An IR Proximity-Based 3D Motion Gesture Sensor for Low-Power Portable Applications

The conventional infrared (IR) proximity-based three-directional (3D) motion gesture sensors (MGSs) detect hand motion by using either a single IR LED and multiple photosensors or multiple IR LEDs and a single photosensor. Since an IR LED is the most power hungry component, MGSs with a single IR LED and multiple photosensors are preferred for low-power applications. In this configuration, the recognition rate of an MGS is the function of the space between each photosensor. In order to achieve a high recognition rate, external photosensors resulting in a large form factor are inevitable. In this paper, a 3D MGS for low-power portable applications is proposed. The proposed optical blocks allow for a small form factor and ultra-low profile packaging by integrating photosensors in a single chip.