Method for gesture detection, optical sensor circuit, in particular an optical sensor circuit for gesture detection, and optical sensor arrangement for gesture detection

An optical sensor circuit, in particular an optical sensor circuit for gesture detection, comprising:

• an input terminal for a light emitting device to be connected, the light emitting device being configured to emit light in a pulsed manner with pulse-on phases followed by pulse-off phases,
• a control unit connected to the input terminal,
• an analog-to-digital converter connected to the control unit,
• a directional light sensor array coupled to the control unit, and
• designed
• to generate ambient signals depending on ambient light incident on the directional light sensor array during pulse-off phases of the emitted light, and
• to generate light signals indicative of a fraction of the emitted light reflected by means of a movable object during pulse-on phases of the emitted light, and
• a signal processing unit comprising an output terminal, the signal processing unit connected to the analog-to-digital converter and designed for recording the ambient signals and the light signals and for calculating and recording directional sensor signals as a function of time by adjusting the light signals with the ambient signals,
• wherein the directional light sensor array comprises directional photo-diodes, each photo-diode being arranged within the directional light sensor array to detect light in a predominant direction, and
• wherein the directional light sensor is implemented as a single sensor module with channels therein, each channel corresponding to a respective predominant direction.

A method for gesture detection comprising pre-processing and main-processing steps,

• wherein the pre-processing comprises:
• emitting light using a light emitting device, and
• generating of directional sensor signals as a function of time by detecting a fraction of the emitted light reflected by means of a movable object using a directional light sensor array, and
• wherein the main-processing comprises:
• calculating coordinates as a function of time by using the directional sensor signals, being indicative of a position of the object with reference to a plane parallel to a principal plane of the directional light sensor array, and
• detecting a movement of the object depending on the timing of the coordinates,
• wherein the directional light sensor array comprises directional photo-diodes, each photo-diode being arranged within the directional light sensor array to detect light in a predominant direction, and
• wherein the directional light sensor is implemented as a single sensor module with channels therein, each channel corresponding to a respective predominant direction.