Hamamatsu Photonics has developed a new multifunctional photo IC, the P12347-01CT, that integrates a colour sensor, proximity sensor and a three-colour (RGB) LED onto a single flip-chip package. The sensor is designed as a small, inexpensive and versatile device for use in smartphones and other such devices.
The P12347-01CT can be used to adjust the display image quality, perform touchscreen on/off control, indicate incoming calls and also functions as an illuminance sensor; this feature enables image quality to be adjusted in fine detail. The proximity sensor also detects when a face draws near and automatically turns off the touchscreen function and LCD backlight.
The small package size of only 5.5 x 1.7 x 1.0 mm enables the P12347-01CT to be incorporated into small electronic devices like smartphones and only requires a small supply voltage for operation, leading to very low current consumption. By combining multiple components and functions into a single package Hamamatsu can offer a complete, low cost and smaller detector solution.