Abstract: A photonic device includes a PCB having an integrated circuit mounted thereon, with a cap mounted to the PCB and carrying a lens positioned over the integrated circuit. The cap is formed by: an outer wall mounted to the PCB, extending upwardly from the PCB, and surrounding a portion of the integrated circuit; a first retention structure extending inwardly from the outer wall and across the integrated circuit, the first retention structure having a hole defined therein; and a second retention structure having a hole defined therein, the second retention structure being affixed within the first retention structure such that the hole in the second retention structure is axially aligned with the hole in the first retention structure. The lens is mechanically constrained within the cap between the first retention structure and the second retention structure.

Abstract: An optical module includes an optical detector, laser emitter, and first and second support structures, each carried by a substrate. An optical layer includes first and second fixed portions carried by the support structures, a movable portion affixed between the fixed portions by a spring structure, and a lens system carried by the movable portion, the lens system including an objective lens and a beam shaping lens. The optical layer includes a comb drive with a first comb structure extending from the first fixed portion to interdigitate with a second comb structure extending from the movable portion, a third comb structure extending from the second fixed portion to interdigitate with a fourth comb structure extending from the movable portion, and actuation circuitry applying voltages to the comb structures to cause the movable portion of the optical layer to oscillate back and forth between the fixed portions.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide an optical lens that includes wafer level diffractive microstructures. In one embodiment, the optical lens includes a substrate, a microstructure layer having a first refractive index, and a protective layer having a second refractive index that is different from the first refractive index. The microstructure layer is formed on the substrate and includes a plurality of diffractive microstructures. The protective layer is formed on the diffractive microstructures. The protective layer provides a cleanable surface and encapsulates the diffractive microstructures to prevent damage and contamination to the diffractive microstructures. In another embodiment, the optical lens includes a substrate and an anti-reflective layer. The anti-reflective layer is formed on the substrate and includes a plurality of diffractive microstructures.

Abstract: A combining network for an array of SPAD devices includes: synchronous sampling circuits, wherein each synchronous sampling circuit is coupled to an output of a corresponding SPAD device and is configured to generate a pulse or an edge each time an event is detected; and a summation circuit coupled to an output of each of the synchronous sampling circuits and configured to count a number of pulses or edges to generate a binary output value.

Abstract: A transmit integrated circuit includes a light source configured to generate a beam of light. A receive integrated circuit includes a first photosensor. A transmit optic is mounted over the transmit and receive integrated circuits. The transmit optic is formed by a prismatic light guide and is configured to receive the beam of light. An annular body region of the transmit optic surrounds a central opening which is aligned with the first photosensor. The annular body region includes a first reflective surface defining the central opening and further includes a ring-shaped light output surface surrounding the central opening. Light is output from the ring-shaped light output surface in response to light which propagates within the prismatic light guide in response to the received beam of light and which reflects off the first reflective surface.

Abstract: An electronic device includes laser emitters, and a laser driver generating a laser drive signal for the laser emitters based upon a feedback control signal. A steering circuit selectively steers the laser drive signal to a different selected one of the plurality of laser emitters and prevents the laser drive signal from being steered to non-selected ones of the plurality of laser emitters, during each of a plurality of time periods. Control circuitry senses a magnitude of a current of the laser drive signal and generates the feedback control signal based thereupon. The feedback control signal is generated so as to cause the laser driver to generate the laser drive signal as having a current with a substantially constant magnitude.

Abstract: A system and method for a scalable depth sensor. The scalable depth sensor having an emitter, a receiver, and a processor. The emitter is configured to uniformly illuminate a scene within a field-of-view of the emitter. The receiver including a plurality of detectors, each detector configured to capture depth and intensity information corresponding to a subset of the field-of-view. The a processor connected to the detector and configured to selectively sample a subset of the plurality of the detectors in accordance with compressive sensing techniques, and provide an image in accordance with an output from the subset of the plurality of the detectors, the image providing a depth and intensity image corresponding to the field-of-view of the emitter.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a fluidic ejection device configured to detect whether one or more nozzles of the fluidic ejection device is in a normal state, a blocked nozzle state, or an accumulated fluid state. The fluidic ejection device includes an optical blockage detector having a light emitting device configured to emit a light signal, and a light sensor configured to detect the light signal. The optical blockage detector detects the normal state, the blocked nozzle state, and the accumulated fluid state based on the detected light signal.

