Sensor and electronic device

Abstract

The invention discloses a sensor and electronic equipment. The sensor comprises a light emitting element, a light receiving element and a first functional layer, wherein the light emitting element is used for emitting infrared light, the infrared light penetrates through the first functional layer, a part of the infrared light is converted into visible light, and a part of the infrared light penetrates through the first functional layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of electronic product technology, specifically relating to a sensor and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] The camera function of electronic devices has brought great convenience to users, especially with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) glasses and other smart wearable devices, which also support taking photos or videos, providing users with a richer experience. For example, some electronic devices often have light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on their surface to alert people nearby when taking photos, preventing unauthorized photography. They can also combine sensors to detect whether the device is obstructed, automatically stopping the camera or issuing a warning via the LED. However, this solution uses sensors for distance detection and LEDs for alerts. Since the sensors and LEDs need to be set at a certain distance, if only the LED is obstructed, and the sensor is not obstructed, the sensor will not detect the obstruction, and the LED will not serve its warning function, leading to misjudgment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a sensor and electronic device that can solve the problem of misjudgment that is easily caused by the current detection and reminder method implemented by LED lights and sensors.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a sensor, including: a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and a first functional layer;

[0005] The light emitting element is used to emit infrared light, which passes through the first functional layer, and a portion of the infrared light is converted into visible light, while a portion of the infrared light penetrates the first functional layer.

[0006] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device including the sensor described above.

[0007] In this embodiment, by incorporating a first functional layer into the sensor, a portion of the infrared light emitted by the light-emitting element can be converted into visible light through this layer, serving as an indicator light. Another portion of the infrared light passes through the first functional layer and is emitted. When this reflected light strikes an object, it is received by the light-receiving element, thus enabling distance detection to determine if the sensor is obstructed. In other words, the sensor in this embodiment integrates both an indicator light function and a distance detection function, avoiding the misjudgment of obstruction that can easily occur when the indicator light and sensor are arranged separately. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1A This is one of the schematic diagrams of the sensor in the embodiment of this application;

[0009] Figure 1B This is a second schematic diagram of the sensor according to an embodiment of this application;

[0010] Figure 2A This is the third schematic diagram of the sensor in the embodiment of this application;

[0011] Figure 2B This is the fourth schematic diagram of the sensor in the embodiment of this application;

[0012] Figure 3A This is one of the schematic diagrams of the light-transmitting component according to an embodiment of this application;

[0013] Figure 3B This is a second schematic diagram of the light-transmitting component according to an embodiment of this application;

[0014] Figure 3C This is the third schematic diagram of the light-transmitting component according to an embodiment of this application;

[0015] Figure 4A This is the fourth schematic diagram of the light-transmitting component according to an embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 4B This is the fifth schematic diagram of the light-transmitting component according to an embodiment of this application;

[0017] Figure 5 This is the fifth schematic diagram of the sensor in the embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 6A This is one of the schematic diagrams of the optical path of the sensor in the embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 6B This is a second schematic diagram of the optical path of the sensor according to an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 7A This is one of the flowcharts of the shooting method in the embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 7B This is the second flowchart of the shooting method in the embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0024] like Figure 1A and Figure 2A As shown, this application provides a sensor, including: a light emitting element 11, a light receiving element 12, and a first functional layer 130;

[0025] The light emitting element 11 is used to emit infrared light, which passes through the first functional layer 130, and part of the infrared light is converted into visible light, and part of the infrared light penetrates the first functional layer 130.

[0026] In this embodiment, by setting a first functional layer 130 in the sensor, a portion of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 can be converted into visible light through the first functional layer 130, serving as an indicator light. Another portion of the infrared light passes through the first functional layer 130 and is emitted. When this portion of infrared light shines on an object and is reflected, the reflected light can be received by the light receiving element, thereby achieving distance detection to determine whether the sensor is blocked. In other words, the sensor in this embodiment integrates both an indicator light function and a distance detection function, avoiding the misjudgment of obstruction that can easily occur when the indicator light and sensor are arranged separately.

