Method for evaluating position and motion using time of flight detectors

A method of detecting motion of an object, using a time of flight sensor, comprising:

• evaluating a coverage factor of an emission area of the time of flight sensor by at least
• assigning a reference curve to the time of flight sensor, providing a photon flux intensity as a function of time of flight,
• acquiring a time of flight and a corresponding flux intensity with the time of flight sensor,
• reading the intensity provided by the reference curve for the acquired time of flight, and
• providing an indication of the coverage factor based upon the acquired flux intensity and the read intensity;
• and
• determining that the object approaches the time of flight sensor when the coverage factor increases, or determining that the object moves away from the time of flight sensor when the coverage factor decreases.

A method of detecting motion of an object, using two time of flight sensors emitting photons in respective first and second emission areas of parallel axes, comprising:

• evaluating a coverage factor of each emission area by at least
• assigning a reference curve to the time of flight sensor, providing a photon flux intensity as a function of time of flight,
• acquiring a time of flight and a corresponding flux intensity with the time of flight sensor,
• reading the intensity provided by the reference curve for the acquired time of flight, and
• providing an indication of the coverage factor based upon the acquired flux intensity and the read intensity;
• and
• detecting a motion of the object from the first emission area to the second emission area when the coverage factor of the second emission area increases and the coverage factor of the first emission area decreases.

A method of evaluating a position of an object, using a first pair of time of flight sensors emitting photons in respective first and second emission areas of parallel axes, comprising:

• evaluating a coverage factor of each emission area by at least
• assigning a reference curve to the time of flight sensor, providing a photon flux intensity as a function of time of flight,
• acquiring a time of flight and a corresponding flux intensity with the time of flight sensor,
• reading the intensity provided by the reference curve for the acquired time of flight, and
• providing an indication of the coverage factor based upon the acquired flux intensity and the read intensity;
• and
• producing an abscissa of the object as a barycenter of the abscissas of the pair of time of flight sensors, weighted by the coverage factors of the corresponding emission areas.

An electronic device comprising:

• an infrared radiation source configured to emit photons in a photon emission area;
• a photon detector adjacent said infrared radiation source configured to receive photons reflected from an object placed in the emission area;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to said infrared radiation source and said photon detector and configured to define a coverage factor of the photon emission area by at least
• assigning a reference curve providing a photon flux intensity as a function of time of flight,
• acquiring a time of flight and a corresponding flux intensity,
• reading the intensity provided by the reference curve for the acquired time of flight, and
• providing an indication of the coverage factor based upon the acquired flux intensity and the read intensity.