Removable protective cover with embedded proximity sensors

Abstract

A proximity sensor including a housing including a printed circuit board, the housing configured to be repeatedly attached to and detached from an electronic device, a linear array including interleaved light emitters and photodiode detectors mounted on the printed circuit board, lenses mounted in the housing directing light beams emitted by the light emitters towards an airspace outside the housing, and directing light beams reflected by one or more objects in the airspace towards the photodiode detectors, and a processor generating information regarding a plurality of different gestures performed by the one or more objects in the airspace, based on reflected light detected by the photodiode detectors, and communicating the information to the electronic device as input to the electronic device, when the housing is attached to the electronic device.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A proximity sensor comprising:
 a housing comprising a printed circuit board, said housing configured to be repeatedly attached to and detached from an electronic device;   a linear array comprising interleaved light emitters and photodiode detectors mounted on said printed circuit board;   lenses mounted in said housing directing light beams emitted by said light emitters towards an airspace outside said housing, and directing light beams reflected by one or more objects in the airspace towards said photodiode detectors; and   a processor generating information regarding a plurality of different gestures performed by the one or more objects in the airspace, based on reflected light detected by said photodiode detectors, and communicating the information to the electronic device as input to the electronic device, when said housing is attached to the electronic device.   
     
     
         21 . The proximity sensor of  claim 20 , wherein said processor generates information regarding locations on a surface being touched by the one or more objects, and communicates the information to the electronic device as input to the electronic device, when said housing is attached to the electronic device and positioned adjacent to the surface. 
     
     
         22 . The proximity sensor of  claim 20 , wherein the electronic device is a tablet computer. 
     
     
         23 . The proximity sensor of  claim 20 , wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone.