Optical sensors without guard structures between adjacent photodiodes

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an optical sensor without a guard structure between adjacent photodiodes. An electronic device includes a shared epitaxial structure, a photodiode array formed in the shared epitaxial structure, and a readout circuit. The photodiode array is disposed between a first axis and a second axis, wherein the second axis is orthogonal to the first axis. The photodiode array has no guard structure between adjacent photodiodes. The readout circuit is electrically connected to the photodiode array and is operable to read out values ​​of different photodiodes or different subsets of photodiodes in the photodiode array.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is a non-provisional application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 541,244 filed on September 28, 2023, and claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional Patent Application under 35 U.S.C. §1.119(e), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully disclosed herein. Technical Field

[0003] The described embodiments relate generally to optical sensors and, more particularly, to optically sensing the movement of a light spot, light streak, or other light shape or pattern across a photodiode array. Background Art

[0004] Many current devices include user-operable input devices, such as buttons, crowns, dials, or knobs. Some of the devices that may include such input devices include wearable devices (e.g., wrist-worn devices, headphones, or earpieces), game controllers, dashboards, or any other type of device (e.g., another type of portable, wearable, movable, or fixed device). Some input devices may only rotate or only translate. Other input devices may perform both rotation and translation. Devices that include rotatable and / or translatable input devices require a way to sense when the input device is rotated or translated. Sometimes this can be accomplished using an optical sensor.

[0005] Optical sensors can also be used to track or determine the position of light spots, light streaks, or other light shapes or patterns in other scenarios, such as for force sensing or atomic force microscopy. Summary of the invention

[0006] Embodiments of the systems, devices, methods, and apparatus described in the present disclosure employ optical sensing to track or determine the position of a light spot, light streak, or other light shape or pattern. In some embodiments, an optical sensor may be used to detect (or track) translational and / or rotational movement of an axis, such as an axis forming part of an input device.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present disclosure describes an electronic device. The electronic device may include a shared epitaxial structure, a photodiode array formed in the shared epitaxial structure, and a readout circuit. The photodiode array may be disposed between a first axis and a second axis, wherein the second axis is orthogonal to the first axis. The photodiode array may have no guard structure between adjacent photodiodes. The readout circuit may be electrically connected to the photodiode array and may be operable to read out values ​​of different photodiodes or different subsets of photodiodes in the photodiode array.

[0008] In a second aspect, the present disclosure describes another electronic device. The electronic device may include a shared epitaxial structure, a photodiode array formed in the shared epitaxial structure, a readout circuit, and a control circuit. The photodiode array may have no protective structure between adjacent photodiodes. The readout circuit may be electrically connected to the photodiode array and may be operable to read out the values ​​of a group of channels defined by the photodiodes in the photodiode array. The control circuit may be operable to configure the readout circuit in one or more operating modes. Each of the one or more operating modes may define at least one of the number of channels in the group of channels or the number of photodiodes per channel in the group of channels.

[0009] In a third aspect, the present disclosure describes another electronic device. The electronic device may include a housing, a crown, a light source, and an optical sensor. The crown may have an axis. The axis may extend through the housing and have a set of features arranged around the axis. The light source may be positioned within the housing and may be configured to emit light toward the axis. The optical sensor may be positioned within the housing and may be configured to receive reflections of the emitted light from the set of features. The optical sensor may include a shared epitaxial structure and a photodiode array formed in the shared epitaxial structure. The photodiode array may have no protective structure between adjacent photodiodes.

[0010] In addition to the illustrative aspects and embodiments described, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following descriptions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present disclosure will be readily understood through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like structural elements, and in which:

[0012] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example electronic device is shown;

[0013] Figure 2 An elevation view of the crown module is shown;

[0014] Figure 3A shows a plan view of an example optical sensor, and Figure 3B Shown along Figure 3A A cross section of the optical sensor along the cutting line 3B-3B;

[0015] Figure 3C Shows Figure 3A and Figure 3B Example output of the optical sensor shown in response to a light spot moving from left to right across the optical sensor;

[0016] Figure 4shows the use of optical sensors such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B Alternative example readout circuit of an optical sensor;

[0017] Figure 5 shows the use of optical sensors such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B Another alternative example readout circuit of an optical sensor;

[0018] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B shows the use of optical sensors such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B Another alternative example readout circuit of an optical sensor;

[0019] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B shows the use of optical sensors such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B Another alternative example readout circuit of an optical sensor;

[0020] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B Illustrated is a method for using an optical sensor such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B An example readout plane of an optical sensor;

[0021] Fig.9A and Fig. 9B Illustrated is a method for using an optical sensor such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B Another example readout plane of an optical sensor;

[0022] Fig.10 shows a plan view of another example optical sensor; and

[0023] Fig.11 An example block diagram of an electronic device is shown.

[0024] The use of cross-hatching or shading in the drawings is generally provided to clarify boundaries between adjacent elements and also to facilitate legibility of the drawings. Thus, the presence or absence of cross-hatching or shading does not express or indicate any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, element proportions, element sizes, commonality of similar illustrated elements, or any other feature, attribute, or characteristic of any element shown in the drawings.

[0025] Additionally, it should be understood that the proportions and sizes (relative or absolute) of the various features and elements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the boundaries, spacings and positional relationships presented therebetween are provided in the accompanying drawings solely to facilitate understanding of the various embodiments described herein and therefore may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for the embodiments illustrated to exclude the embodiments described in conjunction therewith. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Reference will now be made in detail to the representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to a preferred embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover substitutions, modifications and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments defined by the appended claims.

[0027] When tracking the intensity of a light spot or light streak across an array of photodiodes or other optical elements, there is a tracking error each time the light spot or light streak crosses from one pixel to an adjacent pixel. The tracking error is in part a result of guard structures disposed between adjacent pixels. Guard structures are used to electrically isolate pixels in a pixel array from adjacent pixels. However, guard structures also typically optically isolate one pixel from another, thereby forming a light-insensitive grid (i.e., an optical dead zone) within the pixel array.

[0028] The systems, devices, methods and apparatus described herein remove optical dead zones within a pixel array by removing guard structures between adjacent photodiodes. That is, each photodiode can be formed as a photodiode island within a shared epitaxial structure without any guard structures electrically isolating the photodiodes.

[0029] In some embodiments, an optical sensor including one of the photodiode arrays described herein may be used to track rotation and / or translation of a crown or other input device.