[0027] Optionally, the first functional layer 130 can convert longer wavelength light into shorter wavelength light, such as converting infrared light into visible light. Longer wavelength light includes infrared light with a center band of 940nm or 1300nm, while shorter wavelength light can be visible light such as red, green, or blue light, or other visible light types. This application embodiment is not limited to these types.

[0028] Optionally, the first functional layer 130 can be an upconversion luminescent material layer, which absorbs long-wavelength low-energy photons, accumulates energy at an intermediate energy level, and then releases short-wavelength high-energy light, i.e., an anti-Stokes luminescent material layer. For example, the upconversion luminescent material layer can be formed by doping rare-earth ions onto an inorganic matrix. Alternatively, the first functional layer 130 can also be other anti-Stokes luminescent material layers besides the upconversion luminescent material layer, etc., and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0029] Optionally, the sensor further includes: a light-transmitting component 13; the light-transmitting component 13 is located in the light emission direction of the light-emitting element 11; and the first functional layer 130 is disposed on the light-transmitting component 13.

[0030] In this embodiment, by setting the light-transmitting component 13 in the sensor, the sensor can have better light transmission or light emission effects.

[0031] For example, the light-transmitting component 13 can adopt a light-concentrating structure, a light-uniforming structure, or a light-diffusing structure, etc., and can be designed based on actual needs to achieve better light transmission or light emission effects.

[0032] Optionally, the light-transmitting component 13 may also be located in the light-receiving direction of the light-receiving element 12, that is, the light-transmitting component 13 may be located above the light-emitting element 11, or above both the light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 12.

[0033] Optionally, the first functional layer 130 may be disposed inside the light-transmitting component 13. For example, the light-transmitting component 13 may include a first light-transmitting layer and a second light-transmitting layer, and the first functional layer 130 may be disposed between the first light-transmitting layer and the second light-transmitting layer. Alternatively, the first functional layer 130 may be disposed on the surface of the light-transmitting component 13. For example, the first functional layer 130 may be disposed on a surface of the light-transmitting component 13 facing the light-emitting element 11. Taking the first functional layer 130 as an upconversion luminescent material layer as an example, the upconversion luminescent material may be coated on the surface of the light-transmitting component 13 facing the light-emitting element 11, or the first functional layer 130 may be disposed on a surface of the light-transmitting component 13 facing the light-emitting element 11 by means of bonding or other processes. The embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0034] Optionally, the light emitting element 11 can be used to emit infrared light. Since the first functional layer 130 is located in the light emission direction of the light emitting element 11, the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 illuminates the first functional layer 130. The first functional layer 130 can convert a portion of the infrared light into visible light and emit it through the light-transmitting component 13. In this way, the visible light can serve a similar warning function as a signal light.

[0035] Optionally, the light receiving element 12 can be used to receive infrared light and / or visible light. For example, in addition to being converted into visible light by the first functional layer 130, a portion of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 can also be received by the light receiving element 12. For instance, a portion of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 can be transmitted to the light receiving element 12 through refraction and / or reflection by the light transmitting component 13, and / or, a portion of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 can penetrate the first functional layer 130 and the light transmitting component 13 and be emitted. For example, this portion of infrared light can form reflected light when it shines on an object, and the reflected light can then be transmitted to the light receiving element 12 through refraction and / or reflection by the light transmitting component 13. Similarly, visible light converted by the first functional layer 130 can also be transmitted to the light receiving element 12 through refraction and / or reflection by the light transmitting component 13.

[0036] Optionally, the optical receiving element 12 can convert the received optical signal into an electrical signal, so that the energy of the electrical signal converted by the optical receiving element 12 can be used to determine whether the sensor is blocked, that is, to achieve distance detection.

