Aperture and optical module

Abstract

The utility model relates to an aperture and an optical module. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an aperture for a transmitting portion of an optical module is provided. In some embodiments, the aperture includes a generally rectangular body having four sides and defining an aperture therethrough. Each side has at least a top surface and an inner surface. At least three of the four sides have inner sloped surfaces between their respective top and inner surfaces.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to optical modules, and more particularly to apertures for optical modules. Background Technology

[0002] A time-of-flight (ToF) sensor is an optical module in a distance imaging camera that measures the distance between the camera and the subject based on the round-trip time of an artificial light signal, such as that provided by a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). ToF sensors are commonly used in mobile devices, such as smartphones, to provide features such as camera autofocus and face recognition.

[0003] The applicant has identified numerous technical challenges and difficulties associated with optical modules such as ToF sensors. For example, such ToF sensors typically suffer from external crosstalk issues between the transmitting (Tx) and receiving (Rx) sides. Crosstalk occurs when light from the Tx side is reflected to the Rx side from a surface outside the subject (e.g., a cover glass or internal structure). Crosstalk can lead to errors in distance determination.

[0004] Through effort, originality and innovation, the applicant has solved the problems associated with such optical modules by developing the solution implemented in this disclosure, which is described in detail below. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The various embodiments described herein relate to apertures for reducing crosstalk in optical modules, optical modules having apertures for reducing crosstalk, and methods for reducing crosstalk in optical modules.

[0006] The various embodiments described herein relate to an aperture for the transmitting portion of an optical module and the associated optical module.

[0007] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an aperture is provided for a transmitting portion of an optical module. In some embodiments, the aperture includes a generally rectangular body having four sides and defining an aperture therethrough. Each side has at least a top surface and an inner surface. At least three of the four sides have an internally sloping surface between their respective top and inner surfaces.

[0008] In some embodiments, all four sides have an internally inclined surface between their respective top and inner surfaces.

[0009] In some embodiments, one side has an external inclined surface that slopes outward from the center of the body and downward from its respective top surface.

[0010] In some embodiments, the side having the external inclined surface is not one of the at least three sides having the internal inclined surface among the four sides.

[0011] In some embodiments, the top surface and the inner surface of the side having the outer inclined surface are substantially perpendicular to each other.

[0012] In some embodiments, the outer inclined surfaces are inclined at an angle between 22 and 32 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces.

[0013] In some embodiments, the inner inclined surfaces of at least three of the four sides are inclined at an angle between 32 and 62 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces.

[0014] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an optical module is provided. In some embodiments, the optical module includes a transmitting portion and a receiving portion, the transmitting portion including at least one light source and an aperture, and the receiving portion including at least one photosensor. The aperture includes a generally rectangular body having four sides and defining an aperture therethrough. Each side of the aperture has at least a top surface and an inner surface. At least three of the four sides of the aperture have an internally sloping surface between their respective top and inner surfaces. The aperture is positioned such that light emitted from the at least one light source passes through the aperture defined in the aperture.

[0015] According to various embodiments of this disclosure, a method for reducing crosstalk between a transmitting and receiving portion of an optical module is provided. In some embodiments, the method includes: providing an optical module including a transmitting portion and a receiving portion, the transmitting portion including at least one light source and the receiving portion including at least one photosensor; and positioning an aperture such that light emitted from the at least one light source passes through an aperture defined in the aperture. The aperture includes a generally rectangular body having four sides, each side having at least a top surface and an inner surface. At least three of the four sides have an internally sloping surface between their respective top and inner surfaces.

[0016] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an aperture is provided for a transmitting portion of an optical module, the aperture comprising: a generally rectangular body having four sides and defining an aperture through the body, each side having at least a top surface and an inner surface, wherein at least three of the four sides have an internally inclined surface between their respective top surface and inner surface.

[0017] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, all four sides have an internally inclined surface between their respective top and inner surfaces.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, one side has an externally inclined surface that slopes outward from the center of the body and downward from its respective top surface.

[0019] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the side having the external inclined surface is not one of the at least three sides having the internal inclined surface among the four sides.

