CN117629900A

CN117629900A - Electronic device

Info

Publication number: CN117629900A
Application number: CN202310904761.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 拉德瓦努尔·哈桑·斯迪克; 朴海利
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-08-23
Filing date: 2023-07-21
Publication date: 2024-03-01

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a light source and a detector. The light source includes: an electromagnetic spectrum emission source configured to output electromagnetic spectrum emissions; a polarizing optical element configured to polarize electromagnetic spectrum emissions; a collimating optical element configured to focus or collimate the electromagnetic spectrum emission into a narrow or tight beam to reduce diffusion; and a diffractive optical element configured to separate the electromagnetic spectrum emissions into a predetermined arrangement.

Description

Electronic device

The present application is based on and claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/400,213 filed on day 2022, 8, 23, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to polarized biosensors, photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors, and linear and circular polarization for biological signals.

Background

Optical sensors play an increasingly important role in the development of medical diagnostic devices, and they can be widely used to measure physiological functions of the human body.

Research is underway on skin-attachable optical devices (e.g., wearable devices) for obtaining biological information. Such skin-attachable optical devices include a biosensor for obtaining biological information. For example, the PPG sensor may obtain a PPG signal from the user, and by analyzing the PPG signal, biological information (such as the user's blood pressure, arrhythmia, heart rate, and/or oxygen saturation) may be obtained.

Furthermore, on-chip polarizing filters in the light source and detector can be used to remove direct reflected components and make more accurate measurements of biological signals passing through the wearable device with on-chip polarizing sensors/Photodiodes (PD) by studying different characteristics of polarization information for different spectra, e.g., polarization angle (AoP), degree of polarization (DoP), linear polarization angle (AoLP), linear polarization degree (DoLP), circular polarization angle (AoCP), circular polarization degree (DoCP). For example, polarization information may be used to improve the accuracy of biometric information obtained while the user is moving. Therefore, it is very desirable to improve optical biosensors based on polarization properties.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure has been made to address at least the above disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device is provided that includes a light source and a detector. The light source includes: an electromagnetic spectrum emission source configured to output electromagnetic spectrum emissions; a polarizing optical element configured to polarize electromagnetic spectrum emissions; a collimating optical element configured to focus or collimate the electromagnetic spectrum emission into a narrow or tight beam to reduce diffusion; and a diffractive optical element configured to separate the electromagnetic spectrum emissions into a predetermined arrangement.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a light source and detector are provided. The light source includes: an electromagnetic spectrum emission source configured to output electromagnetic spectrum emissions; a polarizing optical element configured to polarize electromagnetic spectrum emissions; a collimating and diffracting optical element configured to separate the electromagnetic spectrum emissions into a predetermined arrangement. The detector is comprised of at least one pixel mapped to an emission of the electromagnetic spectrum.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a light source and detector are provided. The light source includes: an electromagnetic spectrum emission source configured to output electromagnetic spectrum emissions. The detector includes: an electromagnetic spectrum filter configured to filter electromagnetic spectrum emissions; a polarized filter array configured to filter electromagnetic spectrum emissions; and a sensor configured to detect the filtered electromagnetic spectrum emissions.

Drawings

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

fig. 1 shows a PPG sensor system according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows an arrangement of four polarizing filters according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of a polarizer according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates an imaging system according to an embodiment;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a light source and a sensor, respectively, according to various embodiments;

fig. 6 shows a PPG sensor configuration according to an embodiment;

fig. 7 shows a PPG sensor configuration according to an embodiment;

fig. 8 shows a PPG sensor configuration according to an embodiment;

fig. 9 shows a PPG sensor configuration according to an embodiment; and is also provided with

Fig. 10 illustrates an electronic device in a network environment according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that although the same elements are shown in different drawings, they will be denoted by the same reference numerals. In the following description, only specific details (such as detailed configurations and components) are provided to facilitate a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness. The terms described below are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present disclosure, and may be different according to users, intention or habit of the users. Accordingly, the definition of the terms should be determined based on the contents throughout the specification.

The present disclosure is capable of various modifications and various embodiments, among which embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.

Although terms including ordinal numbers (such as first, second, etc.) may be used to describe various elements, structural elements are not limited by these terms. The terms are used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, a first structural element may be referred to as a second structural element without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Similarly, the second structural element may also be referred to as a first structural element. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated items.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing various embodiments of the disclosure only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. The singular is intended to include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this disclosure, it is to be understood that the terms "comprises" or "comprising" indicate the presence of a feature, a number, a step, an operation, a structural element, a component, or a combination thereof, and do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, structural elements, components, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined differently, all terms used herein have the same meaning as understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Unless explicitly defined in this disclosure, terms (such as those defined in a general dictionary) should be construed to have the same meaning as the context meaning in the relevant art and should not be construed to have an ideal or excessively formalized meaning.

The electronic device according to one embodiment may be one of various types of electronic devices that utilize sensors and/or storage devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a household appliance. According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic device is not limited to the above-described electronic device.

The terminology used in the present disclosure is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure but is intended to include various changes, equivalents, or alternatives of the corresponding embodiments. With respect to the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used to refer to like or related elements. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the things unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases (e.g., "a or B", "at least one of a and B", "at least one of a or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C", and "at least one of A, B or C") can include all possible combinations of items listed together in a respective one of the phrases. As used herein, terms such as "first," "second," and the like may be used to distinguish one element from another element, but are not intended to limit the element in other respects (e.g., importance or order). It is intended that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being "coupled to," "connected to," or "connected to" another element (e.g., a second element) with or without the term "operatively" or "communicatively," it can be directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or via a third element.

As used herein, the term "module" may include units implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof, and may be used interchangeably with other terms (e.g., "logic," "logic block," "component," and "circuitry"). A module may be a single integrated component or minimal unit or component thereof adapted to perform one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).

In the present disclosure, the light detection locations may be at different locations (e.g., spatially varying, tilted, etc.). Furthermore, the light source may have collimator elements, diffractive optical elements, etc.

A PPG sensor system, analysis and feedback ecosystem is provided. In addition, polarization-controlled light sources (light emitting devices (LEDs), laser Diodes (LDs), or Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs)) with passive or active polarizing filters (nanostructures and/or liquid crystals) may be provided. In addition, a compact PPG sensor system can be provided that utilizes complete on-chip polarization and multispectral sensors (photodiodes (PDs), avalanche Photodiodes (APDs), and single photon avalanche photodiodes (SPADs)). In addition, a set of detection and analysis algorithms utilizing multiple sensors is provided. Furthermore, an integrated feedback loop system is provided comprising measuring a physiological parameter response of the body to polarized light.

A system of a polarization controlled light source and a multispectral full stokes polarized PPG sensor is provided. The system may modulate the phase and polarization of light simultaneously to improve signal-to-background ratio (SBR) and angle-dependent field of view (FOV) characteristics.

Polarization and multispectral information for detecting polarization and spectrally sensitive physiological parameters, as well as molecular information of antioxidants, melanoma, triglycerides and cholesterol may also be provided.

Thus, the present disclosure may provide an efficient on-chip design for focusing all detectable polarization states of light using filters, reduced angular dependence and high FOV, reduced signal background noise (signal to background noise), and detection of polarization sensitive targets/molecules.

PPG sensor systems use non-contact non-invasive optical imaging techniques that use intensity and color based information of transmitted or reflected light to measure physiological parameters. For example, the PPG sensor system may record a reflected/transmitted time-varying signal. Temporal analysis of spectral and intensity information of transmitted or reflected light may include important health-related information. In addition, PPG may be used for blood pulsation and Heart Rate (HR) measurements for obtaining cardiovascular and respiratory information.

Fig. 1 shows a PPG sensor system according to an embodiment.

As shown in fig. 1, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) may emit light through subcutaneous tissue toward the skin of a user, and the emitted light may be reflected from a blood vessel. The reflected light may be received by the PD and include a particular pulse wave or other biological information. The characteristics of the pulse wave may reveal some different types of physiological information (or patterns) about the user (e.g., blood pulsation (blood pulse) and Heart Rate (HR) measurements, cardiovascular and respiratory information, etc.).

Light reflected from the skin of a patient and captured by the PPG sensor system may include three components:

1. light reflected directly from the skin surface. This type of light may have a reduced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

2. Light scattered by the stratum corneum of the epidermis reflects from the surface layers of the tissue. This type of light may block or interfere with important/relevant biological signals.

3. Backscattered light from the deep dermis tissue. This type of light may be difficult to capture and it may be difficult to classify signals between different molecules in the layer.

In addition, wearable PPG sensors can face various fundamental challenges such as optical noise (e.g., scatter/reflection and no collimation); challenges generated based on sensor locations on the body (e.g., wrist-to-ear versus arm); skin tone (e.g., some skin tones provide less signal absorption and less penetration); crossover problems (e.g., artifacts caused by motion/activity); and low perfusion (e.g., problems associated with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and arterial disease, each of which reduces blood perfusion).

As provided herein, a compact PPG sensor system is introduced that utilizes on-chip polarization characteristics and on-chip multispectral sensor characteristics. "on-chip" may mean that components described as "on-chip" are included directly as part of the chip. The PPG sensor system may include a polarization-controlled light source (e.g., LED, laser diode, or VCSEL) with passive or active polarization optics (e.g., nanostructure or liquid crystal). The polarizing optics may be static (where the polarization state is predetermined by the filter) or dynamic (where the polarization state may be changed by the filter). The PPG sensor system may simultaneously provide emission using a polarization controlled light source and detect multispectral full stokes polarization using a PPG sensor. Thus, the PPG sensor system may simultaneously measure multiple polarization states emitted by an electromagnetic spectrum emission source (e.g., a polarization controlled light source).

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device (e.g., a PPG sensor) includes a light emitting element and a detector. The detector may detect a plurality of polarization states.

Fig. 2 shows an arrangement 200 of four polarizing filters according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 2, four polarization filters 201 to 204 (or referred to as filters 201 to 204, or horizontal polarization filter 201, vertical polarization filter 202, diagonal polarization filter 203, and circular polarization filter 204) correspond to four pixels 205 to 208, respectively. Each respective pixel 205 to 208 comprises a photodetector. The filter 201 polarizes the light level (H) passing through the filter 201. The filter 202 polarizes light vertically (V). The filter 203 polarizes light diagonally (D), and the filter 204 polarizes light circularly (L). In an alternative embodiment, six polarizing filters and six pixels may be used. The additional two polarizing filters may be an anti-angular polarizing filter and a circular polarizing filter that polarizes light in a circular direction opposite to circular polarizing filter 204.

Additional details of the polarized filter 201 are provided at 201a, 201a depicting a top view of the polarized filter 201. The polarizing filter 201 includes a wire grid 210, only one wire grid of the wire grid 210 being indicated, and one or more phase modulating nanostructures or supersurfaces (or referred to as nanostructures) 211, only one nanostructure of the one or more phase modulating nanostructures or supersurfaces (or referred to as nanostructures) 211 being indicated. The wires of the wire grid may include metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures that suppress reflections from cross-polarization. The nanostructure 211 may be formed from a high dielectric index material such as silicon (amorphous silicon (aSi), crystalline silicon (cSi), polysilicon (p-Si)), silicon nitride (Si ₃ N ₄ ) Titanium dioxide (TiO) ₂ ) Gallium nitride (GaN), zinc oxide (ZnO), hafnium silicate, zirconium silicate, hafnium dioxide, and zirconium dioxide) are formed. The nanostructures 211 may also reduce back scattering of incident light and may also help detect circular polarization.

The wire grid 210 horizontally polarizes light passing through the polarized filter and the nanostructures 211 change or modulate the phase of the light passing through the polarized filter. The pattern of light generated by the polarizing filter 201 and focused on the pixel 205 is depicted at 212. The other polarized filters 202-204 also include a wire grid having a series of MIM structures and one or more nanostructures. The nanostructures of the circular polarized filter 204 provide a 90 degree phase shift such that the circular polarized filter operates as a quarter wave plate. The nanostructures may modify wavelength and be positioned with a thin film to provide spacing for the nanostructures. The pixels may have additional anti-reflective film layers and microlenses for improved light collection.

Fig. 3 shows a top view of a polarizer according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 3, polarizer 300 may detect up to six polarization states. The polarizer 300 includes four polarization filters 301 to 304 (or referred to as filters 301 to 304, or a horizontal polarization filter 301, a vertical polarization filter 302, a diagonal polarization filter 303, and a circular polarization filter 304) each corresponding to (or mapped to) a pixel of the image sensor. The filter 301 horizontally polarizes light passing through the filter 301. The filter 302 vertically polarizes light. The filter 303 diagonally polarizes light and the filter 304 circularly polarizes light.

Although the wire grid and phase modulating nanostructures are indicated for the optical filter 301 only, each of the optical filters 301 to 304 comprises a wire grid 310 with MIM structures and one or more phase modulating nanostructures 311. The horizontal and vertical dimensions of the phase-modulating nanostructures 311 may be varied based on the plot in fig. 3 to achieve a desired amount of focusing. For example, for polarizing filters 301-303, phase modulating nanostructures 311 may be depicted as being generally square or circular, but have different horizontal and vertical dimensions (e.g., rectangular or elliptical) depending on the location of the nanostructures on the polarizing filter. The phase modulating nanostructures of circular polarized filter 304 may be generally rectangular or elliptical depending on the location of the nanostructures on the polarized filter.

The arrangement of the polarization filters 301 to 304 (where the horizontal polarization filter 301 is at the upper left corner of the polarizer 300, the vertical polarization filter 302 is at the lower right corner, the diagonal polarization filter 303 is at the lower left corner, and the circular polarization filter 304 is at the upper right corner) is an example arrangement, and other arrangements are possible. In another example embodiment, two additional polarizing filters (such as an anti-angular polarizing filter and a circular polarizing filter that will polarize light in a circular direction opposite to circular polarizing filter 304) may be included in polarizer 300. Such an embodiment may also use two additional pixels. As discussed below with reference to fig. 7-10, polarizer 300 may correspond to a superpixel.

