axis of the second beam of light intersects the touch input surface at a second angle different from the first angle.
An earbud, comprising:
- a housing;
- a speaker mounted within the housing;
- a processor mounted within the housing;
- a user input surface on the housing;
- and
- a set of self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensors including a first SMI sensor configured to emit a first beam of light and a second SMI sensor configured to emit a second beam of light;
- wherein:
- the second beam of light passes through the user input surface about an axis that is non-perpendicular to the user input surface;
- and
- the processor is configured to adjust a parameter of the speaker at least partly in response to a first SMI output of the first SMI sensor and a second SMI output of the second SMI sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.