[0020] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the top surface and the inner surface of the side having the externally inclined surface are substantially perpendicular to each other.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer inclined surfaces are inclined at an angle between 22 degrees and 32 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces.

[0022] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the inner inclined surfaces of at least three of the four sides are inclined at an angle between 32 degrees and 62 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces.

[0023] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an optical module is provided, comprising: a transmitting portion including at least one light source and an aperture; and a receiving portion including at least one light sensor; wherein the aperture includes a generally rectangular body having four sides and defining an aperture through the body, each side having at least a top surface and an inner surface, wherein at least three of the four sides have an internally inclined surface between their respective top surface and inner surface; and wherein the aperture is positioned such that light emitted from the at least one light source passes through the aperture defined in the aperture.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, all four sides of the aperture have an internally sloping surface between their respective top and inner surfaces.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, one side of the aperture has an outer inclined surface that slopes outward from the center of the body and downward from its respective top surface.

[0026] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the side of the aperture having an outer inclined surface is not one of the at least three sides having an inner inclined surface among the four sides.

[0027] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the top surface and the inner surface of the side having the externally inclined surface are substantially perpendicular to each other.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer inclined surfaces of the apertures are inclined at an angle between 22 degrees and 32 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces.

[0029] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the inner inclined surfaces of at least three of the four sides of the aperture are inclined at an angle between 32 degrees and 62 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces.

[0030] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for reducing crosstalk between a transmitting portion and a receiving portion of an optical module is provided, the method comprising: providing an optical module including a transmitting portion and a receiving portion, the transmitting portion including at least one light source and the receiving portion including at least one photosensor; and positioning an aperture such that light emitted from the at least one light source passes through an aperture defined in the aperture; wherein the aperture includes a generally rectangular body having four sides, each side having at least a top surface and an inner surface; and wherein at least three of the four sides have an internally inclined surface between their respective top surface and inner surface.

[0031] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the aperture is integral with the housing of the optical module.

[0032] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the aperture is different from the housing of the optical module.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, all four sides of the aperture have an internally sloping surface between their respective top and inner surfaces.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, one side of the aperture has an outer inclined surface that slopes outward from the center of the body and downward from its respective top surface.

[0035] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the side of the aperture having an outer inclined surface is not one of the at least three sides having an inner inclined surface among the four sides.

[0036] The above description of the invention is provided merely for the purpose of outlining some exemplary embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of this disclosure. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the above embodiments are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of this disclosure in any way. It will also be appreciated that the scope of this disclosure covers many potential embodiments in addition to those outlined herein, some of which will be further described below. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The description of the illustrative embodiments can be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated that, for simplicity and clarity of description, the elements shown in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale unless otherwise described. For example, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated relative to others unless otherwise described. Embodiments incorporating the teachings of this disclosure are shown and described in conjunction with the figures presented herein, in which:

[0038] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an example optical module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of an example optical module according to some alternative embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 3 and Figure 4 It is based on some embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 1 A perspective view of the removed aperture in the example optical module;

[0041] Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is based on some alternative embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 A perspective view of the removed aperture in the example optical module;

[0042] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 and Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the aperture; and

[0043] Figure 8 According to some embodiments of this disclosure Figure 2 A partial cross-sectional view of an example optical module. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Some embodiments of this disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some, but not all, of these embodiments. In fact, these disclosures may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. The same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout.

[0045] As used herein, terms such as “front,” “rear,” and “top” are used for explanatory purposes in the examples provided below to describe the relative positions of certain components or portions of components. Furthermore, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the terms “substantially” and “approximately” indicate that the referenced element or associated description is accurate to applicable engineering tolerances, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0046] As used herein, the term “comprising” means including but not limited to and should be interpreted in the manner commonly used in the patent context. The use of broader terms such as including, comprising, and having should be understood to provide support for narrower terms such as consisting of, substantially consisting of, and substantially consisting of.

[0047] The phrases “in one embodiment”, “according to one embodiment”, etc., generally mean that the specific feature, structure or characteristic following the phrase can be included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure, and can be included in more than one embodiment of this disclosure (importantly, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment).