Fig. 4 illustrates a multispectral and polarization sensing system according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 4, a multispectral and polarization sensing system 400 enables detection of both polarization and spectral information. The multispectral and polarization sensing system 400 may include a polarized filter and a spectral filter that provide on-chip simultaneous full stokes polarization parameters (both linear and circular polarization) and multispectral/hyperspectral imaging. The multispectral and polarization sensing system 400 may include a camera 401 with a sensor or photodiode. In addition, the multispectral and polarization sensing system 400 may detect image (2-dimensional (2D) signal information, referred to as an "image") or light (1-dimensional (1D) signal information, referred to as a "signal") illuminated in one or more pixels from an array of pixels. The multispectral and polarization sensing system 400 can include a polarization and spectral filter 402. The 1D signal or 2D image captured by the camera 401 with the sensor or photodiode may be processed into a grayscale image 403 and demosaiced. In addition, the captured 1D signal or 2D image may be processed to generate corresponding multispectral linear and circular polarized light that passes through the polarization and spectral filter 402. For example, depending on the particular polarization and spectral filter 402 used, the captured 1D signal or 2D image may generate linear and circular polarized images 404-409 (e.g., multispectral horizontally polarized image 404, multispectral vertically polarized image 405, diagonal (45 degree) polarized image 406, anti-diagonal polarized image 407, right-hand circular polarized image 408, and left-hand circular polarized image 409). The parameters determined from the linearly polarized image and the circularly polarized images 404 through 409 may be used to generate the full stokes parameters of the light of the image.

In addition, the captured 1D signal or 2D image may be processed to generate a non-polarized multispectral signal or image 410, and/or red (R), green (G), and blue (B) images 411. If the multispectral filter includes a filter for Infrared (IR), then multispectral IR image 412 may be generated by multispectral and polarization sensing system 400. A signal or image indicative of linear polarization (DoLP) 413 may be generated, and a signal or image 414 indicative of circular polarization (DoCP) may also be generated.

Thus, polarization information and spectral information may be generated based on the multispectral and polarization sensing system 400 of fig. 4.

Fig. 5A and 5B illustrate a light source and a sensor, respectively, according to various embodiments.

At least some or all of the light sources 500a of fig. 5A and the detectors 500B of fig. 5B may be combined to form a PPG sensor.

Referring to fig. 5A, a light source 500a is provided. Light source 500a includes a diffraction element and/or collimating optics 501a (collimating optics), polarizing optics 502a (polarizing optics), and an LED/LD503a (in addition, other light emitting elements (e.g., vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs)) may be used) (electromagnetic spectrum emission sources). The diffractive elements and/or the collimating optics 501a may be combined into one element or separated into two separate elements, wherein the collimating optics focus or collimate the electromagnetic-spectrum emissions into a beam that is narrower or tighter than the electromagnetic-spectrum emissions (e.g., reduce the size (e.g., diameter, perimeter, or width) of the beam) to reduce diffusion, and the diffractive optics may separate the electromagnetic-spectrum emissions into a predetermined arrangement (e.g., lines, dots, or patterns). In one example, the collimating optical element includes at least one focusing optical element or lens optical element. The diffractive element and/or collimating optics 501a and polarizing optics 502a may be combined with (or added to) the LED/LD503a such that the amount of energy of the reflected light (e.g., reflected back from the user's skin) increases. The LED/LD503a may emit light having a frequency in the Visible (VIS) range and/or Near Infrared (NIR) spectrum. In one example, the polarizing optic 502a may include at least one of an active on-chip polarizing optic and a passive on-chip polarizing optic modulated by an electrical input.

The diffractive element and/or the collimating optics 501a may improve the efficiency of the input light by reducing the divergent azimuth (divergent aspect) of the input light. The diffractive element and/or the collimating optics 501a may be configured to produce different types of outputs for the input light. For example, the diffractive elements and/or collimating optics 501a may diffract (or split) the input light into lines, dots, matrix patterns, or other predetermined arrangements. In this way, the input light may be diffracted into a particular area or region, such that the particular area or region has a higher concentration of energy of the light. Polarizing optics 502a may control the input coefficient of light.

Referring to fig. 5B, a detector 500B is provided. Signals (e.g., light) with different spectra interact differently with target molecules, biomarkers, and health-related parameters. For example, blue may be used to detect antioxidant levels (e.g., beta carotene); green may be used for pulse rate monitoring because green is less affected by tissue and vein areas than other colors and/or spectra. Red and IR may be used by determining the difference in absorbance between oxygenated and non-oxygenated hemoglobin at these two frequencies (red frequency and IR frequency). Using the difference in these two frequencies allows the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin to be calculated (e.g., a red LED may be at a frequency where oxygenated hemoglobin and hemoglobin have the same absorbance).

