# US 12,216,001 B2 · Device and method for detecting a light irradiating angle

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,216,001 B2
- Document ID: US12216001B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/699,695
- Filed: 2022-03-21
- Published: 2023-06-22
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-22
- Assignees: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
- Applicants: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
- Inventors: Mang Ou-Yang; Yung-Jhe Yan; Guan-Yu Huang; Tse Yu Cheng; Chang-Hsun Liu; Yu-Siou Liu; Ying-Wen Jan; Chen-Yu Chan; Tung-Yun Hsieh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216001B2

## CPC

- G01J 1/0266: {Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a photometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of the measurement area; Position tracking; Photodetection involving different fields of view for a single detector}
- G01J 1/44: Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)}
- G01J 1/0437: {using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators, spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters}
- G01J 1/4228: {arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation}
- G01J 1/4257: {applied to monitoring the characteristics of a beam, e.g. laser beam, headlamp beam (monitoring arrangements for lasers in general H01S3/0014)}
- G01J 2001/4266: {for measuring solar light}
- G01J 2001/444: {Compensating; Calibrating, e.g. dark current, temperature drift, noise reduction or baseline correction; Adjusting}
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)

## Abstract

A device and a method for detecting a light irradiating angle are disclosed. The device, used to detect the incident direction of a light ray, includes a solar sensor and a processor. The sensing unit of the solar sensor has sensing areas. The sensing areas correspondingly generate sensing signals based on the intensity of the light ray. A mask covers the sensing unit and has an X-shaped light transmitting portion. The light ray transmits the X-shaped light transmitting portion to form an X-axis light ray and a Y-axis light ray. The X-axis light ray intersects the Y-axis light ray. The X-axis light ray and the Y-axis light ray fall on the sensing area. The processor, coupled to the sensing unit, receives the sensing signals and determines information of the incident direction according to the sensing signals.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for detecting a light irradiating angle, used to detect an incident direction of a light ray, comprising:
a solar sensor comprising:
a sensing unit having a first sensing area, a second sensing area, a third sensing area, and a fourth sensing area, wherein the first sensing area, the second sensing area, the third sensing area, and the fourth sensing area are respectively configured to generate a first sensing signal, a second sensing signal, a third sensing signal, and a fourth sensing signal based on an intensity of the light ray; and
a mask covering the sensing unit and having an X-shaped light transmitting portion, wherein the light ray transmits the X-shaped light transmitting portion to form an X-axis light ray and a Y-axis light ray, the X-axis light ray intersects the Y-axis light ray, and an intersection of the X-axis light ray and the Y-axis light ray falls on one of the first sensing area, the second sensing area, the third sensing area, and the fourth sensing area;
a processor coupled to the sensing unit and configured to receive the first sensing signal, the second sensing signal, the third sensing signal, and the fourth sensing signal and determine information of the incident direction based on the first sensing signal, the second sensing signal, the third sensing signal, and the fourth sensing signal;
wherein each of the first sensing area, the second sensing area, the third sensing area, and the fourth sensing area has a shape of an asymmetrical inequilateral trapezoid;
a calibration sensor, the calibration sensor is arranged adjacent to the solar sensor and coupled to the processor, wherein the calibration sensor is configured to generate and transmit a basing signal to the processor, and the processor is configured to incorporate the basing signal, the first sensing signal, the second sensing signal, the third sensing signal, and the fourth sensing signal into representative calibration equations to lead a first calibration sensing signal, a second calibration sensing signal, a third calibration sensing signal, and a fourth calibration sensing signal, and the representative calibration equations include:
I1-D1×magnification=I1c;
I2-D1×magnification=I2c;
I3-D1×magnification=I3c; and
I4-D1×magnification=I4c;
where I1 represents the first sensing signal, I2 represents the second sensing signal, I3 represents the third sensing signal, I4 represents the fourth sensing signal, D1 represents the basing signal, I1c represents the first calibration sensing signal, I2c represents the second calibration sensing signal, I3c represents the third calibration sensing signal, and I4c represents the fourth calibration sensing signal;