[0037] For example, when the sensor is in a first state, the infrared light energy received by the light receiving element 12 is less than the infrared light energy received by the light receiving element 12 when the sensor is in a second state; wherein, the first state is the state in which the sensor is not blocked, and the second state is the state in which the sensor is blocked. For example, when the sensor is in the first state, a portion of the infrared light is reflected to form a first sub-beam which is received by the light receiving element 12; when the sensor is in the second state, at least a portion of the infrared light is reflected to form a second sub-beam which is received by the light receiving element 12; the energy of the first sub-beam is less than the energy of the second sub-beam. Specifically, when the energy of the electrical signal converted by the light receiving element 12 is lower than a first threshold, it is determined that the sensor is not blocked; when the energy of the electrical signal converted by the light receiving element 12 is higher than a second threshold, it is determined that the sensor is blocked. Alternatively, the light receiving element 12 can also use the time-of-flight method for distance detection. For example, the light-transmitting component 13 can be specially designed to reduce interference with distance detection caused by the direct transmission of infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 through refraction and / or reflection to the light receiving element 12, and the conversion of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 into visible light by the first functional layer 130 to the light receiving element 12. Alternatively, other distance detection methods can be used, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0038] It should be noted that when the first functional layer 130 uses an upconversion luminescent material layer, the conversion efficiency of the upconversion luminescent material depends on factors such as the matrix material, dopant ion concentration, surface defects, and excitation source. Therefore, an upconversion luminescent material with moderate conversion efficiency can be selected based on the condition that the intensity of the visible light excited by the first functional layer 130 is visible and that some energy of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 can still be received by the light receiving element 12 for distance detection. The specific selection can be based on the actual application scenario, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0039] In this embodiment, by setting a first functional layer 130 on the light-transmitting component 13 of the sensor, a portion of the infrared light emitted by the light-emitting element 11 can be converted into visible light through the first functional layer 130, serving a reminder function similar to an indicator light. Another portion of the infrared light can penetrate the first functional layer 130 and be emitted. When this emitted infrared light shines on an object and is reflected, this reflected infrared light can be received by the light-receiving element 12, thereby serving a distance detection function to determine whether the sensor is blocked. In other words, the sensor in this embodiment integrates both the reminder function (similar to an indicator light) and the distance detection function, avoiding the misjudgment of obstruction that can easily occur when the indicator light and sensor are arranged separately.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light emitting element 11 and the light receiving element 12 can constitute a "distance sensor", and the light emitting element 11 and the first functional layer 130 can constitute a "signal light" that generates visible light. That is, in this embodiment, the light emitting element 11 can serve as both a light emitting element in the distance sensor and a sign light that generates visible light. This highly integrates the traditional distance sensor and the sign light, which can save the number of light-emitting elements and reduce the space occupied in electronic devices.

[0041] Optionally, the sensor may have a light-emitting region 110 and a light-receiving region 120. The light-emitting element 11 may be disposed opposite to the light-emitting region 110, and the light-receiving element 12 may be disposed opposite to the light-receiving region 120. Figure 1A As shown, the first functional layer 130 can cover the light-emitting area 110. In this way, by setting the light-emitting area 110 on the sensor, the infrared light emitted by the light-emitting element 11 is emitted through the light-emitting area 110, which can ensure that the light emitted by the sensor is more concentrated, that is, the converted visible light is also more concentrated, thus optimizing the reminder effect.

[0042] Optionally, such as Figure 1B and Figure 2BAs shown, the first functional layer 130 may also cover the light-incident area 120. For example, the light-transmitting component 13 may cover the light-emitting area 110 and the light-incident area 120. This can be achieved by setting the first functional layer 130 on one surface of the light-transmitting component 13 facing the light-emitting area 110 and the light-incident area 120, or by setting the first functional layer 130 on all surfaces of the light-transmitting component 13 facing the light-emitting area 110 and the light-incident area 120. The embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first functional layer 130 can cover both the light-emitting region 110 and the light-receiving region 120, which makes the manufacturing process of the first functional layer 130 easier.