Detector 500b includes on-chip polarizing filter 501b, VIS/NIR filter 502b, and PD/APD/SPAD 503b. The on-chip polarized filter 501b may comprise an array of polarized filters. VIS/NIR filter 502b may be an electromagnetic spectrum filter and may include organic or inorganic color filters, nanostructured filters, narrowband filters, distributed bragg filters, or broadband filters. Some or all of the filters and/or components in VIS/NIR filter 502b may be made from stacks of one or more semiconductors and/or oxides/nitrides. For example, each of the VIS/NIR filters 502b, in addition to the color filters, may be included in a stack of semiconductors. In addition, VIS/NIR filter 502b may detect signals that penetrate deeper into the skin due to less scattering.

The PD/APD/SPAD 503b may include sensors that allow the detector 500b to measure both spectral and polarized light information. PD, APD, and SPAD sensors may have different sensitivities, which may improve (e.g., reduce) SNR to detect signals of different applications. For example, SPADs may work well with laser input signals, where PDs and APDs may work better with LED input signals. In addition, different linearly polarized light may interact differently with different body materials (e.g., fat, blood, or arteries). Circularly polarized light can interact differently with molecules (e.g., skin cancer melanoma, antioxidants, triglycerides, etc.). In one example, the sensor includes at least one of a PD pixel, an APD pixel, and a SPAD pixel. In one example, VIS/NIR filter 502b may include a plurality of filter types, and each filter type is associated with one or more pixels in the sensor.

Thus, detector 500b may be sensitive to polarization calibration and spectral calibration. In addition, the on-chip polarizing filter 501b may include at least one of aluminum (Al), titanium oxide (TiO 2), aluminum oxide (Al 2O 3), tungsten (W), silicon oxide (SiO 2), silicone, silicon nitride (Si 3N 4), and amorphous silicon (a-Si).

Fig. 6 shows a PPG sensor configuration according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 6, a ppg sensor 600 includes a light source 601 and a detector 602.

The light source 601 includes four light emitting elements. Each light emitting element may correspond to a different spectrum (e.g., a different color). Light emitting elements with different spectral characteristics advantageously behave differently when they are in contact with an object (e.g., the skin of a user). This advantage can be used for single color pixel targeting by using light emitting elements of the on-chip polarizing filter emission wavelength. The light emitted from the light emitting elements may each have a narrow bandwidth (e.g., monochromatic) or a wide bandwidth (e.g., covering visible light up to Infrared (IR) light).

The detector 602 is composed of a plurality of super-pixels near the light source 601. Each of the super-pixels in detector 602 may include features of polarizer 300 of fig. 3. That is, each of the superpixels in detector 602 may include four different pixels (e.g., portions of the superpixels), each of which is capable of different filtering of light (such as how light is filtered through polarization filters 301-304 (corresponding to the pixels)) to collect light polarization information. In addition, each superpixel may include more than four pixels (e.g., six) to collect spectral information and light polarization information.

Further, as distinguished by the pattern shown in fig. 6, each super pixel may be designed to detect light of a predetermined frequency (corresponding to the spectrum of one of the four light emitting elements). That is, the first pattern type may correspond to the first spectrum, the second pattern type may correspond to the second spectrum, the third pattern type may correspond to the third spectrum, and the fourth pattern type may correspond to the fourth spectrum.

In addition, the distribution (e.g., physical arrangement) of the superpixels to the left of the light source 601 is shown as vertical (e.g., vertical distribution of 3 superpixels). The distribution of superpixels may enable the PPG sensor to determine the depth of the detected light penetration, as well as other characteristics, based on the distribution. For example, the super pixels having the first pattern type corresponding to the first spectrum may identify light output from the light emitting elements having the first pattern type corresponding to the first spectrum of the light source 601 based on the angle of the detected light at each super pixel. Since light having the first spectrum is output at a specific region of the light source, super pixels capable of detecting light having the first spectrum may be arranged such that some of the super pixels detect light having the first spectrum at different angles from other super pixels. The angle information may be used to determine the depth of light penetration. In addition, the time difference in light detection by the first superpixel at the first location and the second superpixel at the second location may be used to determine angle information. In another example, a first time at which an electromagnetic-spectrum emission is output by an electromagnetic-spectrum emission source and a second time at which the electromagnetic-spectrum emission is detected by at least one pixel (e.g., a superpixel) may be used to determine the angle information. For example, a time difference between the first time and the second time may be used to determine the angle information.

The arrangement of the super pixels and their corresponding light emitting elements (e.g., for the super pixels and light emitting elements having a first spectrum of a first pattern type, for the super pixels and light emitting elements having a second spectrum of a second pattern type, etc.) is not limited to the arrangement shown. Many different alternative arrangements are possible, which may be capable of detecting different characteristics of the light due to the alternative arrangements. Thus, the light source and detector arrangement of the PPG sensor may be designed to meet the specific light detection characteristics sought by the design.

The data generated by the PPG sensor may be processed in an application processor on the same platform (e.g., chip) or in the cloud.

Fig. 7 shows a PPG sensor configuration according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 7, a ppg sensor 700 includes a light source 701 and a detector 702.