[0048] The terms “example” or “exemplary” are used herein to mean “served as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations.

[0049] If the specification states that a component or feature "may," "can," "may," "should," "will," "preferably," "possibly," "usually," "optionally," "for example," "often," or "maybe" (or other such language) be included or have that feature, then it is not required that the particular component or feature be included or have that feature. Such a component or feature may be optionally included in some embodiments or may be excluded.

[0050] Various embodiments of this disclosure overcome the aforementioned technical challenges and difficulties by providing, for example, but not limited to, an aperture that reduces crosstalk between the Tx and Rx sides of the optical module, and provide a variety of technical improvements and advantages.

[0051] Various embodiments of this disclosure provide an aperture having a generally rectangular body with four sides defining an aperture extending through the body, wherein at least three of the four sides have an internally sloping surface between their respective top and inner surfaces. In various embodiments, all four sides have an internally sloping surface between their respective top and inner surfaces. In various embodiments, one side has an externally sloping surface that slopes outward from the center of the body and downward from its respective top surface. In various embodiments, the side with the externally sloping surface does not have an internally sloping surface.

[0052] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an example optical module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Such an optical module can be installed in, for example, a mobile device (such as a mobile phone). Figure 1 As can be seen, the example optical module 100 includes a housing 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 102 is typically cuboid, but any suitable shape can be used. In various embodiments, the housing 102 includes a top surface 104, four sidewalls 106, and a top surface 104. Figure 1 Only two of them are visible in the image) and the bottom surface / substrate (not shown), which is opposite to the top surface.

[0053] In various embodiments, multiple components (electrical, electronic, and mechanical components) are contained within an internal cavity defined by a top surface 104, sidewalls 106, and a bottom surface / substrate. In various embodiments, these components include a Tx component for emitting light and an Rx component for receiving reflected light. In various embodiments, the Tx component includes one or more light sources, such as one or more VCSELs (not shown), and one or more lenses 114 for focusing light emitted by the one or more light sources. In various embodiments, the Rx component includes one or more filters 118, one or more lenses (not shown), and one or more photosensors (not shown). Figure 1 As can be seen, housing 102 defines a Tx cavity 108 and an Rx aperture 110. Light from one or more light sources leaves housing 102 through the Tx cavity, and reflected light enters housing 102 through the Rx aperture to reach one or more light sensors.

[0054] In various embodiments, a lighttrap cavity is defined in the top surface of the housing between the Tx opening and the Rx opening to capture some crosstalk. In the illustrated embodiment, an opening 112 is defined in the top surface 104 leading to the lighttrap cavity.

[0055] In the illustrated embodiment, the aperture 130 is positioned within the Tx cavity 108 and provides an opening through which light from one or more light sources passes before exiting the housing 102. In various embodiments, the shape and / or angle of the various surfaces of the aperture helps to reduce crosstalk by reducing reflections toward the Rx opening. This will be discussed in conjunction with... Figure 3 and Figure 4 Detailed description of aperture 130.

[0056] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of an example optical module according to some alternative embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As can be seen, the example optical module 200 includes a housing 202. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 202 is typically cuboid, but any suitable shape can be used. In various embodiments, the housing 202 includes a top surface 204, four sidewalls 206, and a top surface 204. Figure 2 Only two of them are visible in the middle) and the bottom surface / substrate (not shown) opposite to the front wall.

[0057] In various embodiments, multiple components (electrical, electronic, and mechanical components) are contained within an internal cavity defined by a top surface 204, sidewalls 206, and a bottom surface / substrate. In various embodiments, these components include a Tx component for emitting light and an Rx component for receiving reflected light. In various embodiments, the Tx component includes one or more light sources, such as one or more VCSELs (not shown), and one or more lenses 214 for focusing light emitted by the one or more light sources. In various embodiments, the Rx component includes one or more filters 218, one or more lenses (not shown), and one or more photosensors (not shown). Figure 2 As can be seen, housing 202 defines Tx cavity 208 and Rx aperture 210. Light from one or more light sources leaves housing 202 through Tx cavity, and reflected light enters housing 202 through Rx aperture to reach one or more light sensors.