[0030] refer to Figures 1A to 11 These and other systems, devices, methods, and apparatus are described. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

[0031] Directional terms, such as "top", "bottom", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "above", "below", "above", "below", "left", "right", etc., are used with reference to the orientation of some components in some of the figures described below. Since components in various embodiments can be positioned in a plurality of different orientations, the directional terms are used for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily limiting. Directional terms are intended to be interpreted broadly and should not be interpreted to exclude components oriented in different ways. In addition, as used herein, the phrase "at least one of" following a series of items in any of the items separated by the terms "and" or "or" is to modify the list as a whole, rather than modifying each member of the list. The phrase "at least one of" does not require selection of at least one of each of the listed items; rather, the phrase allows for the meaning of including at least one of any of the items in the items and / or at least one of any combination of the items and / or at least one of each of the items in the items. For example, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" each refers to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and / or one or more of each of A, B, and C. Similarly, it should be understood that the order in which elements are presented for either a combined or separate list provided herein should not be construed to limit the present disclosure to only the order provided.

[0032] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example of a device 100 (electronic device) that may include components for optically sensing translational and / or rotational axis movement is shown. The size and form factor of the device and the inclusion of a band 104 (e.g., a wristband) indicate that the device 100 is an electronic watch, a fitness monitor, or a health diagnostic device. However, the device 100 may alternatively be any type of wearable device, including earpieces or headphones. Figure 1A A front isometric view of the device 100 is shown, and Figure 1B A rear isometric view of device 100 is shown.

[0033] Device 100 may include a body 102 (e.g., a watch body). Body 102 may include an input device or selection device, such as a crown 118 or a button 120. Band 104 may be attached to housing 106 of body 102 and may be used to attach body 102 to a body part of a user (e.g., an arm, wrist, leg, ankle, or waist). Body 102 may include housing 106 that at least partially surrounds display 108. In some embodiments, housing 106 may include sidewalls 110 that may support front cover 112 ( Figure 1A ) and / or rear cover 114 ( Figure 1B). The front cover 112 can be positioned above the display 108 and can provide a window through which the display 108 can be viewed. In some embodiments, the display 108 can be attached to (or adjacent to) the sidewalls 110 and / or the front cover 112. In alternative embodiments of the device 100, the display 108 may not be included and / or the housing 106 may have an alternative configuration.

[0034] The display 108 may include one or more light emitting elements, including, for example, light emitting elements defining a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electroluminescent (EL) display, or other types of displays. In some embodiments, the display 108 may include or be associated with one or more touch sensors and / or force sensors configured to detect touch and / or force applied to the surface of the front cover 112.

[0035] In some embodiments, the sidewall 110 of the housing 106 can be formed using one or more metals (e.g., aluminum or stainless steel), polymers (e.g., plastic), ceramics, or composite materials (e.g., carbon fiber). The front cover 112 can be formed, for example, using one or more of glass, crystal (e.g., sapphire), or a transparent polymer (e.g., plastic), which enables the user to view the display 108 through the front cover 112. In some cases, a portion of the front cover 112 (e.g., a peripheral portion of the front cover 112) can be coated with an opaque ink to cover the components included in the housing 106. In some cases, all external components of the housing 106 can be formed of a transparent material, and the components within the device 100 can be covered or not covered by the opaque ink or opaque structure within the housing 106.

[0036] The rear cover 114 can be formed using the same material as that used to form the sidewall 110 or the front cover 112. In some cases, the rear cover 114 can be part of an integral element that also forms the sidewall 110. In other cases, and as shown, the rear cover 114 can be a multi-part rear cover, such as a rear cover having a first rear cover portion 114a attached to the sidewall 110 and a second rear cover portion 114b attached to the first rear cover portion 114a. In some cases, the second rear cover portion 114b can have a circular perimeter and an arcuate outer surface 116 (i.e., an outer surface 116 having an arcuate profile).

[0037] Fasteners, adhesives, seals, gaskets or other components may be used to mount the front cover 112, rear cover 114 or first rear cover portion 114a to the sidewall 110. When present, fasteners, adhesives, seals, gaskets or other components may be used to mount the second rear cover portion 114b to the first rear cover portion 114a.

[0038] A display stack or device stack (hereinafter “stack”) including display 108 may be attached (or abut) to the inner surface of front cover 112 and extend into the interior volume of device 100. In some cases, the stack may include a touch sensor (e.g., a grid of capacitive, resistive, strain-based, ultrasonic, or other types of touch sensing elements) or other layers of optical, mechanical, electrical, or other types of components. In some cases, the touch sensor (or a portion of a touch sensor system) may be configured to detect a touch applied to an outer surface of front cover 112 (e.g., to a display surface of device 100).

[0039] In some cases, a force sensor (or a portion of a force sensor system) may be positioned within an internal volume below and / or to the side of display 108 (and in some cases, within the device stackup). The force sensor (or force sensor system) may be triggered in response to the touch sensor detecting one or more touches on front cover 112 (or one or more locations of one or more touches on front cover 112), and may determine the magnitude of the force associated with each touch, or the magnitude of the force associated with the entire set of touches. The force sensor (or force sensor system) may alternatively trigger operation of the touch sensor (or touch sensor system), or may be used independently of the touch sensor (or touch sensor system).

[0040] The device 100 may include various sensors. In some embodiments, the device 100 may have a port 122 (or a set of ports) on a side (or elsewhere) of the housing 106, and an ambient pressure sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, an internal / external differential pressure sensor, a gas sensor, a particulate matter concentration sensor, or an air quality sensor may be positioned in or near the port 122.

[0041] In some cases, one or more skin-facing sensors 126 may be included within the device 100. The skin-facing sensors 126 may emit or transmit signals through the housing 106 (or back cover 114) and / or receive signals or sense conditions through the housing 106 (or back cover 114). For example, in some embodiments, one or more such sensors may include multiple light sources (e.g., visible light and / or IR emitters) and / or multiple optical sensors (e.g., visible light and / or IR sensors, such as any of the optical sensors described herein). The sensors may be used to obtain biometric information (e.g., heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, blood flow rate, blood oxygenation, blood glucose level, etc.) from a wearer or user of the device 100, or to determine the state of the device 100 (e.g., whether the device 100 is being worn or the tightness of the device 100).

[0042] The device 100 may include circuitry 124 (e.g., a processor and / or other components) configured to determine or extract, for example, a biological parameter of a user of the device, an input provided by the user, a state of the device 100 or its environment, and / or a location (or other aspects) of an object, particle, surface, or user in response, at least in part, to signals received directly or indirectly from one or more of the device's sensors. The biological parameter may include, for example, a biometric, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood flow rate, blood oxygenation, blood glucose level, etc. In some embodiments, the circuitry 124 may be configured to transmit the determined or extracted parameter, input, or state via an output device of the device 100. For example, the circuitry 124 may cause an indication to be displayed on the display 108, output the indication via audio or tactile output, transmit via a wireless communication interface or other communication interface, etc. The circuitry 124 may additionally or alternatively maintain or change one or more settings, functions, or aspects of the device 100, including, in some cases, content displayed on the display 108.