Fig. 7 includes a number of features similar to fig. 6. For example, the light source comprises four light emitting elements with different spectra (corresponding to four different pattern types). However, unlike fig. 6, fig. 7 shows that each set of superpixels corresponding to each spectrum is oriented in a straight line facing outward from the light source. Superpixels are shown forming rows at approximately 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees, however, other arrangements are possible depending on the design requirements of the PPG sensor. For example, the rows of superpixels may be oriented at 45 degrees, 135 degrees, 225 degrees, and 315 degrees. In addition, groups of superpixels may be added, increasing the total number of superpixels. Similar to fig. 6, the super-pixels of fig. 7 are each composed of at least four pixels to detect different polarization characteristics of light emitted from the light source.

Since some of the super-pixels are arranged farther from the light source in fig. 7 than in fig. 6 (in which each super-pixel is arranged around the light source), the super-pixels arranged farther from in fig. 7 may be able to detect a larger angle of reflected light emitted from the light source. Generally, a larger angle is associated with a larger depth. However, for super-pixels arranged further away from the light source, the sensitivity of the detected light may be lower compared to super-pixels arranged closer to the light source.

Fig. 8 shows a PPG sensor configuration according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 8, a ppg sensor 800 includes a light source 801 and a detector 802.

Similar to fig. 6-7, the super-pixels of the detector 802 each include a plurality of pixels (e.g., four). For example, the super-pixels shown in detector 802 are represented by λ (typically corresponding to wavelength), a variable (e.g., "x," "y," or "z"), and a number. Super-pixels are listed incrementally. For example, the top row of superpixels is listed incrementally: "lambda X ₁ ”、λX ₂ ”…“λX _n "where n represents the total number of superpixels in the packet. The variable "x" may correspond to a spectral range (e.g., a spectral range of blue light). Thus, "λX ₁ ”、“λX ₂ ”…“λX _n The combination of "superpixels" may be very sensitive to detecting a specific spectral range of blue light. Further, the "y" variable may correspond to a different spectral range (e.g., a spectral range of green light), and the "z" variable may also correspond to a different spectral range (e.g., a spectral range of red light). For example, "λY ₁ ”、“λY ₂ ”…“λY _n The combination of "superpixels" may be very sensitive to detect a specific spectral range of green light, "λZ ₁ ”、“λZ ₂ ”…“λZ _n The combination of "superpixels" may be very sensitive to detecting a specific spectral range of red light. Thus, each set of superpixels can be designed to accurately capture and identify light having a broad spectral range.

Since the super-pixels of the detector 802 are each capable of detecting light of many different spectra, the light emitting elements in the light source should be arranged to ensure that each light emitting element is capable of emitting (strongly or sufficiently close to emitting) light to the pixel at each super-pixel for detection.

Fig. 9 shows a PPG sensor configuration according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 9, ppg sensor 900 includes a light source 901 and a detector 902.

Fig. 9 is substantially similar to fig. 8, except that a plurality of wide spectral range superpixels are arranged in an array-like pattern in a detector 902 on each side of a light source 901. The array-like pattern may improve the accuracy of detecting light at a particular region of the detector 902.

Referring to fig. 10, an electronic device 1001 (e.g., a mobile terminal including Global Positioning System (GPS) functionality) in a network environment 1000 may communicate with the electronic device 1002 via a first network 1098 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network) or with the electronic device 1004 or server 1008 via a second network 1099 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). The electronic device 1001 may communicate with the electronic device 1004 via the server 1008. The electronic device 1001 may include a processor 1020, a memory 1030, an input device 1050, a sound output device 1055, a display device 1060, an audio module 1070, a sensor module 1076, an interface 1077, a haptic module 1079, a camera module 1080, a power management module 1088, a battery 1089, a communication module 1090, a connection terminal 1078, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) 1096, or an antenna module 1097 including a GNSS antenna. In one embodiment, at least one of the components (e.g., display device 1060 or camera module 1080) may be omitted from electronic device 1001, or one or more other components may be added to electronic device 1001. In one embodiment, some of the components may be implemented as a single Integrated Circuit (IC). For example, the sensor module 1076 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, iris sensor, or illuminance sensor) may be embedded in the display device 1060 (e.g., a display).

The processor 1020 may execute, for example, software (e.g., program 1040) to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the electronic device 1001 in conjunction with the processor 1020, and may perform various data processing or calculations. As at least part of the data processing or calculation, the processor 1020 may load commands or data received from additional components (e.g., the sensor module 1076 or the communication module 1090) into the volatile memory 1032, process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory 1032, and store the resulting data in the non-volatile memory 1034. The processor 1020 may include a main processor 1021 (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or an application processor) and an auxiliary processor 1023 (e.g., a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), an Image Signal Processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a Communication Processor (CP)) that may operate independently of the main processor 1021 or in conjunction with the main processor 1021. Additionally or alternatively, the secondary processor 1023 may be adapted to consume less power than the primary processor 1021, or to perform certain functions. The secondary processor 1023 may be implemented separately from the primary processor 1021 or as part of the primary processor 1021.