[0058] In various embodiments, an optical trap cavity is defined within the housing between the Tx opening and the Rx opening to capture some crosstalk. In the illustrated embodiment, an opening 212 is defined in the top surface 204 leading to the optical trap cavity.

[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, the aperture 230 is positioned within the Tx cavity 208 and provides an opening through which light from one or more light sources passes before exiting the housing 202. In various embodiments, the shape and / or angle of the various surfaces of the aperture helps to reduce crosstalk by reducing reflections toward the Rx opening. This will be discussed below in conjunction with... Figures 5-7 Describe aperture 230 in detail.

[0060] In various embodiments of the invention described herein, the aperture of the optical module is constructed separately from the housing and is inserted into and secured into the housing during the assembly of the optical module. In various alternative embodiments of the invention, the aperture of the optical module is constructed as part of the housing.

[0061] Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is a view from the opposite end according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 A perspective view of the aperture removed from an example optical module. (Example image) Figure 3 and Figure 4 As can be seen, the aperture 130 has a generally rectangular body 132 that defines a generally rectangular opening 134 through which light from one or more light sources passes before exiting the housing 102. The body 132 has a top surface 136, an inner surface 138, an outer surface 140, and a bottom surface (not shown). In some embodiments, the body 132 has extended legs 144 projecting downward from each of two opposite sides of the body 132.

[0062] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As can be seen, each of the four sides of the body 132 has a sloping surface 142 between its respective top surface 136 and inner surface 138. In various embodiments, these internal sloping surfaces 142 help reduce crosstalk by reducing reflections toward the Rx opening. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, all four sides of the body 132 have an internally inclined surface 142. In various alternative embodiments, fewer than all sides of the body may have such an internally inclined surface. In some such alternative embodiments, the top surface and inner surface on the non-inclined side may be substantially perpendicular to each other.

[0063] In various embodiments, the inclined surface 142 can be inclined at any suitable angle. For example, in some embodiments, one or more internal inclined surfaces are inclined at an angle between 32 and 62 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces. In various embodiments, all internal inclined surfaces can have the same angle, or there can be two or more different inclined surfaces at different angles.

[0064] Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a view from the opposite end according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 A perspective view of the aperture removed from an example optical module. Figure 7 It is along Figure 6 Line 7-7 Figure 5 and Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the aperture. (See image below.) Figure 5 and Figure 6 As can be seen, the aperture 230 has a generally rectangular body 232 that defines a generally rectangular opening 234 through which light from one or more light sources passes before exiting the housing 202. The body 232 has a top surface 236, an inner surface 238, an outer surface 240, and a bottom surface (not shown). In some embodiments, the body 232 has extended legs 244 projecting downward from each of two opposite sides of the body 232.

[0065] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As can be seen, three of the four sides of the main body 232 have inclined surfaces 242 between their respective top surfaces 236 and inner surfaces 238. In various embodiments, these internal inclined surfaces 242 help reduce crosstalk by reducing reflections toward the Rx opening. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, three of the four sides of the body 232 have an internally inclined surface 242. In various alternative embodiments, all or fewer of the sides of the body may have such an internally inclined surface. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As can be seen, the top surface and inner surface on the non-inclined side are approximately perpendicular to each other.

[0066] In various embodiments, the inner inclined surface 242 can be inclined at any suitable angle. This angle is... Figure 7 Angle A is shown in the diagram. For example, in some embodiments, one or more internal inclined surfaces are inclined at an angle between 32 and 62 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces. In one particular example embodiment, one or more internal inclined surfaces are inclined at an angle of approximately 47 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces. In many embodiments, all internal inclined surfaces may have the same angle, or there may be two or more different angles for the inclined surfaces.

[0067] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As can be seen, one side of the body 232 has an outer inclined surface 246, which slopes outward from the center of the body 232 and downward from its respective top surface 236. In various embodiments, this outer inclined surface 246 helps reduce crosstalk by reducing reflections toward the Rx opening. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, only one of the four sides of the body 232 has an external inclined surface 246. In the illustrated embodiment, the side with the external inclined surface 246 is the same side as the side without the internal inclined surface, but they can be different sides. In various alternative embodiments, one or more sides of the body may have such an external inclined surface.