[0044] Optionally, such as Figure 3A and Figure 4A As shown, the light-transmitting component 13 includes: a light-uniforming structure 131; the first functional layer 130 is disposed on the surface of the light-uniforming structure 131, and the first functional layer 130 is disposed toward the light-emitting element 11.

[0045] In this embodiment, the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 is converted into visible light after passing through the first functional layer 130, and then uniformly emitted through the light-uniforming structure 131, thus achieving a more uniform light emission effect. Furthermore, the light-uniforming structure 131 also makes the emission effect of the infrared light penetrating the first functional layer 130 more uniform.

[0046] Optionally, such as Figure 3A As shown, the light-transmitting component 13 further includes: a first light-transmitting mirror 132, and a light-uniforming structure 131 disposed on the surface of the first light-transmitting mirror 132, the light-uniforming structure 131 being located between the first light-transmitting mirror 132 and the first functional layer 130. For example, the first light-transmitting mirror 132 may cover the light-emitting area 110 and the light-incident area 120 of the sensor; the light-uniforming structure 131 may be a functional layer disposed on the surface of the first light-transmitting mirror 132 facing the light-emitting area 110, and the light-uniforming structure 131 covers the light-emitting area 110.

[0047] In this embodiment, the light-uniforming structure 131 is located between the first light-transmitting mirror 132 and the first functional layer 130, which allows the visible light obtained by the first functional layer 130 to form uniform light through the light-uniforming structure 131. That is, the light-uniforming structure 131 can uniformly emit the visible light obtained by the first functional layer 130.

[0048] For example, the first light-transmitting lens 132 can be a planar light-transmitting lens, such as a planar glass sheet, a planar resin lens, or a planar light-transmitting lens of other materials, etc., and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto. The first light-transmitting lens 132 can protect the light-uniforming structure 131 and the first functional layer 130, preventing the light-uniforming structure 131 and the first functional layer 130 from being scratched or damaged.

[0049] For another example, the light-uniforming structure 131 can be formed by coating a light-uniforming ink on a surface of the first light-transmitting mirror 132 facing the light-emitting element 11, or it can be formed by other materials that can achieve the light-uniforming effect (such as silane coupling agent, titanium dioxide nanoparticle coating, or other materials, etc.), or it can be formed by other processes (such as forming a microstructure on the glass surface by chemical or physical methods, or by surface etching or adding a diffusing agent inside, or other forms, etc.). The embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0050] In this embodiment, by setting a uniform light structure 131 on the first light-transmitting mirror 132, it can be ensured that the visible light converted by the first functional layer 130 can be emitted uniformly, thereby improving the luminous effect of the light-emitting element 11 as an indicator light.

[0051] Optionally, such as Figure 3B and Figure 3C As shown, the light-uniforming structure 131 can also cover the light-incident region 120. For example, the first light-transmitting mirror 132 covers the light-emitting region 110 and the light-incident region 120. This can be achieved by setting the light-uniforming structure 131 on one surface of the first light-transmitting mirror 132 facing the light-emitting region 110 and the light-incident region 120, or by setting the light-uniforming structure 131 on the entire surface of the first light-transmitting mirror 132 facing the light-emitting region 110 and the light-incident region 120. The embodiments of this application are not limited to this.

[0052] In this embodiment, the uniform light structure 131 can simultaneously cover the light-emitting region 110 and the light-receiving region 120, which makes the processing of the uniform light structure 131 easier.

[0053] Optionally, such as Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, the light-uniforming structure 131 includes: a second light-transmitting mirror 133 and a diffusion film 134; the diffusion film 134 is disposed on the surface of the second light-transmitting mirror 133 and is located between the second light-transmitting mirror 133 and the first functional layer 130.

