US4804833A — Color sensing method and device therefor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 144 words

A method for sensing the color of incident light with a color sensing device, said color sensing device being a photoelectric device comprising a substrate, at least two electrodes being formed on the substrate separately from each other, an amorphous silicon layer containing an impurity so as to act as an n-type or p-type semiconductor formed on said electrodes and at least two transparent electrodes being formed on said amorphous silicon layer separately opposite to the electrodes on the substrate so a to divide the device into at least one pair of elements and including the following steps: applying electric voltages to said pair of elements, said voltages having polarities different from each other; measuring each photocurrent of said two elements generated by the incident light; calculating the ratio of photocurrents measured, and identifying the color of incident light according to the ratio calculated.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 144 words

A method for sensing the color of incident light with a color sensing device, said color sensing device being a photoelectric device comprising a substrate, at least two electrodes being formed on the substrate separately from each other, an amorphous silicon layer containing an impurity so as to act as an n-type or p-type semiconductor formed on said electrodes and at least two transparent electrodes being formed on said amorphous silicon layer separately opposite to the electrodes on the substrate so a to divide the device into at least one pair of elements and including the following steps: applying electric voltages to said pair of elements, said voltages having polarities different from each other; measuring each photocurrent of said two elements generated by the incident light; calculating the ratio of photocurrents measured, and identifying the color of incident light according to the ratio calculated.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method according to claim 1, wherein said impurity is boron atoms and said amorphous silicon layer is a p-type.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 126 words

A color sensing device, comprising: an insulating substrate; two first electrodes being formed on said substrate separate from each other; an amorphous silicon layer containing an impurity so as to act-as an n-type or p-type semiconductor applied on said electrodes; two second electrodes made of transparent conducting material being on said n-type or p-type amorphous silicon layer so as to oppose said first electrodes interposing said amorphous silicon layer, respectively; an electric power source for applying a positive voltage and a negative voltage to each pair of a first electrode and a second electrode at the same time, and a divider means for calculating a ratio of the two photocurrents obtained, each of which flows between each pair of a first electrode and a second electrode.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 126 words

A color sensing device, comprising: an insulating substrate; two first electrodes being formed on said substrate separate from each other; an amorphous silicon layer containing an impurity so as to act-as an n-type or p-type semiconductor applied on said electrodes; two second electrodes made of transparent conducting material being on said n-type or p-type amorphous silicon layer so as to oppose said first electrodes interposing said amorphous silicon layer, respectively; an electric power source for applying a positive voltage and a negative voltage to each pair of a first electrode and a second electrode at the same time, and a divider means for calculating a ratio of the two photocurrents obtained, each of which flows between each pair of a first electrode and a second electrode.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 15 words

A color sensing device according to claim 3, wherein said insulating substrate is a lens.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 27 words

The invention of claim 3 further including means for providing a predetermined ratio of photocurrent values to wavelength whereby the color of incident light can be calculated.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 22 words

A color sensing device according to claim 3, wherein said impurity is boron atoms and said amorphous silicon layer is a p-type.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 69 words

A color sensing device according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of said two first electrodes are formed on said substrate and are arranged linearly, said amorphous silicon layer is applied on said electrodes, and a plurality of said two second eletrodes is formed on said amorphous silicon layer so as to oppose said first electrodes on said amorphous silicon layer wherein a linear color sensing device is provided.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 133 words

A color sensing device for identifying the color of incident light comprising: an insulating substrate; two first electrodes formed on the substrate and spaced from each other; an amorphous silicon layer containing an impurity so as to act as an n-type or p-type semiconductor applied on said electrodes; two second electrodes made of a transparent conducting material and positioned on the n-type or p-type amorphous silicon layer so as to be operatively positioned opposite the first electrodes, respectively; an electric power source for applying a positive voltage to one set of electrodes and a negative voltage to the other set of electrodes; means for measuring the photoelectric current from each set of electrodes when subject to incident light, and means for determining the color of the incident light from the measured photoelectric currents.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 133 words

A color sensing device for identifying the color of incident light comprising: an insulating substrate; two first electrodes formed on the substrate and spaced from each other; an amorphous silicon layer containing an impurity so as to act as an n-type or p-type semiconductor applied on said electrodes; two second electrodes made of a transparent conducting material and positioned on the n-type or p-type amorphous silicon layer so as to be operatively positioned opposite the first electrodes, respectively; an electric power source for applying a positive voltage to one set of electrodes and a negative voltage to the other set of electrodes; means for measuring the photoelectric current from each set of electrodes when subject to incident light, and means for determining the color of the incident light from the measured photoelectric currents.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1992-02-14	1992-08-15	1993-02-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1996-02-14	1996-08-15	1997-02-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2000-02-14	2000-08-15	2001-02-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Color sensing method and device therefor

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