[0068] In various embodiments, the dimensions of the outer inclined surface 246 may differ. The dimensions of the outer inclined surface 246 may be considered in relation to how much of the respective top surface is retained between the top edge of the outer inclined surface 246 and the opening 234. In some embodiments, it may be desirable that at least a portion of the respective top surface is retained between the top edge of the outer inclined surface 246 and the opening 234. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to minimize the amount of each top surface retained between the top edge of the outer inclined surface 246 and the opening 234.

[0069] In various embodiments, the outer inclined surface 246 can be inclined at any suitable angle. This angle is... Figure 7 This is shown as angle B. For example, in some embodiments, the outer inclined surfaces 246 are inclined at an angle between 22 and 32 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces. In a specific example embodiment, the outer inclined surfaces 246 are inclined at an angle of approximately 27 degrees downward from their respective top surfaces.

[0070] In various embodiments, the angles of one or more internal inclined surfaces and / or external inclined surfaces may vary depending on a number of factors, including but not limited to any one or more of the following: the optical properties of the customer-grade cover glass, the separation between the Rx and Tx portions of the optical module, the Z position of the aperture, the optical functions (e.g., divergence) of the VCSEL and Tx, the geometry of the housing cover (e.g., the optical trap, the Rx cavity, the Tx cavity), the surface finish and roughness of the housing cover and the aperture, the air gap from the top surface of the optical module to the cover glass, and the location, geometry, optical properties, etc., of any surrounding components (e.g., external electromagnetic interference shielding).

[0071] As described above, in various embodiments of the present invention, the aperture of the optical module is constructed separately from the housing and is inserted into and fixed into the housing during the assembly of the optical module. Figure 8 According to some embodiments of this disclosure Figure 2 The example optical module is shown in a partial cross-sectional view, illustrating an example of how such an aperture can be mounted within the housing of the optical module. Figure 8 It is along line 8-8 Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the optical module 200. (See image.) Figure 8 As can be seen, lens 214 is located on the first shoulder 220. Figure 8 The illustration shows lens 214 supported by first shoulders 220 on two opposite sides, but lens 214 can be supported on all four sides. Figure 8 As can be seen, aperture 230 is located on the second shoulder 222. Figure 8 The illustration shows aperture 230 supported by second shoulders 222 on two opposite sides, but aperture 230 can also be supported on all four sides.

[0072] In some embodiments, placing / secured one or more lenses and / or one or more filters into the housing may result in slight variations in the position of the lenses and / or one or more filters. Thus, in some embodiments, the position of the aperture may be aligned relative to one or more lenses during placement / secured placement. In some embodiments, the aperture is secured in place and fixed to a second shoulder (or any other suitable surface) using any suitable adhesive. In some embodiments, the downwardly extending legs of the aperture are positioned to help prevent the lens substrate and one or more lenses from falling out, but if the lenses are properly secured, there may be no contact between the legs of the aperture and the lenses.

[0073] like Figure 8As can be clearly seen, both the inner and outer inclined surfaces are positioned on the aperture such that the inclined surfaces face the top surface 204 of the housing 202 to provide the desired function, regardless of whether the aperture is part of the housing or constructed separately and inserted and fixed into the housing during the assembly of the optical module, and regardless of the attachment method or alignment of the aperture.

[0074] In various embodiments, the crosstalk reduction provided by the embodiments of this disclosure can provide: a reduction in integrated power caused by external crosstalk, a reduction in channel integrated power caused by external crosstalk, and a reduction in average irradiance caused by external crosstalk. In some variants, although the overall crosstalk signal is reduced, the peak irradiance caused by external crosstalk may increase slightly.

[0075] in conclusion

[0076] Many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure described herein will occur to those skilled in the art upon benefiting from the teachings presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings. While the figures illustrate only certain components of the apparatus and systems described herein, it should be understood that a variety of other components may be used in conjunction with the system. Therefore, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the steps in the described methods do not necessarily occur in the order shown in the figures, and in some cases, one or more of the shown steps may occur substantially simultaneously, or additional steps may be involved. Although specific terminology is used herein, it is used only in a general and descriptive sense and is not intended to be limiting.

