US 11,747,207 B2
Optical sensor system to identify objects and their movement
Robert Anthony Street, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to XEROX CORPORATION, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed by Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed on Dec. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/643,607.
Application 17/643,607 is a continuation of application No. 16/726,409, filed on Dec. 24, 2019, granted, now 11,293,804.
Prior Publication US 2022/0099494 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01J 3/51 (2006.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01)
CPC G01J 3/513 (2013.01) [H01L 27/1461 (2013.01); H01L 27/14616 (2013.01); H01L 27/14621 (2013.01); H01L 27/14623 (2013.01); H01L 27/14629 (2013.01); H01L 27/14645 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for detecting presence or absence of an object, the system comprising:
a sensor unit, which comprises a plurality of optical sensors, wherein each of the optical sensors is positioned to detect light that is directed from an illumination source; and
a circuit that is electrically connected to each of the optical sensors and that is configured to, when the illumination source directs light into the plurality of optical sensors:
receive signals from each of the plurality of optical sensors,
use the received signals from each of the plurality of optical sensors to generate an output that indicates a color, wherein the color correlates to a surface color of an object; and
if the color corresponds to a predetermined surface color, determine that the object is placed over the sensor unit, otherwise not determine that the object is placed over the sensor unit.