IP Library Granted Patent US 11,340,111
Granted Patent B2
US 11,340,111 · App. 17/247,789 · Granted May 24, 2022

Sensor device and method of use

Inventors: William D. Houck (Santa Rosa, CA); Valton Smith (Novato, CA)
Assignee: VIAVI Solutions Inc.
G01J3/027G01J3/0229G01J3/42G01S17/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,340,111
App. No.
17/247,789
Filed
Dec 23, 2020
Granted
May 24, 2022
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2886
USPC
356/326
Abstract

A device may determine a time-of-flight measurement by performing a sample of a sensor based on light received via at least one first spectral filter, wherein the at least one first spectral filter is associated with a spectral range for a time-of-flight measurement; determine that a condition is satisfied with regard to the time-of-flight measurement, wherein the condition relates to an orientation or a position of the sensor or the sensor device relative to a measurement target; trigger a spectrometry measurement to be performed based on determining that the condition is satisfied with regard to the time-of-flight measurement; and perform, based on light received via at least one second spectral filter and by performing a sample of the sensor, the spectrometry measurement for the measurement target based on the condition being satisfied with regard to the time-of-flight measurement.

Claims (69)

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a device, that one or more conditions are satisfied with regard to a time-of-flight measurement;

performing, by the device, a spectrometry measurement for a measurement target based on determining that the one or more conditions are satisfied with regard to the time-of-flight measurement; and

performing, by the device, one or more actions based on the spectrometry measurement.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the spectrometry measurement comprises:

performing the spectrometry measurement based on determining that the one or more conditions are satisfied with regard to the time-of-flight measurement and based on a sample of a sensor of the device or a region of the sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining image data for the spectrometry measurement,

wherein performing the spectrometry measurement comprises:

analyzing the image data to determine the spectrometry measurement.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spectrometry measurement relates to one or more of:

a spectroscopic signature of the measurement target, or

a chemical composition of measurement target.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the one or more actions comprises:

determining a characteristic of a person based on the spectrometry measurement.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the time-of-flight measurement or another time-of-flight measurement indicates an orientation offset from the measurement target,

wherein performing the one or more actions comprises:

adjusting the spectrometry measurement by applying a transform to the spectrometry measurement to improve accuracy in view of the orientation offset.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the one or more actions comprises:

determining a speed or velocity of the device or a sensor of the device,

wherein performing the one or more actions comprises:

adjusting the spectrometry measurement based on the speed or velocity.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the one or more actions comprises:

determining a different time-of-flight measurement after performing the spectrometry measurement,

wherein the different time-of-flight measurement indicates whether a sensor, of the device, was removed from particular conditions for the spectrometry measurement too quickly.

9. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the device is a sensor device, and

wherein the time-of-flight measurement is a time-of-flight measurement of the sensor device.

10. A device, comprising:

a sensor; and

one or more processors configured to:

determine that one or more conditions are satisfied with regard to a time-of-flight measurement;

perform a spectrometry measurement for a measurement target based on determining that the one or more conditions are satisfied with regard to the time-of-flight measurement; and

perform one or more actions based on the spectrometry measurement.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine image data for the spectrometry measurement based on a sample of the sensor or a region of the sensor,

wherein the one or more processors, when performing the spectrometry measurement, are configured to:

analyze the image data to determine the spectrometry measurement.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine that the time-of-flight measurement or another time-of-flight measurement indicates an orientation offset from the measurement target,

wherein the one or more processors, when performing the one or more actions, are configured to:

adjust the spectrometry measurement by applying a transform to the spectrometry measurement to improve accuracy in view of the orientation offset.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors, when performing the one or more actions, are configured to:

determine a speed or velocity of the device or a sensor of the device,

wherein the one or more processors, when performing the one or more actions, are configured to:

adjust the spectrometry measurement based on the speed or velocity.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors, when performing the one or more actions, are configured to:

determine a different time-of-flight measurement after performing the spectrometry measurement,

wherein the different time-of-flight measurement indicates whether the sensor was removed from particular conditions for the spectrometry measurement too quickly.

15. The device of claim 10 , wherein the time-of-flight measurement is a time-of-flight measurement of the device.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to:

determine that one or more conditions are satisfied with regard to a time-of-flight measurement;

perform a spectrometry measurement for a measurement target based on determining that the one or more conditions are satisfied with regard to the time-of-flight measurement; and

perform one or more actions based on the spectrometry measurement.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the spectrometry measurement is performed further based on a sample of a sensor of the device or a region of the sensor.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the device to:

determine image data for the spectrometry measurement,

wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to perform the spectrometry measurement, cause the device to:

analyze the image data to determine the spectrometry measurement.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the device to:

determine that the time-of-flight measurement or another time-of-flight measurement indicates an orientation offset from the measurement target,

wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to perform the one or more actions, cause the device to:

adjust the spectrometry measurement by applying a transform to the spectrometry measurement to improve accuracy in view of the orientation offset.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to perform the one or more actions, cause the device to:

determine a speed or velocity of the device or a sensor of the device,

wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to perform the one or more actions, cause the device to:

adjust the spectrometry measurement based on the speed or velocity.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 73189/0873 Recorded May 28, 2026
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: INERTIAL LABS, INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC
Reel/Frame 075642/0381 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2025
From: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC; INERTIAL LABS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 073571/0137 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 21, 2025
From: INERTIAL LABS, INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 073189/0873 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 23, 2020
From: HOUCK, WILLIAM D.; SMITH, VALTON
To: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 054738/0578 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16784766 · Feb 7, 2020
Provisional Application 62804609 · Feb 12, 2019
Related Publication 20210108961A1 · Apr 15, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,216,004