[0054] For example, the second light-transmitting lens 133 covers the light-emitting region 110 and the light-incident region 120; the diffusion film 134 covers the light-emitting region 110 and the light-incident region 120, and the diffusion film 134 is disposed on the surface of the second light-transmitting lens 133 facing the light-emitting region 110 and the light-incident region 120.

[0055] In this embodiment, the diffusion film 134 is located between the second light-transmitting mirror 133 and the first functional layer 130, and the visible light passes through the diffusion film 134 and the second light-transmitting mirror 133 to form uniform light.

[0056] Optionally, the second light-transmitting lens 133 can be a Fresnel lens. Through this Fresnel lens and the diffusion film 134, the visible light converted from the first functional layer 130 can be emitted uniformly, improving the luminous effect of the light-emitting element 11 as an indicator light. Of course, in this embodiment, the second light-transmitting lens 133 can also be other lenses besides Fresnel lenses, such as freeform lenses, to achieve uniform light distribution, etc. This embodiment is not limited to these methods.

[0057] In this embodiment, a uniform light structure 131 is formed by using a second light-transmitting mirror 133 and a diffusion film 134, which can ensure that the visible light converted by the first functional layer 130 can be emitted uniformly, thereby improving the luminous effect of the light-emitting element 11 as an indicator light.

[0058] Optionally, see further. Figure 1A and Figure 1B As shown, an optical isolation plate 14 is provided between the optical emitting element 11 and the optical receiving element 12.

[0059] For example, the light emitting element 11 can be an infrared lamp, that is, an infrared lamp that emits infrared light. The light receiving element 12 can be a photosensitive element, that is, a photosensitive element that can collect the energy of the infrared light emitted by the infrared lamp, and thus determine whether the sensor is blocked based on the energy of the infrared light emitted by the infrared lamp collected by the photosensitive element. Optionally, the photosensitive element can be a photoelectric conversion element, such as a photodiode or other photoelectric conversion element, to collect the infrared light emitted by the infrared lamp and convert it into an electrical signal, so as to determine whether the sensor is blocked based on the energy of the electrical signal.

[0060] In this embodiment, by setting an optical isolation plate 14 between the optical emitting element 11 and the optical receiving element 12, the infrared light emitted by the optical emitting element 11 is prevented from directly entering the optical receiving element 12, which would interfere with the distance detection results, thereby improving the accuracy of distance detection and reducing misjudgments about whether the sensor is blocked.

[0061] Optionally, see further. Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the sensor further includes: a first housing 111 and a second housing 121; the first housing 111 has a light-emitting area 110, the light-emitting element 11 is disposed inside the first housing 111, the first functional layer 130 is located outside the first housing 111, and both the light-emitting element 11 and the first functional layer 130 are disposed opposite to the light-emitting area 110; the second housing 121 has a light-receiving area 120, the light-receiving element 12 is disposed inside the second housing 121, and the light-receiving element 12 is disposed opposite to the light-receiving area 120.

[0062] For example, the light emitting element 11 is disposed in the first housing 111 and is positioned directly opposite the light emitting region 110; the light receiving element 12 is disposed in the second housing 121 and is positioned directly opposite the light receiving region 120.

[0063] For another example, the light emitting element 11 can be an infrared lamp, which emits infrared light. The light receiving element 12 can be a photoelectric conversion element, such as a photodiode or other photoelectric conversion element, which collects the infrared light emitted by the infrared lamp and converts it into an electrical signal, so as to determine whether the sensor is blocked based on the energy of the electrical signal.

[0064] For example, the first housing 111 and the second housing 121 can be two independent housings, or they can be a single integrated structure. It should be noted that regardless of whether the first housing 111 and the second housing 121 are independent or integrated, they have an optical isolation structure between the light emitting element 11 and the light receiving element 12. This prevents the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 from being directly received by the light receiving element 12, thus avoiding interference with the distance detection results, improving the accuracy of distance detection, and reducing misjudgments about whether the sensor is blocked.