[0043] In some embodiments, one of the components described herein for optically sensing translational and / or rotational axis movement can be associated with the crown 118. This component can be used, for example, to determine whether the crown 118 has been rotated, how much the crown 118 has been rotated, how fast the crown 118 has been rotated, whether the crown 118 has been pressed (or pulled), and the like.

[0044] Figure 2 An example assembly 200 is shown that includes an axis 202, a light source 204, and an optical sensor 206. In some embodiments, the axis 202 can be an axis of a rotatable and translatable input device, such as an axis of a crown, button, dial, or knob. The input device can be provided on a wearable device (e.g., a wrist-worn device, a headset, or an earpiece), a game controller, a dashboard, or any other type of device (e.g., another type of portable, wearable, movable, or fixed device). In some embodiments, the axis 202 can be a reference Figure 1A and Figure 1B The shaft of the crown described. In some embodiments, the shaft 202 can be the shaft of a machine or engine.

[0045] The shaft 202 may be at least partially formed by a housing (e.g., reference 202) through which the shaft 202 extends. Figure 1A and Figure 1B The light source 204 and the optical sensor 206 may be supported by a housing (such as a housing of the device described herein) or by a support member, sleeve or bearing through which the shaft 202 extends, or by a support member that braces or otherwise supports the shaft 202. The light source 204 and the optical sensor 206 may be supported by the same housing that supports the shaft 202, or by different housings, or by a printed circuit board, a flexible circuit, or other structure to which the light source 204 and the optical sensor 206 are attached.

[0046] The shaft 202 (which in some cases may be part of an input device) may be rotated and translated relative to the rotation axis 208. For example, the shaft 202 may be rotated about the rotation axis 208 and translated along the rotation axis 208. The shaft 202 may have a circumference and a set of features defining an optical encoder pattern 210 (e.g., an engineered optical surface) or random defects around the circumference. In some embodiments, the features of the optical encoder pattern 210 may include a plurality of light and dark stripes disposed around the circumference of the shaft, wherein each stripe is parallel to the rotation axis 208. In some embodiments, the stripes may include stripes formed of the same material but in different orientations or with different surface treatments.

[0047] The light source 204 and the optical sensor 206 may be provided as part of a module, but may alternatively be provided separately.

[0048] The light source 204 can be configured (e.g., positioned and oriented) to emit light 220 toward the optical encoder pattern 210. In some embodiments, the light 220 can include infrared (IR) light, although the light can additionally or alternatively include light of other wavelengths. In some embodiments, the light source 204 can include a wide-angle and incoherent optical emitter, such as a light emitting diode (LED), although the light source 204 can also include a laser diode or other types of optical emitters.

[0049] Optical sensor 206 may be configured (e.g., positioned and oriented) to receive reflections 222 of emitted light from features of optical encoder pattern 210 and generate an irradiance pattern in response to reflections 222. Optical sensor 206 may include a two-dimensional (2D) array of photodiodes or pixels. Movement or change in the irradiance pattern along a first dimension may be primarily used to determine rotation of shaft 202. Movement or change in the irradiance pattern along a second dimension may be primarily used to determine translation of shaft 202.

[0050] In some embodiments, the control circuit 224 can be operable to configure the readout circuit 226 of the optical sensor 206 to operate according to one or more operating modes. The one or more operating modes can define, for example, a first number of channels having different axes parallel to the rotation axis 208 of the shaft 202, and a second number of channels having different axes perpendicular to the rotation axis 208 of the shaft 202.

[0051] FIG. 3A to FIG. 10 Various optical sensors that may be used for optical sensor 206 are described.

[0052] Figure 3A A plan view of an example optical sensor 300 is shown, and Figure 3B Shown along Figure 3AThe optical sensor 300 may be, for example, a cross section of the optical sensor 300 at the section line 3B-3B. Figure 1A and Figure 1B Electronic device described or referenced Figure 2 The crown module described is used.

[0053] The optical sensor 300 includes an epitaxial structure 302 shared by an array of photodiodes 304. The array of photodiodes 304 may be disposed between a first axis 306 (e.g., a y-axis) and a second axis 308 (e.g., an x-axis orthogonal to the y-axis). In alternative embodiments, the photodiodes 304 may be arranged in different ways, such as in concentric rings or in a pseudo-random manner. The photodiodes 304 may be constructed using various materials and may be constructed according to various techniques to be sensitive to one or more types of light (where light is defined herein as electromagnetic radiation including visible and invisible types). In some examples, the photodiodes 304 may be sensitive only to infrared (IR) light. Alternatively, and depending on the application, the photodiodes 304 may be sensitive only to short wave infrared (SWIR) light, or only to near infrared (NIR) light, or only to a visible light (e.g., red or green) range, or to a wavelength range covering different types of light.

[0054] The array of photodiodes 304 is characterized by the absence of guard structures (e.g., absence of shallow trench isolation (STI), deep trench isolation (DTI), or other electrical isolation) between adjacent photodiodes 304. That is, each photodiode 304 may be formed as a photodiode island within a shared epitaxial structure 302 (e.g., a diode structure formed by one or more wells within the shared epitaxial structure 302) without any guard structures electrically isolating the photodiode 304 from adjacent photodiodes 304. Although the absence of guard structures may result in a certain amount of electrical crosstalk between photodiodes 304, the absence of guard structures eliminates a source of optical isolation between photodiodes 304, which may enable improved tracking of a light spot (or spots), light streak (or streaks), or other type of light or light pattern across the array of photodiodes 304. Moreover, downstream processing to resolve crosstalk between photodiodes 304 (or channels defined by a subset of photodiodes 304) may be easier than resolving discontinuities in light sensitivity between photodiodes 304 (or channels defined by a subset of photodiodes 304).

[0055] Various types of readout circuits may be electrically connected to the array of photodiodes 304, where each type of readout circuit is operable to read out the value of a different photodiode 304 (e.g., an individual photodiode 304) or a different subset of photodiodes 304. By way of example, Figure 3AA readout circuit 310 is shown that is operable to read out values ​​of different subsets 312, 314, 316, 318 of photodiodes 304 that extend parallel to a first axis 306 (although different subsets 312, 314, 316, 318 of photodiodes 304 also extend parallel to a second axis 308, this need not be the case; alternatively, subsets of photodiodes may be defined such that the subsets extend only parallel to the second axis 308). Each subset 312, 314, 316, 318 of photodiodes 304 may represent a respective channel of a set of channels of the optical sensor 300.

