Patents by Inventor David Mehrl

David Mehrl has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20170250169
    Abstract: An optical proximity sensor arrangement comprises a semiconductor substrate (100) with a main surface (101). A first integrated circuit (200) comprises at least one light sensitive component (201). The first integrated circuit is arranged on the substrate at or near the main surface. A second integrated circuit (300) comprises at least one light emitting component (301), and is arranged on the substrate at or near the main surface. A light barrier (400) is arranged between the first and second integrated circuits. The light barrier being designed to block light to be emitted by the at least one light emitting component from directly reaching the at least one light sensitive component. A multilayer mask (500) is arranged on or near the first integrated circuit and comprising a stack (501) of a first layer (502) of first elongated light blocking slats (503) and at least one second layer (504) of second elongated light blocking slats (505).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: David MEHRL, Greg STOLTZ
  • Patent number: 9733343
    Abstract: A proximity sensor arrangement comprises an optical barrier being placed between a light emitting device and a photo-detector. The light emitting device, the photo-detector and the optical barrier are covered by a cover. The optical barrier is being designed to block light emitted from the light emitting device to the photo-detector and reflected by the cover by means of specular reflection. Furthermore, the optical barrier is being designed to pass the light emitted from the light emitting device to the photo-detector via the cover and scattered on or above a first surface of the cover facing away from the light emitting device and the photo-detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventor: David Mehrl
  • Publication number: 20170052064
    Abstract: An optical sensor arrangement comprises an optical barrier which is placed between a light-emitting device and a photodetector. Herein the light-emitting device and the photodetector are arranged on a first plane and are covered by a cover. The photodetector exhibits an active zone. The optical barrier exhibits an extent along a first principal axis, which is pointing parallel to the line connecting the centers of the light-emitting device and the photodetector. Herein the extent is greater than a dimension of the active zone. The optical barrier is designed to block light emitted by the light-emitting device that otherwise would be reflected by the cover by means of specular reflection and would reach the photodetector. The optical barrier is designed to pass light emitted by the light-emitting device and scattered on or above an outer surface of the cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: Yu WANG, David MEHRL, Greg STOLTZ, Kerry GLOVER, Tom DUNN
  • Patent number: 9528820
    Abstract: An optical proximity sensor often emits light, and detects the photons in the returned light signal. Because light can be reflected and scattered by cover glass and ink layer printed on the cover glass, optical crosstalk is a concern for the optical proximity sensors. In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides an optical proximity sensor including a linear polarizer to cover the photo detector, or a polarizer to cover the light emitting device, or two polarizers to cover both the photo detector and the light emitting device. The polarizer blocks the s-polarized light and only allows the p-polarized light to pass through. Because the scattered light is predominated by the s-polarization, the optical crosstalk may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventors: Yu Wang, Kerry Glover, David Mehrl, Greg Stoltz, Tom Dunn
  • Publication number: 20160299635
    Abstract: An optical sensor arrangement (10) comprises at least two light sensors (35, 36) for providing at least two sensor signals (S1, S2), and an evaluation circuit (12) that comprises an input (16) coupled to the at least two light sensors (35, 36) and is designed to evaluate the at least two sensor signals (S1, S2) for gesture detection in an adaptive manner using previous values of the at least two sensor signals (S1, S2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Kerry GLOVER, David MEHRL, Sean DONNELLY, James Lawrence ARCHIBALD, II
  • Publication number: 20150323653
    Abstract: A proximity sensor arrangement comprises an optical barrier being placed between a light emitting device and a photo-detector. The light emitting device, the photo-detector and the optical barrier are covered by a cover. The optical barrier is being designed to block light emitted from the light emitting device to the photo-detector and reflected by the cover by means of specular reflection. Furthermore, the optical barrier is being designed to pass the light emitted from the light emitting device to the photo-detector via the cover and scattered on or above a first surface of the cover facing away from the light emitting device and the photo-detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventor: David MEHRL
  • Publication number: 20150276913
    Abstract: A sensor arrangement comprises at least a first, a second, and a third light sensor. A three-dimensional framework comprises at least a first, a second, and a third connection means which are connected to the at least first, second, and third light sensor, respectively. The first, the second, and the third connection means are configured to align the at least first, second, and third light sensor along a first, second, and third face of a polyhedron-like volume, respectively, such that the sensor arrangement encloses the polyhedron-like volume. The invention also relates to a method for operating the sensor arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: DAVID MEHRL, KERRY GLOVER
  • Publication number: 20150219492
    Abstract: Color light sensors are used to sense colored light and a full spectrum light in order to generate at least three color channel signals and a clear channel signal. An infrared component IR is calculated by summing up the color channel signals with individual weighting factors and subtracting a weighted clear channel signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Kerry Glover, David Mehrl, Dan Jacobs
  • Patent number: 8873047
    Abstract: A dispersive element is disclosed which is designed to receive incident light (1) and disperse the incident light (1) into multiple spatially separated wavelengths of light. The dispersive body (DB) comprises a collimation cavity (COLL) to collimate the incident light (1), at least two optical interfaces (PRIS) to receive and disperse the collimated light (2) and a collection cavity (CLCT) to collect the dispersed light (3) from the at least two dispersive interfaces (op1, op2) and to focus the collected light (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: ams AG
    Inventors: Yu Wang, David Mehrl, Greg Stoltz, Kerry Glover
  • Publication number: 20140197306
    Abstract: An optical proximity sensor often emits light, and detects the photons in the returned light signal. Because light can be reflected and scattered by cover glass and ink layer printed on the cover glass, optical crosstalk is a concern for the optical proximity sensors. In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides an optical proximity sensor including a linear polarizer to cover the photo detector, or a polarizer to cover the light emitting device, or two polarizers to cover both the photo detector and the light emitting device. The polarizer blocks the s-polarized light and only allows the p-polarized light to pass through. Because the scattered light is predominated by the s-polarization, the optical crosstalk may be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: ams AG
    Inventors: Yu Wang, Kerry Glover, David Mehrl, Greg Stoltz, Tom Dunn
  • Publication number: 20070188443
    Abstract: System and method for simultaneous display of multiple images using a single light modulator array. A preferred embodiment comprises a light source that produces a light with desired spectral characteristics, a color filter optically coupled to the light source, and an array of light modulators optically coupled to the color filter. The color filter filters light from the light source to produce light of desired wavelengths and the array of light modulators simultaneously displays multiple images onto a display plane. Portions of the array of light modulators are designed so that each portion can independently display an image and the light source provides needed light to display the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: David Mehrl, James Malina
  • Publication number: 20070030460
    Abstract: Described is an optical projection and capture system having an image sensor integrated with an optical projection device. Additionally, the integrated device may be coupled with a laser pointer to deliver interactive presentations. The laser pointer may be pulsed to improve identifying and tracking a laser light spot on a projected image. These applications may be extended to rear projection systems for gaming and interactive graphics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: David Mehrl