wherein the information of the incident direction includes an X-axis incident angle and a Y-axis incident angle, the processor is configured to incorporate the first calibration sensing signal, the second calibration sensing signal, the third calibration sensing signal, and the fourth calibration sensing signal into a first representative equation to lead the X-axis incident angle, the first representative equation includes
θ
x
=
tan
-
1
(
(
c
L
⁢
I
2
⁢
c
+
c
U
⁢
I
1
⁢
c
)
-
(
c
D
⁢
I
3
⁢
c
+
c
R
⁢
I
4
⁢
c
)
c
R
⁢
I
4
⁢
c
+
c
U
⁢
I
1
⁢
c
+
c
L
⁢
I
2
⁢
c
+
c
D
⁢
I
3
⁢
c
)
·
C
,
the processor is configured to incorporate the first calibration sensing signal, the second calibration sensing signal, the third calibration sensing signal, and the fourth calibration sensing signal into a second representative equation to lead the Y-axis incident angle, and the second representative equation includes
θ
y
=
tan
-
1
(
(
(
1
-
c
U
)
⁢
I
1
⁢
c
+
(
1
-
c
R
)
⁢
I
4
⁢
c
)
-
(
(
1
-
c
D
)
⁢
I
3
⁢
c
+
(
1
-
c
L
)
⁢
I
2
⁢
c
)
(
1
-
c
R
)
⁢
I
4
⁢
c
+
(
1
-
c
U
)
⁢
I
1
⁢
c
+
(
1
-
c
L
)
⁢
I
2
⁢
c
+
(
1
-
c
D
)
⁢
I
3
⁢
c
)
·
C
,
where θx represents the X-axis incident angle, θy, represents the Y-axis incident angle, cU represents a weight of the first sensing area, cY represents a weight of the second sensing area, cD represents a weight of the third sensing area, cR represents a weight of the fourth sensing area, and C represents a constant.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device for detecting a light irradiating angle according to claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is a square sensing unit that has crossing lines, the crossing lines divide the sensing unit into the first sensing area, the second sensing area, the third sensing area, and the fourth sensing area and divide each edge of the square sensing unit into a first line segment and a second line segment, and a ratio of a length of the first line segment to a length of the second line segment is 2:8 or 8:2.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device for detecting a light irradiating angle according to claim 1, wherein the information of the incident direction includes a falling point position, the falling point position is led by incorporating the first calibration sensing signal, the second calibration sensing signal, the third calibration sensing signal, and the fourth calibration sensing signal into representative falling point equations, and the representative falling point equations includes:
I1c>I3c & I4c>I2c→falling on the first sensing area;
I1c>I3c& I2c>I4c→falling on the second sensing area;
I3c>I1c & I2c>I4c→falling on the third sensing area; and
I3c>I1c & I4c>I2c→falling on the fourth sensing area.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method for detecting a light irradiating angle applied to the device of claim 1, the method comprising:
generating the first sensing signal, the second sensing signal, the third sensing signal, and the fourth sensing signal based on the intensity of the light ray, wherein the first sensing signal, the second sensing signal, the third sensing signal, and the fourth sensing signal are respectively generated by the first sensing area, the second sensing area, the third sensing area, and the fourth sensing area of a sensing unit;
calibrating the first sensing signal, the second sensing signal, the third sensing signal, and the fourth sensing signal to respectively generate a first calibration sensing signal, a second calibration sensing signal, a third calibration sensing signal, and a fourth calibration sensing signal;
determining a falling point position of the light ray based on currents of the first calibration sensing signal, the second calibration sensing signal, the third calibration sensing signal, and the fourth calibration sensing signal; and
determining an X-axis incident angle and a Y-axis incident angle of the light ray based on the first calibration sensing signal, the second calibration sensing signal, the third calibration sensing signal, and the fourth calibration sensing signal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method for detecting a light irradiating angle according to claim 4, wherein in the step of determining the falling point position of the light ray based on the currents of the first calibration sensing signal, the second calibration sensing signal, the third calibration sensing signal, and the fourth calibration sensing signal, the falling point position is led by incorporating the first calibration sensing signal, the second calibration sensing signal, the third calibration sensing signal, and the fourth calibration sensing signal into representative falling point equations, and the representative falling point equations includes:
I1c>I3c& I4c>I2c→falling on the first sensing area;
I1c>I3c& I2c>I4c→falling on the second sensing area;
I3c>I1c& I2c>I4c→falling on the third sensing area; and
I3c>I1c & I4c>I2c→falling on the fourth sensing area, where I1c represents the first calibration sensing signal, I2c represents the second calibration sensing signal, I3c represents the third calibration sensing signal, and I4c represents the fourth calibration sensing signal.