A timing apparatus, system, and method are provided to determine a position of a rotating object in a device, such as an engine, and control the device according to the determined position of the rotating object. Light is emitted from a light source onto a reflecting region on a portion of the rotating object. Light is reflected off the reflecting region of the rotating object and detected as the rotating object rotates. Intensity of the reflected light is measured, via a microcontroller, and the position of the rotating object is determined according to the intensity of the detected light. A signal is generated that corresponds to the intensity of the detected light associated with the determined position of the rotating shaft. The reflecting region has a feature configured to effect a change in the intensity of the reflected light as the rotating object rotates. The microcontroller is configured to determine the determined position and to utilize the determined position and the change in the signal to control operating characteristics of the device.

A timing apparatus, system, and method are provided to determine a position of a rotating object in a device, such as an engine, and control the device according to the determined position of the rotating object. Light is emitted from a light source onto a reflecting region on a portion of the rotating object. Light is reflected off the reflecting region of the rotating object and detected as the rotating object rotates. Intensity of the reflected light is measured, via a microcontroller, and the position of the rotating object is determined according to the intensity of the detected light. A signal is generated that corresponds to the intensity of the detected light associated with the determined position of the rotating shaft. The reflecting region has a feature configured to effect a change in the intensity of the reflected light as the rotating object rotates. The microcontroller is configured to determine the determined position and to utilize the determined position and the change in the signal to control operating characteristics of the device.

An optical detection system includes a marker product and an optical encoding device. The marker product includes a substrate and at least one structural portion. The structural portion has a first surface, a second surface and a dividing axis. The first surface and the second surface are arranged on opposite sides of the dividing axis. A sidelong direction aligning the first surface with the second surface is parallel to a moving direction between the optical encoding device and the marker product. The optical encoding device is disposed adjacent by the marker product. The optical encoding device includes an optical projector and an optical encoder. The optical projector is configured to project the optical detecting signal onto the marker product. The optical encoder is configured to receive an optical reflecting signal from the marker product and encode intensity variation of the optical reflecting signal into digital data.

An optical detection system includes a marker product and an optical encoding device. The marker product includes a substrate and at least one structural portion. The structural portion has a first surface, a second surface and a dividing axis. The first surface and the second surface are arranged on opposite sides of the dividing axis. A sidelong direction aligning the first surface with the second surface is parallel to a moving direction between the optical encoding device and the marker product. The optical encoding device is disposed adjacent by the marker product. The optical encoding device includes an optical projector and an optical encoder. The optical projector is configured to project the optical detecting signal onto the marker product. The optical encoder is configured to receive an optical reflecting signal from the marker product and encode intensity variation of the optical reflecting signal into digital data.

An apparatus for detecting tilt of a fixture and method thereof. The apparatus includes a visible element having a pattern visibly distinguishable from its surrounding area; a part having a plane reflective surface being configured to be engaged with the fixture in alignment and being arranged to reflect light beams propagating directly from the visible element so as to produce a first virtual image of the visible element; an image capture device being disposed at same side of the visible element with respective to the part having a plane reflective surface and being configured to have a field of view covering the first virtual image and a second virtual image of the visible element produced by the part having a plane reflective surface, wherein the second virtual image was produced where the part having a plane reflective surface assumed a levelling orientation; and a controller being adapted for detecting tilt of the fixture using a deviation of the first virtual image from the second virtual image of the visible element in the field of view of the image capture device. By using the apparatus or method according to present invention, no optical means, such as lens, is used for converging the light beams projected by the visible element. It is thus possible to facilitate the assembly of the apparatus, miniaturize the apparatus and reduce costs thereof.

An apparatus for detecting tilt of a fixture and method thereof. The apparatus includes a visible element having a pattern visibly distinguishable from its surrounding area; a part having a plane reflective surface being configured to be engaged with the fixture in alignment and being arranged to reflect light beams propagating directly from the visible element so as to produce a first virtual image of the visible element; an image capture device being disposed at same side of the visible element with respective to the part having a plane reflective surface and being configured to have a field of view covering the first virtual image and a second virtual image of the visible element produced by the part having a plane reflective surface, wherein the second virtual image was produced where the part having a plane reflective surface assumed a levelling orientation; and a controller being adapted for detecting tilt of the fixture using a deviation of the first virtual image from the second virtual image of the visible element in the field of view of the image capture device. By using the apparatus or method according to present invention, no optical means, such as lens, is used for converging the light beams projected by the visible element. It is thus possible to facilitate the assembly of the apparatus, miniaturize the apparatus and reduce costs thereof.

An electronic device is described. The electronic device may include a housing, a rotatable crown, and a self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensor positioned within the housing. The rotatable crown may include an array of retroreflective surface features that reflect incident light back to a light source. Each retroreflective surface feature of the array of retroreflective surface features may be formed as a corner-cube with three perpendicular faces. The SMI sensor or associated processing electronics may compare originally emitted light with reflected light to identify a movement or distance of the rotatable crown with respect to the SMI sensor.

A sensor device is removably attachable to a drug delivery device. The sensor device comprises an array of optical sensors arranged within the sensor device such that, when the sensor device is attached to the drug delivery device, which has a first movable element configured to move along a path parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drug delivery device, each optical sensor is operable to detect light received at different locations along the path and to output a signal indicative of an amount of detected light. Circuitry is configured to receive the signals output from the optical sensors and, based on the received signals, determine information associated with a location along the path of the first movable element.

A sensor device is removably attachable to a drug delivery device. The sensor device comprises an array of optical sensors arranged within the sensor device such that, when the sensor device is attached to the drug delivery device, which has a first movable element configured to move along a path parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drug delivery device, each optical sensor is operable to detect light received at different locations along the path and to output a signal indicative of an amount of detected light. Circuitry is configured to receive the signals output from the optical sensors and, based on the received signals, determine information associated with a location along the path of the first movable element.

The range of operating angles of a position transducer is widened, and its signal-to-noise ratio is improved. The position transducer includes a light source and a detector including at least one pair of photodiodes (PDs) disposed on a predetermined circle. The detector receives light emitted from the light source to output a signal varying depending on the areas of regions where the light is received on two PDs forming a pair. The PDs are formed on separate chips, respectively, and the chips are disposed on a substrate so that one or more pairs of PDs surround the entirety of a predetermined region and have an annular shape as a whole.