[0065] Optionally, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first surface of the light-emitting region 110 is provided with a spherical recess 1101; wherein, the first surface is the surface of the light-emitting region 110 facing the light-emitting element 11.

[0066] In this embodiment, by providing a spherical recess 1101 on the first surface of the light-emitting area 110, the area of ​​the light-emitting surface can be increased, so that more infrared light and / or visible light can be emitted, and the light-emitting element 11 can be used as an indicator light. This also ensures that more infrared light can be received by the light-receiving element, thereby improving the detection reliability of the sensor.

[0067] Optionally, the sensor further includes a circuit board 15, or a substrate, on which the light emitting element 11 and the light receiving element 12 can be disposed to provide power to the light emitting element 11 and the light receiving element 12, provide control signals to the light emitting element, and receive electrical signals collected by the light receiving element 12. The embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0068] This application also provides an electronic device, including the sensor described above.

[0069] It should be noted that the electronic devices in the embodiments of this application can implement the various embodiments of the above-mentioned sensors and achieve the same effect. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0070] Optionally, the electronic device further includes: a camera module and a processor, wherein both the sensor and the camera module are connected to the processor, and the processor is used for:

[0071] In response to the first input, the light emitting element is controlled to emit infrared light;

[0072] If it is determined that the sensor is blocked, the camera module is controlled to turn off.

[0073] For example, if the processor determines that the sensor is blocked based on the energy of the infrared light received by the light receiving element, it controls the camera module to turn off.

[0074] Optionally, the first input can be a shooting command, such as a photo shooting command or a video recording command. For example, the first input can be the user's input to the photo or video recording button in the shooting preview interface, or it can be a shortcut input related to photo shooting or video recording for operation of the display screen, or it can be a shortcut input related to photo shooting or video recording for operation of physical buttons, or it can be a shortcut input related to photo shooting or video recording for operation of external devices (such as selfie sticks, Bluetooth-assisted shooting devices, etc.), etc. The embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0075] For example, when a user triggers a photo or video recording operation, the light emitting element 11 in the sensor can be activated, thereby emitting infrared light. Based on the above embodiment, a portion of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 can be converted into visible light through the first functional layer 130 to serve as an indicator light.

[0076] Based on the above embodiments, a portion of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 can also be received by the light receiving element 12. Thus, based on the energy of the infrared light received by the light receiving element 12, distance detection can be performed to determine whether the sensor is blocked.

[0077] In this embodiment, by responding to the first input, the light emitting element 11 is controlled to emit infrared light for distance detection. If the distance detection determines that the sensor is blocked, the camera module is controlled to turn off and no shooting process is performed, thereby improving the safety of shooting.

[0078] Optionally, the processor is further configured to:

[0079] If it is determined that the sensor is blocked, the camera module is controlled to turn off and the light emitting element is controlled to stop emitting infrared light.

[0080] For example, if the processor determines that the sensor is blocked based on the energy of the infrared light received by the light receiving element, it controls the camera module to turn off and controls the light emitting element to stop emitting infrared light.

[0081] In this embodiment, by responding to the first input, the light emitting element 11 is controlled to emit infrared light for distance detection. If the distance detection determines that the sensor is blocked, the camera module is controlled to shut down and no shooting is performed, thereby improving the safety of shooting. Furthermore, if the sensor is determined to be blocked, the light emitting element 11 is also controlled to stop emitting infrared light to save energy. Optionally, after controlling the light emitting element 11 to stop emitting infrared light for a period of time, the light emitting element 11 can be controlled to continue emitting infrared light to continue distance detection and alerting.

[0082] Optionally, the processor is further configured to:

[0083] If the sensor is confirmed to be unobstructed, the camera module is controlled to perform the shooting process, and the light emitting element is controlled to continuously emit infrared light during the shooting process.

