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Optical-operational-amplifier

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Optical operational amplifier

Details

Inventors: Chow, Alan Y; Chow, Vincent Y.;
Assignee: Chow; Alan Y (Wheaton, IL)
Primary Examiner: Lee; John R.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Mayer, Brown & Platt

An optical operational amplifier is disclosed. The operational amplifier has a first photodiode with an anode and a cathode. A second photodiode with an anode coupled to the cathode of the first photodiode, and an anode coupled to the cathode of the first photodiode to form an output terminal. A resistor is coupled in parallel with the first and second photodiodes. The inputs to the operational amplifier are light sources which generate different currents in the first and second photodiodes. The output voltage from the output terminal is a function of the difference in currents across the first and second photodiode. The output voltage is amplified in proportion to the value of the resistor. The basic optical operational amplifier configuration may be used in a variety of useful circuits. One example is the use of the amplifier in a position sensing device which determines position of a light beam by the output of photodiode sensing elements. A second example is the use of the operational amplifier in a retinal stimulator device. The output waveform of the operational amplifier may be shaped by the resistor and added capacitative elements to be more compatible with retina cells.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION One aspect of the present invention is an electrical switch which has a first current producing sensor having a source current terminal and a sink current terminal.
A first sensor input is operatively coupled to the first current producing sensor and emits an input signal.
A second current producing sensor has a source current terminal coupled to the sink current terminal of the first current producing sensor and a sink current terminal coupled to the source current terminal of the first current producing sensor.
A second sensor input is operatively coupled to the second current producing sensor and emits an input signal.
The voltage phase of the first current sensor and the second current sensor is proportional to the sensor input levels received by the first and second current producing sensors.
The invention is also embodied in an optoelectronic operational amplifier having a first photodiode with an anode and a cathode.
A second photodiode has an anode coupled to the cathode of the first photodiode and an anode coupled to the cathode of the first photodiode, to form an output terminal.
A resistor is coupled in parallel with the first and second photodiodes.
The invention also includes an optical ruler system for determining the position of an object.
The object has a light source emitting a light beam having an impact area with a specific length.
A first photodiode element having a photo sensitive surface, with a length shorter than that of the impact are of the light beam, is provided.
A second photodiode element is coupled with the first photodiode element.
The second photodiode element has a photo sensitive surface with a length shorter than that of the impact area of the light beam.
The impact area of the light beam impacts the photo sensitive surfaces of the first and second photodiode element depending on the position of the object.
A processing circuit reads an output signal from the first and second photodiode elements and determines the position of the object based on the value of the combined signal from the first and second photodiode elements and a known position

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