[0056] The readout circuit 310 includes a first set of conductive traces 320 electrically connected to the first three columns of photodiodes 304, a second set of conductive traces 322 electrically connected to the second three columns of photodiodes 304, a third set of conductive traces 324 electrically connected to the third three columns of photodiodes 304, and a fourth set of conductive traces 326 electrically connected to the fourth three columns of photodiodes 304. Figure 3B As shown in , each of the photodiodes 304 can share a common cathode. Each set of conductive traces 320, 322, 324, 326 can electrically connect a corresponding subset 312, 314, 316, 318 of the photodiodes 304 to a corresponding amplifier circuit 328, 330, 332, 334 (e.g., transimpedance amplifiers TIA1, TIA2, TIA3, and TIA4). Alternatively, a set of switches can electrically connect a set of conductive traces 320, 322, 324, 326 at a time to a shared amplifier circuit.

[0057] Figure 3C An example output of the optical sensor 300 (and more specifically, an example output of the readout circuit 310 ) in response to a light spot 336 moving from left to right across the optical sensor 300 is shown in FIG. Figure 3C A graph 350 is shown of distance along the second axis 308 versus light sensitivity of each readout channel 352 , 354 , 356 , 358 corresponding to respective ones of the subsets 312 , 314 , 316 , 318 of the photodiodes 304 .

[0058] Each of the channels 352, 354, 356, 358 has a light sensitivity that rises as the light spot 336 begins to illuminate the photodiode 304 associated with that channel, levels off when the light spot's illumination is completely over the photodiode 304 associated with that channel, and falls at or about the time the light spot 336 begins to illuminate the photodiode 304 associated with the next channel. Although this results in a certain amount of electrical crosstalk between the channels 352, 354, 356, 358, there are no optical dead zones within the array of photodiodes 304 and there is a more uniform light sensitivity.

[0059] Figure 4 shows a reference for optical sensors such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B An alternative example readout circuit of the described optical sensor. Specifically, Figure 4 An optical sensor 400 is shown having an array of photodiodes 404 formed on a shared epitaxial structure 402 without guard structures between adjacent photodiodes 404. The array of photodiodes 404 may be disposed between a first axis 406 (e.g., a y-axis) and a second axis 408 (e.g., an x-axis orthogonal to the y-axis).

[0060] The readout circuit 410 may be electrically connected to the array of photodiodes 404. The readout circuit 410 may include a first set of conductive traces 412 oriented parallel to the first axis 406. The conductive traces in the first set of conductive traces 412 may extend from within the array of photodiodes 404 to outside (e.g., adjacent to or below) the array of photodiodes 404. For example, the conductive traces in the first set of conductive traces 412 may extend between individual photodiodes or subsets of the photodiodes 404 and one or more amplifier circuits, wherein the conductive traces in the first set of conductive traces 412 are directly coupled or switchably coupled to the amplifier circuits (not shown). The readout circuit 410 may also include a second set of conductive traces 414 oriented parallel to the second axis 408. The conductive traces in the second set of conductive traces 414 may electrically connect each photodiode 404 to a particular conductive trace in the first set of conductive traces 412. By way of example, a plurality of photodiodes 404 are electrically connected to each conductive trace in the first set of conductive traces 412 through a corresponding conductive trace in the second set of conductive traces 414.

[0061] By way of example, the first group of conductive traces 412 is shown as being routed between different subsets 416 of the photodiodes 404 corresponding to different readout channels. Although only one group of conductive traces in the first group of conductive traces 412 is shown, the first group of conductive traces 412 may include a plurality of different groups of conductive traces, wherein each group of conductive traces in the first group of conductive traces 412 is routed between different subsets 416 of the photodiodes 404 corresponding to different readout channels. In some cases, this may limit the discontinuity in the light sensitivity of the array of photodiodes 404 to the regions between the different channels. In alternative embodiments, the conductive traces in the first group of conductive traces 412 may be equally distributed across the array of photodiodes 404.

[0062] To provide uniform light sensitivity to light passing through the optical sensor 400 from left to right, the optical sensor 400 may include a set of dummy conductive traces 418. Each dummy conductive trace in the set of dummy conductive traces 418 may be oriented parallel to the second axis 308 and disposed inline with one or more conductive traces in the second set of conductive traces 414.

[0063] In light tracking applications where the light spot moves in a predetermined direction, the conductive traces 412 , 414 may more generally be oriented in any manner that minimizes the number of conductive traces the light spot must traverse as it moves across the array of photodiodes 404 .

[0064] Figure 5 shows a reference for optical sensors such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B Another alternative example readout circuit of the described optical sensor. Specifically, Figure 5 An optical sensor 500 is shown having an array of photodiodes 504 formed on a shared epitaxial structure 502 without guard structures between adjacent photodiodes 504. The array of photodiodes 504 may be disposed between a first axis 506 (e.g., a y-axis) and a second axis 508 (e.g., an x-axis orthogonal to the y-axis).

[0065] The readout circuit 510 may be electrically connected to the array of photodiodes 504 and may be operated to read out values ​​of different subsets 512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522 of photodiodes 504 in the array of photodiodes 504. The readout circuit 510 may include a set of conductive traces 524. Each conductive trace in the set of conductive traces 524 may be oriented parallel to the first axis 506 and electrically connected to a respective linear arrangement of photodiodes 504 defining a subset 512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522 of photodiodes 504 in different subsets of photodiodes 504.

[0066] The readout circuit 510 may also include an amplifier circuit 526 and a set of switches 528. Each switch in the set of switches 528 may electrically couple a corresponding conductive trace in the set of conductive traces 524 to the amplifier circuit 526 or decouple a corresponding conductive trace from the amplifier circuit. The control circuit 530 may be programmed or otherwise configured to operate the set of switches 528.

[0067] In some embodiments, the control circuit 530 may operate the set of switches 528 to sequentially couple each subset 512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522 of the photodiodes 504 to the amplifier circuit 526 while decoupling all other subsets 512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522 of the photodiodes 504 from the amplifier circuit 526 to read out the values ​​of each subset 512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522 of the photodiodes 504.