[0084] For example, when the processor determines that the sensor is not blocked based on the energy of the infrared light received by the light receiving element, it controls the camera module to perform the shooting process and controls the light emitting element to continuously emit infrared light during the shooting process.

[0085] Based on the above embodiments, a portion of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 can be converted into visible light through the first functional layer 130 to serve as an indicator light, while another portion can be received by the light receiving element 12. Thus, based on the energy of the infrared light received by the light receiving element 12, distance detection can be performed to determine whether the sensor is blocked. If the sensor is determined not to be blocked, the imaging process is executed, and the light emitting element 11 is controlled to continuously emit infrared light during the imaging process.

[0086] In this embodiment, by responding to the first input, the light emitting element 11 is controlled to emit infrared light for distance detection. Only when the distance detection determines that the sensor is not blocked is the shooting process performed to improve the safety of shooting. Furthermore, when it is determined that the sensor is not blocked, the light emitting element 11 is also controlled to continuously emit infrared light during the shooting process to act as an indicator light to provide safety reminders during the shooting process.

[0087] Optionally, the processor is further configured to:

[0088] If the energy of the infrared light received by the light receiving element is less than a first threshold, it is determined that the sensor is not blocked.

[0089] If the energy of the infrared light received by the light receiving element is greater than a second threshold, it is determined that the sensor is blocked.

[0090] For example, when there are no obstructions outside the sensor, the optical path is as follows: Figure 6A As shown. x% of the infrared light emitted by the light-emitting element 11 is converted into visible light through the first functional layer 130, and then uniformly emitted through the light-uniforming structure of the light-transmitting component 13 (such as the second functional layer, or the second light-transmitting mirror and diffusion film). Figure 6A (As shown by the dashed arrow). The infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 still contains (1-x%) of its energy as infrared light. A portion of this energy (1-x%)*y1% reaches the light receiving element 12 after multiple reflections, forming the infrared noise floor (e.g., ...). Figure 6A (As shown by the solid arrow in the middle), while another part of the energy (1-x%)*(1-y1%) is refracted or absorbed at the light-transmitting component 13. That is, if the infrared light energy (1-x%)*y1% reaching the light receiving element 12 is less than the first threshold, and the sensor determines that the user has not blocked the indicator light, the electronic device can respond to the user's photo or video recording operation. At the same time, the light emitting element lights up as an indicator light to remind the surrounding environment that the user is currently taking a photo or recording a video.

[0091] For another example, when the sensor is blocked by an object M, the optical path is as follows: Figure 6B As shown. x% of the infrared light emitted by the light-emitting element 11 is converted into visible light through the first functional layer 130, and then uniformly emitted through the light-uniforming structure of the light-transmitting component 13 (such as the second functional layer, or the second light-transmitting mirror and diffusion film). Figure 6B (As shown by the dashed arrow). The infrared light emitted by the light emitting element 11 still contains (1-x%) of its energy as infrared light. A portion of this energy (1-x%)*y2% reaches the light receiving element 12 after multiple reflections (e.g., ...). Figure 6B (As shown by the solid arrow in the middle), while another part of the energy (1-x%)*(1-y2%) is refracted or absorbed at the light-transmitting component 13 or the obstruction. Since there is an obstruction outside the sensor, y2>y1. It can be seen that the energy (1-x%)*y2% received by the light receiving element 12 at this time is greater than the energy (1-x%)*y1% when there is no obstruction. That is to say, when the infrared light energy (1-x%)*y2% of the light receiving element 12 is greater than the second threshold, the sensor can determine that the user's behavior of not obstructing the indicator light can be reported as an object approaching. Then, the user's photo or video recording operation will not be responded to, and the light emitting element will be turned off, that is, the indicator light will no longer light up.