Abstract: A method for forming a molded proximity sensor with an optical resin lens and the structure formed thereby. A light sensor chip is placed on a substrate, such as a printed circuit board, and a diode, such as a laser diode, is positioned on top of the light sensor chip and electrically connected to a bonding pad on the light sensor chip. Transparent, optical resin in liquid form is applied as a drop over the light sensor array on the light sensor chip as well as over the light-emitting diode. After the optical resin is cured, a molding compound is applied to an entire assembly, after which the assembly is polished to expose the lenses and have a top surface flush with the top surface of the molding compound.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a carrier substrate having a front face. An electronic chip is mounted on the front face of the carrier substrate and includes an optical component. An encapsulation cover is mounted on top of the front face of the carrier substrate and bounds a chamber within which the chip is situated. A front opening extends through the cover and is situated in front of the optical component. An optical element, designed to allow light to pass, is mounted within the chamber at a position which covers the front opening of the encapsulation cover. The optical element includes a central region designed to deviate the light and having an optical axis aligned with the front opening and the optical component. A positioning pattern is provided on the optical element to assist with mounting the optical element to the cover and mounting the cover to the carrier substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an assembly for an electronic device, the assembly comprising: a display screen comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix scheme comprising rows orientated in a first direction and columns orientated in a second direction; and a proximity sensor comprising at least one optical light emitter, each adapted to emit a light beam through one or more first pixels of the display screen, and an optical detector adapted to receive through one or more second pixels of the display screen the light beam emitted by the at least one optical light emitter and reflected on an object; wherein none of the one or more second pixels is in the same row as any of the one or more first pixels, and none of the one or more second pixels is in the same column as any of the one or more first pixels.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an array of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. Each of the vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers is configured to be a source of light. The apparatus also comprises an optical arrangement configured to receive light from a plurality of the vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers and to output a plurality of light beams.

Abstract: A distance from an apparatus to at least one object is determined by generating a first signal and generating light modulated by the first signal to be emitted from the apparatus. Light reflected by the at least one object is detected using a Time-of-flight detector array, wherein each array element of the Time-of-flight detector array generates an output signal from a series of photon counts over a number of consecutive non-overlapping time periods. The output signals are compared to the first signal to determine at least one signal phase difference. From this at least one signal phase difference a distance from the apparatus to the at least one object is determined.

Abstract: An embodiment method of operating an imaging device including a sensor array including a plurality of pixels, includes: capturing a first low-spatial resolution frame using a subset of the plurality of pixels of the sensor array; generating, using a processor coupled to the sensor array, a first depth map using raw pixel values of the first low-spatial resolution frame; capturing a second low-spatial resolution frame using the subset of the plurality of pixels of the sensor array; generating, using the processor, a second depth map using raw pixel values of the second low-spatial resolution frame; and determining whether an object has moved in a field of view of the imaging device based on a comparison of the first depth map to the second depth map.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a fluidic ejection device configured to detect whether one or more nozzles of the fluidic ejection device is in a normal state, a blocked nozzle state, or an accumulated fluid state. The fluidic ejection device includes an optical blockage detector having a light emitting device configured to emit a light signal, and a light sensor configured to detect the light signal. The optical blockage detector detects the normal state, the blocked nozzle state, and the accumulated fluid state based on the detected light signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an electronic device including a sensor having a transmission module configured to provide a plurality of collimated light beams. The transmission module includes a light source and a transmission beam splitter. The transmission beam splitter includes a plurality of lenslets. The transmission beam splitter is configured to receive one or more light beams from the light source and refract the one or more light beams for forming the plurality of collimated light beams.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a carrier substrate having a front face. An electronic chip is mounted on the front face of the carrier substrate and includes an optical component. An encapsulation cover is mounted on top of the front face of the carrier substrate and bounds a chamber within which the chip is situated. A front opening extends through the cover and is situated in front of the optical component. An optical element, designed to allow light to pass, is mounted within the chamber at a position which covers the front opening of the encapsulation cover. The optical element includes a central region designed to deviate the light and having an optical axis aligned with the front opening and the optical component. A positioning pattern is provided on the optical element to assist with mounting the optical element to the cover and mounting the cover to the carrier substrate.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an imaging device includes a light-emitting device, a driving circuit, a return single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array and readout circuitry. The driving circuit generates a driving signal, and the light-emitting device generates an optical pulse based on the driving signal. The return SPAD array is configured to receive a first portion of the optical pulse that is reflected by an object in an image scene. The readout circuitry receives a signal indicative of the received first portion of the optical pulse, and a signal indicative of the driving signal, and determines a distance between the imaging device and the object based on a difference between a time of receiving the signal indicative of the received first portion of the optical pulse and a time of receiving the signal indicative of the driving signal.

Abstract: A sensing pixel includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) coupled between a first node and a second node, with a clamp diode being coupled between a turn-off voltage node and the second node. A turn-off circuit includes a sense circuit configured to generate a feedback voltage based upon a voltage at the turn-off voltage node, a transistor having a first conduction terminal coupled to the turn-off voltage node, a second conduction terminal coupled to ground, and a control terminal, and an amplifier having a first input coupled to a reference voltage, a second input coupled to receive the feedback voltage, and an output coupled to the control terminal of the transistor. A readout circuit is coupled to the SPAD by a decoupling capacitor.

Abstract: An embodiment method of command of an electronic device comprises controlling a screen to alternate periodically between a first phase in which the screen emits light and a second phase in which no light is emitted by the screen, and precharging a charge pump of an ambient light sensor during the first phases, the ambient light sensor comprising at least a single photon avalanche diode powered by the charge pump.