# US 2014/0193165 A1 · Electronic alignment of optical signals > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193165 A1 - Document ID: US20140193165A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/844,152 - Filed: 2013-03-15 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: Silicon Image, Inc. - Applicants: Silicon Image, Inc. - Inventors: Kihong Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193165A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/4225: {by a direct measurement of the degree of coupling, e.g. the amount of light power coupled to the fibre or the opto-electronic element} - G06F 3/0304: {Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042)} - G06F 3/0418: {for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment} - G06F 3/042: by opto-electronic means - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to electronic alignment of optical signals. An embodiment of an apparatus includes an array of photo sensors; a bus coupled with the array, the bus including detection circuitry for each photo sensor to generate a signal in response to the photo sensor receiving an optical signal; and a processing component to process a group of signals, the group of signals being signals generated by the detection circuitry for a subset of the photo sensors in response to the photo sensors receiving the optical signal, to generate an output signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: an array including a plurality of photo sensors; a bus coupled with the array, the bus including detection circuitry for each photo sensor to generate a signal in response to the photo sensor receiving an optical signal; and a processing component to process a group of signals, the group of signals being signals generated by the detection circuitry for a subset of the photo sensors in response to the photo sensors receiving the optical signal, to generate an output signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photo sensors are photodiodes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bus further includes an array of switches to select signals of one or more photo sensors for the generation of the output signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing component receives the group of signals and electrically selects one of the group of signals as a main photo sensor signal to generate the output signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein selecting one of the group of signals includes comparing a power of each of the group of signals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing component includes a filter for filtering of the group of signals to generate the output signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the filter is to filter temporal displacement of each signal of the group of signals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the filter is an FIR (Finite Impulse Response) filter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical lens to focus the optical signal on the array of photo sensors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical lens generates an optical spot with an area that is less than or equal to an area of a photo sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical lens generates an optical spot with an area that is greater than an area of a photo sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photo sensors of the array are adjacent to each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photo sensors of the array are separated from each other in a pattern. ### Claim 14 A method comprising: receiving an optical signal at an optical signal detector, the optical signal detector including a plurality of photo sensors, the optical signal being received by a subset of the photo sensors; processing a group of signals generated by the subset of photo sensors; and based on the processing of the group of signals generated by the subset of photo sensors, producing an output signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein processing the group of signals generated by the subset of photo sensors includes comparing a power of each signal of the group of signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting one of the group of signals as a main photo sensor signal based on the comparison of the power of each signal of the group of signals. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein processing the group of signals generated by the subset of photo sensors includes filtering temporal displacement of each signal of the group of signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the filtering includes applying FIR (Finite Impulse Response) filtering to the group of signals. ### Claim 19 An integrated circuit comprising: a photodiode sensing surface, the surface being divided into a plurality of areas, each area being coupled with a detection circuitry for the area; and one or more functional blocks, the one or more functional blocks including one or more processing components to process a group of signals generated by the detection circuitry for a subset of one or more of the areas of the photodiode sensing surface in response to the subset of the areas receiving optical signals; wherein the one or more processing components provide for electronic adjustment of an axis of the received optical signals. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The integrated circuit of claim 19, wherein the processing components include a component to select a signal of the group of signals for generation of an output signal based at least in part on which area of the subset of areas produces a greatest amount of power in response to receiving the optical signals. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The integrated circuit of claim 19, wherein the processing components include a filter to provide time transference of the signals of the group of signals. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The integrated circuit of claim 19, wherein the optical signals are focused on the photodiode sensing surface via an optical lens. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The integrated circuit of claim 19, wherein the optical signals are received by the photodiode sensing surface directly from an optical fiber. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The integrated circuit of claim 19, wherein the photodiode sensing surface is implemented on a semiconductor die, the integrated circuit being packaged with an optically transparent window for the photodiode sensing surface.