Patent ID: 8384032

Claim:
A method for saving power consumption of a position sensitive detector, wherein the position sensitive detector comprises an infrared light emitting device and an infrared light receiving device, and the infrared light emitting device is configured with infrared light emitting modes of at least two strengths which are a first infrared light emitting strength mode and a second infrared light emitting strength mode, the method comprising the steps of: emitting, by the infrared light emitting device, infrared light in the first infrared light emitting strength mode which is relatively stronger; receiving, by the infrared light receiving device, the infrared light as reflected back; setting a first preset value, calculating a signal strength of the infrared light received and measured by the infrared light receiving device, and comparing the calculated signal strength with the first preset value; and when the strength of the received signal is larger than the first preset value, switching the infrared light emitting device to the second infrared light emitting strength mode which is relatively weaker to emit infrared light at the time of next infrared light emission; wherein the first infrared light emitting strength mode is the strongest of the infrared light emitting strength modes of the position sensitive detector, and only when the signal strength of the received infrared light is smaller than a lower threshold in the first infrared light emitting strength mode, conducting multiple additional infrared emissions in the first infrared light emitting strength mode and calculating an average estimated distance to an object reflecting infrared light back from the multiple additional infrared emissions.