TWI392854B - Particle-moving type orientation sensor - Google Patents

Description

Particle mobile azimuth sensor

The present invention relates to a sensor, and more particularly to a particle moving orientation sensor.

With the popularity of handheld electronic devices such as digital cameras or camera-enabled mobile phones, viewing photos on them has become the norm. Therefore, a photo rotation function that can automatically rotate the display direction of the photo with the rotation of the handheld electronic device gradually appears on the handheld electronic device.

Referring to Fig. 1, a tilt sensor 10 disclosed in the Republic of China Patent Application No. 95142815 can be installed in the handheld electronic device to sense its rotation and output a corresponding signal to change the display direction of the photo. As shown, the tilt sensor 10 includes a housing 11 defining a V-shaped channel 110, a light-emitting element 12 for emitting light into the V-shaped channel 110, and two for receiving the V-shaped slot. The light receiving element 13 of the light in the track 110 and the slider 14 slidably disposed in the V-shaped channel 110. The tilting sensor 10 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the direction of gravity, and the slider 14 is slidable from a lower central position to a top position on the left and right sides of the V-shaped channel 110.

When the slider 14 is at the central position, the slider 14 can block the light-emitting element 12, so that the light-emitting element 12 cannot emit light into the V-shaped channel 110. At this time, the light-receiving elements 13 cannot sense any Light. When the slider 14 is located at the top position of the left or right side of the V-shaped channel 110, the slider 14 can block one of the light-receiving elements 13 from receiving light in the V-shaped channel 110, but the other The light receiving element 13 can be unaffected Received light. Thereby, the tilt sensor 10 can output a corresponding signal to correspondingly control the display direction of the photo.

However, since the slider 14 can only move back and forth between the center position and the top position of the left side or the right side, it means that the tilt sensor 10 can only output three kinds of signals correspondingly, which is limited in application. For example, the tilt sensor 10 can only change the display direction of the photo back and forth between a preset position, a left-handed 90 degree, and a right-handed 90 degree, but cannot dynamically follow the handheld electronic The device constantly changes the tilt angle and continuously changes the display orientation of the photo.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a particle mobile azimuth sensor that continuously changes the electrical signal it outputs in accordance with a constantly changing tilt or angle of rotation to provide more variation in the application.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a particle mobile azimuth sensor comprising a housing, at least one light emitting element, two light detecting elements, and a plurality of particles. The housing is formed with an accommodating space, and the accommodating space has a first region, a second region, a third region, and a fourth region which are arranged in four annular rings and communicate with each other. The housing is further formed with a first opening that communicates with the first region, and two second openings that communicate with the second region and the fourth region, respectively. The illuminating element is located at the first opening and emits light into the accommodating space via the first opening. The light detecting elements are respectively located at the second openings and respectively detect the intensity of the light in the accommodating space via the second openings. The particles are movably disposed in the accommodating space, whereby the particles are movable in a direction of gravity when the particle moving azimuth sensor is tilted to partially block the illuminating element toward the accommodating space. Internal Shooting light, or partially blocking one of the light detecting elements to detect light in the accommodating space, causing the light detecting elements to respectively detect a light having a specific intensity and correspondingly outputting a signal having a specific intensity .

The technical content and detailed description of the present invention are described below with reference to the following figures: Referring to the second and third figures, a particle moving azimuth sensor according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The particle mobile azimuth sensor mainly comprises a housing 20, a circuit board 23, two light emitting elements 24, two light detecting elements 25, and a plurality of particles 26.

The housing 20 includes a first housing portion 21 and a second housing portion 22. The first housing portion 21 is formed with a substantially circular receiving space 210 in cooperation with the second housing portion 22. The accommodating space 210 has a first region 211, a second region 212, a third region 213, and a fourth region 214 which are sequentially arranged in a ring shape and communicate with each other. The first zone 211, the second zone 212, the third zone 213, and the fourth zone 214 are each in a fan shape. The first zone 211 is located on the opposite side of the third zone 213, and the second zone 212 is located on the opposite side of the fourth zone 214.

The first housing portion 21 has a flat surface 215 on one side thereof. A first opening 216 communicating with the first region 211 is formed on the plane 215, and two second openings 217 are respectively connected to the second region 212 and the fourth region 214. Preferably, the connection of the second openings 217 passes through the geometric center of the circular receiving space 210.