[0077] While various embodiments based on the principles disclosed herein have been shown and described above, modifications can be made to them by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and teachings of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein are merely representative and not intended to be limiting. Many variations, combinations, and modifications are possible and fall within the scope of this disclosure. The disclosed embodiments primarily relate to fragmented wideband tympanometry techniques for true wireless stereo; however, those skilled in the art will recognize that these principles can be applied to any audio device. Alternative embodiments resulting from combining, integrating, and / or omitting features of one or more of the embodiments are also within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection is not limited by the above description.

[0078] Furthermore, the section headings used herein are provided to achieve consistency with the recommendations pursuant to 37C.FR1.77 or otherwise to provide organizational clues. These headings should not limit or characterize the disclosure (one or more) listed in any of the claims that may be made from this disclosure.

[0079] While this detailed description has illustrated some embodiments of the present disclosure, the appended claims cover other embodiments of the present disclosure that differ from the described embodiments with various modifications and improvements. For example, the appended claims may cover any form of optical module with Tx and Rx sides in which reduced crosstalk is desired, such as time-of-flight sensors, lidar (LiDAR) sensors, or any laser ranging application with a transmit (Tx) side and a receive (Rx) side.

[0080] Within the appended claims, unless the specific terms “means for…” or “steps for…” are used in a given claim, the claims are not intended to be interpreted in accordance with paragraph 6 of 35 U.SC 112.

Claims

1. An iris for a transmitting section of an optical module, characterized by, The aperture comprises: a generally rectangular body having four sides and defining a hole therethrough, each side having at least a top surface and an inner surface, wherein at least three of the four sides have an internal beveled surface between their respective top and inner surfaces.

2. The aperture of claim 1, wherein, wherein all four sides have an internal beveled surface between their respective top and inner surfaces.

3. The aperture of claim 1, wherein, wherein one side has an external beveled surface that bevels outward from the center of the body and downward from its respective top surface.

4. The aperture of claim 3, wherein, wherein the one side having an external beveled surface is not one of the at least three of the four sides having an internal beveled surface.

5. The aperture of claim 3, wherein, wherein the top and inner surfaces of the one side having an external beveled surface are substantially at right angles to each other.

6. The aperture of claim 3, wherein, wherein the external beveled surface bevels at an angle of between 22 and 32 degrees downward from the respective top surface.

7. The aperture of claim 1, wherein, wherein the internal beveled surfaces of the at least three of the four sides bevel at an angle of between 32 and 62 degrees downward from the respective top surface.

8. An optical module characterized by comprising: comprises: a transmitting portion comprising at least one light source and an aperture; and a receiving portion comprising at least one light sensor; wherein the aperture comprises a generally rectangular body having four sides and defining a hole therethrough, each side having at least a top surface and an inner surface, wherein at least three of the four sides have an internal beveled surface between their respective top and inner surfaces; and wherein the aperture is positioned such that light emitted from the at least one light source passes through the hole defined in the aperture.

9. The optical module according to claim 8, wherein wherein all four sides of the aperture have an internal beveled surface between their respective top and inner surfaces.

10. The optical module according to claim 8, wherein wherein one side of the aperture has an external beveled surface that bevels outward from the center of the body and downward from its respective top surface.

11. The optical module according to claim 10, wherein wherein the one side of the aperture having an external beveled surface is not one of the at least three of the four sides having an internal beveled surface.

12. The optical module of claim 10, wherein, wherein the top and inner surfaces of the one side having an external beveled surface are substantially at right angles to each other.

13. The optical module of claim 10, wherein, wherein the external beveled surface of the aperture bevels at an angle of between 22 and 32 degrees downward from the respective top surface.

14. The optical module of claim 8, wherein, wherein the internal beveled surfaces of the at least three of the four sides of the aperture bevel at an angle of between 32 and 62 degrees downward from the respective top surface.

Images