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US 8,575,537 B2Granted
Compact multi-direction proximity sensor device and method
AssigneeAvago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
InventorsYufeng Yao, Sze Ping Ong, Rani Ramamoorthy Saravanan, Wee Sin Tan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A proximity sensor device is provided in compact unit that has the ability to sense or monitor in different directions, such as sensing or monitoring in both the vertical and horizontal directions. Methods are also provided. In an illustrative embodiment, the proximity sensor device includes a first transmitting/receiving pair and a second transmitting/receiving pair on a printed circuit board along with an IC to control the transmitters and receivers, as well as, in some embodiments, to provide signal filtering, amplification or other desired features.
Claims18
A proximity sensor, comprising:
- a substrate with a length L and a width W, wherein L is less than is less than 10 millimeters and W is less than 5 millimeters;
- a first transmitting unit attached to the substrate, the first transmitting unit configured to transmit a first signal in a first direction;
- a first receiving unit attached to the substrate, the first receiving unit configured to receive at least a portion of the first signal transmitted in the first direction;
- a second transmitting unit attached to the substrate, the second transmitting unit configured to transmit a second signal in a second direction, wherein the second transmitting unit is adjacent to the first transmitting unit and the second signal in the second direction is perpendicular and does not intersect to the first signal in the first direction;
- a second receiving unit attached to the substrate, the second receiving unit configured to receive at least a portion of the second signal transmitted in the second direction;
- and
- logic in communication with the first transmitting unit, first receiving unit, second transmitting unit, and second receiving unit, the logic configured to detect whether at least a portion of the first signal transmitted from the first transmitting unit has been received by the first receiving unit or when at least a portion of the second signal transmitted from the second transmitting unit has been received by the second receiving unit.
4 more elements
A method for sensing comprising:
- providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a length L and a width W, where L is less than 10 millimeters and W is less than 5 millimeters;
- attaching a first transmitting unit to the substrate, the first transmitting unit configured to transmit a first signal in a first direction;
- attaching a first receiving unit to the substrate, the first receiving unit configured to receive at least a portion of the first signal transmitted in the first direction;
- attaching a second transmitting unit to the substrate, the second transmitting unit configured to transmit a second signal in a second direction, wherein the second transmitting unit is adjacent to the first transmitting unit and the second signal in the second direction is perpendicular and does not intersect to the first signal in the first direction;
- attaching a second receiving unit to the substrate, the second receiving unit configured to receive at least a portion of the second signal transmitted in the second direction;
- providing logic in communication with the first transmitting unit, first receiving unit, second transmitting unit, and second receiving unit, the logic configured to detect whether the at least a portion of the first signal has been received by the first receiving unit or when the at least a portion of the second signal has been received by the second receiving unit.
3 more elements
A method for sensing comprising:
- providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a length L and a width W, where L is less than 10 millimeters and W is less than 5 millimeters;
- transmitting a signal in a direction from a first transmitting unit connected to the substrate;
- receiving at least part of the signal at a first receiving unit connected to the substrate;
- transmitting a second signal in a second direction from a second transmitting unit connected to the substrate, wherein the second transmitting unit is adjacent to the first transmitting unit and the second signal in the second direction is perpendicular and does not intersect to the first signal in the first direction;
- receiving at least part of the second signal at a second receiving unit connected to the substrate;
- and
- detecting whether the at least part of the signal has been received by the first receiving unit or the at least part of the second signal has been received by the second receiving unit.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.