| US 7,542,087 B2 | ||
| Orientation sensor and associated methods | ||
| Jeffrey Raynor, Edinburgh (United Kingdom) | ||
| Assigned to STMicroelectronics Limited, Marlow-Buckinghamshire (United Kingdom) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 16, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/154,207. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 04253648 (EP), filed on Jun. 18, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0285946 A1, Dec. 29, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. H04N 3/12 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 348—332 [348/208.99; 250/342] | 23 Claims |
| 1. An orientation sensor for use with an image sensor and comprising:
a plurality of polarizers with different orientations;
a photodetector associated with each polarizer; and
a signal processor for determining an orientation of the image sensor from output signals of the photodetectors when exposed
to polarized light, including determining that the orientation is in at least one of a first state, a second state and an
unknown state based on a difference between two output signals relative to a threshold.
|