Reflections on Optical Distance Sensors for Consumer Electronics

When you capture beautiful moments in life with your smartphone or listen to dynamic melodies with earphones, the seamless experiences behind all these are underpinned by the hardcore strength of optical distance sensing technology. As an innovator in the optical distance sensing field, VisionICs has built a full range of optical distance sensing product matrix with the strategy of "independent R&D across the entire stack of chip, optics and mechanics + customized development of electronics, computing and software". Every product we create addresses the "sensing pain points" of intelligent devices, turning light into the "intelligent language" connecting humans and devices.

Core Challenges We Faced at the Inception of Developing the Full Optical Distance Sensing Series

Evolving Display Technologies：

A series of display technology iterations—including high-frequency PWM dimming for OLED screens, LTPO adaptive dynamic refresh rates, and new in-screen structures such as COE/Tandem—have put forward new requirements for optical distance sensors in screen management.

Co-evolving Imaging Systems：

The collaborative upgrading of multi-focal length modules (main camera, telephoto, ultra-wide angle) has imposed more stringent demands on long-distance shooting, requiring support for longer-range distance measurement and higher-frequency flicker detection.

More Precise Power Management：

The ever-evolving power management needs of smart wearable devices have brought new challenges to wear detection sensors, such as miniaturization, low power consumption and skin detection.

More Compact Rotation Detection：

With the rapid popularization of smart watches, crown sensors capable of rotation and key recognition are gaining increasing market acceptance. Personalized and diversified watch design aesthetics have further raised demands for the miniaturization and low power consumption of crown sensors.

It is these "hard-to-balance" dilemmas that have strengthened VisionICs' resolve to create a full range of customized optical distance sensing solutions. What we aim to do is not just "assemble a complete product line", but to accurately address the pain points of each specific scenario.

01 Smartphones

Making the "Full-Screen" Truly Complete, Elevating Photography to New Heights

To meet the two core demands of the smartphone industry—full-screen design and imaging quality—we have launched four flagship products:

• Narrow-Slot 3-in-1 Optical Sensor: The recent launch of 1.5K resolution LCD screens with 144Hz high refresh rate has reignited the mantra of "LCD never dies". VisionICs' 3-in-1 optical distance sensor, exclusively designed for LCD full-screen smartphones, integrates ambient light detection, proximity detection and laser into a single unit, with a compact form factor that fits into the tiny gap between the screen and the frame. It not only caters to the extreme narrow-bezel design but also accurately detects ambient light to adjust screen brightness, while providing the function of automatic screen dimming to prevent accidental touches during calls.
• Under-Display 2-in-1 Sensor (Color Temperature & Proximity): A series of technological upgrades for OLED screens—such as high-frequency PWM, LTPO adaptive dynamic refresh, and COE in-screen structure optimization—have led to an ever-decreasing optical transmittance of the screen, placing extremely high performance requirements on under-display optical distance sensors. On one hand, VisionICs has built an industry-leading under-display optical sensing test platform, understanding and mitigating the impact of proximity sensing (PS) on the screen from the very beginning of chip definition, and improving the accuracy of color temperature and CCT detection under COE screens. On the other hand, we are continuously pushing the limits of device, chip and packaging process capabilities, and aim to provide the market with a cost-effective under-display 2-in-1 optical sensing solution next year.
• High-Performance Ambient Light & Flicker Sensor: With the rapid development of LED screen technology, outdoor advertising screens now deliver higher resolution, brighter display and faster refresh rates. Meanwhile, the PWM dimming frequency of screens has leaped from a few hundred Hz to several thousand Hz. A mismatch between the several thousand Hz dimming frequency and the thousandth-of-a-second shutter speed in burst shooting scenarios can easily cause flicker streaks in photos and videos, compromising the user experience. After years of dedicated R&D, visionICs' optical sensing product line has launched an industry-leading high-performance ambient light & flicker sensor for the market. Boasting ultra-high detection accuracy, a maximum sampling frequency of 20KHz and an unparalleled outdoor performance, it perfectly solves the industry's tough challenge of reconciling high sampling rate, high accuracy and long-distance detection.

02 Wearable Market

Enabling More Precise Interaction, Adapting to Diverse Demands

The compact form factor of smart watches and TWS earphones hides high demands for optical sensing technology. visionICs has launched four targeted products for this market:

• Optical Crown Sensor (OTS): Our upcoming industry-leading miniaturized high-performance crown sensor truly fulfills the industry's demand of "miniaturization without compromising performance". While achieving precise measurement of the rotation angle of the watch crown, its compact size perfectly adapts to the diverse design aesthetics of smart watches. Whether adjusting the volume via rotation or sliding through the interface, the OTS delivers millisecond-level response, offering a far smoother operation experience than traditional mechanical crowns.
• High-Performance Ambient Light & Flicker Sensor: With its ultra-thin and miniaturized design, this high-performance ambient light sensor can be embedded under the watch screen, real-timely detecting ambient light intensity to realize automatic backlight brightness adjustment. The built-in ambient light eye protection level evaluation provides users with comprehensive eye care information: ensuring clear visibility in sunlight during the day and soft, non-glaring display in low light at night. At the same time, this chip can significantly reduce screen power consumption, helping smart watches achieve long battery life.
• Miniature Proximity Sensor: visionICs provides the industry with the smallest and lowest power consumption in-ear/wear detection solution. The earphones automatically power on and connect when worn, and pause playback when taken out—no manual operation required, extending earphone battery life significantly.
• Dual Long-Wave Skin Recognition Sensor: To address the issue that traditional wear detection sensors cannot accurately distinguish between desktop surfaces and human skin, visionICs has launched the industry's smallest, cost-effective and high-performance dual long-wave skin recognition sensor. On one hand, it provides the traditional proximity and far-distance detection output. On the other hand, its skin recognition function effectively avoids misjudgment between skin and non-skin surfaces, delivering a more robust user experience and more precise power management for wearable devices.

Future Outlook for Optical Distance Sensors in Consumer Electronics

visionICs firmly believes that optical sensing is the core entry point for consumer electronics to "perceive the world" and a fundamental component of future smart living. Looking ahead, visionICs will continue to deepen its expertise in analog device design and system design, and focus on enhancing process capabilities such as advanced optical processing and advanced semiconductor packaging. In addition, our product line will further drive the customized development of software and algorithms, providing customers with a complete turnkey solution for optical distance sensing.

For the consumer market, we will continue to polish our products, enrich our product line as soon as possible, and gain the recognition and support of customers. Currently, our full range of optical distance sensing products has entered the supply chain of many well-known domestic and international consumer electronics brands, achieving large-scale application in smartphones, smart watches and TWS earphones.

Furthermore, we will extend our optical distance sensing technology to the robotics and IoT fields, including intelligent robots (precision ranging and obstacle avoidance), smart sanitary ware (human proximity sensing), projectors (adaptive ambient light adjustment) and other areas, providing more comprehensive optical detection solutions.

We hope that, through the joint efforts of domestic partners in the optical distance sensing design and manufacturing industry chain, visionICs will grow into a world-class sensor supplier. We will work closely with upstream and downstream partners in the industry chain to jointly build an independent, controllable and internationally leading optical sensing industry chain, empowering every smart living scenario with precision optical sensing.