The secondary processor 1023 may control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one of the components of the electronic device 1001 (e.g., the display device 1060, the sensor module 1076, or the communication module 1090) in place of the primary processor 1021 when the primary processor 1021 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or with the primary processor 1021 when the primary processor 1021 is in an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to one embodiment, the secondary processor 1023 (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., a camera module 1080 or a communication module 1090) functionally related to the secondary processor 1023.

Memory 1030 may store various data used by at least one component of electronic device 1001, such as processor 1020 or sensor module 1076. The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., program 1040) and input data or output data for commands associated therewith. Memory 1030 may include volatile memory 1032 or nonvolatile memory 1034.

Programs 1040 may be stored as software in memory 1030, and may include, for example, an Operating System (OS) 1042, middleware 1044, or applications 1046.

Input device 1050 may receive commands or data from outside of electronic device 1001 (e.g., a user) to be used by other components of electronic device 1001 (e.g., processor 1020). Input device 1050 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard.

The sound output device 1055 may output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 1001. The sound output device 1055 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes (such as playing multimedia or recording) and the receiver may be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separate from or as part of the speaker.

Display device 1060 may provide information visually to the outside (e.g., user) of electronic device 1001. The display device 1060 may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector, and control circuitry for controlling a respective one of the display, the hologram device, and the projector. According to one embodiment, the display device 1060 may include touch circuitry adapted to detect touches or sensor circuitry (e.g., pressure sensors) adapted to measure the strength of forces caused by touches.

The audio module 1070 may convert sound to electrical signals and vice versa. According to one embodiment, the audio module 1070 may obtain sound via the input device 1050, or output sound via the sound output device 1055 or headphones of the external electronic device 1002 that are directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly coupled to the electronic device 1001.

The sensor module 1076 may detect an operational state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device 1001 or an environmental state (e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device 1001 and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. The sensor module 1076 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an Infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface 1077 may support one or more specified protocols for the electronic device 1001 to be directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly coupled with the external electronic device 1002. According to one embodiment, the interface 1077 may include, for example, a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Secure Digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection terminal 1078 may include a connector, and the electronic device 1001 may be physically connected with the external electronic device 1002 via the connector. According to one embodiment, the connection terminal 1078 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module 1079 may convert the electrical signal into mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimulus that may be recognized by the user via a tactile or kinesthetic sensation. According to one embodiment, the haptic module 1079 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electro-stimulator.

The camera module 1080 may capture still images or moving images. According to one embodiment, the camera module 1080 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

The power management module 1088 may manage power supplied to the electronic device 1001. The power management module 1088 may be implemented as at least a portion of, for example, a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC).

Battery 1089 may provide power to at least one component of electronic device 1001. According to one embodiment, battery 1089 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 1090 may support establishing a direct (e.g., direct) connection between the electronic device 1001 and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 1002, the electronic device 1004, or the server 1008)E.g., wired) communication channel or wireless communication channel, and performs communication via the established communication channel. The communication module 1090 may include one or more communication processors that may operate independently of the processor 1020 (e.g., an application processor) and support direct (e.g., wired) or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module 1090 may include a wireless communication module 1092 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 1094 (e.g., a Local Area Network (LAN) communication module or a Power Line Communication (PLC) module). A respective one of these communication modules may be connected via a first network 1098 (e.g., a short-range communication network (such as bluetooth ^TM Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct or infrared data association (IrDA) standard)) or a second network 1099 (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a cellular network, the internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or Wide Area Network (WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single IC), or may be implemented as multiple components (e.g., multiple ICs) separate from one another. The wireless communication module 1092 may use subscriber information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module 1096 to identify and authenticate the electronic device 1001 in a communication network, such as the first network 1098 or the second network 1099.

The antenna module 1097 may transmit signals or power to or receive signals or power from outside the electronic device 1001 (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module 1097 may include one or more antennas, and thus, at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network (such as the first network 1098 or the second network 1099) may be selected, for example, by the communication module 1090 (e.g., the wireless communication module 1092). Signals or power may then be transmitted or received between the communication module 1090 and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna.

At least some of the above components may be combined with each other and signals (e.g., commands or data) transferred therebetween via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., bus, general Purpose Input and Output (GPIO), serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), or Mobile Industrial Processor Interface (MIPI)).