[0068] In some embodiments, values ​​may be read out for a larger subset of the photodiodes 504. For example, and as shown, the control circuit 530 may operate the set of switches 528 to simultaneously couple two subsets 516, 518 of the photodiodes 504 to the amplifier circuit 526 while decoupling all other subsets 512, 514, 520, 522 of the photodiodes 504 from the amplifier circuit 526 to read out a value representing the sum of the charge integrated by all of the photodiodes 504 in the two subsets 516, 518 of the photodiodes 504. The control circuit 530 may then operate the set of switches 528 to couple the next two subsets 520, 522 of the photodiodes 504 to the amplifier circuit 526, and so on. Alternatively, after coupling the two subsets 516, 518 of photodiodes 526 to the amplifier circuit 504, the control circuit 530 may open the switch coupling subset 516 to the amplifier circuit 526, close the switch coupling subset 520 to the amplifier circuit 526, and read out a value representing the sum of the charges integrated by all photodiodes 504 in the two subsets 518, 520 of photodiodes 504 - for example, in a moving window approach that reads out the values ​​of overlapping combinations of different subsets of photodiodes 504 (e.g., 512 / 514, 514 / 516, 516 / 518, 518 / 520, 520 / 522).

[0069] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B shows a reference for optical sensors such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B Another alternative example readout circuit of the described optical sensor. Specifically, Fig. 6AAn optical sensor 600 is shown having an array of photodiodes 604 formed on a shared epitaxial structure 602 without guard structures between adjacent photodiodes 604. The array of photodiodes 604 may be disposed between a first axis 606 (e.g., a y-axis) and a second axis 608 (e.g., an x-axis orthogonal to the y-axis).

[0070] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B Portions of a readout circuit 610 that may be electrically connected to an array of photodiodes 604 are shown. The readout circuit 610 may be operated to read out values ​​of different individual photodiodes 604 (or alternatively, different subsets of the photodiodes 604) in the array of photodiodes 604. The readout circuit 610 may include a first set of conductive traces 612 and a second set of conductive traces 614. Each conductive trace in the first set of conductive traces 612 may be oriented parallel to the first axis 606 and electrically connected to a corresponding linear arrangement of photodiodes (e.g., a column of photodiodes 604). Each conductive trace in the second set of conductive traces 614 may be oriented parallel to the second axis 608 and electrically connected to a corresponding linear arrangement of photodiodes (e.g., a row of photodiodes 604).

[0071] The first multiplexer 616 of the readout circuit 610 may have a set of inputs electrically connected to the first set of conductive traces 612. The second multiplexer 618 of the readout circuit 610 may have a set of inputs electrically connected to the second set of conductive traces 614. The first multiplexer 616 may have a control input i provided by the control circuit 620. x , which causes the addressed conductive traces in the first set of conductive traces 612 to be coupled to the output (PD_MUX_X) of the first multiplexer 616. The second multiplexer 618 may have a control input i provided by the control circuit 620. y , which controls the input to couple the addressed conductive traces in the second set of conductive traces 614 to the output (PD_MUX_Y) of the second multiplexer 618. Figure 6B As shown in , the outputs of the first multiplexer 616 and the second multiplexer 618 may be input to an amplifier circuit 622, which amplifies the voltage between PD_MUX_X and PD_MUX_Y. The analog output of the amplifier circuit 622 may be received by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 624 and converted to an n-bit digital value.

[0072] i x and i y The value can be cycled through i x = 1 to p and i y =1 to q to read out the values ​​of all photodiodes 604.

[0073] The n-bit digital value output by ADC 624 may be routed to a storage circuit, or alternatively to a processing circuit 626 that determines the x- and y-coordinates of the photodiode 604 associated with the highest illumination intensity. The relative illumination intensities of photodiodes 604 adjacent to the photodiode 604 associated with the highest illumination intensity may be used to determine whether light spot 628 is located at the center of photodiode 604 or closer to one side of photodiode 604 (in the x and y directions).

[0074] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B shows a reference for optical sensors such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B Another alternative example readout circuit of the described optical sensor. Specifically, Fig. 7A An optical sensor 700 is shown having an array of photodiodes 704 formed on a shared epitaxial structure 702, with no guard structures between adjacent photodiodes 704, and Figure 7B Shown is an enlarged portion of an optical sensor 700. An array of photodiodes 704 can be disposed between a first axis 706 (eg, a y-axis) and a second axis 708 (eg, an x-axis orthogonal to the y-axis).

[0075] The readout circuit 710 may be electrically connected to the array of photodiodes 704. The readout circuit 710 may be operated to read out the values ​​of different individual photodiodes 704 (or alternatively, different subsets (e.g., rows or columns) of the array of photodiodes 704). The readout circuit 710 may include a set of conductive traces 712. Each conductive trace in the set of conductive traces 712 may be oriented parallel to the first axis 706 and electrically connected to a corresponding photodiode 704. Each conductive trace in the set of conductive traces 712 may be electrically connected to a dedicated or shared amplifier circuit via a corresponding switch in a set of switches 714 as described with reference to other figures. Figure 7B , a subset of switches in the set of switches 714 can be closed while other switches remain open to read out values ​​from a row 716 of photodiodes 704 connected to a subset of conductive traces 712. The values ​​of the photodiodes 704 in a row can be read out sequentially or in parallel, depending on the number of amplifier circuits available to perform the readout. In some embodiments, multiple switches associated with a single column of photodiodes 704 can be closed simultaneously to sum the charge integrated by more than one photodiode 704 in the column during readout. In some embodiments, the set of switches 714 can also include switches that enable the summing of charge integrated by photodiodes 704 in different rows or by photodiodes 704 in different rows and columns during readout.

[0076] In reference Fig. 6A and Figure 6B as well as Fig. 7A and Figure 7B In the described embodiments, the irradiance center or peak may be detected relative to each of the first and second axes of the optical sensor.The values ​​obtained for the photodiodes on all sides of the peak may be used to more accurately locate the irradiance center.

[0077] In some embodiments, reference Fig. 6A and Figure 6B or Fig. 7A and Figure 7B The optical sensor described can be used to track an axis (such as reference Figure 2 Both rotational and translational movement of the axis of the crown described.

[0078] In some embodiments, reference FIG. 3A to FIG. 7B The optical sensor described in any of the above may be associated with a readout circuit having channels associated with four different quadrants of the photodiode array. Such an arrangement may be used, for example, for displacement sensing, such as force sensing or atomic force microscopy.

[0079] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B Illustrated for optical sensors such as reference Figure 3A and Figure 3B An example readout plane of an optical sensor is described. Specifically, Fig. 8A and Figure 8B An optical sensor 800 is shown having an array of photodiodes 804 formed on a shared epitaxial structure 802 without guard structures between adjacent photodiodes 804. The array of photodiodes 804 can be disposed between a first axis 806 (e.g., a y-axis) and a second axis 808 (e.g., an x-axis orthogonal to the y-axis).

