Ams Ag

Ams International Ag

Austriamicrosystems Ag

Herbert Lenhard

Josef Kriebernegg

Christian Halper

Peter Bliem

Manuel Hoerbinger

Helmut Theiler

Joachim Lechner

Bernhard Greimel-Rechling

Peter Trattler

Manfred Lueger

Bernhard Greimel-Làngover

Whitney Hernandez

Manfred Pauritsch

Karl Georg Waser

Dan Jacobs

Christian Mautner

Bernhard Greimel-Längauer

Mario Teufel

Franz Lechner

Bernhard Greimel-Laengauer

Fabien Boitard

Philipp Dunst

Karl Waser

A method of operating an optical proximity sensor of a computer device having a display, where the optical proximity sensor is located beneath or otherwise adjacent to the display. The method comprises obtaining a vertical synchronization signal from a display driver, and synchronizing periodic illumination of a light emitter of the optical proximity sensor with the vertical synchronization signal.

Optical proximity sensing with reduced pixel distortion

A light sensor is disclosed. The light sensor comprises a first pixel and a second pixel. The light sensor comprises measurement circuitry. The first pixel is configured to accumulate a first charge and the second pixel is configured to accumulate a second charge when the light sensor is exposed to light. The first pixel is configured to trigger the measurement circuitry to measure the second charge when the first charge reaches a threshold capacity of the first pixel. Also disclosed is an active pixel sensor comprising the light sensor, an image sensor and a device incorporating the light sensor.

Light sensor

We disclose herein a method of compressing data for data transfer within an electronic device. The method comprises: receiving, at a first processing member of the electronic device, a plurality of data samples produced by a member of the electronic device, wherein the data samples comprise numerical bits; restructuring, by the first processing member, the plurality of data samples into a plurality of data packets; labelling each data packet with a sample indicator bit to indicate a plurality of groups across the plurality of data packets; transferring a bit stream comprising at least some of the plurality of data packets across an interface of the electronic device to a receiving member of the electronic device; and decoding the bit stream, by a second processing member of the electronic device, to obtain at least some of the plurality of the data samples, the decoding being based at least in part on the sample indicator bits.

Lossless data transfer compression

A circuit arrangement for an optical monitoring system comprises a driver circuit which is configured to generate at least one driving signal for driving the light source. A detector terminal is arranged for receiving a detector current from an optical detector. A gain stage is connected at its input side to the driver circuit for receiving the driving signal and generates a noise signal depending on the driving signal. A processing unit is configured to generate an output signal depending on the detector current and the noise signal.

Circuit arrangement for an optical monitoring system and method for optical monitoring

An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is based on single-bit delta-sigma quantization. The ADC includes an integrator, a threshold detector, a feedback block, a range control circuit and an output processing block. The ADC is configured to, based on its own generated digital bitstream, adjust the magnitude of a subtrahend signal in order to achieve autonomous auto-ranging of the ADC during the integration time of a measurement. In particular, the auto-ranging allows for the efficient conversion of an analog input signal with high dynamic range, for example ambient light, to a digital output signal.

Analog-to-digital converter and method to operate an analog-to-digital converter

A sensor arrangement to sense an external signal comprises a sensor () and a charge generator () to generate a compensation current (Ic) to compensate the sensor current. A charge generator () comprises a first transistor () having a parasitic capacitor () and a first conductive path. The charge generator () comprises a second transistor () having a second conductive path being coupled in series to the first transistor () and coupled to the output node (O) of the charge generator (). The control circuit () is configured to control the conductivity of the respective first and second conductive path of the first and the second transistor () of the charge generator () so that the sensor current is compensated by the compensation current (Ic).

Sensor arrangement to sense an external signal

The proposed concept relates to an optical sensor arrangement comprising an optical sensor with an integrated circuit arranged in or on a substrate. The substrate comprises at least a first surface area and a second surface area. At least one optically active sensor component is arranged on or in the substrate of the first surface area. The optically active sensor component is arranged for emitting and/or detecting light of a desired wavelength range. Optically inactive sensor circuitry is arranged on or in the substrate of the second surface area. A display panel comprises an active display area and a non-active display area, wherein the non-active display area comprises a material which is optically transparent in the desired wavelength range and wherein the non-active display area at least partly frames the active display layer. The optical sensor and the display panel are stacked such that, with respect to a main direction of display emission, the first surface area is arranged below the non-active display area and the second surface area is arranged below the active display area.