According to one embodiment, commands or data may be sent or received between the electronic device 1001 and the external electronic device 1004 via the server 1008 in conjunction with the second network 1099. Each of the electronic devices 1002 and 1004 may be the same type as the type of the electronic device 1001 or a different type of device. All or some of the operations to be performed at the electronic device 1001 may be performed at one or more of the external electronic devices 1002, 1004, or 1008. For example, if the electronic device 1001 should automatically perform a function or service, or perform a function or service in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 1001 may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a portion of the function or service instead of performing the function or service, or the electronic device 1001 may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a portion of the function or service in addition to performing the function or service. The external electronic device or devices receiving the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or additional functions or additional services related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device 1001. The electronic device 1001 may provide the results, with or without further processing of the results, as at least a portion of a reply to the request. To this end, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-to-server computing techniques may be used.

One embodiment may be implemented as software (e.g., program 1040) comprising one or more instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 1036 or external memory 1038) readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device 1001). For example, a processor of electronic device 1001 may invoke at least one of one or more instructions stored in a storage medium and execute it under the control of the processor with or without one or more other components. Thus, the machine may be operated to perform at least one function in accordance with the at least one instruction invoked. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. The term "non-transitory" indicates that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), but the term does not distinguish between a case where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and a case where data is temporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to one embodiment, the disclosed methods may be included and set in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium, such as a compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), or via an application store, such as an application store ^TM ) Online distribution (e.g., download or upload), or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). If online, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or at least temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium, such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

According to one embodiment, each of the above-described components (e.g., a module or program) may include a single entity or multiple entities. One or more of the above components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may still perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components in the same or similar manner as the one or more functions of each of the plurality of components were performed by the corresponding one of the plurality of components prior to integration. Operations performed by a module, program, or additional component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be performed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Although specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in the detailed description thereof, the disclosure may be modified in various forms without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the scope of the disclosure should be determined not only by the embodiments described, but by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprises a light source and a detector,

wherein the light source comprises:

an electromagnetic spectrum emission source configured to output electromagnetic spectrum emissions;

a polarizing optical element configured to polarize electromagnetic spectrum emissions;

a collimating optical element configured to focus or collimate the electromagnetic spectrum emission into a beam that is narrower or tighter than the electromagnetic spectrum emission to reduce diffusion; and

a diffractive optical element configured to separate the electromagnetic spectrum emissions into a predetermined arrangement.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the polarizing optical element comprises at least one of an active on-chip polarizing optical element and a passive on-chip polarizing optical element modulated by the electrical input.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the collimating optical element and the diffractive optical element are combined into one element.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the collimating optical element comprises at least one focusing optical element or lens optical element.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic spectrum emissions comprise light of frequencies in the visible range and/or the near infrared spectrum.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic spectrum emission source is a light emitting diode, LED, at least one laser diode, or a vertical cavity surface emitting laser, VCSEL.

7. The electronic device of any of claims 1-6, wherein the detector comprises:

an electromagnetic spectrum filter configured to filter electromagnetic spectrum emissions;

a polarizing filter array configured to filter electromagnetic spectrum emissions, and

a sensor configured to detect the filtered electromagnetic spectrum emissions.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic spectrum filter is a color filter, a narrowband filter, a distributed bragg filter, or a broadband filter.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic spectrum filter comprises a plurality of filter types, and each filter type is associated with one or more pixels in the sensor.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the polarized filter array comprises a plurality of filters arranged in rows or columns.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the polarized filter array is configured to detect at least one of a linear polarization state and a circular polarization state.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a photodiode PD pixel, an avalanche photodiode APD pixel, and a single photon avalanche diode SPAD pixel.

13. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein each filter in the polarized filter array is mapped to at least one pixel in the sensor.

14. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the polarized filter array comprises at least one of aluminum, titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, tungsten, silicon oxide, silicone, silicon nitride, and amorphous silicon.

15. An electronic device comprises a light source and a detector,

wherein the light source comprises:

a polarizing optical element configured to polarize electromagnetic spectrum emissions; and

a diffractive optical element configured to separate the electromagnetic spectrum emissions into a predetermined arrangement, an

Wherein the detector comprises at least one pixel mapped to an emission of the electromagnetic spectrum.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the at least one pixel is mapped to an electromagnetic spectrum emission according to a wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum emission.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the depth of the electromagnetic-spectrum emissions is determined based on an angle at which the electromagnetic-spectrum emissions are detected by the at least one pixel.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the angle at which electromagnetic-spectrum emissions are detected is determined from a first time at which electromagnetic-spectrum emissions are output by an electromagnetic-spectrum emission source and a second time at which electromagnetic-spectrum emissions are detected by the at least one pixel.

19. An electronic device comprises a light source and a detector,

wherein the light source comprises:

an electromagnetic spectrum emission source configured to output electromagnetic spectrum emissions,

and wherein the detector comprises:

a polarized filter array configured to filter electromagnetic spectrum emissions; and

a sensor configured to detect the filtered electromagnetic spectrum emissions.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein a first pixel included in the sensor is mapped to an electromagnetic spectrum emission according to a first wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum emission and a second pixel included in the sensor is mapped according to a second wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum emission.