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André Grandjean

Abdul-Hamid Kayal

Victorio Quercia

Michel Willemin

James Harold Lauffenburger

Kevin Scott Buescher

Gil Afriat

Marc Degrauwe

Lawrence Bieber

Pascal Kunz

Steve Tanner

The optoelectronic module includes a photoreceptor circuit for picking up light from a light source by reflection on an external surface. The photoreceptor circuit and the light source circuit are mounted on a substrate, and contact pads of the circuits are electrically connected to pads of the substrate. The substrate pads are connected to conductive paths of the substrate. The flexible substrate includes a first portion on which the photoreceptor circuit and light source circuit are mounted and electrically connected, a second portion including electrical connection terminals and a connecting portion between the first portion and the second portion. This connecting portion connects some conductive paths of the first portion to the connection terminals of the second portion. The connecting portion allows the height and/or spacing of the second portion to be adjusted relative to the first portion when the module is mounted, particularly in a computer mouse.

Optoelectronic module provided with a flexible substrate and at least one photoreceptor circuit incorporated into a computer mouse

The optoelectronic circuit includes a photoreceptor () made in a silicon semiconductor substrate (), and a monomode VCSEL laser diode () made in a gallium arsenide substrate. The photoreceptor includes at least one photosensitive area with a pixel array for picking up light and an area with a control and processing unit for the signals supplied by the pixels. The laser diode is mounted and electrically connected directly on one part of the photoreceptor. The laser diode is connected by a conductive terminal () to a first contact pad () at the bottom of a cavity () made through a passivation layer () of the photoreceptor. An electrode () on the top of the diode is connected by a metal wire () to a second contact pad () of the photoreceptor. The photoreceptor controls the diode directly via the electrode and the conductive terminal to generate a laser beam (L).

Optoelectronic circuit with a photoreceptor and a laser diode, and module comprising the same

The method of making an optoelectronic module (), which includes a first light source circuit () and a second photoreceptor circuit () for picking up light from the first light source circuit reflected on an external surface. A first moulding () with an encapsulation material is made on one part of a lead frame () having several conductive paths () and an external frame () connecting all of the conductive paths. A first light source circuit () is placed on one portion of a first conductive path () of the lead frame that is not covered by the first moulding. A second photoreceptor circuit () is placed on one portion of a second conductive path () of the lead frame not covered by the first moulding. A through opening () is also made in the first moulding () between the external frame () and the location of the first light source circuit () to give access to the first connecting path () and to a third connecting path () for the first light source circuit. The contact pads of the first and second circuits () are connected by metal wires () to corresponding uncovered pads of certain connecting paths () of the lead frame (). The first and third connecting paths () are then cut through the through opening () of the first moulding () in order to insulate electrically the first light source circuit () from the external parts. The light source circuit is thus protected from any electrostatic discharge. A second moulding can then be made on the first moulding () in order to close the through opening and obtain first and second apertures on the first and second circuits () for the passage of light.

Method of making an optoelectronic module and optoelectronic module obtained by such method

The integrated photoreceptor circuit includes a photosensitive area for picking up light and a processing unit area for processing the signals provided by the photosensitive area. This photoreceptor circuit includes electric contact pads, which are arranged symmetrically solely on the side of the processing unit area, which is juxtaposed with the photosensitive area. The integrated photoreceptor circuit is mounted on a first portion of a flexible substrate. The contact pads of the integrated photoreceptor circuit are electrically connected to electrical connection pads of the printed circuit of the flexible substrate. A second portion of the flexible substrate carries electrical connection terminals, which are connected to the connection pads via conductive paths, arranged in part on a connecting portion between the first and second portions. A through aperture in the first portion may be provided opposite the photosensitive area only of the photoreceptor circuit.

Integrated photoreceptor circuit and optoelectronic component including the same with electric contact pads arranged solely on side of the processing area which is juxtaposed with the photosensitive area

A method for operating an optical sensing device having a light source and a photodetector device with at least one photosensitive element. A surface portion is illuminated with radiation by the light source and the radiation reflected from the illuminated surface portion is detected with a photosensitive element. While said surface portion is being illuminated, an output signal of the photosensitive element over time is integrated, the output signal integration level is compared with a first integration reference level during integration; the integration step is interrupted if the output signal integration level has reached the first integration reference level, or the comparison step is repeated until a first integration period has elapsed if the output signal integration level has not reached the first integration reference level.

Method of optimization of measurement time for optical mouse sensor

A method for extending battery life in an optical pointing device powered by one or more battery cells (), the optical pointing device including an optical motion sensing device () for tracking motion with respect to a surface (S) and comprising motion sensing circuitry () coupled to an optical sensor () and at least one light source () for illuminating a portion of the surface. The method comprises the steps of (i) monitoring the power output of the said one or more battery cells (), (ii) detecting when the said power output falls below a certain threshold indicative of a low battery status (EOL) and (iii) upon detection of the low battery status, switching the optical pointing device into a low power consumption mode where power consumption of the optical pointing device is reduced and performance of the optical motion sensing device is partially degraded. An optical pointing device implementing this method.

Extension of battery life in a battery-powered optical pointing device

Photosensor comprising a network (R) of cells ( . . . , Cn-1, Cn, Cn+1, Cn+2, . . . ) each comprising a photosensitive component (PH) and an exploitation circuit (CE) for allowing the transfer of a measurement signal coming from the cell ( . . . , Cn-1, Cn, Cn+1, Cn+2, . . . ) and due to the illumination of this cell, to a common output (SC) of the photosensor. An addressing signal allows to sequentially connect all the cells to said common output. According to the invention, each cell also comprises an integrated conductive region (RC) forming together with said photosensitive component (PH) a test capacitor (CPT) which is coupled to the parasite capacitor (CP). In view of testing said photosensitive components (PH) in the dark, it also comprises means (H, CT, M) integrated on the chip (P) for applying, in synchronism with the selective applying of said addressing signal, to said test capacitor (CPT) a test pulse provoking a transfer of charge from said test capacitor (CPT) towards the parasite capacitor (CP). This simulates the illumination of the diode, and generates on the common output (SC), instead of said measurement signal, a signal representative of the functioning of the cell thus addressed.

Integrated photosensor using test capacitor to test functioning of

A wafer (10) is described comprising several integrated optoelectronic circuits of a first type (11), such circuits of the first type each comprising electronic modules (13) and at least a first photodiode (14). Said wafer (10) is characterised in that it further comprises at least one integrated optoelectronic circuit of a second type (21) comprising electronic modules (23), at least one second photodiode (24) and at least one bonding pad (25) intended to be connected to an external measuring apparatus, said at least one bonding pad (25) being superposed onto said at least one second photodiode (24) so that said at least one circuit (21) of the second type may be used as a circuit for verifying the manufacturing of said wafer.

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Cressier, Switzerland

André Grandjean