Optical sensor arrangement

An optical sensor arrangement comprises a photodiode (), an integrator () with an integrator input () coupled to the photodiode (), a comparator () with a first input () coupled to an integrator output () of the integrator (), and a reference capacitor circuit () that is coupled to the integrator input () and is designed to provide a charge package to the integrator input (). In a start phase (A), charge packages are provided to the integrator input (), until a comparator input voltage (VIN) at the first input () of the comparator () crosses a comparator switching point.

Optical sensor arrangement and method for light sensing

A voltage converter includes a first to a third capacitor, a supply terminal, a first and a second clock terminal and a transfer arrangement, wherein a first electrode of the first capacitor is connected to the first clock terminal and a second electrode of the first capacitor is connected to a first node of the transfer arrangement, wherein a first electrode of the second capacitor is connected to the second clock terminal and a second electrode of the second capacitor is connected to a second node of the transfer arrangement, and wherein a first electrode of the third capacitor is permanently and directly connected to the second electrode of the first capacitor and a second electrode of the third capacitor is connected to a third node of the transfer arrangement.

Voltage converter and method for voltage conversion

A method is suggested for sensing light being incident on an electronic device. The electronic device comprises a display and a light sensor arrangement mounted behind the display such as to receive incident light through the display. The method comprises periodically switching the display on and off depending on a control signal, wherein a period is defined by a succession of an on-state and an off-state of the display. A sensor signal is generated by integrating the incident light by means of the light sensor arrangement for a total integration time comprising a number of periods. A first signal count is determined from the sensor signal being indicative of an amount of integrated incident light during an on-state. A second signal count is determined from the sensor signal being indicative of an amount of integrated incident light during an off-state. A third signal count is determined from the sensor signal being indicative of an amount of integrated incident light during the total integration time. Finally, an ambient light level is determined depending on the first, second and third signal counts.

Method for sensing light being incident on an electronic device

A circuit arrangement for an optical monitoring system comprises a driver circuit configured to generate at least one driving signal for driving a light source and a detector terminal for receiving a detector current. The circuit arrangement further comprises a current source configured and arranged to generate at the detector terminal a reduction current. The reduction current has an amplitude which is given by a base value whenever none of the least one driving signal assumes a value suitable for activating the light source and by a sum of the base value and a reduction value otherwise. The circuit arrangement also comprises a processing unit configured to generate an output signal depending on a combination of the detector current and the reduction current.

An optical sensor arrangement () comprises a light sensor () that is connected to a summation node () and is designed for generating a sensor current (S), a current source (S) connected to the summation node () and designed to provide a source current (S), and an integrator () that is coupled to the summation node () and is designed for generating a first value (VP) of an integrator signal (S) by integrating during a first phase (P) and for generating a second value (VP) of the integrator signal (S) by integrating during a second phase (P). The optical sensor arrangement () comprises a sum and hold circuit () that is coupled to the integrator () and is designed to generate an analog output signal (S) as a function of a difference of the first value (VP) and the second value (VP) of the integrator signal (S).

Optical sensor arrangement and method for generating an analog output signal

A signal transformation arrangement comprises a first input tap () to receive a first input signal (IN_P), a first output terminal () to provide a first output signal (OUT_P) and a first coupling circuit () which couples the first input tap () to a first energy storing device () depending on a first clock signal (CLK) and which couples the first energy storing device () to the first output terminal () depending on a first inverted clock signal (XCLK). The signal transformation arrangement further comprises a second coupling circuit () which couples the first input tap () to a second energy storing device () depending on a second clock signal (CLK) and which couples the second energy storing device () to the first output terminal () depending on a second inverted clock signal (XCLK).

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Graz, Austria

Herbert Lenhard