Proximity/colour sensor module is slim for bezel-less smartphone designs
To maximise the ratio of display area to body size, ams has introduced the slim TMD3702VC module, which retains front-facing proximity, colour and ambient light sensing functions, says the company.
The 1.44mm-wide fully integrated colour/ambient light/proximity sensor module enable manufacturers to optimise the automatic disabling of smartphone touchscreens during calls and the adjustment of screen brightness to ambient conditions for more comfortable and lower-energy smartphone use.
The TMD3702VC is supplied in a 1.44 x 2.84 x 0.65mm package. Using the three-in-one integrated module in place of earlier modules that have a wider footprint, smartphone manufacturers can implement designs that have a thinner bezel, to give a greater ratio of display area to body size, while retaining important infrared proximity and light-sensing functions.
The module integrates an IR emitter, IR detecter, four colour-sensing channels and optical filters. Optical packaging technology and design techniques developed by ams have produced the proximity sensor’s vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) Class 1 Eye Safe 940nm emitter, which is more optically efficient than LED emitters found in competing devices, says ams. This keeps average active mode power consumption of the 1.8V TMD3702VC low; while in sleep mode, the device draws just 0.7 microA.
A new translucent mould-compound package provides a wide ±48 degree field of view. The proximity engine features wide dynamic range, ambient light subtraction, and advanced optical crosstalk noise cancellation which dynamically eliminates both electrical and optical crosstalk, to produce reliable proximity detection.
The optical sensor architecture of the TMD3702VC underpins the device’s accurate measurement of the correlated colour temperature (CCT) of ambient light. The ambient light and colour sensing function includes four concurrent ambient light sensing channels – red, green, blue and clear – which all have a UV/IR blocking filter. Sensitivity, power consumption and noise are optimised with adjustable timing and power. The module accurately measures ambient light and enables the calculation of illuminance and colour temperature values to support a smartphone’s management of its display’s appearance.
The TMD3702VC is available for sampling now.