[0092] like Figure 7A As shown, taking photography as an example, a flowchart of a shooting method is given, which specifically includes:

[0093] Step 701: The user briefly presses the shutter button to trigger the photo taking function;

[0094] Step 702: The light-emitting element emits infrared light;

[0095] Step 703: Part of the infrared light is converted into visible light;

[0096] Step 704: Determine whether the sensor is obstructed by using the light receiving element; if obstruction is determined, proceed to steps 705 and 706; if obstruction is determined, proceed to steps 707 and 708.

[0097] Step 705: No response to photo taking operation;

[0098] Step 706: Turn off the light emitting element, i.e., no visible light is emitted;

[0099] Step 707: Respond to the photo-taking operation;

[0100] Step 708: The light emitting element continues to emit infrared light, which means that visible light is emitted.

[0101] like Figure 7B The above, taking video recording as an example, provides a flowchart of a shooting method, which specifically includes:

[0102] Step 711: The user presses and holds the shutter button to trigger the video recording function;

[0103] Step 712: The light-emitting element emits infrared light;

[0104] Step 713: Some infrared light is converted into visible light;

[0105] Step 714: Determine whether the sensor is obstructed by using the light receiving element; if obstruction is determined, proceed to steps 715 and 716; if obstruction is determined, proceed to steps 717 and 718.

[0106] Step 715: No response to recording operation;

[0107] Step 716: Turn off the light emitting element, that is, no visible light is emitted;

[0108] Step 717: Respond to the recording operation;

[0109] Step 718: The light emitting element continues to emit infrared light, which is to say, visible light is emitted, and then returns to step 714.

[0110] In this embodiment of the application, the difference between the video recording process and the photo taking process is that the video recording process can continuously determine whether there is any occlusion behavior of the sensor, thereby ensuring that the video recording will be forcibly stopped when the user occludes the sensor before recording or when occlusion occurs during the recording process, thus improving the security of the video recording process.

[0111] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0112] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a computer software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a terminal (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0113] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A sensor, characterized by, Comprising: a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and a first functional layer; wherein the light emitting element is configured to emit infrared light, the infrared light passes through the first functional layer, and part of the infrared light is converted into visible light, and part of the infrared light penetrates the first functional layer.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: a light transmission assembly; the light transmission assembly is located in the light emitting direction of the light emitting element; the first functional layer is arranged on the light transmission assembly.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein, The light transmission assembly comprises a light uniformization structure; the first functional layer is arranged on the surface of the light uniformization structure, and the first functional layer is arranged towards the light emitting element.

4. The sensor of claim 3, wherein, The light transmission assembly further comprises a first light transmission lens; the light uniformization structure is arranged on the surface of the first light transmission lens, and the light uniformization structure is located between the first light transmission lens and the first functional layer.

5. The sensor of claim 3, wherein, The light uniformization structure comprises a second light transmission lens and a diffusion film; the diffusion film is arranged on the surface of the second light transmission lens, and the diffusion film is located between the second light transmission lens and the first functional layer.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: a first housing and a second housing; the first housing is provided with a light emitting area, the light emitting element is arranged in the first housing, the first functional layer is located outside the first housing, and the light emitting element and the first functional layer are arranged opposite to the light emitting area; the second housing is provided with a light receiving area, the light receiving element is arranged in the second housing, and the light receiving element is arranged opposite to the light receiving area.

7. The sensor of claim 6, wherein, A first surface of the light emitting area is provided with a spherical recess; wherein the first surface is the surface of the light emitting area facing the light emitting element.

8. An electronic device, comprising: The sensor comprises any one of claims 1-7.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein, Further comprising: a camera module and a processor, the sensor and the camera module are connected with the processor, and the processor is configured to: in response to a first input, control the light emitting element to emit infrared light; in the case that the sensor is blocked, control the camera module to be closed.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein, The processor is further configured to: in the case that the sensor is blocked, control the camera module to be closed and control the light emitting element to stop emitting infrared light.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein, The processor is further configured to: in the case that the sensor is not blocked, control the camera module to perform shooting processing, and control the light emitting element to continuously emit infrared light during shooting.

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