In addition, the second housing portion 22 has an annular protrusion 221 for correspondingly embedded in an annular recess 218 of the first housing portion 21, thereby The second housing portion 22 is fixed to the first housing portion 21.

The circuit board 23 is disposed on the plane 215 of the first housing portion 21. The circuit board 23 can be a printed circuit board or a flexible circuit board. Moreover, the circuit board 23 is formed with a plurality of conductive terminals 231 on a plane opposite to the first housing portion 21. The conductive terminals 231 extend to the front of the circuit board 23 via the surface or the interior of the circuit board 23 for electrically connecting the light-emitting elements 24 and the light-detecting elements 25 to provide the light-emitting elements 24 and the The power of the light detecting element 25 is used as a signal for receiving the output of the light detecting element 25.

The light-emitting elements 24 are disposed on the circuit board 23 and located at the first opening 216, and emit light into the accommodating space 210 via the first openings 216, respectively. In this embodiment, the light-emitting elements 24 are light emitting diodes, but are not limited thereto. In addition, in this embodiment, the number of the light-emitting elements 24 is two, and at least one may be implemented in practice.

The light detecting elements 25 are disposed on the circuit board 23 and located at the second openings 217, and the light in the accommodating space 210 is detected through the second openings 217, respectively. In the present embodiment, the photodetecting elements 25 are photo transistors, which are not limited in practice.

The particles 26 are movably disposed in the accommodating space 210. Specifically, the particles 26 may be sand or metal particles, and may be any solid material particles when actually implemented.

In addition, in order to prevent the particles 26 from falling into the first opening 216 and the second opening 217 during the movement and being unable to move freely, the particle movement of the embodiment The position sensor further includes a light-transmissive sheet 28 disposed between the first opening 216 and the accommodating space 210, and two disposed between the second opening 217 and the accommodating space 210. Light transmissive sheet 27.

The fourth to eleventh illustrations illustrate eight different situations in the actual operation of the particle mobile azimuth sensor. First, referring to the fourth figure, it is assumed that the gravity direction is toward the lower side of the drawing surface, and the particles 26 are naturally collected under the first region 211 of the accommodating space 210, that is, the positional energy of the particles 26 is the smallest. At this time, the particles 26 block all of the light-emitting elements 24. In this case, since the light-emitting elements 24 are unable to emit light into the accommodating space 210, the light-detecting elements 25 are not detected by the light, and the light-detecting elements 25 can respectively correspond to each other. An electrical signal is output, that is, the first type of electrical signal output of the particle mobile azimuth sensor.

Referring to the fifth figure, the particle moving azimuth sensor is rotated 45 degrees clockwise relative to the fourth figure, and the particles 26 naturally move toward the direction of gravity, wherein a portion of the particles 26 move from below the first region 211 to the Below the fourth zone 214. At this time, the particles 26 not only partially block the light-emitting elements 24 from emitting light into the accommodating space 210, but also partially block the right-side light detecting element 25 from detecting the light in the accommodating space 210, and the left side. The light detecting element 25 is not blocked by the particles 26. In this case, the left and right detecting elements 25 can respectively detect a light having a specific intensity, and respectively output an electric signal having a specific intensity, which is the output of the particle mobile azimuth sensor. Two kinds of telecommunication numbers.

Referring to the sixth figure, the particle moving azimuth sensor is rotated 45 degrees clockwise relative to the fifth figure, and the particles 26 are naturally moved toward the gravity direction. And moving substantially completely below the fourth zone 214. At this time, the particles 26 partially block the lower side light detecting element 25, and the upper side light detecting element 25 is not blocked by the particles 26. In this case, the upper and lower side light detecting elements 25 can respectively detect a light having a specific intensity, and respectively output an electric signal having a specific intensity, which is the output of the particle mobile type azimuth sensor. The third type of telecommunication number.

By analogy, the particle mobile azimuth sensor can respectively issue the fourth to eighth different combinations of electrical signals in different situations from the seventh to the eleventh. Therefore, there is no limitation in application. For example, when dynamically changing the tilt or rotation angle of the handheld electronic device, the photo can have up to eight different display directions.

