公开(公告)号：US11733359B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-22

申请号：US17079548

申请日：2020-10-26

Applicant: APPLE INC.

Inventor： Nadav Fine ,  Amir Nevet ,  Oz Barak

IPC: G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  H01L27/148

CPC classification number: G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/894 ,  H01L27/14856

Abstract: Optical sensing apparatus includes at least one semiconductor substrate and a first array of single-photon detectors, which are disposed on the at least one semiconductor substrate, and second array of counters, which are disposed on the at least one semiconductor substrate and are configured to count electrical pulses output by the single-photon detectors. Routing and aggregation logic is configured, in response to a control signal, to connect the single-photon detectors to the counters in a first mode in which each of at least some of the counters aggregates and counts the electrical pulses output by a respective first group of one or more of the single-photon detectors, and in a second mode in which each of the at least some of the counters aggregates and counts the electrical pulses output by a respective second group of two or more of the single-photon detectors.

公开(公告)号：US12140708B2

公开(公告)日：2024-11-12

申请号：US18337064

申请日：2023-06-19

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Nadav Fine ,  Amir Nevet ,  Oz Barak

IPC: G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/894 ,  H01L27/148

Abstract: A method for optical sensing includes directing a series of optical pulses toward a target scene and imaging optical radiation that is reflected from the target scene onto an array of single-photon detectors, which output electrical pulses in response to photons that are incident thereon. The electrical pulses output by the single photon detectors are counted in multiple different gating intervals that are synchronized with each of the optical pulses, including at least first and second gating intervals at different, respective delays relative to the optical pulses, while the delays are swept over a sequence of different delay times during the series of the optical pulses. A time of flight of the optical pulses is computed by comparing respective first and second counts of the electrical pulses that were accumulated in the first and second gating intervals over the series of the optical pulses.

公开(公告)号：US20230333217A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-19

申请号：US18337064

申请日：2023-06-19

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Nadav Fine ,  Amir Nevet ,  Oz Barak

IPC: G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  H01L27/148

CPC classification number: G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  H01L27/14856

Abstract: A method for optical sensing includes directing a series of optical pulses toward a target scene and imaging optical radiation that is reflected from the target scene onto an array of single-photon detectors, which output electrical pulses in response to photons that are incident thereon. The electrical pulses output by the single photon detectors are counted in multiple different gating intervals that are synchronized with each of the optical pulses, including at least first and second gating intervals at different, respective delays relative to the optical pulses, while the delays are swept over a sequence of different delay times during the series of the optical pulses. A time of flight of the optical pulses is computed by comparing respective first and second counts of the electrical pulses that were accumulated in the first and second gating intervals over the series of the optical pulses.

公开(公告)号：US11555900B1

公开(公告)日：2023-01-17

申请号：US16679360

申请日：2019-11-11

Applicant: APPLE INC.

Inventor： Oz Barak ,  James J. Reuther ,  Malcolm J. Northcott ,  Nadav Fine

IPC: G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/487 ,  G01S7/4863

Abstract: Depth-sensing apparatus includes a laser, which emits pulses of optical radiation toward a scene. One or more detectors receive the optical radiation that is reflected from points in the scene and to output signals indicative of respective times of arrival of the received radiation. A scanner scans the pulses of optical radiation across the scene along successive parallel scan lines of a raster. Control and processing circuitry drives the laser to emit a succession of output sequences of the pulses with different, respective temporal spacings between the pulses within the output sequences in the succession, and matches the times of arrival of the signals due to the optical radiation reflected from the points in at least two adjacent scan lines in the raster to the temporal spacings of the output sequences in order to find respective times of flight for the points in the scene.

公开(公告)号：US20220244391A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-04

申请号：US17548541

申请日：2021-12-12

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L Niclass ,  Nadav Fine ,  Oz Barak ,  Rahmi Hezar

IPC: G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01B11/22

Abstract: Optical sensing apparatus includes a radiation source, which directs a series of optical pulses toward a target scene. A first array of single-photon detectors receives optical radiation that is reflected from the target scene and outputs electrical pulses in response to incident photons. A second array of counters aggregates and counts the electrical pulses output by the single-photon detectors over respective periods indicated by respective gating signals applied to the counters. Control logic applies the respective gating signals to the counters, in each of a sequence of image frames, so as to cause different ones of the counters to aggregate and count the electrical pulses output by one or more of the single-photon detectors over different, respective gating intervals relative to each of the optical pulses, and to sum the frame histograms generated with different temporal offsets so as to compute and output a cumulative histogram.

公开(公告)号：US20210165083A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-03

申请号：US17079548

申请日：2020-10-26

Applicant: APPLE INC.

Inventor： Nadav Fine ,  Amir Nevet ,  Oz Barak

IPC: G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  H01L27/148

Abstract: Optical sensing apparatus includes at least one semiconductor substrate and a first array of single-photon detectors, which are disposed on the at least one semiconductor substrate, and second array of counters, which are disposed on the at least one semiconductor substrate and are configured to count electrical pulses output by the single-photon detectors. Routing and aggregation logic is configured, in response to a control signal, to connect the single-photon detectors to the counters in a first mode in which each of at least some of the counters aggregates and counts the electrical pulses output by a respective first group of one or more of the single-photon detectors, and in a second mode in which each of the at least some of the counters aggregates and counts the electrical pulses output by a respective second group of two or more of the single-photon detectors.

公开(公告)号：US10955552B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-23

申请号：US15844665

申请日：2017-12-18

Applicant: APPLE INC.

Inventor： Nadav Fine ,  Oz Barak ,  Tal Kaitz

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/32 ,  G01S17/894

Abstract: Depth-sensing apparatus includes a laser, which is configured to emit pulses of optical radiation toward a scene. One or more detectors are configured to receive the optical radiation that is reflected from points in the scene and to output signals indicative of respective times of arrival of the received radiation. Control and processing circuitry is coupled to drive the laser to emit a succession of output sequences of the pulses with different, respective temporal spacings between the pulses within the output sequences in the succession, and to match the times of arrival of input sequences of the signals to the temporal spacings of the output sequences in order to find respective times of flight for the points in the scene.

公开(公告)号：US20190094364A1

公开(公告)日：2019-03-28

申请号：US15844665

申请日：2017-12-18

Applicant: APPLE INC.

Inventor： Nadav Fine ,  Oz Barak ,  Tal Kaitz

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: Depth-sensing apparatus includes a laser, which is configured to emit pulses of optical radiation toward a scene. One or more detectors are configured to receive the optical radiation that is reflected from points in the scene and to output signals indicative of respective times of arrival of the received radiation. Control and processing circuitry is coupled to drive the laser to emit a succession of output sequences of the pulses with different, respective temporal spacings between the pulses within the output sequences in the succession, and to match the times of arrival of input sequences of the signals to the temporal spacings of the output sequences in order to find respective times of flight for the points in the scene.