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US 11,692,872 B2Granted
Reducing dark current in an optical device
Assigneeams International AG
InventorsRavi Kumar Adusumalli, Rohit Ranganathan, Vijay Ele
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical light sensing device includes a detector operable to detect a light wave. The optical light sensing device also includes an integration circuit that includes an operational amplifier that is operable to reduce or cancel dark currents generated at the detector.
Claims12
A circuit implemented in an optical sensing device, the circuit comprising:
- a detector operable to detect a light wave to determine an attribute of an object, wherein the detector is susceptible to generating a dark current;
- an integration circuit comprising an operational amplifier and a plurality of switches that are connected to the operational amplifier, wherein the operational amplifier processes one or more signals generated by the detector based on a switching connection of the plurality of switches;
- and
- a chop signal generator coupled to the integration circuit, wherein the chop signal generator is operable to generate a chop signal that adjusts the switching connection of the plurality of switches to cause the operational amplifier to reduce a magnitude of the dark current generated by the detector.
1 more element
A method performed using an optical sensing device, the method comprising:
- receiving, by an integration circuit, a signal that represents a dark current generated at a detector disposed in the optical sensing device;
- generating, by a chop signal generator coupled to the integration circuit, a chop signal that adjusts a switching connection of a plurality of switches connected to an operational amplifier of the integration circuit;
- adjusting the switching connection of the plurality of switches to change a polarity of the operational amplifier in response to the chop signal;
- and
- reducing, by the integration circuit, a magnitude of the dark current generated by the detector based on the change to the polarity of the operational amplifier.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.