[0080] The readout circuit 810 can be electrically connected to the array of photodiodes 804. The readout circuit 810 can include a set of conductive traces 812 oriented parallel to the first axis 806. The set of conductive traces 812 can extend from within the array of photodiodes 804 to outside (e.g., adjacent to or below) the array of photodiodes 804. For example, the conductive traces of the first set of conductive traces 812 can extend between individual photodiodes or subsets of the photodiodes 804 and amplifier circuits 814, where the conductive traces in the set of conductive traces 812 can be switchably coupled to the amplifier circuits 814 (e.g., through a set of switches 816). By way of example, a plurality of photodiodes 804 (columns of photodiodes 804) are electrically connected to each conductive trace in the set of conductive traces 812.

[0081] The set of switches 816 can be operated by a control circuit 818. Fig. 8A, and in a first operating mode, the control circuit 818 may operate the set of switches 816 such that only the leftmost pair of conductive traces 812 is coupled to the amplifier circuit 814, and the control circuit 818 may cause a first value of a first channel 820 to be read out from the optical sensor 800 via the amplifier circuit 814. Subsequently, the control circuit 818 may operate the set of switches 816 such that only the next pair of conductive traces 812 is coupled to the amplifier circuit 814, and the control circuit 818 may cause a second value of a second channel 822 to be read out from the optical sensor 800 via the amplifier circuit 814, and so on for subsequent channels 824, 826, 828, 830, 832, and 834.

[0082] like Figure 8B , and in the second operating mode, the control circuit 818 may operate the set of switches 816 so that only the leftmost set of four conductive traces 812 are coupled to the amplifier circuit 814, and the control circuit 818 may cause a first value of the first channel 850 to be read out from the optical sensor 800 via the amplifier circuit 814. Subsequently, the control circuit 818 may operate the set of switches 816 so that only the next set of four conductive traces 812 are coupled to the amplifier circuit 814, and the control circuit may cause a second value of the second channel 852 to be read out from the optical sensor 800 via the amplifier circuit 814, and so on for subsequent channels 854 and 856.

[0083] The control circuit 818 may also operate the set of switches 816 according to other operating modes.

[0084] In some embodiments, the optical sensor 800 can be used to track an axis (such as a reference Figure 2 In such embodiments, and at a first time (or times), the control circuit 818 may use a low (or relatively low) frame rate at a rotational speed that is less than the threshold rotational speed. The low frame rate may be used with a larger number of channels (such as in reference Fig. 8A The low frame rate may maximize the user experience and performance for the most sensitive (or granular) rotational tracking requirements. Alternatively, at the second time (or times), the control circuit 818 may use a high (or relatively high) frame rate at a rotational speed equal to or greater than the threshold rotational speed. The high frame rate may be associated with a smaller number of channels such as in the reference Figure 8B The four channels defined in the second operating mode described are associated. A smaller number of channels enables faster readout speeds for high-speed spot or fringe tracking (eg tracking light reflected from a feature of a crown rotating at a fast rotational speed).

[0085] In alternative embodiments, the conductive traces may electrically connect individual photodiodes in the photodiodes 804 to different conductive traces; or alternating photodiodes 804 may be electrically connected to a first conductive trace or a second conductive trace associated with a single column of photodiodes 804; or rows of photodiodes 804 may be electrically connected to different conductive traces; or the photodiodes may be electrically connected to a set of switches in other ways. In each of these embodiments, the control circuit may couple the conductive traces to the amplifier circuit or decouple the conductive traces from the amplifier circuit according to different operating modes. In some embodiments, different operating modes may be associated with different numbers of channels. In some embodiments, different operating modes may be associated with different numbers of photodiodes per channel. In some embodiments, different operating modes may be associated with different distributions or spacings of photodiodes. In some embodiments, more than one variable may be changed between different operating modes.

[0086] Fig.9A and Fig. 9B Illustrated is a method for using an optical sensor such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B Another example readout plane of an optical sensor. Specifically, Fig.9A and Fig. 9B An optical sensor 900 is shown having an array of photodiodes 904 formed on a shared epitaxial structure 902 without guard structures between adjacent photodiodes 904. The array of photodiodes 904 may be disposed between a first axis 906 (e.g., a y-axis) and a second axis 908 (e.g., an x-axis orthogonal to the y-axis).

[0087] The readout circuit 910 can be electrically connected to the array of photodiodes 904. The readout circuit 910 can include a first conductive trace 912 and a second set of conductive traces 914 oriented parallel to the first axis 906. Each of the first set of conductive traces 912 and the second set of conductive traces 914 can extend from within the array of photodiodes 904 to outside (e.g., adjacent to or below) the array of photodiodes 904. The conductive traces of the first conductive traces 912 and the second set of conductive traces 914 can extend between different subsets of the photodiodes 904 and an amplifier circuit 916, where the conductive traces of the first conductive traces 912 and the second set of conductive traces 914 can be switchably coupled to the amplifier circuit 916 (e.g., by a set of switches 918). By way of example, a first subset of every other photodiode 904 in a column of photodiodes 904 is electrically connected to a first conductive trace in the set of conductive traces 912 associated with the column, and a second subset of every other photodiode 904 in the column of photodiodes 904 is electrically connected to a second conductive trace in the set of conductive traces 914 associated with the column.

[0088] The set of switches 918 can be operated by a control circuit 920. Fig.9A , and in a first mode of operation, the control circuit 920 may operate the set of switches 918 such that the conductive traces 912, 914 associated with the first column are simultaneously coupled to the amplifier circuit 916, and the control circuit 920 may cause a first value of a first channel 922 to be read out from the optical sensor 900 via the amplifier circuit 916. Subsequently, the control circuit 920 may operate the set of switches 918 such that the conductive traces 912, 914 associated with the second column are simultaneously coupled to the amplifier circuit 916, and the control circuit 920 may cause a second value of a second channel 924 to be read out from the optical sensor 900 via the amplifier circuit 916, and so on for subsequent channels 926, 928, 930, 932, 934, 936, 938, 940, 942, 944, 946, 948, 950, and 952.

