Optoelectronic Sensor Adjustable Spectral Filter Thermal Drift
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optoelectronic sensor devices face challenges in sensitivity due to thermal wavelength drift of light sources, requiring wide bandpass filters and high infrared light intensities to overcome ambient light, which limits the use of narrow filters and increases system complexity.
Innovation Solution
The optoelectronic sensor device incorporates a spectral filter component with an adjustable spectral transmission range, controlled by a filter driver, allowing for the use of narrow bandpass filters and compensating for temperature-induced peak wavelength shifts, thereby enhancing sensitivity and reducing ambient light interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a wide bandpass filter is used to compensate for thermal wavelength drift, then the sensor can operate across a wide temperature range, but the signal-to-noise ratio decreases and ambient light interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a dynamically adjustable spectral filter whose transmission range can be shifted to track the peak wavelength of the radiation-emitting semiconductor chip as temperature changes. This dynamic adjustment allows the use of narrow bandpass filters while maintaining high signal-to-noise ratio across a wide temperature range, resolving the contradiction between temperature adaptability and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spectral transmission range parameter of the filter dynamically based on the peak wavelength determined from temperature measurements. By adjusting the filter's transmission range to match the semiconductor chip's peak wavelength, the system achieves both wide temperature operation and high signal-to-noise ratio, eliminating the need for wide fixed bandpass filters.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If high infrared light intensity is used to outshine ambient light, then the sensor can operate with wide bandpass filters, but the energy consumption increases and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamically adjustable spectral filter enables the system to use narrow bandpass filters that precisely match the semiconductor chip's emission spectrum. This dynamic spectral matching improves the signal-to-noise ratio, allowing the system to operate with lower infrared light intensity while effectively suppressing ambient light interference, thus reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the spectral transmission range parameter to match the peak wavelength, the filter maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio. This parameter adjustment allows the system to achieve effective ambient light suppression with lower light intensity requirements, reducing the energy needed for operation.
3Measurement precision
If a narrow bandpass filter is used to improve signal-to-noise ratio, then ambient light interference decreases, but the filter cannot compensate for thermal wavelength drift across wide temperature ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamically adjustable spectral filter that can shift its transmission range to track the peak wavelength of the radiation-emitting semiconductor chip as temperature varies. This dynamic capability allows the system to use narrow bandpass filters for high signal-to-noise ratio while maintaining adaptability across wide temperature ranges, resolving the contradiction between precision and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses temperature measurements to determine the peak wavelength and feeds this information back to adjust the spectral filter's transmission range. This feedback mechanism ensures that the filter remains optimally aligned with the semiconductor chip's emission spectrum across temperature changes, enabling narrow bandpass filtering while maintaining wide temperature adaptability.
4Device complexity
If the spectral transmission range is fixed, then the device structure is simple, but the sensor cannot maintain sensitivity across varying temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamically adjustable spectral filter that can change its transmission range based on temperature conditions. This dynamic adjustment maintains high sensitivity across varying temperatures while adding only minimal complexity to the filter structure, as the adjustment mechanism is integrated into the existing optical path without requiring separate complex filtering systems for each temperature range.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables the use of narrow bandpass filters, improving signal-to-noise ratio and reducing light intensity requirements, while maintaining sensitivity across a wide temperature range, thus enhancing the overall performance of the sensor device.
Implementation Method 1
one or a plurality of radiation-emitting semiconductor chips (2) ... designed to emit radiation (R) with a peak wavelength
Implementation Method 2
The peak wavelength depends on a temperature of the radiation-emitting semiconductor chip (2)
Implementation Method 3
the radiation subsequently reaches the sensor chip, is absorbed in the sensor chip and converted into electrical signals
Implementation Method 4
The at least one spectral filter component (4) comprises an adjustable spectral transmission range. That is, the spectral filter component (4) is transmissive only in the spectral transmission range
Data Source
AI summary
An optoelectronic sensor device and a method for operating an optoelectronic sensor device are disclosed. In an embodiment the optoelectronic sensor device includes a radiation-emitting semiconductor chip configured to emit radiation with a peak wavelength which depends on a temperature of the radiation-emitting semiconductor chip. The sensor device further includes a sensor chip configured to detect a part of the radiation reflected back to the sensor chip as well as a spectral filter component having an adjustable spectral transmission range. A wavelength determination unit is configured to determine the peak wavelength and a filter driver is configured to adjust the spectral transmission range to the determined peak wavelength.