# US 2017/0284865 A1 · Multifunctional Infrared Module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0284865 A1 - Document ID: US20170284865A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/475,087 - Filed: 2017-03-30 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-30 - Assignees: Peel Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Peel Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Samyeer Suresh Metrani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170284865A1 ## CPC - G01J 1/44: Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} - G01J 1/4204: {with determination of ambient light (solar light G01J2001/4266)} - G01S 7/484: Transmitters - G01S 7/4861: Circuits for detection, sampling, integration or read-out - A61B 5/02433: {for infrared radiation} - A61B 5/14552: {Details of sensors specially adapted therefor} - G01J 2001/446: {Photodiode} - G01J 2001/4473: {Phototransistor} - G01S 17/04: Systems determining the presence of a target - G01S 17/08: for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) - 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) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A multifunctional infrared (IR) module is configured for multiple IR applications without an additional microcontroller to be integrated into a computing device and is able to utilize voltage control instead of current control. The multifunctional IR module includes an IR light emitting diode (LED), and an IR receiver (e.g., photodiode or phototransistor). In one embodiment, the multifunctional IR module includes a resistor that is connected to the cathode of the IR LED and the drain of a transistor, with the source of the transistor grounded. In some embodiments, the multifunctional IR module additionally includes a red LED. Various configurations of the multifunctional IR module are able to perform one or more of the following functions: IR in (receiving IR signals), IR out (generating IR signals), heart rate sensing, SpO2 (oxygen saturation) sensing, distance/proximity detection, gesture detection, LED control, and ambient light detection. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multifunctional infrared (IR) module comprising: an IR light-emitting diode (LED) having an anode and a cathode; a first resistor having a first end connected to the cathode of the IR LED; a first transistor, wherein a drain of the first transistor is connected to a second end of the first resistor, and a source of the first transistor is grounded; and an IR receiver having an output, wherein the anode of the IR LED, a gate of the first transistor, and the IR receiver are communicatively coupled to a computing device, and the computing device is configured to receive a signal from the multifunctional IR module based on the output of the IR receiver. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The multifunctional IR module of claim 1, wherein the IR receiver is a photodiode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The multifunctional IR module of claim 2, wherein the output of the photodiode is an anode of the photodiode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The multifunctional IR module of claim 2, wherein the output of the photodiode is a cathode of the photodiode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The multifunctional IR module of claim 2, wherein the photodiode is not powered. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The multifunctional IR module of claim 1, wherein the IR receiver is a phototransistor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The multifunctional IR module of claim 1, further comprising: a second resistor with a first end connected to the output of the IR receiver and a second end connected to ground. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The multifunctional IR module of claim 7, further comprising: a unity gain amplifier connected to the output of the IR receiver. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The multifunctional IR module of claim 8, further comprising: an inverting amplifier connected to the output of the IR receiver, wherein the signal received by the computing device is the output of the inverting amplifier. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The multifunctional IR module of claim 9, wherein the IR receiver is a photodiode having a cathode and an anode, the output of the IR receiver being from the cathode of the photodiode, the anode of the photodiode connected to ground. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The multifunctional IR module of claim 1, further comprising: a high current driving circuit connected to the cathode of the IR LED. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The multifunctional IR module of claim 1, wherein the high current driving circuit comprises: a second resistor connected with a first end connected to the cathode of the IR LED; and a second transistor, a drain of the second transistor connected to a second end of the second resistor, and a source of the second transistor connected to ground; wherein a signal applied to the gate of the second transistor increases the current of the IR LED. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The multifunctional IR module of claim 11, wherein the multifunctional IR module is additionally configured to send IR communication transmissions, and wherein an intensity of the IR LED when sending IR communication transmissions is greater than an intensity of the IR LED when measuring heart rate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The multifunctional IR module of claim 1, wherein the signal from the IR receiver is filtered to remove a direct current (DC) component of the signal before being received by the computing device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The multifunctional IR module of claim 14, further comprising: a high pass filter connected to an output of the IR receiver; and a high gain amplifier connected to an output of the high pass filter, wherein the signal received by the computing device is the output of the high gain amplifier. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The multifunctional IR module of claim 1, wherein the signal received by the computing device from the IR receiver includes both DC and alternating current (AC) components. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The multifunctional IR module of claim 1, further comprising: a red LED having an anode and a cathode; a second resistor connected to the cathode of the red LED; and a second transistor, wherein a drain of the second transistor is connected to the second resistor, and a source of the second transistor is grounded, wherein the anode of the red LED, and a gate of the second transistor are communicatively coupled with the computing device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The multifunctional IR module of claim 17, wherein the multifunctional IR module is configured to measure SpO2. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The multifunctional IR module of claim 1, wherein the multifunctional IR module is configured to measure heart rate. ### Claim 20 A multifunctional IR module comprising: an IR LED having an anode and a cathode; a first transistor having a drain connected to the cathode of the IR LED, a source connected to ground, and a gate configured to receive logic signals from a computing device; an IR photodiode having an anode and a cathode; a second transistor having a drain configured to send logic signals to the computing device, a source connected to ground, and a gate connected to the anode of the photodiode, wherein responsive to the anode of the photodiode surpassing a threshold voltage of the second transistor, the drain of the second transistor transmits a logic high signal to the computing device.