In addition, when the particles 26 move between any two adjacent regions of the accommodating space, the degree of blocking of the illuminating elements 24 or the degree of blocking of the illuminating elements 25 is continuously increased. Or it becomes smaller, so the intensity of the light detected by each of the light detecting elements 25 also changes continuously. Therefore, the electrical signals output by each of the light detecting elements 25 can be approximated by an analogous effect, so that the particle mobile azimuth sensor can output a wider variety of electrical signal combinations, providing more variability in application.

As shown in Fig. 12, a particle moving azimuth sensor according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is substantially the same in construction as the first preferred embodiment, except that the second preferred embodiment For example, the particle-moving azimuth sensor arranges the light-emitting elements 24 and the light-detecting elements 25 on opposite sides of the casing 20, respectively.

The light detecting elements 25 are still disposed on the first housing portion 21 of the housing 20 On one side of the circuit board 23. However, the light-emitting elements 24 are disposed on another circuit board 29 disposed on the other side of the casing 20. The first opening 216 is also formed on the second housing portion 22 for the light emitting elements 24 to emit light into the accommodating space 210 via the first openings 216.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Equivalent changes and modifications made by the scope of the present invention remain within the scope of the present invention.

20‧‧‧shell

21‧‧‧First housing part

210‧‧‧ accommodating space

211‧‧‧First District

212‧‧‧Second District

213‧‧‧ Third District

214‧‧‧Fourth District

215‧‧‧ plane

216‧‧‧ first opening

217‧‧‧Second opening

218‧‧‧Ring inlay

22‧‧‧Second housing part

221‧‧‧ annular protrusion

23‧‧‧ Circuit board

231‧‧‧Electrical terminals

24‧‧‧Lighting elements

25‧‧‧Lighting elements

26‧‧‧ particles

27, 28‧‧‧Transparent film

29‧‧‧Circuit board

The first figure is a schematic diagram of a conventional tilt sensor.

The second figure is an exploded view of a particle moving azimuth sensor in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The third figure is a cross-sectional view of the particle moving azimuth sensor shown in the second figure.

The fourth to eleventh figures are schematic views of the particle mobile azimuth sensor in various states of use.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a particle moving azimuth sensor in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

21‧‧‧First housing part

210‧‧‧ accommodating space

211‧‧‧First District

212‧‧‧Second District

213‧‧‧ Third District

214‧‧‧Fourth District

215‧‧‧ plane

216‧‧‧ first opening

217‧‧‧Second opening

218‧‧‧Ring inlay

22‧‧‧Second housing part

23‧‧‧ Circuit board

231‧‧‧Electrical terminals

24‧‧‧Lighting elements

25‧‧‧Lighting elements

26‧‧‧ particles

27, 28‧‧‧Transparent film

Claims (9)

A particle-moving azimuth sensor comprises: a casing, an accommodating space, wherein the accommodating space has a first zone, a second zone, a third zone, and a fourth a fourth area, the housing further forms a first opening connecting the first area, and two second openings respectively connecting the second area and the fourth area; at least one light emitting element is located at the first opening And emitting light to the accommodating space through the first opening; the second detecting elements are respectively located at the second openings, and the intensity of the light in the accommodating space is detected through the second openings; And a plurality of particles movably disposed in the accommodating space, wherein the particles are movable in a direction of gravity when the particle moving azimuth sensor is tilted to partially block the illuminating element toward the accommodating Transmitting light in the space, or partially blocking one of the detecting elements to detect the light in the accommodating space, so that the detecting elements respectively detect a light having a specific intensity and correspondingly outputting a specific intensity Telecommunications signal. The particle mobile azimuth sensor of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board disposed on one side of the housing and provided with the light emitting element and the light detecting elements. The particle mobile azimuth sensor of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board disposed on one side of the housing and provided with the light detecting elements, and one disposed on the housing The other side of the board is provided with the light-emitting elements. The particle mobile azimuth sensor of claim 1, wherein the accommodating space is circular. The particle-moving azimuth sensor of claim 1, further comprising three transparently disposed between the first opening and the accommodating space and between the second opening and the accommodating space. Light film. The particle mobile azimuth sensor of claim 1, wherein the connection of the second openings passes through a geometric center of the accommodation space. The particle mobile azimuth sensor of claim 2, wherein the circuit board is formed with a plurality of conductive terminals on a surface opposite to the housing. The particle mobile azimuth sensor of claim 1, wherein the light emitting elements are light emitting diodes. The particle mobile azimuth sensor of claim 1, wherein the photodetecting elements are photonic crystals.