An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a display including a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs), a proximity sensor disposed under the display and including a plurality of light emitting units, and at least one processor operatively coupled to the display and the proximity sensor. The light generated from the proximity sensor may have a lower energy than the work function of silicon included in the plurality of TFTs of the display.

An example of a beverage dispenser includes a nozzle and a valve coupled upstream of the nozzle. A sensor is operable to detect an object within a detection zone and provide a signal representative of a distance between the object and the sensor. A controller is configured to receive the signal from the sensor. The controller is configured to determine a sub-zone from a plurality of sub-zones within the detection zone in which the object is located. The valve is controlled between an open condition to dispense the substance through the nozzle and a closed condition based upon the determined sub-zone.

A photon detecting component is provided. The photon detecting component includes a first waveguide and a detecting section. The detecting section includes a second waveguide; a detector, optically coupled with the second waveguide, configured to detect one or more photons in the second waveguide; an optical switch configured to provide an optical coupling between the first waveguide and the second waveguide when the detector is operational; and an electrical switch electrically coupled to the detector, wherein the electrical switch is configured to change state in response to the detector detecting one or more photons. The photon detecting component further includes readout circuitry configured to determine a state of the electrical switch of the detecting section.

A sensing device includes a light source to emit light, a light sensor to detect reflection of the emitted light and distance determination circuitry responsive to reflected-light detection within the light sensor. The light sensor includes a photodetector having a photocharge storage capacity in excess of one electron and an output circuit that generates an output signal responsive to light detection within the photodetector with sub-hundred nanosecond latency. The distance determination circuitry measures an elapsed time based on transition of the output signal in response to photonic detection within the photodetector and determines, based on the elapsed time, a distance between the sensing device and a surface that yielded the reflection of the emitted light.

According to the present invention, an optical latch circuit includes a voltage detector configured to compare a first power generation voltage input from a first input terminal with a preset first threshold voltage and output a set signal from a determination output terminal when the first power generation voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, a first photovoltaic element connected between the first input terminal and a grounding point in a forward direction and configured to output a first power generation voltage to the first input terminal according to photovoltaic power when light is radiated, and a feedback resistor inserted between the first input terminal and the determination output terminal.

An optical sensing system includes a transmitter side and a receiver side, and is configured to be positioned below a display of an electronic device. The transmitter side includes a light emitter. The receiver side includes an array of photodiodes. The light emitter of the transmitter side and the array of photodiodes of the receiver side are optically coupled via a waveguide. As a result of this construction, the optical sensing system can be operated as an interferometric optical sensor.

Methods, systems, and devices for wearing detection are described. A method may include directing light from a first light emitting element to a first light detecting element via an optical interface, at least one of the first light emitting element or the first light detecting element dedicated to detecting a level of surface contact at the optical interface. The method may include measuring, via the first light detecting element, an amount of escaped light which escaped the optical interface, where the amount of escaped light is indicative of the level of surface contact. The method may further include controlling an activation of a second light emitting element and a second light detecting element based on the level of surface contact, at least one of the second light emitting element or the second light detecting element dedicated to measuring a physiological phenomenon at a user of the wearable device.

This invention provides an earphone with a low light transmittance and a non-porous sensor cover. Covering the sensing cover on the proximity sensing device can reduce the interference of most of the ambient light and improve measurement accuracy.

The present disclosure provides a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor includes: a substrate including a main surface; a light emitter and a light receiver disposed on the main surface; a resin disposed on the main surface, enclosing the light emitter and the light receiver, and including a boundary surface spaced apart from the main surface; a first crosstalk alleviator disposed on the boundary surface and including a first inclined surface; and a second crosstalk alleviator disposed on the boundary surface and including a second inclined surface.

A semiconductor device includes a signal conversion circuit configured to convert a sensing current provided from a sensing element into a sensing voltage; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert the sensing voltage to a digital value; and a driving circuit configured to drive a light emitting element, wherein the ADC generates a digital value corresponding to proximity to an object by performing a primary operation comparing a ramp signal varying with time and the sensing voltage while the light emitting element is not driven and a secondary operation comparing the ramp signal and the sensing voltage while the light emitting element is driven.