[0089] like Fig. 9B , and in the second mode of operation, the control circuit 920 may operate the set of switches 918 such that only one of the conductive traces 912 associated with the first column is coupled to the amplifier circuit 916, and the control circuit 920 may cause a first value of a first channel 922 to be read out from the optical sensor 900 via the amplifier circuit 916. Subsequently, the control circuit 920 may operate the set of switches 918 such that only one of the conductive traces 912 associated with the second column is coupled to the amplifier circuit 916, and the control circuit 920 may cause a second value of a second channel 924 to be read out from the optical sensor 900 via the amplifier circuit 916, and so on for subsequent channels 926, 928, 930, 932, 934, 936, 938, 940, 942, 944, 946, 948, 950, and 952.

[0090] The control circuit 920 may also operate the set of switches 918 according to other operating modes.

[0091] In some embodiments, the first operating mode and the second operating mode of the optical sensor 900 can be used to change the number of photodiodes per channel without changing the number of channels. In other words, the first operating mode can be associated with a first photodiode density, and the second operating mode can be associated with a second photodiode density, where the second density is different from the first density. Under normal operating conditions, the first density can be appropriate and all photodiodes 904 can be employed. However, if the control circuit 920 or the processing circuit detects saturation within a channel, the control circuit 920 or the processing circuit can switch to the second operating mode in which a lower photodiode 904 density is employed.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first operating mode and the second operating mode of the optical sensor 900 can be used to detect a flickering light source or avoid interference from a flickering light source (e.g., by appropriately timing the sampling rate of the photodiode 904 electrically connected to the first set of conductive traces 912 relative to the photodiode 904 electrically connected to the second set of conductive traces 914).

[0093] Fig.10 1 shows a plan view of another example optical sensor 1000. The optical sensor 1000 may be, for example, Figure 1A and Figure 1B The described electronic device can be used as a sensor for a biological parameter, or as an ambient light sensor, or in other applications.

[0094] The optical sensor 1000 includes an epitaxial structure 1002 shared by an array of photodiodes 1004. The array of photodiodes 1004 can be disposed between a first axis 1006 (e.g., a y-axis) and a second axis 1008 (e.g., an x-axis orthogonal to the y-axis). In alternative embodiments, the photodiodes 1004 can be arranged in a different manner, such as in concentric rings or in a pseudo-random manner. The photodiodes 1004 can be constructed using a variety of materials and can be constructed according to a variety of techniques to be sensitive to one or more types of light. In some examples, the photodiodes 1004 can be sensitive to a range of wavelengths covering different types of light.

[0095] The array of photodiodes 1004 is characterized by the absence of guard structures between adjacent photodiodes 1004 .

[0096] Various types of readout circuitry may be electrically connected to the array of photodiodes 1004, including any of the readout circuits described herein.

[0097] The array of filter elements 1010 may be disposed above the array of photodiodes 1004. The array of filter elements 1010 may include at least two different types of filter elements 1010a, 1010b, and at least two different photodiodes 1004 in the array of photodiodes 1004 may be disposed below corresponding different types of filter elements 1010a, 1010b in the array of filter elements 1010. In some embodiments, the array of filter elements 1010 may be elements of different optical bandpass filters, or linear chirped bandpass filters.

[0098] In some embodiments, control circuitry 1012 associated with readout circuitry 1014 of optical sensor 1000 can form or tune a spectral sensor by electrically connecting photodiodes 1004 disposed under one or more specific types of filter elements 1010 to readout circuitry 1014. For example, control circuitry 1012 can configure readout circuitry 1014 in one or more operating modes, wherein a first operating mode has a first spectral response and a second operating mode has a second spectral response, wherein the second spectral response is different from the first spectral response. Alternatively, the operating modes can be configured to have a desired spectral response, such as 100% of the photodiodes 1004 disposed under a red filter element and 20% of the photodiodes 1004 disposed under a green filter element.

[0099] Fig.11 A sample electrical block diagram of an electronic device 1100 is shown, which in some cases may be a reference Figure 1A and Figure 1B Any of the electronic devices described herein or other devices described herein. The electronic device 1100 may include an optical sensor for sensing translational and / or rotational movement of an input device, such as reference Figures 1A to 10 . The electronic device 1100 may optionally include an electronic display 1102 (e.g., a light emitting display), a processor 1104, a power supply 1106, a memory 1108 or storage device, a sensor system 1110, and / or an input / output (I / O) mechanism 1112 (e.g., an input / output device, an input / output port, or a tactile input / output interface). The processor 1104 may control some or all operations of the electronic device 1100. The processor 1104 may communicate directly or indirectly with some or all other components of the electronic device 1100. For example, a system bus or other communication mechanism 1114 may provide communication between the electronic display 1102, the processor 1104, the power supply 1106, the memory 1108, the sensor system 1110, and the I / O mechanism 1112.

[0100] Processor 1104 may be implemented as any electronic device capable of processing, receiving or transmitting data or instructions, whether such data or instructions are in the form of software or firmware or encoded in other ways. For example, processor 1104 may include a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a control circuit, or a combination of such devices. As described herein, the term "processor" is intended to cover a single processor or processing unit, multiple processors, multiple processing units, or one or more other appropriately configured computing elements. In some cases, processor 1104 may provide a portion or all of a processing system or processor described herein.

[0101] It should be noted that components of the electronic device 1100 may be controlled by multiple processors. For example, selected components of the electronic device 1100 (e.g., the sensor system 1110) may be controlled by a first processor and other components of the electronic device 1100 (e.g., the electronic display 1102) may be controlled by a second processor, where the first processor and the second processor may or may not be in communication with each other.

[0102] The power supply 1106 may be implemented with any device capable of providing energy to the electronic device 1100. For example, the power supply 1106 may include one or more batteries or rechargeable batteries. Additionally or alternatively, the power supply 1106 may include a power connector or a power cord that connects the electronic device 1100 to another power source such as a wall outlet. The power supply 1106 may also include a wireless charging circuit.

[0103] The memory 1108 can store electronic data that can be used by the electronic device 1100. For example, the memory 1108 can store electronic data or content, such as, for example, audio and video files, documents and applications, device settings and user preferences, timing signals, control signals, instructions, and / or data structures or databases. The memory 1108 can include any type of memory. By way of example only, the memory 1108 can include random access memory, read-only memory, flash memory, removable memory, other types of storage elements, or combinations of these memory types.

[0104] The electronic device 1100 may also include one or more sensor systems 1110 positioned at virtually any location on the electronic device 1100. The sensor system 1110 may be configured to sense one or more types of parameters, such as, but not limited to: vibration, light, touch, force, heat, movement, relative motion, biometric data of a user (e.g., bio-parameters), air quality, proximity, position, connectivity, surface quality, etc. By way of example, the sensor system 1110 may include a thermal sensor, a position sensor, an optical or optical sensor, an accelerometer, a pressure transducer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a health monitoring sensor, and an air quality sensor, etc. Additionally, the one or more sensor systems 1110 may utilize any suitable sensing technology, including, but not limited to, interferometric, magnetic, capacitive, ultrasonic, resistive, optical, acoustic, piezoelectric, or thermal technology.

[0105] I / O mechanism 1112 can transmit or receive data from a user or another electronic device. I / O mechanism 1112 can include electronic display 1102, touch sensing input surface, crown (e.g., as described in reference Figure 1A9 for optically sensing translational and rotational movement of the input device), one or more buttons (e.g., a graphical user interface "home" button), one or more cameras (including an under-display camera), one or more microphones or speakers, one or more ports such as a microphone port, and / or a keyboard. Additionally or alternatively, the I / O mechanism 1112 may transmit electronic signals via a communication interface, such as a wireless, wired, and / or optical communication interface. Examples of wireless and wired communication interfaces include, but are not limited to, cellular and Wi-Fi communication interfaces.

[0106] The above description uses specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments for explanation. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, after reading this specification, the embodiments can be practiced without specific details. Therefore, for the purpose of illustration and description, the foregoing description of the specific embodiments described herein is presented. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that, after reading this specification, many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: Shared extension structure; A photodiode array, wherein the photodiode array is formed in the shared epitaxial structure, the photodiode array is disposed between a first axis and a second axis, the second axis is orthogonal to the first axis, and the photodiode array has no protective structure between adjacent photodiodes; and Readout circuitry is electrically connected to the photodiode array and is operable to read out values ​​of different photodiodes or different subsets of photodiodes in the photodiode array.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the readout circuit is operable to read out values ​​of different subsets of photodiodes extending parallel to the first axis.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The readout circuitry is operable to read out the values ​​of: different subsets of photodiodes extending parallel to said first axis; and A different subset of photodiodes extends parallel to the second axis.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The readout circuit comprises: a first set of conductive traces oriented parallel to the first axis and extending from within the photodiode array to outside the photodiode array; and A second set of conductive traces is oriented parallel to the second axis and electrically connects each photodiode in the photodiode array to a particular conductive trace in the first set of conductive traces.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising a set of dummy conductive traces, each dummy conductive trace oriented parallel to the second axis and each dummy conductive trace disposed inline with one or more conductive traces of the second set of conductive traces.

6. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein: The readout circuit is operable to read out values ​​of different subsets of photodiodes in the photodiode array; The first set of conductive traces includes different groups of conductive traces; and Each of the different groups of conductive traces is disposed between a corresponding different subset of the different subsets of photodiodes.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The readout circuit is operable to read out values ​​of different subsets of photodiodes in the photodiode array; and The readout circuitry includes a set of conductive traces, each conductive trace of the set of conductive traces being oriented parallel to the first axis and electrically connected to a respective linear arrangement of photodiodes defining a subset of the different subsets of photodiodes.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein: The readout circuit comprises: amplifier circuit; and A set of switches, each switch in the set of switches electrically couples a conductive trace in the set of conductive traces to the amplifier circuit or decouples the conductive trace from the amplifier circuit.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The readout circuit comprises: a set of conductive traces, each conductive trace in the set of conductive traces being electrically connected to a corresponding photodiode in the different photodiodes or to a corresponding subset of photodiodes in the different subsets of photodiodes; amplifier circuit; and a set of switches, each switch in the set of switches electrically coupling a corresponding one of the set of conductive traces to the amplifier circuit or decoupling the conductive trace from the amplifier circuit; and The electronic device also includes a control circuit configured to operate the set of switches to sequentially read out a value of each of the different photodiodes or each subset of the different subsets of photodiodes.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The readout circuit comprises: a set of conductive traces, each conductive trace in the set of conductive traces being electrically connected to a corresponding photodiode in the different photodiodes or to a corresponding subset of photodiodes in the different subsets of photodiodes; amplifier circuit; and a set of switches, each switch in the set of switches electrically coupling a corresponding one of the set of conductive traces to the amplifier circuit or decoupling the conductive trace from the amplifier circuit; and The electronic device also includes a control circuit configured to operate the set of switches to sequentially read out values ​​of overlapping combinations of photodiodes in the different photodiodes or overlapping combinations of subsets of photodiodes in the different subsets of photodiodes.

11. An electronic device, comprising: Shared extension structure; a photodiode array, the photodiode array being formed in the shared epitaxial structure, the photodiode array having no protective structure between adjacent photodiodes; a readout circuit electrically connected to the photodiode array and operable to read out values ​​of a set of channels defined by the photodiodes in the photodiode array; and control circuitry operable to configure the readout circuitry in one or more operating modes, each of the one or more operating modes defining at least one of: the number of channels in the set of channels; or The number of photodiodes per channel in the set of channels.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the control circuit is operable to configure the readout circuit in a first operating mode at least at a first time and in a second operating mode at a second time, the second operating mode being different from the first operating mode.

13. An electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the control circuit is capable of operating to configure the readout circuit in at least a first operating mode having a first photodiode density and a second operating mode having a second photodiode density, and the second photodiode density is different from the first photodiode density.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising: A filter element array is arranged above the photodiode array, the filter element array includes at least two different types of filter elements, and at least two different photodiodes in the photodiode array are arranged below the corresponding different types of filter elements in the filter element array.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the one or more operating modes of the readout circuitry include a first operating mode having a first spectral response and a second operating mode having a second spectral response that is different from the first spectral response.

16. An electronic device, comprising: shell; a crown having a shaft extending through the housing and having a set of features disposed about the shaft; a light source positioned within the housing and configured to emit light toward the axis; and an optical sensor positioned within the housing and configured to receive reflections of the emitted light from the set of features, the optical sensor comprising: Shared extension structure; and A photodiode array is formed in the shared epitaxial structure without a guard structure between adjacent photodiodes.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, further comprising: A readout circuit is electrically connected to the photodiode array and is operable to read out values ​​of a set of channels defined by the photodiodes in the photodiode array.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein: Each channel in the set of channels comprises a plurality of photodiodes; and Different channels in the set of channels have different axes parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft.

19. The electronic device according to claim 17, further comprising: control circuitry operable to configure the readout circuitry in one or more operating modes, the one or more operating modes defining: a first number of channels having different axes parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft; and A second number of channels have different axes perpendicular to the rotational axis of the shaft.

20. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein: In at least one operating mode, each channel of the set of channels is defined by a corresponding photodiode in the photodiode array.

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